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The Best Overlooked Movies of 2019

January 8, 2020

As we leave behind 2019, check out Legends of Film host Bill Chamberlain's picks for best overlooked movies of the year.

Are you sick and tired of movies and television shows about the zombie apocalypse?  Watch Anna and the Apocalypse, a musical set during a  zombie apocalypse. You read right, it's a musical. Director John McPhail stated he was influenced by movies West Side Story, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Breakfast Club, and Night of the Living Dead of course. The character Anna feels totally fresh and original, and Ella Hunt who plays her is a real find. Flesh-eating zombies + song and dance. That’s entertainment.

This haunting documentary about World War I uses 100-year-old footage from the Great War to give the audience a you are there feeling. Director Peter Jackson said he intended the film to be an immersive experience of what it was like to be a soldier. Jackson’s own grandfather was a veteran of the great war and he took great care to create this unique documentary. I also highlighly recommend the documentary included in the special features about the making of They Shall Not Grow Old. FASCINATING!

Nicole Kidman is unrecognizable as L.A.P.D detective Erin Bell, a burnt-out police officer on a quest for revenge. Filmmaker Karyn Kusama’s expert direction tells the story of a cop doing her job as it slowly destroys her. Destroyer is a heist film that depicts the perils of undercover work. Kidman gets excellent support from actors Tatiana Maslany, Sebastian Stan, and Bradley Whitford in an L.A. crime film that is both tough and uncompromising.

If you have claustrophobia, a fear of drowning, hurricanes, or being eaten alive by alligators, you might want to stay away from Crawl.  The story is simple. A daughter (Kaya Scodelario) tries to find her father (Barry Pepper) during a hurricane, and anarchy ensues. Crawl is a tight and suspenseful 87 minutes long. It takes place in Florida but was filmed in Belgrade, Serbia. Fooled me.

Share your favorite overlooked movies of 2019 in the comments below.

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William

Bill likes all things pop culture. He hosts the Movies at Main film series and Legends of Film podcast.

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