Underrated Movies or: Films that the layman doesn't know about but are actually good.

[Pink Bits]

There's nothing like the feeling of 'discovering' a movie you've never heard anything about and it turns out to be pretty darn awesome, as opposed to a movie that garners all the hype in the world and in turn, lets you down like a bag of you-know-what.

Case in point - When browsing my local video store, a movie cover would always catch my eye but I'd never heard of it, so I would just keep looking. One day, it caught my eye yet again and because my $1 Tuesday haul was on the lighter side, I thought 'what the hell' and decided to hire it out. The movie in question is called "11:14" and for being a totally under the radar movie (at least to me), it has some big name / notable actors in it (Patrick Swayze, Hillary Swank, Colin Hanks, "Elliot" from 'ET'...) - not to mention, it was one of those rare discoveries that made me curse myself for always shunning it in the past.

I've put together a little list of movies I believe don't get enough play with mainstream audiences or movies that do have a slightly higher profile but because of younger generations, may be slowly fading out of sight.

Please note that there may be a fair few of you guys and girls who have seen these, but I'm listing them just on the off-chance that you may not have seen them!


Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
A Bronx Tale (1993)
True Romance (1993)
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
Casino (1995)
Cube (1997)
Donnie Brasco (1997)
Rounders (1998)
The Thin Red Line (1998)
Go (1999)
Summer Of Sam (1999)
Two Hands (1999)
American Psycho (2000)
Memento (2000)
Requiem For A Dream (2000)
Donnie Darko (2001)
Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind (2002)
11:14 (2003)
Big Fish (2003)
The Butterfly Effect (2004)
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)
The Machinist (2004)
The Prestige (2006)
Once (2006)
Into The Wild (2007)
Reign Over Me (2007)
Sunshine (2007)
Zodiac (2007)
Changeling (2008)
Trick ‘r Treat (2008)
Middle Men (2009)
Triangle (2009)
Four Lions (2010)
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2010)


Please help me in my quest to achieve more discoveries like this and list your own recommendations as I hope I've helped at least one person!

[ST TheKing]

All of these are Korean movies I just watched within the last two months. All of these films are amazing in my opinion.

I Saw The Devil (2010)
The Man From Nowhere (2010)
The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008)
The Chaser (2008)
No Mercy (2009)

[Crazynutts]

Gotta agree with STKING on I Saw the Devil. Loved it. I had just heard of it very recently. I'll keep the Korean theme going for a bit and add the Vengeance trilogy for those that missed it.

Old Boy
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
Lady Vengeance

I think foreign films are easily missed. So here are some more.

The Loved Ones
Mesrine
Dead Set
IP Man
Battle Royale
Proposition
Versus

[chrise1985]

The Weatherman is underrated

[QuasidodoJr]

My list (for now) will be more 2000's centric:

Contact (1997)
Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
Dark City (1998)
61* (2001)
Antwone Fisher (2002)
Love Actually (2003)
Finding Neverland (2004)
Miracle (2004)
A History of Violence (2005)
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (2007)
Ghost Town (2008)
In Bruges (2008)
The Midnight Meat Train (2008)
Redbelt (2008)
Sunshine Cleaning (2008)
Crazy Heart (2009)
I Love You, Man (2009)
Whip It (2009)

[ssjmichael]

Off the top of my head

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988)
Floating Weeds (1959)
13 Tzameti (2005)
Le Notti Di Cabiria/Nights of Cabiria (1957)
The Vanishing (1988)
Infernal Affairs (2002)
Fulltime Killer (2001)
Exit through the Gift Shop (2010)
Perfect Blue (1998)
Noriko's Dinner Table (2005, watch Suicide Circle first though)
Joint Security Area (2002)
Oldboy(2003..the entire Vengeance trilogy actually)
The Lives of Others (2006)
Rang De Basanti (2006)

There's actually a pretty good mix in that list

[ScarredLungs]

Here are a few movies that I think do not get enough recognition:

Sunshine (2007)
Saints and Soldiers (2003)
Red Baron (2008)
Watership Down (1978)
Flawless (2007)


Great movie known among older generations, but not so much among younger generations

Charade (1963)

[smeesmay]

i saw 11:14 on a movie channel one night. Intense awesome movie. I had posted about just that movie not too long ago in a "give me a good movie to watch" thread

[filmnut5]

5 Underated or Unfamiliar Films That I Love

1. The Graduate (1967)

2. Talk Radio (1988)

3. Three Days of the Condor (1975)

4. Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

5. Kelly's Heroes (1970)

Check 'em out.

