9 Under-the-Radar Michael C. Hall Movies Fans Need to See

1. "Cold in July" (2014)
So, you're a regular guy, and you kill a burglar in your home. What's next? For Richard Dane, played by Michael C. Hall, a meek picture framer, life spirals into a series of unpredictable events. He gets entangled with Russel, the dead burglar's ex-con father, in what soon becomes a tale of corruption, deception, and vengeance.

Guns are fired; the past dredged up; secrets unfold like a poker game with the highest stakes. Michael C. Hall dons a mullet and a southern accent, breaking his Dexter mold.

2. "Christine" (2016)
Silence please, the newsroom drama's rolling! A story based on the life of Christine Chubbuck, a 1970s news reporter who committed suicide on live television. Michael C.

Hall plays George, the anchorman and Christine's quasi-romantic interest. George is suave, ambitious, and the apple of the news director's eye. Christine, in contrast, struggles with depression and isolation.

1970s' aesthetic with the grittiness of real-life agony. No dramatic flair, just raw human experience.

3. "Kill Your Darlings" (2013)
Ever wondered what Beat poets like Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs were like in their younger days? This film dives into that bohemian world, spiced with romance and, yes, a murder. Michael C.

Hall takes on the role of David Kammerer, Lucien Carr's older, obsessed lover. Kammerer's murder, and how Carr gets Ginsberg to help him, forms the crux of the plot. Hall's Kammerer is neither simple nor likable, but he's real—desperately romantic and unsettlingly possessive.

4. "The Trouble with Bliss" (2011)
Unemployment and daddy issues! Morris Bliss, played by Hall, is stuck in a rut; he's an unemployed New Yorker still living with his dad. Twist? A romantic liaison with an 18-year-old who turns out to be the daughter of his high school buddy.

The plot tiptoes around awkward encounters and uncomfortable realizations. Less about events, more about moments, the film explores the meandering nature of life. Hall's performance adds shades to a character who could easily be dismissed as a loser.

5. "Gamer" (2009)
Gritty, grim, and set in a future where video games and reality collide, this film places Michael C. Hall as the evil genius Ken Castle.

Imagine a world where gamers can control actual humans in a real-life shooting game. Castle is the puppet master, controlling everything and everyone, including Kable, the main protagonist. It's a neon-lit, violence-ridden spectacle, not so much a plot to follow but a chaotic maze to escape.

6. "Peep World" (2010)
Family dysfunction at its finest. Gather the Meyerwitz siblings, throw in a dose of resentment, add a dash of secrets, and serve it hot during a 70th birthday dinner. Hall plays Jack, the eldest brother, stuck in a failing marriage and a sinking career.

The plot twist? One sibling publishes a novel that's too revealing about family secrets. No skeletons in the closet; they're all laid out on the dinner table.

7. "Paycheck" (2003)
Ben Affleck might be the star, but Hall's supporting role as Agent Klein spices up this tech-thriller. A top engineer, Jennings, takes on a secretive, three-year job and agrees to memory erasure afterward. When he wakes up, he finds himself entangled in a conspiracy with only a set of mysterious items to guide him.

Hall's role? An FBI agent, part of the apparatus chasing down Jennings. In essence, it's a classic Philip K. Dick scenario: technology and memory manipulation, told in a rapid-fire narrative style.

8. "In the Shadow of the Moon" (2019)
A puzzle across time. The story unfolds over nine-year intervals as a Philadelphia police officer, not played by Hall, chases down a serial killer. Hall portrays Holt, the brother-in-law and fellow officer.

The story isn't so much about the chase as it is about the unfolding enigma: the murderer seems to know the future.

9. "After Adderall" (2016)
Literary feuds, anyone? In this meta-fictional account of events following the release of Stephen Elliott's memoir, Hall portrays the director as he deals with the fallout.

When James Franco makes a movie adaptation and takes liberties with the story, things get... complicated. With Hall in the driving seat, the plot navigates through the messy terrains of storytelling in the public eye.