Below are 23 overlooked movies released in 2008. Some of these are box office duds and others are ones that the critics sunk their teeth into for no good reason. And there are even some blockbusters on this list that some people have refused to watch out of some sad, misguided preconception of the picture, franchise or actor involved.

Here are the hidden gems of 2008, in no particular order:

• In Bruges
  A movie completely ignored by audiences, this looked like an enjoyable but forgettable comedy based upon the previews alone. My brother thought it looked downright boring, though I always argued in its favor – but never got around to seeing it in theaters. Netflix finally sent it to me, and it sat on my TV stand for two weeks before I got around to it. And… wow. In Bruges is clever and hilarious, with great acting and a sharp screenplay. Both Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell are top notch, and Ralph Fiennes throws in a viciously good performance to boot. Highly recommended, as long as you’re not offended by swearing, bloodshed or jokes about midgets.
• The Visitor
  Richard Jenkins turns in an Oscar-nominated performance with The Visitor, a surprisingly engaging little drama. I don’t think I ever watched the trailer for this movie, because after seeing the poster, I was sold… on not seeing it. The poster featured Jenkins sitting in what looked like a subway station playing a drum, and that was not enough to tell me this was going to be a boring, forgettable film. But word of mouth finally reached me and gave it a chance… and here we are.
• Tell No One
  One of my favorite movies of the year, I probably would have never watched this one if not for the recommendation from my brother (yes, the same one who dissed In Bruges). Tell No One is an incredibly complex murder mystery/thriller that works as both a drama and as an exciting suspense flick. The movie keeps you guessing, but when everything comes together, it actually makes sense. Highly recommended, as long as you don’t mind subtitles.
• The Express
  This sports movie is about Ernie Davis, the first African-American Heisman Trophy winner. A movie that came and went from theaters faster than Davis could run 100 yards, this Dennis Quaid-starring drama looked just like every other sports movie. The good thing is that a lot of sports movies are entertaining, dramatic and exciting, and The Express is no different.
• Let the Right One In
  This Swedish vampire flick has been showing up on a lot of top ten lists, but so few people have seen it that it can only be considered a hidden gem. Notably, when everyone should have been talking about Twilight, they were talking about this one instead, a sincere and engaging picture about a female vampire who befriends a little boy. In fact, the movie is so good that Hollywood is remaking the picture for next year – of course, they will massacre it.
• Man on Wire
  The Oscar-nominated documentary about a crazy Frenchman who sneaks onto the World Trade Center to tightrope between the two 100-story-tall buildings may sound boring, but it’s actually one of the most entertaining and well-made films of the year.
• Rambo
  This movie opened reasonably well for January, but assuredly most action fans shrugged this flick off as a forgettable attempt to resurrect a career long since destroyed. However, this new Rambo is surprisingly gritty and action-packed, with lots and lots and lots of gore. It may be brainless, but it really isn’t that brainless. More importantly, it is entertaining enough that I’m looking forward to Rambo 5… which they are making.
• Revolutionary Road
  This one counts as a hidden gem because many critics dissed it and it didn’t quite take off like some of the other Oscar-nominated films did. This is sad, because Revolutionary Road, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, is better than all five movies nominated for Best Picture.
• Baghead
  This horror-comedy is not necessarily a horror movie, nor is it a comedy, but it is a strange amalgam of the two that keeps you guessing. Is it real? Is it a hoax? Who knew that a movie about a stalker who wears a bag over his head could be so creepy… or clever.
• Australia
  This drama epic starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman was scorned by critics and audiences alike, but look at the reviews carefully: there aren’t too many damning reviews. In fact, there are a lot of favorable ones – just not so favorably to boost the picture into Oscar contention. Australia is a fun, entertaining drama that is almost excellent – but has to settle for very good.
• Ghost Town
