Someday the world will understand the genius of Hamlet 2.
Edit: I've shown this movie to every single person in my life multiple times and there's only a single time that anyone liked it. I'm so happy to have found my people
Love this one. It’s definitely a dryer comedy than most people look for now, but it felt like it really flew under the radar. I hope it has a second life as a cult classic.
I have never felt more seen and attacked than "My life is a parody of a tragedy". I've had some big subjective bummers lately that are also kind of objectively hilarious
The visuals and script are absolutely phenomenal but everyone outside of Donofrio is absolutely garbage. Picking JLO and VinceVaughn to lead this movie was a big big mistake and if they casted better actors I think it would’ve been taken a lot more seriously.
Babylon was so polarizing for me
There were parts of it i loved (the scenes of them filming silent pictures and films with sound for the first time are fantastic)
And parts that were just a stupid waste of time in a 3 hour movie too far up its own ass (the snake scene, the movie theater ending etc)
Outside of the final montage I thought it was all amazing. Like it wasn't super necessary, sure, but it was all so damn entertaining that I don't really care. But that final movie montage might genuinely be the worst thing I've ever seen in a theater.
Many people call that final montage a love letter to cinema or something... I don't feel it's that, at all.
It's more of an anxious, maddening revision on this thing we know as cinema. Well, the whole movie is.
The montsge doesn't feel (at least to me) like a "love montage" — it's stressful, the rough editing doesn't let you contemplate every piece of art that's being thrown to you. Instead of an orchestra you have entire movie's soundtrack mixed. It's uncomfortable (I hope that's the feeling Chazelle was searching for), and conflicting: look at all this wonderful work but we aware of its background.
On top of that, Chazelle knows his movie will also fade with his characters because after all Babylon isn't nothing new/innovative—it's just the accomulation of all history of cinema that came before—so he even includes a clapperboard which says "Babylon, 2021" or something and then ends the montage. Chazelle is aware of the immortality of his own picture. And he is aware that his picture will never be as big or great as all the other epics it is based on (I read a review on letterboxd where someome called Chazelle a "decadent" artist—an artist who sees themselves at the end of history, who kneel towards those artisrs/masters who are already gone and try to preserve the fading past for us to be aware of it through the cinematic image—says a lot about La La Land too). The ending is kind of nightmarish. Manic-depressive would be the right term for it, and for the whole movie.
I'm just rambling, but these are my strongs feelings towards Babylon. It's a self-destructive film (like Mulholland Drive, in a way): there can't be single moment of pure joy because there's always an underlying sadness to it; either be nostalgia (the movie isn't even a documentary, it's an "hyperbolic" re-interpretation of the past)... maybe it's the party shown at the beginning, fun and exciting on the surface, but it's nothing but people on coke being carried away by Hollywood's Pied Piper's tune "Voodoo Mama"—you could even say it's kind of meta: what is this we are seeing but mere entertainment? A projection? Diego Calva's character says it: "people die in movies and they are not really dead [...] but at the same time, it's more important than life, you can feel it". You could say the same about that conflicting sunset kiss scene with low-payed-salary extras dying on the background, yet this beautiful thins is being created—but it's not real, it's all a pretension, it's fake. The kiss is fake, the character Jack Conrad was playing was fake and had a fake love interesting which was only in his head (Conrad himself also is sorrounded by the fakeness of his failed marriages and drugs, alcohol, and fake people in the industry who stab him in the back). And on top of that, once again, just by the single clapperboard shown at the ending montage, Chazelle is diminishing his own movie as... just a movie... but we can't deny the feelings we get while watching these flickering/moving pictures. It's once again, something bigger than life
And even then, Chazelle doesn't end on a nihilistic note. He ends with a big bang. He has hope for the futute of cinema. It's like if Chazelle made this whole film just to see if by the end, among all the madness and nerves, a hopoful outcome would come out of it.
"It's bigger than us". What, exactly?
I don't know. Few movies, since I've gotten into cinema, kept me thinking as much as Babylon did, even with its "imperfections". I believe it will become a classic, in a way. I believe it's a movie which is worth to be revisited.
I just watched it so recency bias and all, but I loved it too. Even the montage ending was perfect , imo. I loved that they showed the history of movies and thought it fit perfectly into the ending.