[dallywhitty]

I'd consider Dario Argento's Inferno an underrated film. It definitely has a following of sorts, but it's almost always branded one of Argento's lesser films and Suspiria's inferior cousin. Given that there isn't really a great deal of dialogue and that much of it involves characters sneaking down distinctly-lit corridors, I watch it in the same manner in which I might watch a silent film or 2001: A Space Odyssey - I'm more interested in the mesmerising fusion of sights and sound than I am story and characters.

Some of the choices in this thread are odd. Films like Donnie Darko and The Graduate are very well-regarded.

[menaceuk]

I saw the Devil.
Take Shelter
Twin Town
Chopper
Bronson
Triangle

[DesertFoxGoggles]

Lawn Dogs (1997) - I first saw this film once, late at night when nothing else was on, anyway, it got me watching, and I thought it was brilliant. The next day when I was asking everyone if they'd seen it, I was surprised that it looked as if no one had ever even known it existed. I showed it to my older sister, and she loved it. It's so underrated. It's all about how shitty rich estates are corrupt, and quite frankly, full of shitty people.

Carandiru (2003) - Ditto, once again, it caught my attention one night, and once again I found it to be brillaint. I've never spoken to someone who's seen it before, but everybody should see it. It's about a doctor who visits a cramped prison in Brazil, it then tells the story of a riot that happened there etc. It's very good.

Perfect Blue (1997) - My sister showed me this film. A very intelligent and mind-screw film about a young woman who wishes to become an actress rather than be a pop diva. As she becomes an actress, her innocence is corrupted, her mind goes a bit odd. Basically watch this instead of that shameless rip-off, Black Swan. I hate it when people go on to me about how great Black Swan is and then they've never heard of this film. Urgh!


Das Experiment (2001) -A film where a bunch of normal guys are split into two groups, prisoners and guards. Eventually the guards take the power to their heads and the experiment starts to mess up. I've never heard many people talk about this film, but I think it's brilliant, atmospheric, and quite disturbing.

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999) - I only have seen this once, but I remember it being damn cool. Another film I've never heard anyone else really talk about.

Man Bites Dog (1992) - A French film in which a serial killer goes around killing people for a documentary crew, it's surprisingly funny on parts, disturbing on others and etc etc. Any fan of dark humour, or horror should watch this flick. - This is possibly quite well known.

R-Point (2004) - A Korean film about a bunch of troops who go to some island where there men have gone missing and then lots of messed up shit happens. Really good film, in my opinion, very dark and kind of twisted. Very underrated! Watch it!

I was also going to say Ninja Scroll. But I feel it's quite well-known already...

[Crazynutts]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

I'd consider Dario Argento's Inferno an underrated film. It definitely has a following of sorts, but it's almost always branded one of Argento's lesser films and Suspiria's inferior cousin. Given that there isn't really a great deal of dialogue and that much of it involves characters sneaking down distinctly-lit corridors, I watch it in the same manner in which I might watch a silent film or 2001: A Space Odyssey - I'm more interested in the mesmerising fusion of sights and sound than I am story and characters.

Some of the choices in this thread are odd. Films like Donnie Darko and The Graduate are very well-regarded.

I would have to go with Argento's Opera. Not too many people have heard of it. It's awesome. In my mind better than Suspira and Inferno. Wasn't a big fan of Inferno.

Since I'm talking about horror, Fulci's Don't Torture a Duckling is overlooked. People think of Fulci and automatically go straight to Zombie.

[toddly6666]

1. Gene Wilder's best film (better than Blazing Saddles or Young Frankenstein)
2. Harrison Ford's best acting role
3. My favorite western

[Bytor2112]

The Ninth Configuration
Lone Wolf & Cub ( all 6 movies )
Assault on Precinct 13 ( 1976 )
Dawn of the Dead ( 1978 ) ( lots of newer generation peeps find it slow and boring )

[BohemianGraham]

Head (1968)
Lord Love a Duck (1966)
I Love You, Alice b. Toklas! (1968)
The World of Henry Orient (1964)
The House on Telegraph Hill (1951)
Z (1969)
The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1969)
Imitation of Life (1959)
Two Women (1960)
The Vanishing (1988)
The King of Marvin Garden (1972)

[Lacit170]

Originally Posted by Pink Bits

There's nothing like the feeling of 'discovering' a movie you've never heard anything about and it turns out to be pretty darn awesome, as opposed to a movie that garners all the hype in the world and in turn, lets you down like a bag of you-know-what.

