These are the good but lesser known films I've seen on instant viewing that come to mind at the moment:
Dark films:
Plague Dogs: Extremely sad 1980s animated film by the same team that made Watership Down -- with voice acting by John Hurt, who can do no wrong. If you want to turn you child into a rabid animal rights activist (or possibly crush their souls -- which is sometimes healthy) have them watch this. It is not Disney's soul-thinning pablum that helps so much to turn children into deluded garbage people living second hand lives of diversion. It's meant to traumatize. Watch it on your own before showing it to them to judge for yourself.
(Contains graphic depictions of animal experimentation at a national defense laboratory).
1984: Another John Hurt film. IMO it's underrated in the extreme, most likely because it's a film adaption of the classic novel, so it naturally will attract lots of haters. It's a film, not a novel, judge it by filmic criteria and you'll see it's great.
Europa: When American pacifist Leopold Kessler (Jean-Marc Barr) journeys to post-World War II Germany, he lands a job as a sleeping-car conductor on the nightmarish Europa railway line, where he discovers a group of partisans violently resisting the Allied occupation. Though he steadfastly remains neutral, before long, his lover (Barbara Sukowa) reveals a secret that forces to him make a stand. Lars von Trier directs this surrealistic thriller.
Bronson: A film about the escapades of the UK's most violent prisoner. The film team got in trouble for sneaking an interview from the cell where the actual "Charles Bronson" is held to intro the film at festivals, but you can only hear it on the actual DVD. Still worth an instant view, though.
Dead Man's Shoes: A slick straight forward revenge horror about a ex-military man hunting down a group of drug dealers who abused his retarded brother. It's a lot better than that description makes it sound.
Frontiers: One of the best of the "French New Wave" horror films. Total unrelenting nightmare stuff. If you like brutal horror with lots of atmosphere (e.g. The Devil's Rejects), you'll enjoy this.
Imprint: Takashi Miike's most disturbing film. Banned from airing on Showtime as part of the network's Master's of Horror series. Beautiful and surreal in parts, sickening in many. Only for those who like to, or feel an obligation to, explore very dark subject matter.
Moon: Great sci-fi tragedy about a man alone on the moon in charge of a mining operation who runs into "himself" and tries to escape. Lots of philosphical themes centering around the nature of self-identity.
Following: Christopher Nolan's first feature about a man obsessed with following random strangers. He's noticed by a robber and the two team up.
Comedy:
Lewis C. K.: Chewed up (Stand up)
Doug Stanhope: No Refunds (Stand up): Really nasty stuff.
Cashback: Romantic comedy I didn't find schmaltzy (rare). A super market worker and aspiring artist finds out he can freeze time.
Documentary:
King of Kong: About the world of obsessed classic video game competition. More a comment on the American obsession with being the best at something, anything, no matter how pointless (IMO). It reminds be a lot about people's absurd respect for mainstream sports stars and the entire meaningless irresponsibly destructive enterprise that is sport entertainment and fandom. If you don't see the analogy you're social conditioning is too deep to save you.
Classics:
Fanny and Alexander: Ingmar Bergman film epic about a Swedish Family in the early 20th century that gets broken up by the death of the father and the remarriage of the mother to a religious zealot with a potentially murderous past. Contains elements of the occult and mysticism, but portrayed in the most beautiful and elegant ways. I watched it on LSD, and after using LSD for about 12 years or so watching this on it was the first time it really cracked open my heart. Easily among the best films ever made.
Surreal:
Alice: Jan Svankmejer's most accessible work and the best adaptation of Alice in Wonderland I've ever seen.
Three Extremes: Three short horror films: Takashi Miike's segment, entitled "Box," is stunning. The other two segments aren't really surrealistic but are nevertheless highly unique horror stories worth viewing.
Heartwarming:
The World's Fastest Indian: This fact-based drama stars Anthony Hopkins as quirky New Zealander Burt Munro, a 67-year-old grandfather who flies across Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats and blazes into the record books at 183.586 mph on his customized Indian Scout motorcycle. If you love nice honest-living old men I recommend it highly (also, The Straight Story -- which is not on instant unfortunately).
