November is a curious month. Spooky season is over, but Christmas season hasn’t started yet. It’s the middle brother, often ignored entirely by people either holding on to the fall season or those who are more than ready to bring out the Santa hats. Sure, Thanksgiving is celebrated in the final week, but that’s just one country in the world; everywhere else, poor November is just the in-between month.
However, it’s still a full 30-day month, and what better way to wait for Christmas than by watching some movies as underrated as the month itself? From dark and seriously messed-up comedies to awkward coming-of-age dramedies, these underappreciated streaming gems will make for perfect viewing during this cold, yet not-so-snowy month. So grab a blanket and some popcorn, and get ready to watch some severely underrated movies.
The House of Yes (1997)
Parker Posey rose to prominence with this underrated black comedy from 1997. The House of Yes sees her playing Jackie-O, a mentally unbalanced young woman recently released from a psychiatric hospital. During Thanksgiving 1983, Jackie-O reunites with her twin brother, Marty (Josh Hamilton), whom she shares a complicated relationship with. As secrets about their past emerge, Jackie-O loses more of her already feeble grip on reality.
The House of Yes is, first and foremost, a showcase for Posey. The actress delivers a tour de force performance as the broken Jackie-O, blending wild and unpredictable humor with a complex plot that becomes darker and more uncomfortable by the minute. At only 85 minutes, The House of Yes is a stellar comedy that doesn’t last long enough for its sordid themes to overwhelm audiences.
The House of Yes is available to stream on PlutoTV.
Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)
And speaking of remarkably dark comedies, 1995’s Welcome to the Dollhouse is in a league of its own. A 13-year-old Heather Matarazzo stars as Dawn Weiner, a socially awkward outcast who experiences different events that will challenge her view of the world and her relationships with her fellow students and her disinterested family. The film is directed by Todd Solondz, a filmmaker who is known for his challenging and confrontational narratives.
A coming-of-age movie with a punch, Welcome to the Dollhouse presents an uncompromising and often ruthless depiction of early adolescence that is as refreshing as it’s unique. It’s funny, discomforting, often mean-spirited, and utterly unforgettable, largely thanks to a spectacular Matarazzo in what is still the performance of her career. Few high school movies are as unabashedly singular as Welcome to the Dollhouse, a cult classic that remains criminally undervalued by mainstream audiences.
Welcome to the Dollhouse is available to stream on Tubi.
Igby Goes Down (2002)
Long before he was Roman Roy in HBO’s hit drama Succession, Kieran Culkin starred in the 2002 coming-of-age dramedy Igby Goes Down, his first leading role. In it, Culkin plays the titular character, a sarcastic and disinterested teenager determined to challenge his old-money family at every chance he gets. His life changes when he is sent to spend a summer in New York with his godfather. There, Igby learns that life sometimes deal a tough hand that not even humor can solve.
Culkin is brilliant as the sardonic Igby, tying the film together with a great performance that was rightly rewarded with a Golden Globe nomination. Aided by a strong supporting cast, including Claire Danes, Jeff Goldblum, and Oscar winner Susan Sarandon, Culkin crafts a compelling and quite humorous portrait of teen angst that is still surprisingly topical over 20 years later. It doesn’t reinvent the coming-of-age genre, but Igby Goes Down offers enough of a bite to make it worth the watch.
Igby Goes Down is available to stream on Tubi.