After potentially ticking people off with my opinions on overrated movies, I thought I’d make it up to everyone by suggesting some perhaps unfamiliar films that deserve greater attention. I’m sure everyone out there has some obscure movies that they love and wish more people knew about. You know, the kind that you watch and then really want to talk about with others until you find out no one else has seen or even heard of it. Well, I’ve seen quite a few such films since starting this blog, and I want to give these criminally underseen films their due.

Just to clarify, these are not simply movies that got bad reviews. In fact, two of them have 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. With one exception, neither are these just movies that I like and others don’t; that kind of list would have to include Brother Bear, Spider-Man 3, and the Star Wars prequels. Rather, these are all movies that, for whatever reason, are not as widely known as they ought to be. You might also call it my Top Twelve Hidden Gems. To avoid listing my same old favorites, I’ve also chosen to exclude anything that’s in my Top 100 movies, so that leaves out the likes of Elizabethtown, Saints and Soldiers, and 84 Charing Cross Road. Their placement on that list already shows how I feel about them, but these other movies deserve mention too.

These aren’t even necessarily ranked by how much I like them, but by how much I think they deserve better recognition.  Thus, here are my Top Twelve Underrated Movies:

 

12. Wrinkles (2011)

This animated Spanish film was a pleasant surprise, tackling sensitive topics like aging and mental illness with a deft hand and compassionate attention to its characters. I’ve often mentioned that I enjoy mature animation that doesn’t wallow in mature subject matter, which is rare outside of anime, and Wrinkles fit that preference perfectly.

 

11. Ink (2009)

Someone get Jamin Winans a bigger budget. For a clearly low-budget production, there’s a lot going on in his cult film Ink: a battle between good and evil, dreams and nightmares; a long-nosed monster trying to steal a little girl’s soul; a distant father’s nearly broken relationship with his young daughter; and a strange and profound reflection on life, death, and regret. I’m still not quite sure what to make of this under-the-radar fantasy, but it’s definitely worth seeing, as evidenced by the 100% Rotten Tomatoes score. I’ll also mention Wynan’s next film, The Frame, which is also good but a bit too existential for me. Neither one is kid-friendly, due to language, but they’re a unique brand of filmmaking.

 

10. Harrison Bergeron (1995)

This Showtime movie from the ‘90s may not be well-known among dystopian cinema, but it should be. It stars Sean Astin as a young genius whose intellect is a source of shame in his egalitarian society where no one is allowed to be better than anyone else. At times, the extremes of this dystopia come off as laughably absurd, but it gets darker as it goes, with a hauntingly sad conclusion.

 

9. Dominick and Eugene (1988)

We’ve all heard of Rain Man, but what about the other movie that year about a pair of brothers, one of whom is mentally handicapped? While it has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, Dominick and Eugene suffers from the sad fact that no one remembers it. I only happened to catch it on an obscure movie channel. Though it’s already distinguished by outstanding performances from Ray Liotta and Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Hulce should have earned an Oscar nomination (not just a Golden Globe nod) for his performance as a mentally impaired garbageman helping his twin brother to work through medical school.

 

8. Children Who Chase Lost Voices (2011)

Everyone seemed to love Your Name last year, but I knew of Makoto Shinkai’s talents before that, thanks to this gorgeously animated adventure (also known as Journey to Agartha) that is every bit as magical as a Studio Ghibli film and feels very much like a tribute to Miyazaki’s fantasies. Following a schoolgirl’s journey into the mystical underground realm of Agartha, accompanied by an obsessed member of a secret organization, it’s a subtly emotional story of learning to say goodbye, even when the grief threatens to destroy you and others. As marvelous as Your Name is, this one holds an even more special place in my heart.

 

7. Counterpoint (1967)

The obscure nature of this Charlton Heston war film may make you think it’s a dud, but not so. In fact, I’d say Counterpoint is among Heston’s best films, casting him as the head of a touring orchestra whose entire ensemble is captured by Nazis during the close of World War II. A cultured Nazi general (Maximilian Schell) confines them to a castle and insists they play a recital for him, and what is to follow is threateningly vague. It’s a great battle of wills and egos between Heston and Schell, highlighted by an excellent collection of classical music.

 

6. Hidden (2015)

I’m not even sure where I first heard of this horror gem, but I’m glad I discovered it. After an outbreak of some disease, a family hides in an underground bunker from whatever lurks above them. Alexander Skarsgard and Andrea Riseborough play two wonderful parents, trying to encourage their daughter (Emily Alyn Lind) and keep her spirits up in this frightening situation. The family dynamic helped me care about the characters and made the tense moments all the more potent.

