When it comes to movies, the quality can range anywhere from complete trash to genuine gold. The variety of films available is immeasurable. There is literally not enough time in the human life-span to watch them all, so we have to pick and choose which movies that are going to be worth watching and remembering. Some are going to be universally loved like Star Wars, while others like Superman IV are going to be despised equally. Periodically, though, we all come across some movie that might look terrible because of a poster or trailer, but then we find the actual film to be not too shabby. The films that I’m going to talk about here fall into that particular category. Let’s take a look at some of the films that I found to be surprisingly good.
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
Here’s yet another confession of mine: I’m a fan of Michael Bay’s work. When it comes to blowing shit up, there aren’t a lot of directors that can do it the way he does. He’s really good at it. That being said, he’s definitely made some stinkers over the years, which include most of the Transformers sequels. Those are mostly guilty pleasures of mine, but when it comes to good movies, Bay doesn’t have a lot, but the ones that he does have are really good, like The Rock. 13 Hours tells the story of a group of ex-military operators who faced overwhelming odds to save American lives during the Benghazi crisis in 2012. Unlike Pearl Harbor, which was a total wreck of a movie, 13 Hours is a film that is not only respectful of the events of 2012, but it also manages to keep most of the politics on the sidelines while it focuses on the people on the ground. The action sequences in this film are second to none, and Bay is at his usual self when blowing stuff up. However, he manages to keep things relatively grounded and realistic. While the first 45 minutes are a bit of a slog, the final two hours of the film are extremely intense. Bay also managed to get some really good performances out of folks like James Badge Dale and John Krasinski. It’s not a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination, but it is one of the most mature movies that Michael Bay has ever directed. It’s definitely worth checking out.
Forsaken
This one really came out of nowhere. On the surface, Forsaken is about a lone gunman returning home to try and rebuild his life. He ends up crossing paths with a ruthless railroad baron and his goons. It’s a typical story set in the Old West and it works for what it is. What really sets this movie apart is the cast and the performances. This film sees Kiefer Sutherland and his father Donald playing…well…father and son. I’ve always been a huge of these two and seeing them finally act together is movie magic. They’re both truly great actors and the scenes they have together are much stronger because of their real-life relationship. You also have really great performances from Demi Moore and Michael Wincott, both amazing actors in their own right. The baron is played by Brian Cox, who is a legend in his own right. It’s a real shame that this movie never got the attention it deserved, because it is one of a kind. It’s one of the best Westerns in years.
Seraphim Falls
Hey, look! Two Westerns in one post! Who would have thought? Here’s the thing, though: Seraphim Falls is also a terrific Western. The story is about a former Confederate soldier hunting a former Union soldier responsible for something tragic in their past. The simplicity of the film is one of the things that really drives this movie. There are no twists and turns. It’s essentially one big chase. Liam Neeson plays the confederate soldier, while fellow Irishman Pierce Brosnan plays the Union soldier. Two Irishmen playing American soldiers? It really works. It’s an intense ride(pun not necessarily intended). It’s not action-packed, but the tension doesn’t let up. You really don’t know who the villain truly is if there is one at all. The ending of the film……is weird, but I’ll leave it at that. The rest of the film, though, is incredible. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous. Definitely check this one out if you can find it.
Bone Tomahawk
THREE Westerns?! What is going on here? Shouldn’t these three movies be on a Best Westerns list? Probably, but here we are. Bone Tomahawk is a slow-burner of a Western that sees a number of townsfolk get abducted by an unseen force. Leading the rescue is Kurt Russell as the town’s sheriff, Richard Jenkins, Patrick Wilson, and Matthew Fox as the rag-tag group out to save the townsfolk. For the most part, Bone Tomahawk plays out like a regular Western. The last act of the movie however, veers off into extreme left field. This is the kind of turn that most people aren’t going to be ready for. It turns into a horror movie and it leaves an impression. This is a savage film, but it is really good. If you don’t like horror movies, you may want to stay away. It gets pretty brutal.
The Unkindness of Ravens
Anybody who has followed me for some time could probably tell you that I have an affinity for the indie film scene. Whether it’s action, horror, drama, or science fiction, the indie film scene is the foundation upon which the film industry was built. For me, indie films are more about passion than they are about money. It’s really awesome to see what somebody can do if they aren’t beholden to a major film studio. The Unkindness of Ravens is the second horror film directed by Scottish film-maker Lawrie Brewster. The film is about a former soldier suffering from PTSD, who goes to an isolated cabin to try and deal with it by writing poetry. After a while, he begins to see strange things in the nearby woods that may or may not be real. The Unkindness of Ravens is a statement on post-traumatic stress and the soldiers that suffer from it, but it’s illustrated in an extreme way. This is one of the most unique horror movies that I’ve seen, in that it’s more personal than anything else. Jamie Scott Gordon is phenomenal as Andrew, as he has to carry the whole movie by himself. That’s not an easy feat to accomplish, and he does it very well.
