5 More Great Films of 2010 that Nobody Saw

Every year there are films that fly under the radar and don't get seen in the theaters. Perhaps the film only had a limited release, maybe it wasn't marketed very well, or perhaps audiences just decided other things looked more fun. 2010 was no exception, but there's always a second chance. DVDs, Blu-rays, and of course Netflix make it so much easier for audience to catch the ones that got away. Following is a list of five more movies that deserve consideration which you probably missed, or may not have even been aware of.

"Monsters"
Six years ago scientists sent a probe into deep space to collect possible evidence of extra-terrestrial life. On it's return to Earth the probe crash landed in Mexico, and shortly after that the creatures started to appear. The creatures have been quarantined off in the "infected zone" that stands between the borders of Mexico and the United States. Andrew (Scoot McNairy) is a photo-journalist hoping to snap to pictures of the creatures in action. However his employers gives him an assignment he'd rather not take, which is to ensure that his employer's daughter (Whitney Able) is evacuated out of Mexico before a three month total lock-down of the country goes into effect. When normal means of leaving the country are cut off they face having to travel through the infected zone.

Most alien invasion movies are about the initial arrival of the aliens. In this film the aliens have been here for a number of years and the for the most part the world has moved on. People go about their lives, knowing the creatures are there but not dwelling on it. Only the two leads are played by actors, the rest of the film is populated by Mexican locals and it adds to the authenticity of the film. The fact that the film was made for under a million dollars is simply staggering given it's lush locales and well executed effects. It stands not only as a perfect example of conceiving a film to be made on a small budget but as a solid and enjoyable piece of entertainment in and of itself.

"Never Let Me Go"
In an alternate version of history the a medical breakthrough in the 1950s allowed the average lifespan to be extended past 100 years. The method of this is the use of donors, cloned humans raised into their 20s and are then subject to multiple organ donation until they undergo "completion." Kathy (Carey Mulligan,) Ruth (Keira Knightley,) and Tommy (Andrew Garfield) are three such youths. They grew up together in a special school called Hailsham where they bonded together. A youthful love triangle threatened to tear the three apart and Kathy finds her own calling by taking up the roll of a "carer," one who looks after the donors until they complete. This is the story of three all too brief lives and how they depended on each other.

Not all science fiction has to be full of special effects of robots and aliens and giant explosions. Despite a sci-fi premise the film is completely focused on the inner workings of the relationships of the three central characters. In any other film the three leads would be literally fighting or running from their fates (as happened in similarly themed films like "Logan's Run" and "The Island") but here they simply accept it as their lot in life. This allows the film to examine their brief lives in fine detail without the action movie baggage that would usually have been heaped on the premise. The three lead performances are expertly nuanced and the film as a whole is simply, quietly and unassumingly beautiful.

"Four Lions"
In England a small group of would be suicide bombers try to plan their attack on those they see as their enemies. First they have to stop screwing everything up. Even headed Omar (Riz Ahmed) takes his closest friend Waj (Kayvan Novak) to a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan. Unfortunately things don't go exactly as planned at the camp. Complicating matters are the fact that spastic Fassel (Adeel Akhar) and psychotic Barry (Nigel Lindsay) are trying to make their own plans, which get more ridiculous with each passing day. Barry also recruits the young Hassan (Asher Ali) who seems more interested in rapping about Jihad than actually taking part in it. The group do their best to devise a plan and evade the authorities, but in the end they're their own worst enemies.

Dark comedies don't get much blacker than this. It really shouldn't be possible to make a comedy about suicide bombers, and it should completely incomprehensible that a comedy about suicide bombers would also be respectful towards Muslims. Yet somehow this biting British film pulls off being funny, thoughtful and respectful all at the same time. The humor comes from the characters and their personal failings rather than from a more broad mocking of Muslims or extremists. While not a gut busting joke-fest there are consistent laughs throughout and it's a wonderful example of a thoughtful and carefully constructed comedy.

"The Kids Are All Right"
Nic (Annette Benning) and Jules (Julianne Moore) are a lesbian couple and parents to two teenagers. Joni (Mia Wasikowska) is a brainy high school graduate getting ready to start to college and Laser (Josh Hutcherson) is an athletic 15 year old. Since she's now turned 18 Joni is permitted to contact the agency where her mothers got their sperm and see if the donor is willing to be communicated with. Joni isn't all that interested but Laser is and he talks her into it. Laid back donor Paul (Mark Ruffalo) agrees to meet them and soon finds himself spending an unexpected amount of time with them and the rest of their family. Some of the family are happy to get to know Paul better, but others feel that he's driving them apart.

Many movie goers may recognize the title, it was the token indy dramedy up for Best Picture at the most recent Oscars, but not many actually saw it. There were plenty of independent films up for awards but nearly all the others were released late in the year and saw a boost in tickets when the nominations were announced. This movie came out earlier in the year and never got that same ticket sale boost from the awards that the other contenders did. Like most indy comedies it's not a laugh fest of punchlines, but there are still plenty of laughs to be had. It's a comedy of awkwardness at first becoming a bit more a serious look at relationships later on in the film. It's well balanced between the drama and the humor and the actors all bring their A game.

"Let Me In"
Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is a 12 year old boy living in Los Alamos, New Mexico. His parents are divorced and their relationship is strained, and Owen himself is mercilessly bullied at school. His ordinary, if unhappy, life takes a drastic turn with the arrival of Abby (Chloe Moretz,) a twelve year old girl who moves into the apartment next door. Abby doesn't go to school, she walks out in the snow barefoot and she seems both intrigued by Owen but also reluctant to get close to him. As the two inevitably become closer the truth becomes painfully clear: Abby is a vampire.

Rather than making a vain attempt to reinvent vampires this film instead uses what audiences already know about them to tell an intimate story of two isolated children who find a connection with each other. The film is visually striking, at times brutally violent but also sweetly beautiful as well. Young actress Chloe Moretz already showed she could be tough in "Kick-Ass" but here she shows a whole different side, being wonderfully vulnerable yet still dangerous. Admittedly those who've already seen the Swedish original "Let the Right One In" won't find much new here. However for the many who missed that film or just aren't partial to subtitles then this film is worth seeking out, because it works on its own.