The Good, The Bad, The Weird of NHOIT part 2 - The Good
We're back! Once again we are ramping up to our 200th episode over at The Never Heard Of It Podcast. Last time we took a look back and talked about the top 5 worst movies we’ve ever reviewed. It was depressing. So today let’s talk about the top 5 BEST movies we’ve ever reviewed! We didn’t let Michael Fight pick them all so we promise they are not just all rom-coms.
Now, “best” is obviously subjective. The bar is looowwww compared to a lot of the other movies we come across. However, these stand out for various reasons including technical, writing, directing, performance, or just the originality of the story.
Not every movie we watch at The Never Heard Of It Podcast is a bad movie or a b-movie. Some turn out to be absolute indie film gems and cult classics! We scour the entire streaming world from the popular places like Netflix and Hulu to others like TubiTV and PlutoTV. We just want to bring you movies you’ve likely never heard of. Whether they are good or bad.
Anna and the Apocalypse
Anna and the Apocalypse movie poster
As Christmas-Zombie-Musicals go this is by far the best...and likely only. Could easily be described as Shaun of the Dead if it were a musical with angsty teens. With a great cast, including Ella Hunt (Les Mis, Robot Overlords, Dickinson), it’s a classic zombie story but then it drops those absolute bangers of musical numbers. What makes this movie so charming is everyone gets their own little story and resolution. We meet several characters who seemingly would be throwaway but they all get just a little piece of action. Also, did we mention it’s just FUN. The whole movie is fun to watch all the way through. Which we definitely think is key.
The official IMDb plot: “A zombie apocalypse threatens the sleepy town of Little Haven - at Christmas - forcing Anna and her friends to fight, slash and sing their way to survival, facing the undead in a desperate race to reach their loved ones. But they soon discover that no one is safe in this new world, and with civilization falling apart around them, the only people they can truly rely on are each other.”
Fight:
Truth be told I’ve had several of the songs from this on my playlist since we watched it. They are just so fun. The film was just fun the entire way through. Avoiding a lot of cheesy tropes (for all the genres it hits) and kept you interested the entire time.
Caleb:
I’m a sucker for zombie movies and British comedy. I’ve also got a soft spot for musical theater. That’s not to say I just love all musicals in general, but if the songs are written, arranged, and performed this well, it’s hard not to get hooked. The promise of Anna was basically “Shaun of the Dead meets Pitch Perfect,” and if that doesn’t sell you then I don’t know what will.
Liza, The Fox Fairy
Liza the Fox Fairy movie poster
We stumbled across this film while searching Tubi for other movies to watch. The title alone was intriguing but it was the trailer that sold us. It was like Amelie meets a fable. Outside of the amazing scenery and cinematography this Hungarian film is oozing with charm. Liza is an extremely likable character and everyone she meets is an entire persona. It was so easy to get sucked into the world of Liza, The Fox Fairy. What made this movie so great was the ties to a wonderful Japanese folk tale as well as a subtle 60s feel of design.Even the darker elements of the movie, you know the deaths, are met with a Wes Anderson style end (without the pretentiousness).
The official IMDb plot: “Liza's a nurse, seeking love. Her only company is a long-dead Japanese pop star, who turns her into a fox-fairy out of jealousy. Now, every man who desires Liza shall die horribly. Can she overcome the curse?”
Fight:
I fell in love with this movie. Liza as a character is so charming and sincere. The imagery was magical while feeling grounded and not too fantastical. It was one of those movies you could just feel in your heart.
Caleb:
Sometimes a movie comes along that’s so original, so quirky, so beautiful, that I just instantly fall in love. Liza brought back the same lighthearted adventurous feeling I remember from the first time I watched Amelie.
The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot
The Man Who Killed Hitler and then The Bigfoot movie poster
Sam Elliot. Like, do you need more than that? You do? Ok, also he kills Hitler. You want more? Fine, he also kills Bigfoot. If you aren’t sold by this alone there is no helping you. Sam Elliot’s character is just fantastic. He’s the reluctant hero we all want, who doesn’t spend half the film whining about not wanting to be a hero. He knows exactly what he’s good at and exactly what he’s capable of. His reluctance comes down to his emotional state. He’s aged, he’s lived a life of regret having missed the opportunity to love his wife. We see this both literally and figuratively (What’s in the box? What’s in his shoe??).
The official IMDb plot: “A legendary American war veteran is recruited to hunt a mythical creature.”
Fight:
What can I say, I’m a sucker for a well written story about a man who just knows he’s the fucking best without the toxic masculine arrogance that normally accompanies it. He knows exactly what he’s capable of and where he lacks. The fact that this whole story revolves around him just wanting to love and be loved by “the one that got away” just makes it that more great.