Case in point - When browsing my local video store, a movie cover would always catch my eye but I'd never heard of it, so I would just keep looking. One day, it caught my eye yet again and because my $1 Tuesday haul was on the lighter side, I thought 'what the hell' and decided to hire it out. The movie in question is called "11:14" and for being a totally under the radar movie (at least to me), it has some big name / notable actors in it (Patrick Swayze, Hillary Swank, Colin Hanks, "Elliot" from 'ET'...) - not to mention, it was one of those rare discoveries that made me curse myself for always shunning it in the past.

youre experience is eerily similar to mine for the same movie! I used to always go into Blcokbuster looking for a movie to rent..and 11:14 would always catch my eye too! now, the problem was, every copy was out of stock literally every time i went there...i cant remember if it finally became available a month or two later or if i just bought it...but i liked it and now own it

[Lacit170]

only one i can think of right now that i havent seen posted would be Moon...great movie and is usually up for debate which is better...Moon or Sunshine

[luwanda]

[Show spoiler]

[Secretagentnumber6]

I wrote this a while back for a weekly feature I did on a now defunct forum. I thought I would repost it here for this topic. As this is a movie forum and the one I previously posted this on was not, I expect more people to have seen these movies. Here is my post as I posted it on the last forum, it is a bit long winded, sorry.

The feature I decided on this week was a very tough one. I have watched very many movies and many of them are ones that generally slip by your average movie viewer. A lot are by no means big budget and some barely saw any theatrical run at all. I do love the following films and feel that they should be give their due as an integral part of the film pantheon. The following is my list of The Top 10 Movies You May Not Have Seen. This was a particularly tough list and this is just my opinion. At the end you will see a list of 18 other movies I thought about listing but just could not because the others seemed more deserving. And without further delay here they are from 10 – 1.

10. Brick
This is an amazing movie. It is very reminiscent of a 40’s era Bogart detective film. The film follows a yound man played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt trying to find his ex-girlfriend who has disappeared. All the characters in the movie are high school students but it plays out more like a film noir detective drama. All the elements are there, the chase and the hero coming into contact with some not so clean people, honestly we do not even know if the hero is a good person. Drug deals and mystery abound in this fantastic thriller by Director Rien Johnson. It has a great cast and is a great movie you may have missed.

9. The Brotherhood of the Wolf
Made in France, this is one of the most successful French films ever, that is not made by Luc Besson. This movie is set in the France that has yet to see revolution. The King is still the main authority. When it is found that a territory of France is being terrorized by an unknown animal which is killing young women. The monarchy sends a scientist Grégoire de Fronsac (Samuel Le Bihan) and his native American friend Mani (Marc Dacascos) to investigate. What follows is a fantastic adventure with plenty of action and suspense. This movie is in French so you may want to get a dubbed version if you are not big on subs. However the movie is so action packed the subtitles will seem to disappear. The cast also include, Vincent Cassel and Monica Belucci. Great cast and great action, deserves a viewing for sure.

8. The Limey
This is a surprisingly good film. Despite the name this movie was made in the US by Ocean’s 11 Director Steven Soderbergh before he got big again with the Oceans movies. This movie is a pure revenge flick and the best kind. The Limey is Terrence Stamp, an older British man whose daughter was killed in California while he was off in prison. When he gets out he finds that it more and more does not look like an accident that killed his daughter and he goes on a quest to find the man who killed her and make him pay. Peter Fonda has a very good role as supect number 1. Pay special attention to the scene in the auto shop as it is one of my favorites of all time. This is an awesome movie and you should see it.

7. Sexy Beast
This is a great movie. This follows Gary ‘Gal’ Dove (Ray Winstone), an ex safecracker whose job has paid particularly well in the past it seems. He is living in Spain with a nice house along with his wife, in retirement he has found the easy life much better than his criminal life. Unfortunately he is gone from that life but not forgotten. One day an old “Friend” shows up to recruit him for a new job, Don Logan (Ben Kingsley) is a sociopath who no one really likes but you cannot say no to him. The rest of the movie follows Logan’s path to get Gal to join him for a job and believe me it is not something you wanna miss. Very good movie.

6. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
This is the supposedly true story of Chuck Barris. Barris (Sam Rockwell) was a TV mogul. He created shows like Dating Game and The Gong Show. He also claims he was an undercover operative for the CIA and has killed many people. Barris’ story has never been proved by anyone, all the people he mentions in his story are dead or not on the radar. His story is an entertaining one and is somewhat believable if you know anything about the CIA. The movie is fun and exciting. Rockwell exudes his charm in this movie as Barris. The movie was directed by first time director George Clooney, you may have heard of him. It is a very good movie about a man who is very disturbed, based on his autobiography. Check it out.

