6 Upcoming Movies to Watch, That You Won’t Watch

May is almost upon us, which means the summer movie season is almost upon us. Hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent driving audiences into the latest and biggest movie, whether it be Thor, X-Men, Transformers or Harry Potter. Most moviegoers will follow mindlessly, driven by their studio overlords, but that doesn’t have to be you.

Despite what the studios want to believe, there are other movies being released to theaters, ones that don’t have unlimited budgets or high-paid stars. Here are six movies being released in limited theaters across the United States by the end of May that have serious potential:

1. The Double Hour (now playing)

A former cop meets a Slovenian immigrant named Sonia and they leave for a romantic getaway in the country. But Sonia’s murky past resurfaces, raising serious and potentially deadly questions about who she really is.

2. Exporting Raymond (April 29, 2011)

Phil Rosenthal created “Everybody Loves Raymond.” In this fish-out-of-water documentary, he travels to Russia to adapt the sitcom for Russian television. Unfortunately, the Russians don’t share his tastes or sense of humor.

3. The Silent House (May 6, 2011)

Shot in one single continuous shot of 78-minutes, this horror film centers on Laura, who, along with her father, spend the night in a rundown cottage. What they discover is that the house holds a deadly secret – one that may claim their lives.

4. Skateland (May 13, 2011)

In this coming-of-age tale, a young skating rink manager realizes that he and his high school friends are turning into adults – which means life-changing decisions and consequences. The movie co-stars Ashley Greene (Twilight).

5. Beautiful Boy (May 20, 2011)

This drama explores the consequences of mass school shootings – from the perspective of the killer’s parents. Michael Sheen and Maria Bello star as two parents, who, on the verge of separation, must deal with the earth-shattering revelation that their son murdered over a dozen students.

6. The Tree of Life (May 27, 2011)

The most well-known movie on this list, The Tree of Life is acclaimed director Terrence Malick’s latest. Though it stars Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, the movie’s premise – about the evolution of a boy into a man – will keep it from being seen by the vast majority of moviegoers. It still looks like one of the year’s best.