It’s hard to believe, but the year is already half over! Be sure to check out these 8 underrated movies that already came and went in 2018.

With the summer movie season in full swing, we already at the halfway through the year. Although most of the year’s best movies are still to come, the first half of the 2018 was littered with plenty of gems — some that went unnoticed.

Sure, you’ve heard about Annihilation, Ready Player One, The Incredibles, and Black Panther, but what about those smaller movies that fly under the radar? Too often, the biggest studio movies keep smaller movies from making a bigger splash at the box office. The good news is now is the perfect time to catch up on them. Take a look at our list of eight underrated movies from the first half of the year that you may have missed.

8 underrated movies to check out now!

‘Unsane’

Steven Soderbergh’s new film is a low-budget thriller shot on an iPhone that is sure to terrify you. The low-quality visuals cover the movie in a heavy, digital grain, often making the movie feel like a found-footage documentary that only adds to its creepiness. This is Claire Foy as we have never seen her — a far cry from The Crown. With more hotly anticipated projects coming out later this year, The Girl in the Spider’s Web and Damien Chazelle’s First Man, Claire Foy is making a name for herself in a big way, making Unsane unmissable.

‘Lean on Pete’

Andrew Haigh makes his return with the triumphant and devastating Lean on Pete. This moving story of a boy who takes up a job working with racehorses is a remarkable tale of pain, empathy, and resilience. After playing several film festivals in 2017, Lean on Pete received a small release earlier, skipping most major multiplexes. Like Haigh’s previous films including 45 Years and Weekend, Lean on Pete is a must-see – an impassioned tale of survival in the face of devastating circumstances.

‘Gemini’

Gemini is another movie that went as quick as it came — disappearing from most theaters within a week or two. Starring Zoe Kravitz and Lola Kirke (with a couple appearances by John Cho), Gemini is a sleek and stylish neo-noir that received generally negative reviews, but that shouldn’t dissuade you from checking it out. The movie plays with the concepts of celebrity and friendship, slowly revealing a dark underbelly of an otherwise glamorous world.

‘Red Sparrow’

Love her or hate her, Jennifer Lawrence remains one of the most exciting young actresses working today. She continues to make choices that defy typical categorization. Last year, Lawrence stunned audiences with her performance in mother! and this year she delivered an impressive performance in a hard-boiled spy thriller. Returning to work with Francis Lawrence, director of three installments in The Hunger Games franchise, Lawrence shines as a Russian ballerina forced to become a spy.

‘The Death of Stalin’

Writer and director Armando Iannucci, the creator of HBO’s hit show Veep, returned to movies this year with The Death of Stalin. Based on a graphic novel of the same name, the film follows the chaos among the leadership in the Soviet Union following the death of Stalin. Iannucci’s comedy style – equal parts vulgar and hyperbolic – serves the material well, leaning into the film’s satirical attitude. While certainly not everyone’s comedy style, The Death of Stalin features great performances, impressive set design, and an incredible original score.

‘Lover for a Day’

For those willing to branch out into foreign films, French director Philippe Garrel’s Lover for a Day is worth checking out. Shot in black and white and clocking in at a tight one hour and sixteen minutes, Lover for a Day feels like a movie from another time. The film follows a young woman after a terrible breakup who returns home to live with her father only to discover he is dating someone the same age as her. Through this familiar story, Garrel interrogates the idea of love, betrayal, and romance. It’s a delicate and charming movie not without heart

‘Tully’

Director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody — the duo behind Juno and Young Adult — team up again, this time making a movie about motherhood. Starring a pitch perfect Charlize Theron a mother of three struggling in the weeks after the birth of her newest child, the movie is a poignant and realistic look at the intersection of motherhood and personal identity. When Marlo (Theron) hires a night nanny, Tully, her life begins to change and improve in new ways. Unfortunately, things are not always as they seem. Tully may not be the best of what Reitman and Cody have created, but it’s definitely worth checking out.

‘Zama’

Another foreign film, this time from Argentine director Lucrecia Martel, Zama is one of the year’s most inscrutable films. While this may not be the best movie for a Friday movie night, those willing to engage with Zama may find it to be a deeply rewarding experience. Telling the story of an officer of the Spanish Crown living in 17th century South America, the film is an impressively told story of colonialism, lyalty, bureaucracy, and mortality — all told with a dark sense of humor.