 

5. Waterworld (1995)

Don’t let Waterworld’s reputation as a notorious bomb deter you. It’s actually a surprisingly entertaining actioner, one with quite a bit in common with Mad Max: Fury Road, just with water instead of desert. I’m not really sure why it’s earned such a bad reputation. The acting may be over-the-top at times but no more than Mad Max, and the expansive maritime setting is still impressive proof of the film’s ambition.

 

4. Surrogates (2009)

I seem to be more forgiving of sci-fi than the critics. Another piece of good science fiction that somehow suffered from bad reviews, Surrogates is about a warily plausible world where people only interact with the world through robotic lookalikes. Bruce Willis investigates a rare instance of murder and is reminded just how sheltered the people of this dystopia have become. Most critics said it squandered a great premise, but I think it succeeded as both cool action and thought-provoking fiction.

 

3. Shuffle (2011)

Another low-budget movie that transcends its limitations with a brilliantly original story, this time-travel flick from writer/director Kurt Kuenne doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page! T.J. Thyne plays a man who jumps to a different day of his life every time he falls asleep, which is often, and the threads of his life are gradually revealed with every leap in time. Some say it gets too sentimental by the end, but Shuffle didn’t disappoint me at all.

 

2. King of Thorn (2010)

I have never seen this anime on a single list anywhere. It’s mostly unknown even in anime circles, which is a crying shame. When a collection of people awaken from stasis after a worldwide epidemic of a virus that turns people to stone, they are thrust into a fight for their lives against monsters and reality-bending dangers. This thrilling and atmospheric blend of Aliens, Inception, and Lost has loads of unguessable twists and turns to elevate its survival-horror premise. It can be violent and confusing, but it’s also awesome and vastly underrated.

 

1. Cloud Atlas (2012)

I debated what should be #1, since any of these could have been ranked higher, but Cloud Atlas won the day. This is a movie that could have won Oscars, perhaps Best Score, Best Makeup, and maybe even Best Picture, if the Academy had been a bit more adventurous. Covering six distinct stories separated by centuries yet somehow linked by cosmic connections, Cloud Atlas is a wildly ambitious film with an incredible cast, all of whom play multiple, very different roles. It’s also a polarizing story, and I can easily see people walking away either mind-blown or just confused and exasperated. It’s long, strange in its shifts in tone, and full of New Age-y  nonsense, but there’s so much to appreciate and take in that it’s an amazing ride worth taking all the same.

 

 

And here are some other films that deserve more awareness. If you haven’t seen these movies, I highly recommend widening those horizons.

 

About Time – Fantastic time travel romance with Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams.

Bright Star – Quietly poetic biopic of John Keats.

Cannery Row – Fun and funny Steinbeck adaptation.

Flightplan – A tense Jodie Foster thriller about a mother whose daughter disappears on a plane.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir – Excellent supernatural romance with Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison.

In Time – Brilliant dystopian premise of the time of one’s lifespan becoming currency.

In Your Eyes – Peculiar romance between two people who see through each other’s eyes.

Labyrinth of Lies – This German film about remembering Nazi war crimes should have been a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nominee.

Lunopolis – Conspiracy-filled found-footage sci-fi with a great twist.

The Man Who Never Was – Historical story of how a dead man helped win World War II.

Millennium Actress – Uniquely told anime of an actress seeking the unattainable.

The One I Love – A relationship movie with a Twilight Zone twist.

The Quick and the Dead (1987) – Engaging western with Sam Elliot at his mustached best.

Rabbit Hole – Affecting tale of parental grief every bit as emotional as Ordinary People.

Regarding Henry – Harrison Ford’s most underrated performance as a mentally damaged husband.

Right at Your Door – Terrifyingly real and down-to-earth disaster movie.

Secondhand Lions – Anecdotal charmer with great support from Michael Caine and Robert Duvall.

Sophie Scholl – The Final Days – Well-acted German tribute to an anti-Nazi martyr.

Strings – Very unique fantasy told completely with marionettes.

Time of Eve – Understated anime about androids discovering their humanity.

Tomorrowland – I actually found this Disney bomb to be a surprisingly fun ride.

The Way Back – Emotional journey of escapees from a Russian gulag, who walk all the way to India.

Woman in Gold – Strong performances from Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds in this tale of reclaiming art stolen by the Nazis.

