The 12 Movies of 2012 You Didn’t See, but Should

Every year countless movies are made. And every year, most of those movies fail to be recognized by the masses. Many of them are deserving of such slights, but there are always a handful that have been unfairly overlooked. Maybe the marketing was bad. Perhaps the studio just never gave the film an opportunity to succeed. Or, simply, audiences ignored it for no damn reason.

Regardless of reason, there are movies that you likely missed that are worthy of your attention. Here are the 12 most overlooked movies of 2012, the movies you should have seen but didn’t:

No. 12. The Giant Mechanical Man Pam from “The Office” stars as a woman who is trying to find her way who meets a man who knows what he wants to do but can’t make ends meet in this surprisingly sweet drama. The title references the man’s profession: he plays a street performer who goes by that name.

No. 11. Sound of My Voice Brit Marling (Another Earth) stars in and co-writes this movie about two documentary filmmakers who infiltrate a cult that is led by a young woman who claims she is from a future where war has destroyed most life on earth. The filmmakers begin to suspect she is manipulating the group into committing a heinous act, even while they themselves are drawn into her stories.

No. 10. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen Ewan McGregor plays a risk averse scientist who is hired by a sheik to bring fly fishing to the Yemen River, despite all odds suggesting it is impossible. There, he meets and falls in love with a woman played by Emily Blunt. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen sounds boring, but it is actually an engaging and sometimes funny romantic drama.

No. 9. Detachment Adrien Brody stars in this dark drama about a high school teacher who manages to form a bond with his inner city students. The concept has been done before, but Detachment maintains an edginess that sets it apart.