  This comedy starring Rick Gervais (the British version of The Office) is painfully cringe inducing, but in a good way. Gervais plays a socially awkward dentist who, after an accident, can now see ghosts – and those ghosts want him to do things for them. While not the best comedy of the year, it is one of the most overlooked movies of the year that were, in fact, funny.
• Towelhead
  Written and directed by the writer of American Beauty, Towelhead wasn’t quite as good as I was hoping, but it does grow on you. Striking some similarity to the aforementioned Oscar winner, the movie is about a Middle Eastern teenage girl who is starting to explore her sexual urges in the Texas suburbs. Darkly funny and at the same time disturbing, there are some memorable moments in Towelhead.
• Transsiberian
  This thriller has a surprisingly good cast (Woody Harrelson and Ben Kingsley, among others) and a gripping story, so it’s a little strange that it didn’t get a wider release than it did. About a married couple who travel across Russia on the transsiberian railroad only to end up involved in a murder and drug conspiracy, Transsiberian is entertaining and engaging.
• Traitor
  This Don Cheadle thriller was largely ignored by audiences thanks to its lack of promotion and odd August release date, but it’s a smart, effective film nonetheless. While it isn’t quite Bourne material, it does bear similarities – and should be enough to tide one over until The Bourne Identity 4 is released.
• Doomsday
  This cheesy action film is funny, goofy and action-packed all at the same time, and we can only hope that it’s all intentional. A rip-off of about a dozen films all thrown together, Doomsday develops a strange synergy that made it one of the earlier surprises of 2008.
• Special
  Iron Man and The Dark Knight got all the glory this year, but there was another decent superhero movie released in the fall: Special. Michael Rapaport turns in an excellent performance as a man who starts taking an experimental medicine that has the unintended side effect of giving him powers. Unfortunately for him, the pills are actually just giving him delusions.
• Swing Vote
  This Kevin Costner movie was bashed by critics and ignored by audiences, but both my roommate and I enjoyed this comedy about an ignorant hick who inadvertently becomes the singular swing vote for the Presidential election. The situation makes absolutely no sense, but if you can get past that, it’s an amusing picture that plays to Costner’s strengths.
• Timecrimes
  This foreign flick is currently being remade in Hollywood, and unlike Let the Right One In, I’m holding out high hopes for it. The original, about a man who gets caught up in an ever-increasing time travel scheme, is extremely clever – though the director and main actor aren’t good enough for the material. Nevertheless, Timecrimes is a fun movie that will keep you guessing.
• The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
  This may have made over $100-million at the box office, but it made this list for three reasons: 1) it was considered a box office dud; 2) most people shrugged it off as a forgettable sequel; and 3) most people don’t even remember that it was released in May of 2008. Not a huge fan of the original, I didn’t have high hopes for Prince Caspian, but it is darker, faster and more exciting than The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Action fans should overlook the PG rating and give this one a chance.
• The Hammer
  This Adam Carolla comedy pretty much went straight to DVD, but it is funny, sincere and entertaining. Carolla plays a construction worker who decides to return to amateur boxing. Beyond Carolla’s trademark humor, the boxing sequences are effective. If any film can be considered a hidden gem, it’s this low-budget flick.
• Valkyrie
  OK, so Valkyrie surprised everyone by performing strongly at the box office this December, but there are a lot of Tom Cruise haters who refused to see this movie. So, I’ve included it here. The Bryan Singer action-drama isn’t perfect, but it still is one of the better thrillers of the year.
• Body of Lies
  This Russell Crowe/Leonardo DiCaprio movie from Ridley Scott performed poorly with critics and audiences alike, and it’s no surprise that the marketing team had trouble promoting this realistic CIA picture. That being said, the critics are wrong: Body of Lies is a refreshingly believable and exciting spy thriller.
• The Spiderwick Chronicles
  This children-fantasy movie was yet another contender to be the next Harry Potter franchise, but given the oversaturation of the genre, it’s no surprise that it never completely caught on. Still, The Spiderwick Chronicles is a well-written, clever and exciting flick about invisible monsters and other things that go bump in the night. It’s not for little children who scare easily, however.