 

Thanks for checking out these lists to celebrate my 500 follower milestone. Many more poems, reviews, and lists will come, and I hope to discover many more underrated movies in the future. Feel free to leave any suggestions below. I’m always on the lookout for more hidden gems!

 

We all have films that others love and we just…don’t. In fact, the whole world may love a film, critics laud it, bloggers sing its praises, Rotten Tomatoes pronounces it hot-off-the-vine Fresh, top film lists rank it among the best of its genre, and you just don’t see what all the hype is about. There’s no objective measurement of why certain films are overrated. It’s all a matter of opinion, and this list is mine.

I freely admit that “overrated” is a subjective term. I personally love movies that others may despise, like Forrest Gump, Titanic, La La Land, and Les Miserables, so don’t expect any of those on this list. Likewise, there are movies I don’t like, such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, but I at least recognize why others love it. This list is for movies that I don’t quite understand why they’ve earned all the acclaim they’ve gotten. To be honest, I do like some of these films, and two are even on my Top 365 list (which I’ll note below), but all of these fill my definition of overrated, regardless of how popular or iconic they are. I won’t be pulling any punches, so feel free to agree or disagree and plug your own opinion too. Don’t hate me ‘cause I’m honest! 🙂

 

12. North By Northwest (1959)

I’ve never been that enamored with Alfred Hitchcock’s films, which range from great to boring, but how North By Northwest has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes is beyond me. It’s a decent Hitchcock thriller, fueled by coincidence and mistaken identity, but only a few scenes stand out among the twisty plot. Plus, the ending is laughable. One minute, the main couple is clinging to the face of Mount Rushmore, the next they’re celebrating on a train. What the heck? It’s the most jarring shift of tone I’ve ever seen, and no one else seems to point it out.

 

11. Frozen (2013)

I do enjoy Frozen for its return to the Disney princess formula, and it’s currently #201 on my Top 365 List, even if I’m not a fan of the villain or how everything is suddenly resolved by the realization of “love” or something. But why is it that four years later, there are still Frozen toothbrushes, Frozen backpacks, Frozen breakfast cereal, Frozen juice boxes, Frozen shampoo, Frozen this and Frozen that. You can’t walk into a grocery story without seeing Anna and Elsa on some kind of merchandise. Disney somehow made Frozen merch into a commercial empire and is milking it for all its worth. But why not Wreck-It Ralph or Big Hero 6?

 

10. The French Connection (1971)

This is one thriller that was just lacking. Gene Hackman’s character of Popeye Doyle had no personality or character development to speak of, making the whole hunt for drug traffickers an uninvolving affair punctuated by a few admittedly memorable and well-shot scenes. I never like it when a film’s ending leaves me saying “That’s it?”, which is exactly what happened with that open-ended final scene. It’s not a bad film, but why it landed on AFI’s top 100 twice, I’ll never understand.

 

9. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

I can’t argue against Snow White’s significance in movie history as the first feature-length animated film and Disney’s first feature. Yet what was so revolutionary back then doesn’t necessarily hold up now. I remember the last time I saw this classic being annoyed by Snow White’s grating voice and the familiar fairy tale tropes that have been done better since. And again, AFI named it the greatest animated film ever? I love the dwarfs, but Snow White feels like a film that is more respected for being the first than for being the best.

 

8. The Third Man (1949)

I have read reviews of this film noir that praise the acting, the atmosphere, the cinematography, and [shudder] the score. The score? Who could possibly like the zither-heavy score to The Third Man? It’s one of the most annoying soundtracks I’ve heard and a total contrast to the mood the rest of the film tries to create. Seriously, it sounds like music that belongs in SpongeBob SquarePants, not a dark thriller. I honestly don’t remember the rest of the movie that well, but whenever I see the score named among great soundtracks, I can’t help but shake my head in frustration.

 

7. The Dark Knight (2008)

Don’t explode. It’s okay, I don’t hate The Dark Knight, but neither do I think it’s the best superhero movie ever. The whole trilogy is currently #178 on my List, but I much prefer The Dark Knight Rises to The Dark Knight. For one, as good as Heath Ledger is as the Joker, I’ve never been a fan of dark gritty superhero movies. But the worst part of The Dark Knight is the ending. I just don’t get it. Why does Batman have to take the blame for Harvey Dent? Because the people of Gotham couldn’t take it? Please, all it does is create a can of worms and distrust for the next film to open, and the decision is too rushed to really make sense. Good movie, weak ending.

