2013's Most Underrated Movies

If you're in search of the most underrated movies of the year, then look no further. My specific criteria focuses on films with low box-office totals (usually under $5 million) that you can expect to be ignored by the Academy Awards. This year I'm adding a new "honorable mention" list concerning more well-known and revenue-generating films that I feel were overlooked for whatever reason. Here are my honorable mention selections that didn't meet the original criteria.

Honorable Mention: About Time ($15.3 million), All Is Lost ($5.8 million and potentially Robert Redford/Best Actor), Fruitvale Station ($16.1 million) and potentially The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (which is currently being bashed by critics).

#5. The Sapphires ($2.4 million)

The Sapphires is an Australian comedy about a group of aboriginal girls who graciously accept the teachings of a washed up musician in order to propel their singing career. And with the aid of their new manager Dave Lovelace (played by Chris O'Dowd), The Sapphires venture to Vietnam and perform for U.S. troops during the war. The laughs are plentiful and the drama in genuine with this vastly under-seen indie gem.

#4. The East ($2.3 million)

Boasting an impressive cast including Ellen Page, Patricia Clarkson, Alexander Skarsgard and Brit Marling, The East was a successful early-year release in 2013. The film follows a private intelligence operative (Marling) tasked with infiltrating an anarchist group who specifically targets major corporations. With a charismatic and entrancing leader (Skarsgard) delivering their message of retaliation, the operative begins to question her own morals. The East has all the makings of a standout psychological thriller.

#3. The Kings of Summer ($1.3 million)

If you're a fan of comical absurdity and coming-of-age films, there aren't many better than Jordan Vogt-Roberts' The Kings of Summer. When best friends Joe and Patrick decide they can't take living with their parents any longer, the teenagers construct a new house hidden deep in the woods. They run away from home and engage in the ultimate Summer of independence along with the latest member of their trio, the wildcard Biaggio. Co-starring Nick Offerman, The Kings of Summer is nothing short of a fun-filled viewing experience.

#2. Short Term 12 ($1 million)

Operating under the safe assumption that 21 Jump Street's Brie Larson won't be handed a Best Actress Nomination from the Academy (despite the fact that her performance is beyond deserving), the phenomenal independent drama, Short Term 12, is an absolute must-see! Larson stars as Grace, a loving and caring employee at a foster-care facility for at-risk children. Her job takes courage, patience and understanding, all traits that Grace has an easy time displaying towards these children. However, with enormous demons in her own closet that are building barriers between her and co-worker boyfriend, Mason, Grace must come to grips with her past in order to move forward. Illustrating a perfect balance between its tension-easing comedy and brutally honest dramatics, Short Term 12 is a remarkable debut effort from director Destin Cretton. 

#1. Trance ($2.3 million)

I was extremely torn between my top two selections, but I live by a specific mantra that I, once again, utilized here. The "tie" always goes to my favorite director, Danny Boyle, whose latest film, Trance, is an exceptional mind-bending thriller. James McAvoy stars as an art auctioneer who becomes entangled with mobsters and promises to assist them in a robbery. However, the auctioneer double-crosses the mobsters and hides the painting during the heist. But when a blow to the head destroys his memory of the whole ordeal, the scared-for-his-life auctioneer is sent to a hypnotherapist (Rosario Dawson) to help recall the whereabouts of the stolen art. The twists and turns lead you to a brilliant and almost poetic finale that make it easy to overlook the film's flawed paper-thin script. Trance's mid-section admittedly drags a little, but the conclusion is unforgettable. A regular staple in Boyle's long list of accomplished work.