Underrated gems to stream on LionsgatePlay

Over the years there are films, despite being praised by critics, that never found their way to the mainstream audience. While some have earned cult status, largely thanks to streaming services, others are yet to be truly discovered. So for today’s List hai toh hit hai podcast we take a look at some of the most underrated Hollywood films available on LionsgatePlay.

Blue Valentine

Compelling romantic dramas in Hollywood is a genre that appears to have faded away in recent years. The 2010 Derek Cianfrance film Blue Valentine is arguably among the handful of romantic dramas to have been lauded by critics over the past 15 years. The film stars Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams in lead roles and tells the complicated love story of a couple spanning several years. The film was praised for its gripping screenplay and powerful performances by its lead actors. Gosling earned a Golden Globe nomination whereas Williams was nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Academy award.

Half Nelson

Another Ryan Gosling film makes its way into this list and it's the 2006 drama film, Half Nelson. Directed by Ryan Fleck and written by Anna Boden, the film is based on their 2004 short film , Gowanus, Brooklyn. The plot revolves around the unlikely friendship between an inner-city high school teacher and his student after the latter discovers the teacher's drug habit. Gosling received an Academy-award nomination for the film and is widely regarded as one of his best performances.

Iris

The 2001 British biographical drama Iris tells the story of novelist Iris Murdoch, based on a memoir by her husband John Bayley titled Elegy for Iris. The film highlights how the early stages and final stages of their marriage were worlds apart. Dame Judi Dench essays the older version of Iris with Kate Winslet playing the younger version, whereas Jim Broadbent and Hugh Bonneville essay the older and younger versions of Bayley respectively.

Prisoners

Denis Villeneuve has established himself as one of the finest filmmakers of this era with critically acclaimed titles such as Blade Runner: 2049, Arrival, Sicario, and Dune. But several of his earlier projects were indie films that failed to garner mainstream attention, and one of them is the 2013 psychological thriller Prisoners. Despite being a low-budget indie project, the film boasted a star-studded ensemble of Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo, and Viola Davis. The plot revolves around the depravities a man is willing to commit in order to find his missing daughter.

Warrior

The 2011 sports action drama is easily the most underrated film on this list. The Gavin O'Connor directorial bombed at the Box-Office despite receiving overwhelmingly positive reviews. The film stars Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton in lead roles as estranged brothers who join a mixed martial arts tournament. The film features a supporting cast of Nick Nolte, Jennifer Morrison, and Frank Grillo. It was also remade into a rather unremarkable Bollywood film in 2015 titled Brothers, starring Akshay Kumar and Sidharth Malhotra.

The Ghost Writer

Controversial auteur Roman Polanski’s 2010 neo-noir political thriller, The Ghost Writer tells the story of a ghostwriter hired to write the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister. But as he digs deeper into the Prime Minister he uncovers secrets that put his own well-being at risk. Based on Robert Harris’s novel, The Ghost the film stars Ewan McGregor as the writer and Pierce Brosnan as the former Prime Minister. The film won numerous accolades across film festivals for its direction, performances, story, and writing.

Well thats the OTTplay List hai toh hit hai for today, until the next episode its your host Nikhil signing out.

Aaj kya dekhoge OTTplay se poocho

Written by Ryan Gomez