Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute
Mandatory’s Most Underrated Movies of 2018 is a collection of underdog films that are true originals. Not one of these standalone films includes a prequel, sequel nor are based on any preexisting comic, TV show, etc.
Christmas specials: The Mandatory Gift Guide for People Who Love Movies
That could be why these films flew under the radar, but now that you know, watching every one of them should be your New Year’s resolution.
See if your favorites made the list: Mandatory Hall of Fame
Most Underrated Films of 2018
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'Mandy'
Nic Cage has evolved from starring in National Treasure to becoming one. Breakout director Panos Cosmatos lets Cage shine in this brutal heavy metal instant classic that is equal parts art house and grindhouse.
Photo: XYZ Films
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'Upgrade'
Writer/director Leigh Whannell (of Saw fame) does more with less than the crafts service budget of Solo: A Star Wars Story, rebooting genre cliches into a B-movie throwback that was the best sci-movie of 2018.
Photo: Blumhouse Productions
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'8th Grade'
Writer/director Bo Burnham channels the awkward, angsty spirit of John Hughes in this cringe-worthy (in a good way) look at middle-school. Every note feels real and lead actress Elsie Fisher is a future star.
Photo: A24
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'Revenge'
First-time director Coralie Fargeat’s bloody cat-and-mouse, rape-revenge neo-Western is as stylish as it is seizure-inducing.
Photo: Neon
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'Thunder Road'
Writer/director Jim Cummings wears his heart on his sleeve for better or worse, making you forgive his 'stache in this film festival darling that will leave you in tears.
Photo: Vanishing Angle
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'Searching'
This basic mystery-thriller clicks not just because it's told from a desktop screen, but because of its honest portrayal of how the screens in front of us blind us from the truth.
Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing
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'Skate Kitchen'
Director Crystal Moselle drops us into the daily grind of an all-girl skate crew playing "heightened" versions of themselves.
Photo: Magnolia Pictures
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'Cam'
This psychological horror-thriller plays out like a Florida-set version of a Black Mirror episode, giving us a slice of internet life from the other side of the voyeuristic screen.
Photo: Blumhouse Productions
