While Washington and Robbie put in good performances, it’s Bale’s work that really stands out in the film. His portrayal of an eccentric doctor plagued with pain and trauma from the war is compelling and provides moments of comedy throughout the film. While a lot of the movie is lighthearted in tone, there weren’t any scenes that are "laugh out loud" funny, but the script does have some dry wit to it.

Despite a strong leading performance from Lea Thompson, who gives an emotionally compelling and often humorous performance, this film fails her by not giving her enough to do. The film works best when Thompson is on screen. Yet, the story insists on cutting back to the magician, thus grinding any form of positive momentum to a complete stop. His character does not have an arc, and the story’s attempts at philosophical musings fall flat.

In this article, we’ll look at 10 filmmakers who – by my estimation – are underrated. An article like this is, of course, fraught with difficulty because my definition of “underrated” may differ from that of readers. So, we’ll start by defining terms. We aren’t talking no-names who have been universally ignored by fans, critics and peers. Rather, this list is populated by artists who are often celebrated in critical circles, but have not received the widespread recognition they deserve.

For fans of the indie director, Clerks III is essential viewing, especially if you get the chance to see The Convenience Tour. Touring across 50 theaters in North America, Smith personally presents the movie and ends the show with an hour-long Q&A (though in typical Kevin Smith fashion, the Q&A went an hour overtime). His show is a love letter to the fans and offers great insight into the behind-the-scenes making of a movie.

The film begins with a young woman named Tess arriving at her Airbnb to find out that it’s already occupied by a man named Keith. She ends up agreeing, begrudgingly,  to stay in the house for the night and starts to hear strange noises. In the morning she discovers that the rest of the neighborhood is completely run down except for the house she’s staying in. The movie does a good job of building tension while keeping the viewer wondering in which direction things are going.

The lighting and shots of the European countryside help create a creepy and uneasy atmosphere, although at times it does look a little too similar to other works that portray the Middle Ages. It’s an impressive feat for a movie that doesn’t have any supernatural elements and it keeps the slower scenes from feeling boring. One of the more notable shortcomings of Medieval is that none of the actors give breakthrough performances.

Everyone knows the filmmaking conventions that make a good heist movie: a mismatch of eccentric characters each with their own skill set, speeches about how the impossible task is actually possible, and the execution. Heist movies always feature the debonair hero, the hothead, the uneasy alliance, the romantic interest, and a villain. A heist film lives and dies on its storyteller’s ability to overcome the derivative and craft something exciting. John Barker’s The Umbrella Men represents the highs and lows of the genre.

Buhagiar can be forgiven for adding a bit of magic realism to shore up the storyline, or maybe it’s just God’s intervention. Take your pick.While the cathedral is closed for masses until further notice, the parishioners are welcome to confess. Concealing herself in the confessional, with “a voice like the Virgin Mary,” Carmen counsels the abused and forlorn women of the town. Even a young girl with the voice of an angel is advised to take money from the collection box and escape to Rome where her talent will be recognized.

The biggest problem with this documentary is the sporadic way that it’s edited – which veers from interviews with Baker to interviews with other directors to old photos and footage of people associated with Baker at a confusing pace with hardly any understandable transition. What’s worse is that the film uses various weird camera angles and visual effects like random bright lights, dark vignetting, random zoom-ins in footage of Baker just walking around or talking on the phone.

Breaking tells the true-life story of Easley, a former marine in financial trouble. On the brink of homelessness and an inability to pay for his daughter’s child support, Easley decides to hold a Wells Fargo Bank hostage and make his voice heard through live news coverage. Breaking is a harrowing look into the hardships that veterans face, told through the vehicle of one man, portrayed by Star Wars actor John Boyega.