1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
   It could end up being dull and boring, but this David Fincher film has the potential to be spectacular. The marketing has been tremendous, and there are few, if any, films that I want to see more this holiday season. The movie is about a man who is born old (he’s a baby, but otherwise looks like an old man) who ages backwards. Partway through his life, he reunites with a woman (Cate Blanchett) he knew as a child. It’s a risky film for many reasons, but if the previews are any indication, this one has gold spraypainted all over it.
2. Slumdog Millionaire
   This one was released in November, but most people won’t have had a chance to see this film just yet. Directed by Danny Boyle, this visually stimulating film is currently the frontrunner for Best Picture. Having just watched it, it is certainly one of the best movies of the year, though it will be interesting to see how it compares come January. The movie is about a young man who is suspected of cheating as he nears the final, 50-million rupee question on India’s version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” because he grew up in the slums without education. The movie recaps his life and his dedication to find his long lost “girlfriend.”
3. Milk
   Sean Penn is perhaps a lock for Best Actor with his performance as openly gay politician Harvey Milk, if critics have anything to say about it. The Gus Van Sant movie is selling out theaters across the nation (as of right now it’s only playing in 40+ theaters nationwide), and looks to be a not-so-sleeper hit. I will be seeing this one as soon as I can.
4. Doubt
   Philip Seymour Hoffman, Meryl Streep and Amy Adams in the same movie? Awesome. The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is brought to the big screen in the form of a subdued boiler of a drama, about a hardcore nun who suspects that a younger, more liberal priest is sexually abusing boys at the Catholic school where they reside. This one has Oscar potential written all over it.
5. The Day the Earth Stood Still
   Say what you will about Keanu Reeves, but doesn’t he seem like the perfect choice to play an emotionless, monotone alien who is inhabitating a human body to warn of impending doom? Purists may not like the angles the remake have taken, but in a December all but devoid of blockbusters, this one looks like good popcorn fare. The presence of ever-hot Jennifer Connelly doesn’t hurt, nor multiple scenes of the world being destroyed. And no, the movie is not directed by Roland Emmerich.
6. The Wrestler
   Frankly, the previews haven’t been anything to scream about, but The Wrestler, and star Mickey Rourke in particular, is receiving some rave reviews. Call it a comeback or whatever, but Rourke is currently a frontrunner for Best Actor, and that’s never something that should be ignored.
7. The Reader
   I just caught the preview for this last week, and was pretty impressed by what I saw. The movie is about a boy who has an affair with an older woman (Kate Winslet, who seems to like to have sex in movies) only to find out that this Hanna is an accused Nazi criminal. Sex, drama and a Nazi trial always make for qualtiy entertainment. Ralph Fiennes also stars.
8. Australia
   This Baz Luhrman film was released in November, but judging by the small opening weekend, few people went to see it. An epic romance set in the land down under, the movie stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman as an unlikely couple who have to protect an aboriginal child from being taken from the government, fight off a monopolistic cattle herder and survive an attack by the Japanese. Australia doesn’t fire on all cylinders, but it is still one of the better movies of 2008.
9. Revolutionary Road
   Sam Mendes, the director of American Beauty, returns with Titanic alumns Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio in this romantic drama. I’m assuming more happens than what is shown in the rather disappointing trailer, and I still have high hopes simply given the talent involved in the picture. This could end up being Oscar bait, even though it looks pretty routine.
10. Valkyrie
    It could be bad, it could be good, no one knows. In fact, there are probably Vegas bets going on about this Tom Cruise thriller as I write. Amidst controversy and a release that was potentially moved back in 2008 just to avoid the bad PR it received when the studio pushed it into 2009 (essentially saying that the movie wasn’t good enough to contend for awards), Valkyrie looks pretty entertaining. Furthermore, the lack of German accents hurts this Nazi assassination film. Nevertheless, one should never underestimate Brian Singer (X-Men 2, The Usual Suspects), nor Tom Cruise. Despite what you think of the man, he rarely does bad movies.
11. Frost/Nixon
    David Frost takes on Richard Nixon in the new Ron Howard film, and while Howard has faltered in recent years, he should never be underestimated come award time. Frank Langella plays Nixon, and Michael Sheen, who played Tony Blair in The Queen, stars as Frost. I can’t say I’m particularly excited about this one, but I’ve seen some good reviews so this one is definitely on my radar.
12. Gran Torino
    I don’t think anyone had even heard of Gran Torino up until a month or two ago, but so it goes with Clint Eastwood. The movie doesn’t look incredible and certainly doesn’t have the Oscar appeal that Changeling had (up until the mixed reviews started flowing in), but I’m just excited to see Eastwood holding a gun again. Yes, Dirty Harry is back! Only not really.
13. Marley & Me
    When I saw the teaser for the film, which showed Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson running after a cute little puppy, I scoffed, but having seen the full trailer, I must admit that this film looks pretty funny. Unless my mom drags me along to see it, I probably will wait until video, but in a month surprisingly devoid of children’s movies, Marley & Me looks to be the first entertaining dog movie in years.
14. The Spirit
    Fans who have been desperately waiting for Sin City 2 – or who can’t wait until March for Watchmen – will have to settle for The Spirit, a movie that looks like a not-so-good version of, you guessed it, Sin City. Using the same painted special effects, The Spirit is based on a graphic novel and stars a slew of big actors, from Samuel L. to Scarlett Johansson. However, this movie marks the solo directorial debut of Frank Miller, and as good as he is at inventing stories, I am not so sure he can guide a camera without the assistance of Robert Rodriguez. The trailers also aren’t as interesting. Then again, I’m curious.
15. Bedtime Stories
    I doubt that this movie will be all that good, but this kiddie film, with a bit of Adam Sandler humor, could be this year’s Night at the Museum. The movie runs along a similar vein, and looks like mindless entertainment. At the same time, I can’t imagine too many parents are going to be crazy about taking their kids to see an Adam Sandler film, even if it is only rated PG. And Sandler fans don’t want to see a watered down Sandler. Hmm.

