The Cinema Spot’s Ten Overlooked And Underrated Movies Of 2023

We all know about the “Barbenheimer” popular culture phenomenon and the semi-flopped comic book movies of the year, but what about the overlooked and underrated movies of 2023? You know the ones…well, actually, you wouldn’t. That ruins the point.

These movies didn’t get much hype. Whether word-of-mouth awareness or seeing an ad every hour of the day, blockbusters count on that stuff to drag your behind to the theaters. Yet, every year, one of three things happens without fail to the Indie flick in the cinephile community.

1. Shock and Awe: “Wait, what? That movie is nominated for Best Picture? I’ve never heard of it!”
2. Safe and Sound: “I streamed this movie on a whim, and it was made this year. Who knew?!”
3. Surprise and Delight: “When did this come out? And these people are in it? Was this straight to DVD?”

Indie movies are small-budget breakouts, original concepts, or passion projects. Either way, they squeak by the marketing machine and rarely get discussed at parties. You may find a review or two about these things, but when a website–say, like this one–is bold enough to review an independent film, we hope it’s been read.

If these lists of “overlooked and underrated movies” of any year bother the cinephile in you, they should. Every one of these films has a strong purpose and should have been seen more than they were. More importantly, the people who did see these films should have done more to promote them–present company included.

Why? Watch these things, choose which one of the three categories they include, and enjoy! These are our selections for the most overlooked and underrated movies of 2023.

---

10. When Evil Lurks

This movie may as well be a dare to watch because two words that don’t match do so in a remarkably somber and grotesque fashion–Argentina and Horror. Yeah, that’s probably what everyone else said too. The plot is about two knucklehead brothers who find a dead man. No big deal, until you see his body.

The bloated cadaver looks like a sponge set in toxic waste and left to wither and crack in the Texas summer sun. It’s that bad, and that’s only the beginning. Beelzebub possesses several people who have experienced similar, Chuck-Norris-kick-in-the-outdoor-plumbing outcomes. And the ending? Have mercy! It’s one of the only films–overlooked and underrated movies or otherwise–that make you wince in literal pain.

9. Master Gardener

This film has the skeleton of a major theatrical run–stars Joel Edgerton (Narvel Roth) and Sigourney Weaver (Norma Haverhill), and the writer/director is Paul Schrader (scribe of Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, First Reformed). Yet, few people heard of this, and even fewer saw it.

Norma asks Paul to teach his gardening craft to her biracial niece (and yes, her race is important to note). Uh-oh, because that’s about when you learn he used to be a white supremacist and still tackles those heinous thoughts. Oh, Norma does too. The journey of confronting past sins and atoning for them is uncomfortable, at the least, and devastating, at most. Then, comes the final scene worth renting it alone.

8. Earth Mama

How in the world does A24 find these films that can wreck you, if only you took the time to watch something that’s unlike the major studio productions out there? This movie is a revelation of a jilted foster care system and how one pregnant Black woman stares it down without flinching.

Tia Nomore gives a powerful performance and pierces your soul with her story of fighting to get her family back together despite how the odds are stacked against her and hope is near desolate in her favor. Her journey as Gia won’t be forgotten and forces audiences to reconsider how single parents survive in this world.

7. Monster

This movie is surprisingly visceral and evocative about a mother searching for a reason why her son is so troubled at school. Director Hirokazu Kore-eda (Brokers, Shoplifters) creates a visage of an alarmingly unsettling rural society through the eyes of two school-aged boys and how their relationship becomes a microcosm of the world today.

The deeper Kore-eda dives into these boys’ lives, the more shallow you feel by not cherishing even the troubling nuances of your life. Add to that narrative, a haunting score of sad, ambient piano by the late Ryuichi Sakamoto and you have a film that demands to be seen and heard.

6. Past Lives

If you have not heard of director Celine Song, her romance drama Past Lives will put her on your map for certain. The story is about how two people–in this story, Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae-Sung (Teo Yoo)–can be connected but never quite understand how deep it goes.