 

6. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Steven Spielberg has made some fantastic movies over the years, but this is not one of the better ones. True, it’s become an icon of alien abduction cinema, but it’s also among his least entertaining features. We’re treated to Richard Dreyfuss acting crazy and ruining his marriage for much of the film, and then it ends with a tone-based light show, because what could be more riveting than a tone-based light show? There’s no twist, no deep emotion, no meaningful explanation to it all; it’s just aliens, which is surprisingly boring in this case. I can’t help but wonder if the government eventually found out that the alien message was a cook book called To Serve Man.

 

5. Shakespeare in Love (1997)

This is another film that isn’t necessarily bad. It’s actually well-acted, well-written, and well-produced. But it is not the Best Picture of 1998! It still boggles my mind that Shakespeare in Love somehow beat Saving Private Ryan and Life Is Beautiful, plus Elizabeth and The Thin Red Line. It reeks of studio bribery or favoritism. The fact that it’s complete fiction also takes away any historical significance. Plus, though Judi Dench did well as Queen Elizabeth I, what about her short performance warranted Best Supporting Actress?

 

4. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

I hate to badmouth a Studio Ghibli film that is clearly a favorite of so many, but I really don’t see what the big deal is about My Neighbor Totoro. It’s a cute movie, but how can people call it Miyazaki’s best or one of the best films of 1988? Two annoying girls frolic with forest spirits; later, one thinks something bad happened but it didn’t. The end. Such a weak plot could be redeemed by Miyazaki’s proven movie magic, but I didn’t feel it. Totoro himself seems more intimidating than cuddly, especially when the only sound he makes is a big roar. Maybe I need to see it again, but I don’t get the hype.

 

3. Blade Runner (1982)

I just saw Blade Runner recently as one of my Blindspots, and I was pretty disappointed for a film that’s supposedly among the best sci-fi of all time. As with The French Connection, Harrison Ford’s Rick Deckard has hardly any personality, and the characters that do are like weird caricatures, offset by a plodding pace. I know many have debated stuff like whether Deckard is a replicant, but when the film doesn’t bother to explore that kind of potential, why should I care? And talk about anticlimactic. Rutger Hauer chases him through a building like he’s going to kill him, then saves him, and dies after a short soliloquy. What? I know it’s had a huge influence on the cyberpunk genre, but for me, Blade Runner is all style over substance.

 

2. Avatar (2009)

James Cameron tried to revolutionize science fiction with Avatar, but he might have tried a more original story while he was at it. The visual effects are incredible, especially during the big battle at the end, but doesn’t all that just distract viewers from the fact that this is basically Pocahontas with blue aliens. Dances with Wolves with space marines. It’s the same old environmentalist story of the evil money-grubbing military men spoiling a native paradise and messing with nature’s perfection. I just hope Cameron has something better in mind for the sequels he’s been working on for years.

 

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Southerners have a word for things like 2001: artsy-fartsy. What the heck is this film about? Man’s evolutionary progress? The contrast between man and machine? That may be how people read it, but no, 2001 is about a black rock sending mankind to Jupiter so he can go on an LSD trip. It’s infuriating how praised and lauded this film is when I found it eminently boring and, by the end, incomprehensible. Again, ground-breaking visuals aren’t enough to cover up a stark lack of story, and the way many have discussed 2001’s deep symbolism and message just makes it seem even more pretentious and self-important. Some may say I just don’t get it, and they’re right, I don’t. There may be elements of great filmmaking, but this is by no means a great film.

 

 

Notice all the pictures of shock, anger, and sadness? Sorry if that’s you too right now. And here are some runners-up that I also find overrated.

 

5 Centimeters Per Second – Lovely animation, horribly depressing story.

An American in Paris – Weak plot that exists just for the famous overlong dance number.

Dr. Strangelove – For a classic comedy, it’s not really that funny.

Field of Dreams – The lack of explanation takes away from the fantasy appeal.

Ghost in the Shell – Style over substance, yet again.

The Godfather – Great film, yes, but hardly the best film ever made.

Interstellar – The visuals don’t quite make up for the obvious twist and slow pacing.

Juno – I liked the pro-life aspect but found Ellen Page’s misanthropic character hard to like.

Manchester By the Sea – Good acting but deeply depressing. How did this win Best Screenplay?

Midnight Special – Interesting premise, but a bit too slow-burn with little resolution.

Spirited Away – Sure, it looks amazing, but it’s also downright bizarre.

Urban Cowboy – How could anyone like this piece of trash? Worst movie ever!

 

Ah, glad I got that off my chest. Let the rebuttals begin! On Sunday, I’ll be going the other direction and posting my List of Underrated Movies. Stay tuned!