Every year, hundreds of films are produced, but only a handful of them ever receive the expensive and sustained advertising push needed to muscle their way into the public consciousness. Most movies are completely unheard of to all but die-hard cinephiles and film festival-goers. Often there are incredible films hidden among these unknowns.

Earning 100% on Rotten Tomatoes is no easy task. A perfect score may not mean that a film is perfect, but it does indicate that every critic has given it a good review. Whether they rely on stunning cinematography, breathtaking performances, or innovative storytelling, films that have achieved this high honor somehow manage to please everyone.

Paper Spiders centers on Dawn (Lili Taylor), a recently widowed woman struggling with mental illness, and Melanie (Stefania LaVie Owen), her teenage daughter. An uncomfortable encounter with a new neighbor aggravates Dawn's condition, and she becomes convinced that he is out to get her. As Dawn's delusions and paranoia intensify, Melanie searches for a means to aid her mother but quickly finds that society provides little help for people like her mom.

The film engages wholeheartedly with the depths of Dawn's condition without ever sensationalizing it or villainizing her. It highlights the tragedy of Melanie's circumstances, as she fears for her mother's stability and ability to function when she leaves for college next year. Melanie is driven by the deep love she holds for Dawn, who grows increasingly hostile as she's steeped in her own denials.

Based on the Broadway play of the same name, The Dresser centers on theatrical dresser Norman (Ian McKellen) and a Shakespearean actor known only as 'Sir' (Anthony Hopkins). When Sir begins to show signs of dementia, many of the other actors wish to cancel the upcoming performance of King Lear, but Norman, who has worked closely with the renowned actor for decades, advocates ferociously for Sir. The play follows the course of the night as Sir works through bouts of senility and Norman comes to question his role in life.

The film is well-written and layered, drawing parallels between Sir's worsening condition and Shakespeare's King Lear. It is perfectly cast with seasoned Shakespearean actors like McKellen who can deftly interpret the film at all levels. Hopkins skillfully navigates Sir's shifting mental state, embodying him both as a bitter narcissist and as a scared, vulnerable old man.who play off one another as if they've been doing it for years.

Fred (Joe Mantegna) and Bonnie (Joan Allen) Waitzkin are shocked to find that their seven-year-old son Josh (Max Pomeranc) is a chess savant. While Josh is thrilled to play in the park with local man and mentor Vinnie (Laurence Fishburne), his father pushes him to embrace his talent. The demands the game puts on the young prodigy cause friction in the Waitzkin household, especially as Bonnie tries to shield her son from the cruel teachings of professional tutor Bruce Pandolfini (Ben Kingsley).

Searching for Bobby Fischer is based on the life of real-life chess champion Josh Waitzkin, and it benefits greatly from its authenticity.It's a journey that questions not only the cost of greatness but its benefits. It boasts a balanced ensemble of reasonable characters, who each strongly advocate for their own opinions, leaving viewers as torn as poor overwhelmed Josh.

There is no shortage of zombie movies out there, but none are quite like One Cut of the Dead. The Japanese horror comedy sees a group of independent filmmakers set out to film a zombie movie, only to find themselves fleeing for their lives as the set is attacked by the undead.

It's hard to fully discuss why One Cut of the Dead is so brilliant, as an ingenious second-act twist wholly recontextualizes the film. However, even without divulging too much of the plot, The first thirty-seven minutes of runtime employ a notoriously difficult technique referred to as an "oner." This means that the entire sequence is done in one take, with no cuts or pauses. In order to pull off such a task, every actor and crew member must do their job flawlessly.

Based on Peter Rock's novel My Abandonment, Leave No Trace tells the story of Will (Ben Foster), a veteran with severe PTSD, and his young daughter Tom (Thomasin McKenzie). Fearful of society, Will leaves the world behind and attempts to raise Tom alone in the forest, but the government intervenes, accusing him of neglect. As Tom gets settled in her new life, she is torn between her loyalty to her father and the strength she finds in the local community.

The performances are filled with heart, but often they are particularly understated. The film is sympathetic to Will's plight but realistic in its negative effects on Tom. In many ways, the movie documents a conflict in which there is simply no good solution and Will and Tom's slow realization of that reality.

The documentary Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street digs into the complicated legacy of the much-maligned sequel A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge. While the cult-classic film has become hailed as a seminal pillar in the history of queer horror, the film was initially a box office bomb that threatened to poison the careers of all who touched it. The documentary digs deep into the way the film's reputation ruined the life of its star, Mark Patton, who was a closeted homosexual when it premiered.

Many horror hounds who never gave the sequel a second thought will be shocked to hear how deeply it resonated with queer audiences. And the homophobia that hounded Patton stands as a stark reminder of how drastically different the world was for queer people in the 1980s.

The Kosovar drama Hive tells the story of Fahrije (Yllka Gashi), a woman whose husband failed to return home from the Kosovo War. With her husband presumed dead, Fahrije is unwilling to depend on others and begins to sell honey and ajvar. In doing so, Fahrije goes against a strong cultural taboo that bars women from running their own businesses. Fahrije must find a way to support herself and her family despite the growing hostility in her local community.

What Fahrije views as an act of survival is taken as an act of rebellion by her neighbors. Gashi's outstanding portrayal of the revolutionary entrepreneur captures her independent spirit and unwavering determination.

The Netflix horror film His House tells the story of Sudanese refugees, Bol (Sope Dirisu) and Rial (Wunmi Mosaku), who are granted asylum in England. The couple's caseworker, Mark Essworth (Matt Smith), introduces them to their new apartment in a crumbling slum and warns them that moving from the residents will invalidate their asylum claim. After a series of strange occurrences, the pair come to believe the house is haunted by a malignant spirit and their sanctuary transforms into a trap.

A true standout among Netflix's films, It cunningly highlights the couple's powerlessness in their new setting, the prejudice they face, and their differing views of assimilation through their encounters with the evil entity. Beyond this, the film expertly crafts a sense of terror and pulls off a shocking twist that leaves viewers reeling.

The coming-of-age film Wildhood centers on Link (Phillip Lewitski) a teenager raised in a trailer park by his abusive father. When Link learns that his mother, who he long believed was dead, actually abandoned the family when he was a child he takes his younger brother Travis (Avery Winters-Anthony) and sets out on a quest to find her. His travels bring him across Pasmay (Joshua Odjick), a queer Native American dancer. Pasmay's interest in Link encourages him to confront realities about his sexuality and his own Native American heritage.

The fresh narrative splits its focus between the brotherly bond between Link and Travis and the burgeoning romance between Pasmay and Link. The road trip story becomes greater than the sum of its parts thanks to its originality and heart.

A suicidal man, Ray (John Magaro), is mistaken for a hitman in the dark comedy LaRoy, Texas. A mysterious man interrupts Ray's suicide attempt, dropping off a large sum of cash that is meant as payment for an upcoming murder. By the time Ray realizes what has happened, his 'client' is long gone. Fueled by morbid curiosity, he investigates the target and, through a series of convoluted circumstances, winds up accidentally completing the contract. This is only the beginning of the saga, however, as the murder draws mild-mannered Ray into a web of blackmailers, assassins, and crooks.

The mystery at the heart of the movie is deeply complex but never confusing. Ray works well as an audience point-of-view character as he is often as confounded as they are. A man with nothing to lose, he proves to be a surprisingly compelling protagonist as he finds himself in way over his head.