Yes, “The Dark Knight Rises,” “The Amazing Spider-Man” and “Men in Black 3” will carve up the bulk of the box office as the weather heats up. But in between the eardrum-bursting stories of planet-saving are a handful of smaller films that deserve to be on moviegoers' radars.
Among them are films from established masters like Woody Allen and Wes Anderson that could find themselves on Oscar voters' shortlists, as well as a collection of comedies, thrillers and family films featuring stars like Will Ferrell and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Also read: From 'Dark Knight' to 'Dark Shadows': The 10 Most Anticipated Summer Movies
Here are seven hidden gems hitting theaters over the next four months — with nary a superhero to be found in any of them.