25 Underrated Movies of the 2020s

Every year, dozens of genuinely good movies slip through the cracks. They don’t get the marketing push, the awards buzz, or the viral social media moment that turns a film into a cultural event. And the 2020s have been especially brutal for this, with streaming platforms burying gems under algorithms and theatrical releases competing against an endless content firehose.

So here’s my list of 25 underrated recent movies you probably missed. Some are tiny indie productions. Others had modest theatrical runs but deserved packed houses. All of them are worth your time, and most flew under the radar for audiences who would’ve loved them.

1. Newborn (2026)

Nate Parker directs and delivers a gut-punch drama about a man rebuilding his life after seven years in solitary confinement. The film is unflinching about what isolation does to a person, and it never takes easy shortcuts toward redemption.

2. The Fence (2026)

Claire Denis doing what Claire Denis does best: turning a simple premise into something that crawls under your skin. A West African construction site becomes the backdrop for a simmering tension between two men. It’s slow and deliberate, and it rewards patience.

3. Dead Lover (2026)

A lonely gravedigger falls for someone, only for the relationship to take a dark, supernatural turn. Grace Glowicki’s direction is weird, tender, and genuinely funny in spots. This one’s for the A24 crowd who want something they haven’t seen before.

4. The Christophers (2026)

Soderbergh in crime-caper mode is always a good time. The estranged children of a famous artist hire a forger to complete their father’s unfinished works, and the whole thing unravels in classic Soderbergh fashion. Smart, stylish, and criminally underseen.

5. Fantasy Life (2026)

A New York law school dropout stumbles into a babysitting gig and accidentally finds purpose. Matthew Shear’s comedy is genuinely warm without being saccharine. The kind of small film that makes you feel better about being a little lost.

6. Mother Mary (2026)

David Lowery directing a film about a pop star reconnecting with an estranged best friend sounds like awards bait, but this is stranger and more personal than that. The music sequences are electric, and the emotional core hits harder than you’d expect.

7. Mile End Kicks (2026)

Set in 2011 Montreal’s indie music scene, this follows a young music critic trying to write a book while getting swallowed up by the city. Chandler Levack nails the specific anxiety of being 24 and pretending you have it figured out.

8. The Drama (2026)

Kristoffer Borgli proved with Sick of Myself that he can dissect modern relationships with surgical precision. Here, a happily engaged couple watches their wedding week implode. It’s uncomfortable and hilarious in equal measure.

9. Gohan (2026)

A stray dog named Gohan moves through life with temporary owners, and each transition reveals something about the humans involved. Nattawut Poonpiriya (who directed Bad Genius) brings real emotional intelligence to what could’ve been sentimental fluff.

10. California Schemin (2026)

James McAvoy directs this true story about two Scottish musicians who faked American accents to break into the late-‘90s music scene. It’s funny, a little sad, and entirely bonkers. The fact that it actually happened makes it better.

11. A Great Awakening (2026)

This quietly powerful drama snuck in and out of limited release without making a ripple. It’s the kind of film that trusts its audience to sit with uncomfortable silence and ambiguity, and it rewards that trust with moments of genuine emotional revelation. Seek this one out.

12. Tow (2026)

An unhoused woman gets hit with a $21,634 tow bill and fights back. Stephanie Laing turns a real-world nightmare into something that’s equal parts infuriating and inspiring. You’ll want to scream at the screen.

13. Outcome (2026)

Jonah Hill directing a comedy about a child star spiraling into chaos? It’s more self-aware than you’d think. Reef Hawk is a fascinating creation, and the extortion subplot keeps things moving at a clip.

14. The Catcher (2026)

A lonely young man works for the government catching invisible birds. Yes, you read that right. Luka Galle’s film is strange and melancholic, and that one-sentence premise doesn’t come close to capturing how it makes you feel.

15. Normal (2026)

Ben Wheatley doing a snowbound crime thriller set in small-town Minnesota. An interim sheriff uncovers an international criminal conspiracy, and the whole thing has that unhinged Wheatley energy. Not quite Kill List dark, but close.

16. Finding My Voice (2026)

A deeply personal drama that tackles identity and self-expression with a quiet confidence most films in this space lack. It never raises its voice to make a point, and the performances carry an authenticity that feels lived-in rather than performed. This is the kind of movie that finds you at exactly the right moment.

17. Busboys (2026)

Two friends from a border town think waiting tables will solve their problems. It doesn’t. Jonah Feingold’s comedy is small and charming, with the kind of lived-in friendship dynamic that bigger movies rarely get right.

18. Slanted (2026)

Amy Wang’s sci-fi tackles beauty standards through a high school lens. Joan Huang dreams of being prom queen but fears the only way to win is to literally change how she looks. It’s sharp social commentary wrapped in a genre package.

19. The Currents (2026)

An Argentine stylist at the height of her career suddenly abandons everything on impulse. Milagros Mumenthaler’s film is about the terrifying freedom of walking away from success. It’s quiet, confident filmmaking.

20. Faces of Death (2026)

Daniel Goldhaber reimagines the infamous brand as a genuinely unsettling horror film about a content moderator stumbling into a snuff ring. It’s got real things to say about what we consume online, and the tension ratchets up relentlessly.

21. Touch Me (2026)

Two codependent best friends become addicted to the touch of an alien narcissist. Addison Heimann’s horror is really about toxic relationships dressed in genre clothing. The body horror elements are gnarly, and the central metaphor actually works.

22. Roommates (2026)

Another Chandler Levack entry, and for good reason. A college friendship spirals into something toxic fast. It captures the intensity of those first-year relationships where boundaries dissolve overnight.

23. The Sheriff (2026)

A small-town sheriff investigating a murder discovers connections to his own son’s unsolved death. Josh Tessier keeps it grounded and personal instead of going for big twists. The grief at the center of this crime story is what makes it work.

24. Agent Zeta (2026)

Four Spanish ex-intelligence officers are assassinated simultaneously around the world. Dani de la Torre’s thriller moves fast and doesn’t hold your hand. If you miss European spy films that treat the audience like adults, this one’s for you.

25. Crows Are White (2026)

A filmmaker living a secret life travels to a strict Japanese monastery seeking guidance and finds something unexpected. Ahsen Nadeem’s documentary is personal, funny, and deeply human. It asks real questions about faith and identity without pretending to have answers.

That’s 25 films that deserved bigger audiences. Not every one is perfect. Normal gets a little too chaotic in its third act, and Outcome occasionally tries too hard to be clever. But each of these movies offers something you won’t find in the latest franchise installment or algorithm-approved streaming pick.

The 2020s have been packed with underrated movies like these , films made with genuine vision that just needed someone to point a spotlight at them. If even a few of these end up on your watchlist, I’ve done my job. Browse more films in our full collection to find your next favorite.