Nora’s family leaves South Korea, and she is convinced she’ll never see her friend, Hae-Sung, again. Fast forward almost 20 years, they inadvertently meet in New York. Both are confronted with personal and coupled thoughts about how decisions create ripples in our lives and the hidden feelings that can be uncovered, no matter how deep they are buried.

Trust that you will stare at yourself in the mirror following this gripping story.

5. Rye Lane

If you don’t have Hulu, you probably never knew this existed among the year’s overlooked and underrated movies. And that’s a shame because this rom-com (yes, really) deserves more. The film is centered around two lovelorn people, Dom (David Jonsson) and Yas (Vivian Oparah), from South London.

Together, they share stories and experience a different life together. New director Raine Allen-Miller shows a novel side of the obligatory slow-burn romance in the making. What blossoms from that may be expected, but it is “un” anything else.

4. Skinamarink

Full disclosure: This was first released in July 2022. No one got the memo, so it was re-released in January 2023. That’s when most people caught word about this harrowing film.

Just when you think Hollywood is tapped out on original stories, along comes Kyle Edward Ball‘s micro-budgeted and marvelous horror flick, Skinamarink. Just watch that trailer! The retro aesthetic with the low-definition tape and sound popping in the background is mesmerizing as you listen carefully to the cryptic sights and sounds.

The Shudder original didn’t get much love from marketing or movie audiences, but it sticks with you as two children are left alone in a dark house and an enigmatic guest of sorts. Remember when you were a child and would wake up way early in the morning? You walk the hallways and something feels…off? That’s when this movie comes to life.

3. The Royal Hotel

Among the overlooked and underrated movies of 2023 is the most elementary of plots–Hanna (Julia Garner) and Liv (Jessica Henwick) are two Americans vacationing in Australia who enjoy partying quite a bit. They’re broke and take jobs as bartenders near a mining site. Two fun and impoverished girls and a gaggle of horny old men. What a unique concept.

However, the stereotypical journey of #MeToo discomfort takes a detour. The toxic machismo is forced to about-face as the two new friends insist on some adjustments. Both Garner and Henwick are compelling as co-leads in this film–one based on actual events. And when you see the events, your mouth will drop knowing it’s true.

2. Rustin

If the biopics Selma and Milk had a mash-up, Rustin would be the incomparable result. This is absolutely one of the underrated and overlooked movies of 2023 as it’s a true story–one many people have probably never heard before and absolutely should know.

Colman Domingo (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Candyman, The Color Purple) is a force of nature as Bayard Rustin, a gay Civil Rights leader who was the architect behind the historic March on Washington. This is a compelling tale about one man’s vision of what it means to be free, while he struggles to find his freedom within. He fights for justice based on how he looks as he longs for it based on who he is.

A long-overdue and remarkable film that demands a Netflix and zero chill moment in your life. It’s just that good!

1. Origin

If any nerd reading this post has stopped being upset that Ava DuVernay wasn’t permitted to make New Gods, watching this stellar story will reignite that fire with blazing fervor. Damn, this woman can tell a story!

Origin is a take on Isabel Wilkerson’s book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents–as in “system” in terms of classes. The biographical drama’s introspective look at societal power, regulations, and the absolute ill-management among communities is a punch in the gut. DuVernay bursts your bubble and forces a look inside how people live with the hands they are dealt.

Wilkerson (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) and her husband Brett (Jon Bernthal) show how the ills of society remain sick with blurred vision and how the medicine to fix relationships is provided honest–and often, tough–love. The story connects India’s corrupt system with the Jewish Holocaust and American Slavery and illustrates how those heinous actions of yesterday are still raging within the world today.

This is the pinnacle of overlooked and underrated movies in 2023. If you appreciate history and how each day is a chance to correct it, you must see this film. (And then petition Warner Bros. to get DuVernay on New Gods again.)