The word “overlooked” can be interpreted in a variety of ways when it pertains to a subject such as movies. To most, it is a movie that not a lot of people watched, which is definitely true, but in this case we are also looking at movies that were overlooked for their genre and overlooked by award shows such as the Oscars. During this decade alone there were plenty of gems that could have been put on this list, but there is only room for five. Maybe you did get the chance to see one of these movies, maybe you have not even heard of any of these movies or maybe you were looking forward to seeing one of your favorite movies that was also overlooked on this list. Nevertheless, here are five of the most overlooked movies of this decade so far.

“Inside Llewyn Davis”

Release Date: Dec. 6, 2013

Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen

“Inside Llewyn Davis” tells the story of a struggling musician trying to make a living in the Greenwich Village during the 1960’s. Directed by the brilliant minds that brought us classics such as “The Big Lebowski,” “Fargo” and “No Country for Old Men,” Joel and Ethan Coen give us a period piece that looks like it was taken straight out of New York in the 60’s. Charged by a brilliant performance from Oscar Isaac as the titular Lllewyn Davis, we get to see the hardships of this folk singer who is looking for his big break. Critically acclaimed, this movie is considered one of the best movies of the 21st century according to a 2016 culture poll by the BBC. So why does this movie classify as an overlooked movie of this decade? According to Box Office Mojo, this movie made just under $33 million, and of all that, only $13 million was made in the American box office. Not only overlooked in the box office, but the movie was not given its fair due at the Oscars either. Only nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Sound Mixing, the film definitely deserved a nod for Best Actor, Picture, and Director. In all honesty, the Academy is known to love an uplifting story, which is exactly what this movie is not. This movie shows us the realism of what it took to make it in the music industry, from sleeping on couch to couch, to borrowing money from just about anyone. Amazing performances by everyone including the singing by the cast, and an excellent screenplay give us not only one of the best movies of this decade, but a very overlooked one as well.

“Drive”

Release date: Sept. 16, 2011

Directed By Nicolas Winding Refn

Imagine watching a movie where you don’t even know the name of the main character yet. You are intrigued by his every move throughout the movie. I present to you “Drive.” This neo-noir masterpiece starring an ensemble cast featuring Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston and Oscar Isaac to name a few, creates an extremely original story based on the book of the same name by James Sallis. In this film, we follow a car mechanic/movie double/getaway car driver in Los Angeles, who becomes close to his new neighbor and her son. Although there are some scenes of violence throughout the movie, it identifies more as a thriller. The movie did fairly well at the box office, making $78.1 million off of a $15 million budget, but it was well overlooked in the domestic box office, only making a little bit more than $35 million. Although it sounds like a lot, this movie should have done a lot better since it was one of the best well reviewed movies of that year. Appearing at number one on countless Top Ten lists, including that of acclaimed journalists Peter Travers and Richard Roeper, this movie should’ve been seen by a lot more people. By making a character who barely has any dialogue interesting and making the city of Los Angeles almost like a character, Nicolas Winding Refn made a truly brilliant movie.

“Prisoners”

Release Date: Sept. 20, 2013

Directed by Denis Villeneuve

Despite doing well at the box office, bringing in over $122 million at the box office, and getting recognition from the Oscars, this movie is still criminally underrated. Of all the movies on this list this one boasts the most impressive cast, led by Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Terrence Howard and Paul Dano. The film revolves around two families who come together during a Thanksgiving dinner, who later find out each family have had one of their daughters abducted. What soon follows is an intense thriller and the subsequent search for the two missing girls, where each set of parents and a brilliant Jake Gyllenhaal as Detective Loki are pushed to their limits. The film clocks in at two hours and 33 minutes, but the editing and suspense makes it feel as if the movie was under 2 hours. Not only was this a movie that demanded your eyes to be glued to the screen, but it also looks absolutely gorgeous. Acclaimed cinematographer Roger Deakins does some of his best work here, even getting recognized with a nomination at the Oscars.  All in all, what we get is an insane thriller filled with twists and turns that should not be forgotten nor overlooked.

“Love and Mercy”

Release Date: June 5, 2015

Directed by Bill Pohlad

Back in the 60’s The Beach Boys rivaled The Beatles in popularity and were easily one of the best selling and most influential artists of their time. So when it was revealed that there would be a biopic on the life of Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys during the creation and release of their greatest album, “Pet Sounds and the Life of Wilson,” I expected this movie to do fairly well. What ended up happening was the film went completely under the radar, and even fans of The Beach Boys missed it. It would be something if the film was bad and nobody saw it, but the exact opposite happened. Not only did we get a brilliant dual performance from John Cusack and Paul Dano as the genius Brian Wilson, but we also got a movie full of heart and soul. Time Magazine went as far to say it was “one of the best movies of 2015,” while Rolling Stone said it was “one of the best music biopics ever.” By showing us Brian Wilson inside the studio formulating each and every sound on the album, we get a real look at this piece of art, which is considered by many to be one of the greatest albums of all time. Overlooked and underappreciated, Bill Pohlad gives us a film that more should see and be inspired by.   

“The Babadook”

Release Date: May 22, 2014

Directed by Jennifer Kent

In a genre plagued by constant sequels and reboots, we got a fantastic original horror film that transcends the boundaries of gore and jump-scares. This movie, in short, tells the story of a widow that discovers a monster has entered her home through her son’s storybook. “The Babadook” was another criminally overlooked movie in all three ways I listed they could be overlooked. For starters, the movie made less than $8 million at the box office. Secondly, this movie was very overlooked for its genre. Considering that franchises like “Paranormal Activity” pump out a sequel every year or so and still get views, it is almost an insult to the quality of this movie. William Friedkin, director of “The Exorcist” went as far as grouping “The Babadook” with other classics when he said, “‘Psycho,’ ‘Alien,’ ‘Diabolique’ and now ‘The Babadook.’” Lastly, this film went completely snubbed by almost every award show. This movie was the directorial debut for Jennifer Kent, who went completely unrecognized, just adding to the oppression of female movie directors. In addition, the performance by Essie Davis was one of the best of 2014, as her character Amelia deals with being a widow and its psychological damage. Neither of them were recognized and the movie most definitely was overlooked, which is sad considering “The Babadook” may very well be the best horror movie of this decade.