The 8 most underrated films of February, and where to watch them; plus, a bonus show
01 March, 2022
Here's a list of the top February films, ranging from an Academy Award-winner's underseen period drama and an ambitious short, to the biggest Oscar snub of the year and an unusually terrific romantic comedy.
While Gehraiyaan dominated the discourse this month, as always, there were a handful of films that slipped under the radar. In the second edition of this new monthly series, the aim, as with the first, is to identify and highlight the best (and hopefully most diverse) films—and this time, one show, as well—that you can watch this month.
February’s picks include a festival standout from one of our brightest young filmmakers, a short from one of the GOATs; a debut documentary from an Academy Award-winning icon, and an unexpected triumph in a genre that has become increasingly inconsequential in recent years. In no particular order:
From Achal Mishra, the director of Ghamak Ghar, Dhuin is a splendid sophomore effort in which the talented filmmaker somehow captures the destruction of one man’s hopes and dreams in an effortless 50 minutes. Evocatively shot in the Academy Ratio, and elegantly performed by young actors whose unrefined techniques lend the film an air of authenticity, Dhuin is part parable about modern India, and part neo-realist ode to those who live on the fringes.
Essentially a silent film that spans the length and breadth of existence, director Andrea Arnold’s documentary captures the lives of two cows in a Surrey farm with searing compassion. Without a single talking head—or really, much human presence at all—Arnold makes profound statements about life and death, and bookends the remarkable film with some of the most moving footage you’ll see this year.
Another year, another Steven Soderbergh film that failed to get its due. But perhaps the filmmaker himself is to blame for raising the bar so dramatically. He’s so consistently excellent that even something that would have been a game-changer for a less-experienced director is simply acknowledged with a shrug when he’s calling the shots. It’s right there on Prime Video; go watch it.
And while you’re there, how about you cleanse your palate with one of the most delightful American romantic comedies of the last 12 months? Starring Charlie Day and Jenny Slate as recently-dumped 30-somethings who join forces to exact revenge on their exes, I Want You Back makes up for its predictable plot with some sharp writing and excellent performances from not just the lead pair, but the entire cast.
A 20-minute short from the great Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) that begins as a horror film, turns into a romance, and concludes as a fantasy? Sign me up. Wait, there are musical interludes and psychedelic visuals? Take my money! It’s free, you say? Now you’re just having me on. And you’re telling me he shot the thing on an iPhone? Well, I’ll be damned.
It feels odd to label a Guillermo del Toro film starring a host of A-listers as ‘underrated’, but there you have it. The filmmaker’s follow-up to his Best Picture-winning The Shape of Water doesn’t have his typical monsters, but don’t be fooled by Bradley Cooper’s good looks. The star leads a formidable ensemble in the lavish film noir, which is just as gorgeous to behold as it is difficult to dismiss.
Simply by virtue of being an Apple TV+ original, every title on the streamer can qualify as ‘underseen’. But not every Apple TV+ title can qualify as being ‘underrated’. Severance, which debuted with one of the most pristine first seasons of television ever produced, is ambitious and engaging, coolly plotted but blessed with a heart of gold. Absolutely unmissable stuff.
Source: indianexpress.com
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