In many ways, 2011 was a pivotal year for cinematic entertainment. From box office revenue to the kinds of movies that orbited mainstream conversations, 2011 was dominated by a phalanx of sequels and pre-existing franchise entries, a model that still presides over the modern moviegoing landscape to this day.
In the decade that has followed, it's only become easier to spot the growing disparity between popular films and those that drift by, imperceptible to mainstream eyes. While 2011 produced more sequels than any year before it, there simultaneously existed an extensive collection of cool, unique films that flew far beneath the radar. These hidden gems may have evaporated from the popular consciousness but their prestige lives on 10 years later.
Kill List
Ben Wheatley's Kill List is a pulpy, white-knuckled horror-thriller that follows a former British soldier turned family man (Neil Maskell) who struggles under the weight of an economic recession. In an act of desperation, he reluctantly accepts a high-paying job as a contract killer for a shadowy organization with a depraved hidden agenda.
Told in a roughspun, chaptered narrative structure, Wheatley's slow burn is a free fall through the heart of darkness, each section progressing through a deeper rung of abject madness. Though Kill List couldn't break half a million in global revenue during its theatrical run, it discreetly remains one of the most unnerving horror movies of the last decade.
Attack The Block
When a meteorite crashes in South London, a gang of young misfits battle ferocious alien forces in Joe Cornish's rollicking sci-fi adventure Attack The Block. This darkly humorous extraterrestrial romp is the cinematic lovechild of The Goonies and Critters with a fun Cockney urban twist.
In addition to introducing audiences to rising star John Boyega, Attack The Block has amassed a devoted cult following in the decade since its release. Witty, unpredictable, and comically mischievous, the movie doesn't pull any punches in the way of sheer entertainment value. Though a forthcoming sequel was recently announced, it only earned back $6 million of its $13 million budget.
Goon
Loosely based on a memoir by former hockey player Doug Smith, this raunchy sports comedy is a surprisingly affectionate tale about friendship and what it means to be different. Goon follows Doug Glatt (Seann William Scott), a kind but dimwitted brute who finds fortune in the minor leagues as a hockey enforcer for the Halifax Highlanders.
Like all great sports movies, Goon's mounting tension stems from the mythological rivalry built between newcomer Doug and veteran league enforcer Ross Rhea (Liev Schreiber). Rather than blatant glorification, the film thoughtfully examines the landscape of violence in hockey and the inherent alienation of these enforcers, whose sole purpose is to fight for their teammates.
Red State
Taking a hard left from his usual canon in the View Askewniverse, Kevin Smith's Red State is a bold indie film that imbues horror-thriller convention, then proceeds to make a caricature out of it. The premise follows a rowdy group of teens who are captured and subjected to retribution by a sinister church of evangelical fanatics.
Much like his future entries, Tusk and Yoga Hosers, Red State was Smith's first foray into offbeat grindhouse territory. Though it was picked apart by critics for its disjointedness, the movie established a cult following on those exact same merits. Red State employs tonal shifts that upend the narrative and keep viewers guessing. As From Dusk Till Dawn has shown, audiences love a good bait-and-switch, if done with the right intent.
Your Sister's Sister
The late, great Lynn Shelton's sentimental dramedy Your Sister's Sister seeks to tread difficult waters by approaching them with wit and true-to-life levity. This minimalist character study follows Jack (Mark Duplass), still coping with the death of his brother. At the behest of his best friend Iris (Emily Blunt), he takes a trip to her family cabin in the Pacific Northwest, but things get complicated when he strikes up a drunken romance with her sister Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt).
As emblematic of all films in the mumblecore movement, Your Sister's Sister was made for a relatively minuscule budget of $120,000. Another common staple of the vanguard is the film's distinct lack of overly written language, with much of its dialogue actually improvised. At its core, Lynn Shelton's soft-spoken treasure is a naturalistic charmer that aims to embrace the grounded imperfections of everyday life.
Take Shelter
After a disturbing series of apocalyptic premonitions, a small-town family man (Michael Shannon) obsesses over building a storm shelter, much to the distress of his wife and hearing-impaired daughter (Jessica Chastain and Tova Stewart) in Jeff Nichols' psychological drama Take Shelter.
Though it quickly came and went with a limited theatrical release, Take Shelter remains one of the deepest portrayals of psychological decay in film. A pair of nuanced performances from Shannon and Chastain keeps the film grounded in genuine realism. As Shannon's mental wellness progressively withers, Chastain's conflicted empathy flourishes. This dichotomy paints a stirring portrait of the inextricable nature of love and unconditional compromise.
I Saw The Devil
This unflinching Korean revenge thriller that debuted domestically at Sundance in 2011 is a tightening vice grip from start to finish. Compelling, atrocious, and shockingly tense, I Saw The Devil follows an intelligence agent (Lee Byung-Hun) on a tireless manhunt for the killer (Choi Min-Sik) who viciously murdered his fiance.
Kim Jee-Woon's blood-soaked thriller grossed nearly $13 million worldwide, though only 1% of it was domestic, citing a distinguished lack of stateside recognition and minimized theatrical presence in the U.S. Despite this, the film earned overwhelming praise from critics and curious fans of edgy international thrillers.
Warrior
Two estranged brothers square off against their shared demons in Gavin O'Connor's hard-hitting sports drama Warrior. When Tommy and Brendan Conlon (Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton) unknowingly enter the same mixed martial arts tournament, their inevitable collision course forces them to confront the complicated rift that came between them many years ago.
Arguably the single most underrated sports movie of the last decade, Warrior was a victim of preconceived notions, having not even earned back its $25 million budget. O'Connor's powerful film transcends "bro movie" canon by focusing on real human issues: trauma, resentment, financial struggle, and a recovering alcoholic father played by Nick Nolte, who earned an Academy Award nomination for his heartbreaking performance as Paddy Conlon.
Melancholia
Of all the boldest creative voices in arthouse cinema, perhaps none have inspired such vehemently divisive conversation around their work than Danish auteur Lars Von Trier. Melancholia is a haunting existential drama that follows Justine and Claire (Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg), two sisters who find different ways to reason with the impending collision of a rogue planet.
Von Trier's dazzling vision is a cerebral experience that evokes meditation on the deeper questions of life and death. His stunning imagery evokes shades of German Romanticism with a celestial twist, creating the ethereal ambiance of a beautiful demise. This contemplative atmosphere radiates throughout the film, with the sisters' respective reactions serving as a metaphor for the reluctant acceptance of inevitability.
Shame
Moving, eloquent, and immensely provocative, Steve McQueen's psychosexual drama Shame was one of the most uniquely impactful moviegoing experiences of 2011. The writer/director's impressive sophomore feature follows Brandon (Michael Fassbender), a solitary, independent bachelor with a hidden sex addiction. When his turbulent sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan) arrives unannounced, he enters a destructive state that untethers the fabric of his life.
The film's striking cinematography and operatic pacing are juxtaposed to its graphic sexual imagery, prompting an NC-17 rating by the MPAA. Anchored by magnificent lead performances from Fassbender and Mulligan, the unassailable pair brings life to Brandon and Sissy, whose contrasting portrayals of siblings with a complicated past paint a beautiful portrait of the myriad ways people choose to suppress or express their emotion.