Caleb:
I honestly expected this movie to be a shit show, and I wouldn’t have been disappointed if it was. What I did not expect was how much I would end up loving it. Sam Elliot is basically a can’t-miss actor, and he brings a gravity to the character that takes what would otherwise be full-on schlock, and turns it into a cinematic masterwork.
Scare Me
Scare Me movie poster
With the success of Werewolves Within, it’s no doubt that Josh Ruben will be a highly demanded director/writer akin to Edgar Wright or James Gunn in the very near future. We were lucky enough to get a sneak preview of this film, and the opportunity to chat with Josh about his experience making this movie, his theories on plot making, and how to be funny. What made this movie so good was its simplicity. We reference the idea of the Seinfeld episode where they spend the whole episode in the waiting area of the restaurant. It just works because the characters are perfectly written and performed at such a high level. Josh Ruben stars as well as Aya Cash (The Boys) and Chris Redd (SNL).
The official IMDb plot: “During a power outage, two strangers tell scary stories. The more Fred and Fanny commit to their tales, the more the stories come to life in their Catskills cabin. The horrors of reality manifest when Fred confronts his ultimate fear.”
Fight:
I love me a unique take on anything. This is a great example of how writing can carry an entire film. It just works, exactly as it should. Everyone is so charismatic, including the cab driver who we see for all of 5 minutes. There are very few films I consider perfect (Jaws is one of them) this is definitely on that list.
Caleb:
I’m on record as saying this is one of the best horror-adjacent films I’ve ever seen. Ruben and Redd deliver stellar performances in their own right, but Aya Cash really steals the show. The pacing and the cinematography really immerse you in Josh Ruben’s intimate, close-quarters storytelling. It’s quirky, it’s tense, it’s gorgeous.
Save Yourselves
Save Yourselves movie poster
In yet another film that does a unique take on a standard story we have Save Yourselves. This alien-invasion movie stars Sunita Mani (G.L.O.W.) and John Reynolds (Stranger Things). What makes this movie great is the simplicity of the story. The alien-invasion becomes a backdrop but this time not to a love story, to two hipster millennials struggling with their lives. They are pondering those questions we all have; Who am I and wtf am I doing with my life? The existential question lingers over them while little fuzzy poufs wreak havoc around the world.
The official IMDb plot: “A young Brooklyn couple heads to an upstate cabin to unplug from their phones and reconnect with each other. Blissfully unaware of their surroundings, they are left to their own devices as the planet falls under attack.”
Fight:
I thoroughly enjoy an alien film that doesn’t have all the standard apocalyptic scenarios and rise up hero moments. This was just such a fun ride with some weirdly relatable moments in each of the characters. The struggling with morality while also struggling with fight or flight. It was just great and wholly original.
Caleb:
While I haven’t entirely kept up with it, this film was the first one I watched when I decided to have regular weekly non-podcast related movie nights. I loved it so much that eventually we just had to talk about it. This stands with Scare Me as one of the best movies of 2020 in my opinion. And that’s largely for similar reasons. The cast is small, allowing for you to really spend time with and care about the characters. The pacing is great, creating just enough tension but also giving itself space to breathe. The writing is witty, and the actors deliver pretty much perfect performances. Mani and Reynolds have an incredibly believable real-life relationship chemistry on screen, which contributes to making this feel like - poof aliens aside - this could really happen.
BONUS: A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night movie poster
This film is so good it requires a special shoutout. As vampire movies go this lives in it’s own world. This Iranian film directed by Ana Lily Amirpour is described as the first “Iranian Vampire Western” and it definitely feels like it. The imagery is just beautiful, the characters are fantastic and haunting but still vulnerable and relatable.
The official IMDb plot: “In the Iranian ghost-town Bad City, a place that reeks of death and loneliness, the townspeople are unaware they are being stalked by a lonesome vampire.”
Fight:
I was a huge fan of the book Let The Right One In, and enjoy all vampire lore in general. This just turned it all on its head. You feel this movie. The emotion of the characters just hits you perfectly.
Caleb:
An absolutely gorgeous film, that flips the script on “traditional” vampire stories. The titular Girl may be a vampire, but the real monsters are the humans who prey on the weak and innocent. As a bonus, the soundtrack is fantastic
We easily could have chosen so many others for this list. Some other honorable mentions: Seven Stages To Achieve Eternal Bliss, Velocipastor, It’s A Disaster, Look Who’s Back, Cashback, and so much more! Check out our playlist below.
Join us every Sunday (wherever you get podcasts) as we get closer and closer to our big 200!
Michael Fight is the host of Never Heard Of It and The Storyteller Series. You can also follow him Twitter.
