50 Obscure Films That Are Worth a Watch
Are you tired of scrolling endlessly through streaming services only to find the same blockbuster movies and popular TV shows?
It's time to broaden your cinematic horizons and discover hidden gems that have flown under the radar. In this article, we've compiled a list of the top 50 best obscure films that are actually really good.
From critically acclaimed indie cinema to cult classics and arthouse films, film festivals, and critics have praised these underrated movies.
Grab some popcorn, settle in, and prepare to discover some new favorites that you probably never knew existed.
1. Blue Ruin (2013)
A vagrant finds out about his parents' murder and sets out to seek revenge, but things don't go according to plan.
2. The Hunt (2012)
A teacher's life is turned upside down when wrongly accused of harming a child in his care.
3. The Lobster (2015)
In a dystopian society where being single is illegal, a man escapes to a hotel where he must find a new partner or be turned into an animal.
4. Ex Machina (2014)
A young programmer is invited to test the intelligence of an artificial intelligence humanoid robot, but the experiment takes a dark turn as he becomes increasingly involved with the robot's creator.
5. The Guest (2014)
A family grieving the loss of their son in the military is visited by a charming and mysterious stranger who claims to have served with him, but as bodies pile up around town, they start to wonder who this man really is.
6. Snowpiercer (2013)
After a failed attempt to stop global warming, the remaining survivors of humanity are trapped on a train that circles the earth, divided by class, until a revolution erupts from the tail section of the train.
7. Under The Skin (2013)
A seductive alien prowls the streets of Glasgow, preying on unsuspecting men, until she starts questioning her mission on Earth.
8. Coherence (2013)
During a dinner party, a strange comet passes overhead and causes a series of bizarre and unsettling events as the guests begin to suspect that their reality may not be what it seems.
9. Cemetery of Splendor (2015)
A group of soldiers with a mysterious sleeping sickness are transferred to a temporary clinic in a former school, where a volunteer nurse discovers that the clinic is located on a site believed to be a cemetery and that the soldiers' condition may be connected to supernatural forces.
10. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)
In a desolate Iranian town, a young woman stalks the streets at night, seeking out men who disrespect women, until she meets a man who could be her match.
11. The Skin I Live In (2011)
A brilliant plastic surgeon creates a synthetic skin that can withstand any kind of damage, but his obsession with perfection leads him down a dark and twisted path.
12. Enemy (2013)
A mild-mannered college professor discovers he has a doppelganger and becomes obsessed with tracking him down, leading to a surreal and haunting journey of self-discovery.
13. The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)
A retired legal counselor writes a novel based on a past unresolved case and reconnects with his former colleague, leading to a journey of love, loss, and revenge.
14. The Witch (2015)
In 17th-century New England, a Puritan family is banished from their community and forced to live at the edge of a forest where they become prey to supernatural forces beyond their comprehension.
15. Mandy (2018)
A man sets out on a path of revenge against a cult that killed his girlfriend and left him for dead, using a homemade axe and a thirst for vengeance.
16. Ida (2013)
A young novitiate nun in 1960s Poland discovers a dark family secret dating back to World War II and begins a journey of self-discovery and redemption.
17. Moon (2009)
A solitary astronaut working on the Moon makes a shocking discovery that changes his understanding of his mission and identity.
18. The Double (2013)
A meek and overlooked employee of a dystopian corporation becomes obsessed with his charismatic and confident doppelganger, leading to a surreal and unsettling conflict.
19. The Handmaiden (2016)
In 1930s Korea, a wealthy heiress hires a con artist as her new handmaiden, but their plan to defraud her uncle and steal her fortune becomes complicated by unexpected desire and betrayal.
20. The Square (2017)
A museum curator in Stockholm struggles with professional and personal challenges as he prepares to launch a provocative art exhibit and confronts the limits of his own moral compass.
21. The Neon Demon (2016)
An aspiring model moves to Los Angeles and quickly rises to the top of the fashion industry, but her success attracts jealousy and obsession from those around her.
22. The Raid: Redemption (2011)
A police SWAT team must fight their way through a high-rise apartment complex filled with dangerous criminals to apprehend a notorious drug lord.
23. Raw (2016)
A young veterinary student discovers a dark and primal appetite after being hazed and forced to eat raw meat during a brutal initiation ritual.
24. Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)
A centuries-old vampire couple living in contemporary Detroit tries to find meaning and purpose in a world they see as increasingly shallow and destructive.
25. The Invitation (2015)
A man attends a dinner party at the home of his ex-wife and her new partner but begins to suspect that something sinister is at play as old wounds and hidden agendas resurface.
26. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
A mother seeking justice for her daughter's murder clashes with the local police department and creates controversy with a bold and controversial message on three billboards.
