The 2020s have already proven to be a rich era for cinema, with countless films making waves on the big screen and streaming platforms alike. But beyond the blockbusters and award darlings, there exists a treasure trove of lesser-known movies—hidden gems that showcase remarkable storytelling, inventive filmmaking, and unforgettable performances. These films may have flown under the radar, but they’re brimming with creativity and deserve a spot on your watchlist. Here’s a curated selection of hidden cinematic treasures from the 2020s that are waiting to be discovered.
These are the 50 Greatest Hidden Gems of the 2020s (So Far).
10. New York Ninja (2021)
New York Ninja is a fascinating anomaly in cinema, a labor of love that resurrects a long-lost, unfinished 1984 martial arts film. Directed by John Liu but abandoned during production, it was rediscovered decades later and painstakingly completed by Vinegar Syndrome’s Kurtis Spieler. The result is a delightful homage to 1980s action films, brimming with nostalgia, eccentricity, and sheer passion for the genre. The dedication to reconstructing this film is astounding. Spieler worked without original audio or a script, re-editing the footage and recruiting a stellar voice cast, including genre icons like Don Wilson and Cynthia Rothrock, to dub the characters. This herculean effort brings coherence and charm to an otherwise chaotic production. The film feels like a time capsule, capturing the grit and vibrancy of 1980s New York City. It’s a miracle it was discovered and an even bigger miracle that it’s this entertaining.
9. Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021)
I’m not a fan of Bridesmaids. I find it tonally all over the place and comedically inconsistent. One moment, you’ll have a weird incest joke that’s followed by some gross-out scene that transitions to a genuine heartfelt moment. It feels like three drastically different cooks were all in the kitchen at the same time and none of them could decide what kind of dish to prepare, so they made all three. Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar on the hand, knows exactly what it is at all times, which is comedic anarchy. Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo (who also wrote the film) play two best friends who decide to shake up their mundane lives by going to Vista Del Mar, a tropical hideaway located in Florida.
While there, the two independently and without the other’s knowledge, fall in love with the same guy who just happens to be a spy working for a supervillain also played by Wiig. If you think that subplot is too fucking weird to exist in a mainstream comedy, you might not be prepared for this movie. Barb and Star is so unrelentingly wacky, that it’s less a movie and more of a cinematic wavelength that you’re either tuned into or you’re not. It honestly feels like a Muppet movie where all the Muppets are played by human actors. None of it makes any sense but that’s part of its charm. It’s not set in a world where logic exists. In this reality, Jaimie Dornan could and does fall in love with TWO different versions of Wiig, there’s a crab voiced by Morgan Freeman, and the third act deus ex machina is a sea goddess played by Reba McEntire. It’s a future cult classic and one of the funniest films I’ve seen in a long time. Trish!
8. Flee (2021)
Animation is always an interesting choice for documentary films. It often allows for otherwise intense subject matter to be a bit easier for audiences to digest. The story central to Flee, which is one about an Afghan refugee’s journey from escaping civil war, to growing up without his family, and eventually settling down with his boyfriend and soon-to-be husband in Denmark. Amin’s story will break your heart, but also fill you with great hope. His story is one of great triumph, resilience, and perseverance. The animation style here raises the emotional stakes, while also providing a sense of security against any of the story’s impending danger. The movie’s power is so undeniable it earned an unprecedented trio of Academy Award nominations for the same film – Best International Feature, Best Documentary Feature, and Best Animated Feature.
–Raf Stitt
7. Brian and Charles (2022)
While I appreciate the fact that filmmakers like The Daniels are pushing cinema in wild directions and auteurs like Cruise and Cameron are keeping the blockbuster alive, sometimes you just need a little warm hug of a movie to be reminded what cinema can do. Because at the end of the day, they’re empathy machines that are designed to generate emotions and by golly did this push the right buttons. It’s just a little movie about an eccentric inventor and the robot he creates. There’s a love story and a bit of melodrama involving some rotten neighbors but the core of the story is the friendship between Brian and Charles. Charles the robot is an utter delight with everything he says being absolutely adorable and Brian (David Earl) is one of my favorite characters of the year. Earl injects him with so much realism, that it almost feels like a documentary at times. Since I’ve never seen any of his collaborations with Gervais, I have no idea how close he is to this character but even if he’s just playing himself, it’s a tremendous performance. It’s the type of film you might not remember in 6 months time but will feel like a nice hug for 90 minutes while you’re watching it.
6. The Artifice Girl (2022)
This film flew under far too many people’s radar and that’s a shame because it’s one of the best-written sci-fi films in decades. It’s a two-location, three-act play that only has five or so actors in it and it’s more engaging than the vast majority of films I saw this year. The first act involves an organization (I believe it’s the FBI) interrogating a man over his use of a child as bait in his successful project to catch child molesters in an online video chat sting operation. They want to know who the child is and for him to shut it down. It is revealed that the child isn’t actually real and is an artificial construct created by the man who is now gaining sentience. To reveal what the second two acts are would be revealing too much of the story, but they deal with autonomy, the rights of artificial people, and the moral and ethical dilemmas that would arise from such a creation. Just because I’m avoiding spoilers, don’t go in expecting huge mind-blowing twists. It’s not that kind of movie. It’s an engrossing little character drama with rich dialogue and hard questions that aren’t easily answered.
5. The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020)
His first film Thunder Road made Jim Cummings a director to watch and this one solidifies his place among the most interesting voices in independent cinema. It’s too early to call him the heir apparent to the Coen Brothers signature brand of quirk but if anyone was going to take over the mantle, it’s Cummings. This film already feels a tad like Fargo in that there’s a murder in a small snowy town but instead of the lovable Marge Gunderson, it’s a drunken asshole sheriff and instead of two inept murderers, there’s a werewolf stalking the streets. The Wolf of Snow Hollow likes to alternate between comedy, horror, and drama (sometimes all within the same scene) and while that could be jarring for some, I had no problem with the whiplash.