Power Rangers(2017)
Given all the marketing and controversy surrounding this film up until its release, I had no expectations that it would be any good. A reboot of the classic Power Rangers TV show from the early 90s? I’m a fan of the original show. I really am. But again, I kept my expectations really low, so that I wouldn’t be overly upset if it wasn’t any good. Color me surprised when I found the film to be….better than it had any right to be. The film surprisingly focuses on the teenage characters and fleshes out each character so we understand what makes them tick. They aren’t just given superpowers, they have to earn the right to wear those outfits, and that’s a surprisingly fresh take on a franchise that was centered on super-powered teenagers fighting evil. The film’s focus on the characters, unfortunately means that there isn’t a lot of Power Ranger action, and I think that’s what turned a lot of people off of the film. Yeah, it’s not perfect, but I was surprised by how much I really liked this one. It’s just a shame that we won’t get a sequel.
Dark City
Now HERE’S a movie that’ll make you go, “What the hell did I just watch?” It’s really hard to describe this movie’s plot without giving anything away. Honestly, it’s just better if you go see it. It’s a science fiction thriller wrapped in neo-noir detective story, but that description doesn’t really do it justice. The majority of the film is set in a 30’s-era city that’s cloaked in perpetual night. The film follows a man who wakes up without any memory of who he is or where he’s been. All he knows is that he’s being followed by a mysterious group of people called Strangers, but he’s also being hunted by a detective investigating the murders of several prostitutes. I’ll come right out and say it: This movie is fucking weird. It’s such a mind-job that you have no idea what’s really going on until the end of the film, but even then you’re left with questions. It’s bizarre, but it’s one of the most unique experiences that you will ever have in a movie.
Scarface(1932)
The movie that most people think of when they hear the name Scarface, it’s usually the 1983 film with Al Pacino. Rightly so, as that it is a phenomenal gangster flick. It’s long, but it is a brilliantly made film. That being said, it wasn’t the first film to bear the name of Scarface. Oh, no. As a matter of fact, the 1983 film is a remake of a much older black-and-white film. That film is the original 1932 classic of the same name, starring Paul Muni. Directed by Howard Hawkes and produced by the legendary Howard Hughes, the original Scarface follows Tony Camonte as he climbs his way to the top of the criminal underworld. The 1983 film follows the same kind of story, but the 1932 film deals with Prohibition and the illegal distribution of alcohol. The level of violence in the 1932 film shocked audiences around the world. In fact, it was banned in multiple countries when it was released. It was a notorious film for its time, but it’s a great film. Great performances and great direction elevate this film above the rest in the 30s.
Uwe Boll’s Rampage
As some reviewers have so eloquently pointed out, even a broken clock is right twice a day. Former director Uwe Boll is notorious for a large string of bad low-budget video game-based movies like House of the Dead and Alone in the Dark. Trust me, there’s no salvaging those movies. Yet, for all the garbage that Uwe made, he’s actually made a small handful of films that are actually pretty decent. They’re not great movies, but they are pretty good. The movie that I think Uwe Boll really nailed was Rampage. This film follows a disenfranchised kid named Bill Williamson as he’s become disgusted with society and everything around him, so he takes it upon himself to start cleaning things up…..with machine guns. This is an angry movie, you can definitely feel Uwe’s frustrations play out here. This movie is not going to be for everybody, because Bill starts murdering innocent people left and right. It’s basically the Grand Theft Auto video game. It’s a shocking film, because on the surface, it seems to glorify mass violence. However, I think there’s something else at play here, under the surface, even if it was unintentional. There were two sequels to this movie, but this is the only one worth watching. Uwe Boll was a controversial film-maker, but even he made some decent stuff. Rampage is a solid movie, but you have to go into it with a certain mindset. Don’t expect this to be a light-hearted movie. It isn’t. It’s bleak and nihilistic. On purpose.
Those were some movies that I actually found to be pretty good. Some of them have a good deal of controversy surrounding them, but they are still well-made. If you can find them, they are worth taking a look at.