Hidden Gem Movies of 2015

by Helen Earnshaw | 9 January 2016

2015 was a movie that was packed with terrific blockbusters that dominated the box office and critically acclaimed films that are now set to battle it out for some of the industry's biggest awards.

The Diary of a Teenage Girl

On the whole, 2015 was another terrific film year and we were treated to some truly fantastic pieces of cinema... and it looks like 2016 is going to continue that fine trend.

However, there was a whole host of films that did go a little under the radar that shouldn't have been missed. We take a look at some of the hidden gems of 2015 that you really do need to check out.

- The Diary of a Teenage Girl

Bel Powley is an actress who has really made her breakthrough in 2015 and her performance in The Diary of a Teenage Girl is the film that really made people sit up and take note.

The Diary of a Teenage Girl was a breath of fresh air during the summer blockbuster season as actress Marielle Heller made her feature film directorial debut with the project. The movie was an adaptation of the novel by Phoebe Gloeckner and was adapted into a screenplay by Heller.

The movie is set in the 1970s and is a coming of age take. The Diary of a Teenage Girl follows Minnie (Powley) who embarks on an affair with her mother's boyfriend, Kristen Wiig, and Alexander Skarsgård join Powley on the cast list.

The Diary of a Teenage Girl is one of the most refreshing coming of age tales of recent years as it is an honest, open, and very frank film. Powley delivers a knockout central performance and you can see that she is an actress that is destined for great things over the next few years.

Hard to believe that this is the directorial debut for Heller as her directing style is bold and assured and you feel like she has been doing this for years. The Diary of a Teenage Girl is an unconventional and provocative movie and it is great to see a director deliver this kind of film first time out.

The Diary of a Teenage Girl went on to whip up a storm on the festival circuit and Powely has been nominated for the EE Rising Star Award at this year's Baftas alongside John Boyega, Taron Egerton, Dakota Johnson, and Brie Larson.

- Song of the Sea

I am a huge animation film fan and we were treated to some wonderful films in this genre last year. The likes of Inside Out, Minions, and Big Hero 6 dominated the box office, but Song of the Sea was another true animation gem.

Song of the Sea was the latest film from Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon and marked the return of Tomm Moore to the director's chair. This was the second feature film of his career and the first since the acclaimed The Secret of the Kells back in 2009.

Song of the Sea follows Ben, a young Irish boy, and his little sister Saoirse, a girl who can turn into a seal, go on an adventure to free the faeries and save the spirit world.

This movie is deeply rooting in myth and folklore and this traditional animation style fits the story and the film's themes so beautifully. There is an enchantment and a magic to every frame of this film and it really does wash over you and take on a wonderful journey.

Song of the Sea really was one of the most beautiful animation films to hit the big screen last year and it went on to pick up a Best Animated Feature Oscar nomination; it lost out to Big Hero 6. If you are an animation film fan, Song of the Sea is an absolute must. If you haven't Moore's first film The Secret of Kells, I would check that out while you are at it.

- Tangerine

We have seen a whole host of films tackling the subject of transgender hit the big screen this year... and Tangerine is one that won over critics and audiences.

Tangerine premiered at the Sundance Film Festival at the beginning of 2015 and saw Sean Baker on directing, writing, and producing duties; this is his first film since Starlet back in 2012.

It's Christmas Eve in Tinseltown and Sin-Dee (Rodriguez) is back on the block. Upon hearing that her pimp boyfriend (Ransone) hasn't been faithful during the 28 days she was locked up, the working girl and her best friend, Alexandra (Taylor), embark on a mission to get to the bottom of the scandalous rumour. Their rip-roaring odyssey leads them through various subcultures of Los Angeles, including an Armenian family dealing with their own repercussions of infidelity.

It is not hard to see why people have been heaping praise on Tangerine as it really is a terrific watch. Prior to Tangerine, I was not familiar with Baker's work but he is a stylish filmmaker and great storyteller. Not only is a movie that is high-energy and funny, there is a tender and rather poignant side to the story and the characters we well. However, Baker doesn't always show this softer side - resulting in a bigger emotional punch when he does.