5. Dog Soldiers
This is a low budget horror movie from Britain. It is directed by Neil Marshall whom you might have heard of from last years best horror movie The Descent. This movie follows a group of British Soldiers out on war games against a group of commandos. They however run into some trouble when they happen upon the commandos camp and discover blood and guts strewn about as if they were attacked by an animal. The captain of the commandos is alive but drive crazy. They were attacked by werewolves which is what they were after using the soldiers as bait. The rest of the movie focuses on the soldiers quest for survival against an unstoppable band of werewolves. One of my favorite horror films. It is a little campy at times but overall very effective. Blood and guts are everywhere and the cast is good, including Sean Pertwee and Kevin McKidd. Check this one out.

4. From Hell
This is a fictionalization of the search for Jack the Ripper. Johnny Depp plays Inspector Frederick Abberline the best detective in England who happens to like to chase the dragon. His partner Sergeant Peter Godley (Robbie Coltrane) is the only one who can keep him straight to solve the crime. They investigate every aspect of the murders and befriend a prostitute named Mary Kelly (Heather Graham) whose friends seem to be a target of Jack. The rest of the movie is filled with impressive forensics and detailed recreations of Jack’s murders. All the suspects are there and it really is a fantastic movie. The plot is solid as is all the cast. This is a definite must see. The cast is great and so is the movie.

3. The Proposition
As westerns go this is one of the best you will ever find. The Proposition is an Australian film and is set in early colonial Australia. Australia was a wasteland then. The expansive deserts were certain death and the aborigines would finish you off if the heat did now. One band of outlaws however became accustomed to it The Burns gang is the most wanted in Australia. They however are split up over an argument. Charlie Burns (Guy Pearce) is captured by the British Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone) and is give a proposition – Kill your Brother to save your younger Brother Mike Burns. Charlie accepts but with regrets. He hates his older brother but also hates the Brits. He ventures into the desert to hunt down Arthur Burns (Danny Huston). This is not a shootout western though, it is about survival and facing your demons. Plenty of action but a lot to think about too. Watch it you will not be disappointed.

2. Gangster No. 1
Some guys are just plain sociopaths. Ganster (Malcolm McDowell) is one of them. He is a top gangster and is living it easy with his crew. He then hears an old boss is being released from jail. This boss is one he put in jail and he is scared that his power will be tarnished or he will be killed. We flashback to his days as Young Gangster (Paul Bettany) to show his rise to the top and how he wronged Freddie Mays (David Thewlis) who is getting out of jail soon. Bettany plays the part so well. He is a psychopath, just the kind of criminal most seedy organizations want. Just plain evil and not a bit conscience to be found. He is however ambitious and that can be bad for the boss. The movie is a look at organized crime through the eyes of a rising star who happens to want his boss’ job and woman. It is so good. Directed by Paul McGuigan of Lucky Number Slevin. Definitely check this one out.

1.Memento
I still find it hard to believe there are people out there who have not seen this movie. This movie was Directed and written by Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan. You may recognize them from Batman Begins. The story starts with the ending with Leonard shooting someone. Leonard we slowly figure out has no short term memory and does not remember anything for more than a minute or so. He also cannot form new memories, this all stems from the murder of his wife and near murder of him a while back. He is trying to solve his wife’s murder along with a friend ex-police office Teddy (Joe Pantaliano). The problem with no memory is how do you know what you have when investigating. Leonard has gotten a system down. He writes down everything he wants to remember and tattoos the important items on his body. Like I said the movie runs from ending to beginning, however there are innercuts of Leonard speaking to someone on the phone which runs in the right way. It can be very confusing but what you get is one of my all time favorite movies. Leonard is a great character and is played so well. The movie is fantastic and is a must see for everyone, it can get confusing so make sure you watch closely.

There they are, all of these are my opinion of course but are all very good. I recommend them all very highly. Here are some more that did not make the top 10 but are just as deserving : Adaptation, Below, The Boondock Saints, Dark Blue, Dirty Pretty Things, Insomnia (original or remake), Layer Cake, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Princess Mononoke, Nicholas Nickleby, Punch Drunk Love, Ravenous, Returner, The Crimson Rivers, Rushmore, Snatch, Spirited Away,and Wonder Boys. And there it is. Thanks for reading.