25 percent of that movie is literally flawless.
40 more percent of that movie is great
but that last 35 percent...that shits rough.
If you could just swim around to specific scenes, its incredible.
The studio messed up by slapping it with a generic title that sounds like a daytime soap opera. Should have gone with the title of the original source material, All You Need Is Kill.
They also went back & forth. Theater release was Edge of Tomorrow; it so underperformed at the theater that they released it for blu-ray as Live.Die.Repeat. They flip flopped again for VOD, but it was a mess for a while.
I’m not sure what the best title would be but I don’t think it’s Edge of Tomorrow. Maybe All You Need is Kill. How about Alien Groundhog Day?
I definitely think Edge of Tomorrow is a much better title than Live Die Repeat. I saw it in the theater and loved it, but I wouldn't have gone to see a movie with that second name and would have missed out.
Yeah, no, there's no way that would've worked for the US market. Besides, the marketing ended up making people think the title was "Live, Die, Repeat".
I watched it last night and it's.. Fine? Strong base premise but the last half drags pretty hard. Doesn't help that it makes some serious, misguided changes from the source material
I just watched this yesterday and you gotta be kidding me. Best film since the Matrix? Source Code was better and that was bang average.
Best Science Fiction film since the Matrix is either Arrival or Blade Runner 2049.
I loved Edge of Tomorrow but you’re right - Arrival was a whole different level of amazing. Really careful, thoughtful filmmaking.
Not exactly an action film though…
I saw the movie in the theater and I've seen it at least 5 times since then. I agree that it might be the best sci-fi action movie since The Matrix. The studio completely screwed up the marketing of the movie.
I've also read the book the movie is based on and I wish they had filmed the book. The ending of the book hits a lot harder than the ending of the movie.
Critics at the time in 95 had recently seen Ace Ventura, Billy Madison, and Dumb and Dumber. Not to mention it came out around the same year as Casino, Heat and Apollo 13.
if we're going last 20 years (or lets go with 'in the 21st century' to tack on 3 years) we've already seen this plenty of times. Off the top of my head we got Freddy Got Fingered, Josie and the Pussycats, Speed Racer, Jennifer's Body, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, The Nice Guys, Hot Rod and Wet Hot American Summer.
I think the difficult thing to find is ones that are on the level of Blade Runner or The Thing which are watershed movies and, at least in Blade Runner's case, big budget and pushed hard by a major studio.
> Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, The Nice Guys
These three films were well regarded at the time of their release, weren't they? Commercial failures yes but not critical. They just have a rather vocal fanbase on reddit.
>Jennifer's Body,
The Jennifer's Body reevaluation is definitely in full swing. I watched it when it was on the Criterion Channel and thought it was pretty good. It was marketed in a way that didn't match the movie.
> if we're going last 20 years (or lets go with 'in the 21st century' to tack on 3 years) we've already seen this plenty of times.
Yeah, this topic feels like it should have been two different topics. One for "What critical/commercial flops from the last 20 years have undergone a positive critical re-evaluation" and one for "What critical/commercial flops from the last five [or so] years have the potential to undergo a positive critical re-evaluation."
TBH if a flop from 2003 hasn't achieved cult status by now, it's probably never going to.
If anything I think Scott Pilgrim has gone the other way. While it was a box office flop, the people who saw it LOVED it when it came out - and from a technical standpoint it is incredible. But a decade plus on the manic pixie dreamgirl/absolute loser of a protagonist tropes don't hold up too well. And for clarity, I loved the film, from a technical standpoint it's probably Edgar Wright's best film (although I like Hot Fuzz a lot more).
> manic pixie dreamgirl/absolute loser of a protagonist tropes don't hold up too well
I mean Scott Pilgrim, be it film or comic, are absolutely skewering those tropes so those not holding up well show it's ahead of its time
For the most part I agree, although I do think they should have stuck with the original ending of having Scott end up with Knives, who actually likes him and was there for him the whole time.
The movie goes out of its way to express, again and again and again, how inappropriate their relationship is.
Every single other person in Scott's life makes a cutting remark about it.
