It’s becoming more and more difficult to home in on the best films around, and even some of the more mediocre ones. With streaming becoming a commonplace home for productions that studios don’t quite have the confidence in to run out at the cinema, six or seven subscriptions are now needed to see all of the best movies.
Last year, it just so happens that two of the best hidden gems revolve a bit around the leisurely outdoors activity of fishing. Yet, they’ve both taken the theme that’s currently flying in popularity in other entertainment mediums as a good feature within the horror genre.
Putting Peril into the Hot Trend in Entertainment
In TV and online gaming, fishing is enjoying a moment. It’s trending across many different productions. In online circles, it’s at its most prominent in casino gaming. When you check out Big Bass Trophy Catch, you can see that fishing does take a central role.
There are multiple features in the Pragmatic Play slot, but the core feature is the one that runs through the series. In this, players get to catch the different-sized fish that they see holding cash values when they also land a fisherman. It’s a straightforward mode and one that ties so well to its inspiration.
On TV, fishing has taken a turn for the better, returning to prominence. Where once the adventurous, hard-working side of fishing was used to create the entertainment, such as with Deadliest Catch and Extreme Fishing, it’s now about the opposite. Gone Fishing is a relaxing show about two chaps sitting by the river for a chat, showing the tranquil benefits of the activity.
2025’s Take on Fishing in Film
Our first dip into 2025’s hidden gems takes place in Cornwall, courtesy of Cornish filmmaker Mark Jenkin. Fishing is a favorite theme of Jenkin, with Rose of Nevada following on from his 2019 black-and-white film, Bait. Some three decades after its disappearance, a local fisherman finds the titular shop bobbing about in the harbor.
Assumed lost at sea because of the heavy storms that took place when it last left the harbor, the surviving families of the crew are alerted, and the boat is brought to shore. Within, they find the scratching “Get off the boat now,” before the story takes a distinct twist after setting off on a new fishing trip.
Just a couple of months later, Dead of Winter took us to a very different setting. In the wilds of Minnesota, as is detailed by UK Film Review for Dead of Winter revolves around a kidnapping set within a snowstorm. The story kicks off with Emma Thompson defying the weather to drive up to Lake Hilda for a spot of ice fishing.
It’s set to be a lovely, if not cold, trip for our lead, but that soon takes a turn when she meets a woodcutter out in the forest and sees blood on the snow. Leaning a bit more into thriller than horror, the film still flips the idea of a relaxing time with a rod and reel into something much darker and more mysterious.
Both Rose of Nevada and Dead of Winter mostly went under the radar, but they’re certainly hidden gems worthy of your time.