Year Ender 2019: Midsommar, Booksmart, The Souvenir and Other Underrated Hollywood Movies of the Year That are a Must-Watch 

Every year Hollywood churns out a chunk of films that don't receive as much recognition but eventually get their due in the award season. These are the films that may not have gathered enough buzz during their release or didn't drive you to the theatres to catch them. Mind you, the films we are mentioning are films starring A-list actors. It has been a great year for superhero films and while Avengers: Endgame became one of the biggest hits of the year globally, there are several films across other genres that were equally good when it comes to content and missed out on being getting enough limelight. Golden Globes 2020 Nominations: 'The Irishman', 'Joker', 'Knives Out' and Other Big Releases That Dominated the List.

Like every year, Hollywood tried its best to present films revolving around various issues. From tackling isolation and its dire effects on two men in Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe starrer The Lighthouse to bringing forth a story of CIA's investigation post 9/11 with a terrific performance by Adam Driver in The Report, are a few examples of films that missed out on getting much of audience adulation but ranked high on critical acclaim.

After 2018 recognised films such as Alfonso Cuaron's Roma, which released on Netflix for top honours at the Academy Awards, it became clear that digital is now becoming an equally powerful medium for original films. In 2019 too, we saw films such as The Reports and Marriage Story releasing in theatres as well as on streaming platforms such as Amazon Prime and Netflix and both are being touted to be in the race for fetching some big awards.

While I managed to catch quite a bit of Hollywood releases over the year, keeping the superhero ones aside, these are the ones that stood out for me despite going unnoticed by the general audiences. Give yourself a chance to catch up on these soon!

The Lighthouse

Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe star in this 1890s based film as two men living an isolated life on an island in New England. Don't take the word isolation lightly as this film will make you and feel every little bit of its eerie silence. Watching the two men try hard to maintain their sanity in this setting is highly invigorating thanks to Pattinson and Dafoe's impeccable performances. Insecurities and isolation of the male mind have never been presented in such a raw manner before. The Robert Eggers film is worth every second of your time. Robert Pattinson to Compete for Lead Actor Oscar Next Year for 'The Lighthouse'.

Midsommar

Florence Pugh is a blessing as the actress never fails to give a power-packed performance no matter what the genre. Everyone deals with grief in their own manner but Ari Aster makes sure to leave us frozen in our seats as she takes us on an unsettling journey as the film's lead couple head to Sweden to attend the midsummer festival to deal with the grief of losing a close one and work on their relationship. What seems like a retreat at the start soon starts to take a dark turn when Pugh and Jack Reynor find themselves in a pagan cult that is far from normacly. If you have a penchant for psychological horror, this film will be a treat for you.

Honey Boy

You may remember Shia LaBeouf as the Transformers gut but get ready to forget all that as he stars in this cinematic memoir, directed beautifully by Alma Har'el. This autobiographical drama stars LaBeouf in the role of his real-life father whereas 14-year-old actor Noah Jupe plays the role of LaBeouf from his child actor days. High on emotion, this film about a dysfunctional father-son relationship not only has heartfelt performances from the cast but also is a great example of a screenplay based on personal commentary. Honey Boy Movie Review (MAMI 2019): Shia LaBeouf's Heartbreaking Cinematic Memoir on Childhood Trauma is Painfully Beautiful.

Booksmart

One of the films released in the first half itself and managed to receive great reviews from critics. The film starring Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever is a rare coming of age film. From Feldstein and Dever's genuine performances to Olivia Wilde's skilful debut direction, the film is filled with some sweet moments and will definitely leave you with a smile on your face. The best thing about this film is its simplicity. Booksmart Movie Review: Olivia Wilde’s Directorial Debut Will Make You Long For Your School Days.

Rocketman

Taron Egerton left everyone impressed with his portrayal of legendary musician Elton John in the biographical drama Rocketman. The British actor accompanied by Richard Madden. Director Dexter Fletcher's audacious and skilful presentation of John's professional as well as personal life with a fine emotional tone made this film one of the best of the year. Egerton who impressively does all his own vocals for the film has a career-defining role here.

Dolemite Is My Name

Eddie Murphy's Dolemite Is My Name is another film like Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time In Hollywood that is set in 70s Los Angeles. The uber-talented Eddie Murphy delivers a funny at the same time compassionate performance in this fil revolving around blaxploitation. The Netflix feature is based on the life and work of blaxploitation hero Rudy Ray Moore and his work Dolemite. Its amazing soundtrack is also one of the highlights of this film but definitely don't miss this one for Murphy's glorious performance that certainly deserves an Academy nomination.

The Souvenir

Joanna Hogg does a fine job of directing a film that heartbreakingly deciphers damaged relationships. With a power-packed performance by Honor Swinton Byrne in her potent debut, this is certainly one of the year's best films in the drama genre. The Souvenir is a semi-autobiographical film for director Hoggs and mainly revolves around a toxic relationship between a young woman and a secretive older man. The film's raw exploration of what destructive relationships look like s commendable.

The Report:

It's Adam Driver's year, from Marriage Story that is already making a lot of noise and has also fetched him a Golden Globes nomination to the much-awaited Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, he's everywhere. But, the Amazon original starring him, The Report is yet another film that deserves a mention for it is a gripping tale that finds itself in the same space as the Academy Award-Winning film Spotlight which dealt was an investigation drama based on a true story. Adam Driver and Annette Bening give excellent performances and it is one fine film that deserves your attention.

We bet you spent a lot of time this year watching superhero flicks and fantasy drama finales such as Game Of Thrones but and there's a possibility that the films listed above missed your list. Do catch these beautiful films ahead of the award season so that you known whom you will be rooting for when it comes to the big honours such as the Academy Awards and Golden Globes.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 14, 2019 02:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).