Editorial: Celebrating the Underrated Films of 2016

It's Christmas! And in true festive fashion, it's a good enough time to let some forgotten or unjustly-disliked films to share some love with some of the year's biggest counterparts - films that likely won't turn up on many top ten lists (or at least, not my own) but need the attention.

10 Cloverfield Lane

When the first teaser came right out of nowhere for this quasi-sequel, the internet went aflutter. When the film itself came out, people were praising it for the first few days before instantly forgetting it existed. As the weeks went by, its placement in the US box office was lower and lower, and whilst its $15m budget means that it was hardly a costly affair, its meagre $108m gross worldwide for a recognisable brand is nothing short of a disappointment. Which is a real shame, as it's a suspenseful tale of uncertainty and fear for all but the final 10 minutes.

Everybody Wants Some!!

Everybody Wants Some!! is one of my firm favourites of the year. It's got the standard Linklater trend of being a film with no real story but has characters you connect to despite how they are. It's quite simply a chill time with a bunch of baseball players who are going about with their own mini-freshers weekend. And as someone who's seen this film numerous times now, what's wrong with watching some guys get competitive and have a good time?

Ghostbusters

Okay, hear me out for a second here. Yes, I was a little too positive on the recent reboot then I should have been; it's far from a perfect movie and is far from being as good as the 1984 original. That being said, there's still plenty of merits to be marked, and it at least put in some level of effort. So this Christmas be a little kinder to the little reboot that could.

Nerve

Nerve is a social media movie that works, which deserves attention by itself. But as a movie that plays about with its teenage demographic without coming across as a little dull or cliched - bar a slightly disappointing finale - but instead, a fun trip filled with pranks and dares is one that amounts to at least one viewing. It may have its problems, but this Emma Roberts-led thrill ride is a little good to be left unnoticed.

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

Popstar is arguably the funniest comedy of the year and nobody went to see it. It's one of the bigger box office bombs of the year, which is a real shame because it's a great modern satire of the modern music industry, just as This is Spinal Tap was back when that was released in 1984. Whether it be the strong songs by The Lonely Island guys or just the jokes themselves (the 'Bee' scene alone is a winner), this film truly deserves more than what it got. The DVD comes out in the UK this Boxing Day, so do yourselves a favour and pick up a copy.

Storks

From one Samberg movie to another, Storks was slammed a little for just how frantic it was; never leaving enough time for a joke to truly land. And I'd agree with that statement, if not for the factor that those jokes that you do manage to catch are still quite funny. The animation is reminiscent of the classic Looney Tunes style and the vocal talent is great, so it's a tad disappointing that few people actually know about this.

Swiss Army Man

This is without a doubt one of the more original movies to be released this year, and it's also the smallest out of all the ones on this list. Its premise bizarre and its ending, unfortunately, lacklustre in contrast of the prior 90 minutes, Swiss Army Man remains something of a favourite for the entire year: its uniqueness against a world of blockbusters and biopics something to be applauded.

The Neon Demon

Nicolas Winding Refn has never really had much of a chance in besting his 2011 cult hit Drive, but The Neon Demon is a mighty fine attempt at passing it. As the most surreal viewing experience, as well as the most seizure-inducing, Demon brought about a bleak yet colourful glimpse of the modelling world, and just how far people would go to become the best of the best. It's this half-decade's equivalent to 2010's Black Swan, and it's just as freaky.