Tangerine is a compelling human story and is driven by two central characters that are as interesting and complex as they are damaged by their past experiences; all they are trying to do is survive the street of Los Angeles and try to build a better life for themselves.

Tangerine was one of the best independent films of 2015 and went on to pick up gongs and nominations are the likes of the Goth Independent Film Awards and the Independent Spirit Awards.

- Love & Mercy

Paul Dano and John Cusack are two of the most exciting actors around and we saw them join forces - of sorts - for Love & Mercy last summer. The movie sees both Dano and Cusak play Brian Wilson, co-founder of the Beach Boys, at two different points in his life.

Wilson is the lead singer of the Beach Boys in the 60s and is struggling with the emergence of a psychosis. By the 80s, Wilson is a confused and broken man under the 'care' of therapist Dr. Eugene Landy.

The movie is based on the book Heroes and Villains by Michael Alan Lerner and saw Bill Pohlad back in the director's chair for the first time since he made his debut with Old Explorers back in 1990. Dano and Cusack were joined on the cast last by Paul Giamatti, Elizabeth Banks, and Jake Abel.

For me, it is Dano that shines that brightest as he disappears into the role of the young Wilson, who found fame in the sixties with the Beach Boys. Dano really is one of the best actors that no one ever seems to talk about. He really gets under the skin of Wilson and helps show the creative process that the musician went through to create some of his iconic music.

Fast forward twenty years and we meet a very different Wilson who is under the 'care' of psychiatrist Eugene Landy due to his mental health issues. Cusack's performance is just so heart-breaking as he is held imprisoned by Landy and all of the creative flair and excitement he had a young man is gone. Together, Dano and Cusack paint an intimate portrait for Wilson, explore him, understand him, and make you admire this wonderful musical talent who battled with so much.

- Rosewater

2015 was another year where we saw a whole host of terrific directorial debuts... for me, Rosewater was one of the best and saw Jon Stewart - best known as a comedian and television host - take up the director's chair for the first time.

Rosewater was based on the memoir Then They Came for Me by Maziar Bahari and Aimee Molloy, which chronicled Bahari's imprisonment and interrogation in Iran in 2009. Stewart adapted the memoir as well as being in the director's chair while Gael García Bernal took on the central role of Bahari.

The fact that Rosewater is based on a true story is one of the things that makes this movie so powerful. But Stewart has also delivered a gripping film that is as intelligent as it is funny - he has struck the balance between these two elements perfectly.

As well as proving establishing himself as a director with Rosewater, Stewart has also shown off his writing still once again - the movie delivers an important message of the importance of political freedom and freedom of speech as well as being an intimate character driven drama.

For me, Rosewater was one of the best directorial debuts of 2015 and I cannot wait to see what Stewart does going forward as a filmmaker - it is going to be exciting to see what he delivers next.

- 52 Tuesdays

52 Tuesdays was a movie that was shown at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and finally hit the big screen in the UK last summer. It was another movie that provided a welcome break from the blockbuster summer as Sophie Hyde - best known for shorts and documentary projects - made her feature film directorial debut.

16-year-old Billie's reluctant path to independence is accelerated when her mother reveals plans for gender transition and their time together becomes limited to Tuesday afternoons. Filmed over the course of a year, once a week, every week - only on Tuesdays - these unique filmmaking rules bring a rare authenticity to this emotionally charged story of desire, responsibility, and transformation.

52 Tuesdays is one of the most unconventional movies of 2015 as Hyde filmed just on a Tuesday, every week, for a year. This followed the story of the film and allowed the director and the actors the chance to really delve into the film's central relationship.

52 Tuesdays is a movie that deals with the issue of transgender with real intelligence, sensitivity, and grace and you really end up going on a very intimate and touching journey with the central characters Billie and James.

As well as being a story about transgender, it is also a wonderful coming of age story and Tilda Cobham-Hervey gives a stunning performance in the central role of Billie - it is hard to believe that was her acting debut.

The movie played to critical acclaim on the festival circuit, picking up awards at Sundance and at Berlin.