What counts as hidden?
Not "obscure for obscurity's sake." A film makes this list if either: it underperformed its quality (Past Lives, The Banshees of Inisherin — beloved by critics, never the cultural moment they deserved), or it slipped past most people because it didn't have a hook (American Factory, The Master).
Three you should not skip
- The Iron Giant (1999) — A near-perfect animated film that lost its first run to bad marketing. About a robot, kindness, and the line between weapon and protector.
- Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) — Taika Waititi's funniest, warmest film. New Zealand bush, a foster kid, a grumpy uncle. Watch it cold.
- The Master (2012) — Paul Thomas Anderson's least-seen-of-his-major-works. Phoenix and Hoffman doing the most extraordinary acting of either of their careers.