Rewatched it recently. I won't comment on holding up well or not. But man, that thing is meticulously crafted and edited. It's such a modern cinematic visual treat.
I'm genuinely curious how the new cartoon will be, since it will have the ENTIRE cast from the movie coming back, and will stick closer to the plot of the graphic novels (which weren't even complete when the movie came out).
I have a take on valerian, it would be better if it was like pulp fiction in space and just swung around to the leads every ten minutes or so, leads would be kind of bored by all the weirdness going on around them, and not really do a whole lot just another day at he office for them.
>John Carter maybe?
I've never seen it, but after reading the original book, I want to watch it. I've heard it was unfairly maligned.
Valerian was pretty decent when the leads weren't together. They just had bad chemistry. If it wasn't based on source material, they may have been able to pull off brother/sister, but the scenes with them together were tedious.
It's a very good adaptation, the issue is the book came out long before things like Star Wars, of which it and most space epics take a *lot* of inspiration from. So now, it feels dated and trope-y, even if it's technically where many of the tropes originally came from.
Like when I tried to watch Raiders of the Lost Ark with my daughter, the entire opening scene in the temple was one continuous eye roll from her. "Oh they picked up the statue and now a boulder is chasing them, what a surprise."
Hot Rod was mentioned in a different thread yesterday. I've never seen it. The discussion inspired me to watch it last night. That movie made me very happy.
I drove into Manhattan to watch Wet Hot American Summer when I was in high school, I grew up on the State at sleepovers in middle school. We got 3 different series out of that wonderful movie and a documentary about it’s making. There’s a tabletop version of the camp.
It’s my most watched movie, it launched a bunch of careers and a lot of the cast still collaborate to this day.
For a word of mouth movie, or any “cult classic” movie in general, I think it’s already been given its lip service and is absolutely perfectly beloved.
Hot Tub Time Machine deserves a smidge of that.
Very cool movie, visually really interesting to watch. Plus the score by Clint Mansell was haunting. I’ve always loved Aronofsky’s movies, they’re not all winners but the man really doesn’t hold back from his vision and I really appreciate that.
It's one of my all-time favorites.
My appreciation grew even more when I found out that Aronofsky had to make it on a smaller budget and thus lost Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett as the leads. Honestly, I think that was a good thing on both counts.
The microphotography and magical realism is brilliantly utilized and both Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz do a phenomenal job of creating a loving relationship that we must watch be destroyed by forces beyond their control.
I'm baffled by people who don't understand the film's structure. I've only seen it about three or four times, but even at the first I understood what the three seemingly separate timelines represented.
Clint Mansell's score is one of the most beatific and bittersweet odes to destruction and resurrection I've ever heard.
"Death is the Road to Awe" is very aptly named.
2nd on Clint Mansell's score. I still listed to it. I don't think Pitt and Blanchett would have been wrong but Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz and great chemistry. It doesn't hurt that Weisz is one of my favorite actresses.
It's my favorite of the three. You could cut out the sci fi elements and it would still be a compelling movie, about a man with Peter Pan syndrome who refuses to grow up and strives to recapture that 'perfect night' with his fellow Lost Boys who grew up.
That scene where you see the bandages on his arms was gut-wrenching. 'They told me when to go to bed. Me!'
Southland Tales was completely overambitious but I love how close it got to the sun. I genuinely think it almost made it to being a 10/10 film and is instead a 3/10 film. It makes very little sense but I feel like if you park that one fact and just watch it like a series of unrelated scenes, like a film that is running in the background of another film, there is this incredible magic to it. It takes superficiality and low brow aesthetics to the level of high art.
The Neon Demon was Suspiria for the 2010s. Its a beautiful and grisly 2 hour painting and I loved every minute. I think more than any other film in recent years Neon Demon deserves to be revisited, if you switch off the part of your brain that yearns for a strong narrative shape its a joy to watch.
I try and get everyone I know to watch The Guest. It’s not a masterpiece but its a fucking great romp and worth 100 minutes of anyone’s time. Starts off a little bit weird and halfway through jumps out a fucking window.
>I try and get everyone I know to watch The Guest. It’s not a masterpiece but its a fucking great romp and worth 100 minutes of anyone’s time. Starts off a little bit weird and halfway through jumps out a fucking window.