Movies that are being released in December that you probably won’t see

Unless you live in Los Angeles or New York, you may not get to see any of these films until January or later, but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth mentioning:

• Defiance
  James Bond… er, Daniel Craig stars alongside Jamie Bell and Liev Schreiber in Defiance, a WWII action-thriller from the director of The Last Samurai. The movie is about a band of brothers (no, not that band of brothers) who take hundreds of Jewish refugees into the woods to protect them from the Nazis. Death and more war ensue. The movie looks like a great blend of action and drama, and if it’s not up to Oscar standards, it sure looks like it will be a blast to watch. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come out until December 31st, and only then in limited release. Look for a wide release in early January.
• Che Part 1: The Argentine/Che Part 2: Guerrilla
  I only put these on the list because the Steven Soderbergh two-parter has a lot of Oscar potential (at the very least, for star Benicio Del Toro), but both are only receiving a one-week limited run for award contention. Most people will not be able to see these until January, if not later.
• Dark Streets
  This limited-release movie may not make it everywhere, but the catchy trailer has my attention. The film looks like a seedy Moulin Rouge, full with music, murder and more. Beyond that, I’m not quite sure what it’s about, but I’m intrigued.

Movies that didn’t make this list

A few notable movies failed to make this list for a variety of reasons. Yes Man, the new Jim Carrey film, looks absolutely dreadful in my opinion (it’s like an unfunny Liar Liar), and while one should never underestimated Will Smith, Seven Pounds just doesn’t look that interesting to me. Punisher: War Zone is not included in part due to its 18% rotten rating on RottenTomatoes.