I also had no problem with the main character. He’s an alcoholic fuck up that treats almost everyone around him like shit but unlike most critics or reviewers, it didn’t bother me. I get this character. He’s not just a piece of shit, he’s a piece of shit because everyone around him is incompetent and it’s driving him insane. He’s not an easy character to like but there’s something about either Cummings’ performance or the writing that tickles me pink. After two films I think it’s fair to say that either you like his unique brand of comedy or you don’t and I’m strongly in the former category.
4. Riders of Justice (2020)
What begins as a seemingly straightforward revenge thriller transforms into a thought-provoking exploration of grief, coincidence, and human connection. Mikkelsen delivers a masterful performance as Markus, a stoic soldier who returns home after his wife’s death in a train accident. All he wants to do is take care of his daughter but the universe seems dead set on sending him on a path of revenge. Which makes it sound like an exercise in bleakness where a depressing ending is all but inevitable but it’s not that movie at all. In fact, it does an incredible job balancing gritty action sequences with moments of absurd humor and heartfelt introspection. This tonal complexity elevates it beyond typical revenge narratives.
The quirky ensemble—Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Lars Brygmann, and Nicolas Bro—adds depth and humor as Markus’ eccentric allies. Their camaraderie provides both comic relief and emotional resonance and are a huge reason the film works as well as it does. There are countless films about a one man army taking on countless thugs on his pursuit for revenge but very few about a group of eccentric weirdos helping a friend deal with a problem that just happens to involve the deaths of many people. This is not a simple tale of revenge, the film delves into themes of fate, randomness, and the human need to find meaning in chaos. It questions whether revenge can truly heal or whether it simply perpetuates suffering.
3. Dinner in America (2020)
The world is finally catching up to Adam Rehmeier’s punk rock mini masterpiece, which makes it’s cult classic status all but inevitable. The film is a coming-of-age story wrapped in chaos, following two misfits who forge an unlikely bond amidst the suburban blandness of the American Midwest. It’s a bold, irreverent, and oddly heartwarming indie gem. Kyle Gallner delivers a ferocious performance as Simon, a rebellious, unapologetically brash punk rocker. His intensity is magnetic, yet he layers the character with vulnerability. Emily Skeggs shines as Patty, a socially awkward outcast with an unassuming charm. Her transformation throughout the film is both heartwarming and empowering. The two couldn’t be more different and yet, it’s their differences that make their unique friendship work.
He blows up at anyone and everything and she sits their and hopes he doesn’t throw a shoe at her or something. It’s a beautiful relationship. They share an unexpected but undeniable chemistry. Their dynamic drives the film, with Simon’s abrasive nature counterbalanced by Patty’s sweet, quirky demeanor. Rehmeier’s sharp script and assured direction balance chaos and emotion, creating a narrative that’s as outrageous as it is deeply human. It masterfully blends biting humor with heartfelt moments. Its irreverent tone challenges societal norms and celebrates individuality, while its comedic beats often land with laugh-out-loud precision. Dinner in America is a love letter to punk culture, with an anarchic energy that permeates everything from the soundtrack to the characters’ defiance of conformity. It was never going to be a hit with mainstream audiences but I’m glad it finally found its people.
2. How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2022)
The highest compliment I can give a film is that it doesn’t feel like it was made today. This probably doesn’t make sense to anyone but myself but How to Blow Up a Pipeline feels like a ’90s film that’s emulating the style of a ’70s film. It has the hallmarks of both decades, which is high praise. I’m amazed any new director can produce something that feels that authentically raw and gritty but what’s even more shocking to me than that, is the fact that the director seems to work within the realm of horror primarily. His previous film and his upcoming film (which is a reimagining of Faces of Death of all things) are both horror, so it’s weird to me that he decided to tackle something like this. The film follows a group of young activists who want to blow up an oil pipeline. Simple premise but the execution is the key to this film’s success. It’s structured like a heist film, where it starts with an assembly of the team, why they want to be involved and what their abilities are, and then watching them plan the big score. And like all great heist films, it is filled to the gills with suspense, tension, and dramatic plot revelations. There are no twists per se but it does have a couple of story beats you won’t see coming. If I was Gene Shalit, I would say How to Blow Up a Pipeline blew me away but since I’m not, I’ll simply say it was great.
1. Cryptozoo (2021)
Cryptozoo is a visually striking and wildly imaginative animated film that blends surreal fantasy with poignant social commentary. Set in a world where mythical creatures (cryptids) coexist with humans, it explores themes of freedom, exploitation, and the cost of utopian ideals. It’s a bold, unconventional piece of animation that pushes boundaries both visually and narratively. The hand-drawn animation is stunningly unique, with a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors and intricate designs. Each frame feels like a living painting, blending psychedelic visuals with a dreamlike aesthetic. It truly looks like nothing else I’ve ever seen.
It’s both amateurish and masterful, a true testament to the filmmaker’s commitment to a unique style. The film’s concept is refreshingly unique, offering a blend of fantastical world-building and grounded human emotions. It’s part adventure, part philosophical exploration. It’s Jurassic Park but with far more going on than just “should man conquer every imaginable impossibility?” Cryptozoo is a daring and visually mesmerizing film that’s as thought-provoking as it is unconventional. While its experimental nature and dense themes might not appeal to everyone, it’s a must-watch for fans of boundary-pushing animation and cerebral storytelling. It’s not just a film—it’s an experience.
20-11 | More Hidden Gems
What are some underrated, overlooked, or hidden gems from the first half of the 2020s that didn’t appear on the list? Share them with us in the comments!