27. The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
A successful surgeon is forced to make a terrible decision when a teenage boy he has taken under his wing begins to exact a twisted form of revenge for a past tragedy.
28. Beast (2017)
A young woman living on a remote British island falls for a mysterious man with a dark past, but their relationship becomes complicated when he is accused of a series of brutal murders.
29. The Guilty (2018)
A police officer working at an emergency call center becomes embroiled in a tense race against time to rescue a kidnapped woman before it's too late.
30. The Man From Nowhere (2010)
A quiet pawnshop keeper with a violent past must fight to save a young girl from a ruthless drug cartel when she becomes unwittingly involved in their dangerous dealings.
31. Victoria (2015)
A young Spanish woman in Berlin becomes embroiled in a high-stakes criminal scheme after meeting four men outside a nightclub.
32. The Florida Project (2017)
Set during a summer in the lives of impoverished children living in a motel near Walt Disney World, this poignant and heartbreaking film explores themes of childhood innocence, poverty, and societal neglect.
33. Hunt for The Wilderpeople (2016)
An orphaned boy and his gruff foster uncle become the subjects of a nationwide manhunt after they flee into the New Zealand bush following a series of misunderstandings and misadventures.
34. The Death of Stalin (2017)
A satirical and irreverent look at the power struggle in the Soviet Union after the death of dictator Joseph Stalin in 1953 and the political intrigue and comedic chaos that ensued.
35. Good Time (2017)
After a botched bank robbery lands his mentally challenged brother in jail, a desperate man goes to great lengths to try and get him out, embarking on a dangerous and frenzied journey through the seedy underbelly of New York City.
36. Columbus (2017)
A Korean-American man travels to Columbus, Indiana, to care for his estranged father. He begins a contemplative and introspective journey through the city's modernist architecture alongside a young architecture enthusiast.
37. First Reformed (2017)
A troubled pastor of a small church in upstate New York grapples with questions of faith, morality, and environmentalism as he begins to lose his grip on reality.
38. Burning (2018)
A young man working odd jobs in Seoul reconnects with a former classmate who asks him to look after her cat while she goes on a trip to Africa, but when she returns with a mysterious and wealthy new friend, their lives are thrown into a dangerous and surreal tailspin.
39. Shoplifters (2018)
A poor Japanese family living on the fringes of society survives by shoplifting and petty theft until they take in a young girl they find on the street and their delicate balance is threatened by secrets, lies, and the harsh realities of survival.
40. Thunder Road (2018)
After the sudden death of his mother, a small-town police officer struggling with grief and anger tries to hold his life together while dealing with the challenges of fatherhood, professional responsibilities, and an impending nervous breakdown.
41. One Cut of The Dead (2017)
A low-budget Japanese zombie movie set on a deserted WWII-era military base takes a wild and unexpected turn when real zombies attack the film crew, and the director's insistence on shooting the perfect take becomes a matter of life and death.
42. Blindspotting (2018)
A black ex-con on probation and his white best friend navigate the rapidly gentrifying streets of Oakland and grapple with issues of race, police brutality, and the prison industrial complex in this funny, poignant, and timely tale of friendship and survival.
43. The Farewell (2019)
A Chinese-American woman returns to China with her family to say goodbye to her terminally ill grandmother, but they all decide to keep the diagnosis a secret from the matriarch in this touching and humorous exploration of cultural differences and familial love.
44. Waves (2019)
A suburban African-American family navigates the highs and lows of life and love in this emotionally charged and visually stunning drama that explores the profound effects of tragedy, forgiveness, and redemption.
45. The Lighthouse (2019)
Two lighthouse keepers in the late 19th century on a remote New England island descend into madness and paranoia as they face harsh weather conditions, isolation, and their own dark secrets.
46. Bacurau (2019)
In a remote Brazilian village, the residents must band together to defend themselves against a group of wealthy Americans who have arrived to hunt them for sport in this genre-bending and socially relevant thriller.
47. The Assistant (2019)
A recent college graduate working as a junior assistant to a powerful entertainment mogul becomes increasingly aware of the systemic abuse and harassment facing women in the workplace in this tense and thought-provoking drama.
48. Possessor (2020)
An elite corporate assassin uses brain-implant technology to take control of other people's bodies and carry out her deadly missions, but when her latest assignment goes awry, she finds herself trapped in a nightmarish battle for control of her own mind and identity.
49. His House (2020)
A young refugee couple from war-torn South Sudan is granted asylum in the UK, but they soon discover that their new home is haunted by a malevolent presence that threatens to destroy their already fragile existence.
50. Sound of Metal (2019)
A heavy-metal drummer struggling with hearing loss must come to terms with his new reality and confront his past demons when he joins a deaf community that teaches him to communicate and connect with the world in a whole new way.