The 13 Most Underrated Movies of 2017

If “Juno” had opened in 2017, would it still have been a box office hit? What about “Shakespeare in Love”? “Little Miss Sunshine”? “Slumdog Millionaire”?

To say that the state of independent films is at a crossroads is the understatement of the decade. The movie business has now become a tale of two audiences. There’s the tentpole blockbusters, like “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” and “Wonder Woman,” which draw packed crowds at the multiplexes. And then there’s everything else.

For the last two years, even the month of December — a time when Oscar movies usually fare well — hasn’t necessarily been the most fertile ground for smaller movies. Blame the “Star Wars” franchise — the Disney blockbusters have become such Goliaths, they’ve put a dent in any title playing in a theater near them. That’s led to a pre-holiday lull for art-house movies, such as “The Darkest Hour” or “The Shape of Water” (both hovering at around $10 million in tickets sales so far in limited release), that rely on word of mouth to grow.