5 movies that...

...are not that well-known, but absolute gems.

5. Office Space: A silly comedy that can be enjoyed by anyone who has done a soulless office job. The insanity of office bureaucracy, the minor irritations of an office that become overwhelming and the sheer thoughtlessness of an unthinking management class are all mocked in this film. Furthermore, it also shows the idiocy of much of what passes for management consultancy, and how the right buzzwords can make up for an absolute lack of talent or business acumen. Plus, it gleefully and openly steals an idea from Superman III - a really nice touch as far as I am concerned.

4. Monkey Shines: Ok, this sounds more than a little silly - a paraplegic gets a helper monkey with whom he has a psychic link. And said monkey acts on said paraplegic occasional murderous rages. But the film is actually filmed in a gritty and realistic way, and has some moments of real tension. The climax in particular is a strikingly well-made piece of cinema - as the paraplegic tries to stop his monkey's killing spree despite not being able to move. His ultimate solution to the problem is simultaneously creative and grim.

Oh, and if you ever wanted to know how a paraplegic could have sex with a woman, this film will show you...

3. Zero Day: Two gawky, awkward teenagers are making a film about their lives. They are basically the losers at their local school, unpopular and seemingly isolated except for their friendship. However, it quickly becomes apparent that they are making the film for a reason - it is their testament to the world, designed to be seen after they die; after they have gone on a killing spree.

The film details their preparations for their attack, mixing the domestic with the chilling. Perhaps most strikingly, it manages to make the two protagonists appear as calm and reasonable people - no mean feat given what they are planning. And then you get the final ten or so minutes of the film: footage from the security camera in the school cafeteria, as they put their plan into action.

Remorseless and chilling; rather like the actions that end this film.

2. Halloween III: Season of the Witch: It doesn't have a witch in it, and nor does it have Michael Myers - which is why it sank at the box office. But this is a true undiscovered classic. It is a clever, unsettling and with some real moments of (non-gratuitous) horror. Sure, elements of the story are a bit ball-sack (the theft of Stonehenge, for example, is a part of the story that just does not need to be there), but it is the sort of film that becomes more and more compelling right up until the final scenes, which represent a desperate race against time to prevent a national catastrophe.

Plus, it has a catchy and deeply irritating song in it for the mask adverts. Altogether now: "happy, happy halloween, halloween, halloween, happy, happy halloween Silver Shamrock."

1. Requiem for a Dream: Whereas other films about drug addiction either make it so bleak that the film becomes almost unwatchable (see the compelling but incredibly Christiane F) or make it look at bit cool in a glib way (yes, Trainspotting, I'm talking about you), Requiem for a Dream is a stylishly directed film with a well-paced plot that doesn't pull its punches when it comes to the reality of addiction. Crucially, this isn't just about illegal drugs - it shows what happens when someone becomes addicted to legal diet pills as well. It is a claustrophobic, well-directed movie with a brilliant soundtrack - it is the sort of movie that stays with you long after the end credits have stopped rolling.

Any additions, well, you know where the comments section is.