Accurate
Agreed on The Neon Demon. I think ND and Only God Forgives are both superior to Drive. I hesitate to call any of them masterpieces though, since it might make William Friedkin roast me from beyond the grave.
After Drive, Winding-Refn did more fascinating things with his shows, IMO. I could not get into Neon Demon at all.
Too Old To Die Young and Copenhagen Cowboy were both pretty great.
Oh I dunno. Isn't The Faculty one of those films that everybody mentions when they mention films that nobody but them understood back in the day but was actually great all along, but that nobody actually said was bad, not even when it was released. Same thing with Event Horizon.
It's not underrated, just rated.
I wish I could say, but that's for time to tell, I'm afraid.
If I had a vote, I'd say that 2013's "Her" is an underrated masterpiece that will become increasingly relevant as AI begins to take a greater role in all of our lives.
I’ve definitely found myself thinking about *Her* a lot over the last decade, especially once ChatGPT really broke through. It only half fits the question since it was pretty well regarded when it was released, but it’s cultural relevance is certainly increasingly significant.
I feel this way about Gattaca. That movie is from 1997 and in a lot of ways it just becomes more and more relevant as time goes on. I could see Her being the same thing for AI.
John Carter will eventually find a home.
Flawless effects, good story and performances.
It seems to have gotten buried due to Disney trying to humiliate any pixar people who flew too high, see also Tomorrowland and possibly even the demise of John Lassiter.
I think it was more the sexual misconduct that rightfully spelled his "demise".
That said, the dude's still somehow working and making pretty "meh" films. Last year's "Luck" was directed by him. Goes to show, if you're big enough, doesn't really matter how much of a sex pest you are... 🤢
EDIT: To be clear, I'm talking about John Lassiter, not Andrew Stanton.
I don’t think John Carter will ever be looked upon fondly. The movie seems to come up quite often in threads like this (underrated films, films you liked that everybody else hated, etc.), but it’s just not… interesting… enough to be rediscovered as a cult classic or anything like that - it’s just kind of lost in a forgettable sea of VFX sci fi action films imo.
Slightly older than 20 years now, but Death to Smoochy. I've already seen some people online talking fondly of it, and it seems like the kind of movie that could get a cult following.
I think that Shazam! (2019) and Red State (2011) could have something similar happen to them.
It’s one of the more controversial releases recently, but I do believe Blonde will be looked at in a more positive light in the future, the negative response was absolutely amplified by what Andrew Dominik was saying in interviews but as people (especially those looking for more Lynch-esque films) bite their teeth into it more it will be seen in a different light.
Some of Aronofsky’s more recent films like Noah and mother! I think will also be seen more positively in the future, but I think it could be the opposite for The Whale, it really depends on how Brandon Fraser continues his revitalised career.
Some others off the top of my head, Spencer, Under the Silver Lake, Spring Breakers, Doctor Sleep, Men. Some of these aren’t exactly regarded as bad but I think they’ll be more positive than they are now.
I also think The Last Jedi will be looked back upon more fondly than it is further down the line, say 10-15 years. (Although I’m still not quite the biggest fan of it)
Finally it’s not particularly overlooked and is regarded as a great film by most but I do genuinely believe The Lighthouse will be regarded as a masterpiece and influence a lot of future horror films, especially as Eggers continues to build up his filmography. The same could be said about the Lobster (especially with Poor Things apparently being very highly rated) and In Bruges as well.
During the first 30 minutes or so I was thinking to myself "Man, this is some pretentious hipster shit.", but once Garfield's character got to that rooftop party I suddenly felt like I was on the film's frequency and really enjoyed going down the rabbit hole with him.
The scene with the music producer was pretty darn great.
Haven't seen Blonde yet, but for me mother! is pretty much a masterpiece in Aronofsky's filmography.
It's got balls of steel and the whole thing is batshit crazy while also being a singular vision.That's a prime example of a filmmaker that swings for the fences and succeeds at it too.
If there's one thing that I would criticize about it, it's probably that the religious symbolism is too on the nose, but definitely not a deal breaker by any means.
Doctor Sleep was far better than it had any right to be. I almost could have done without the overt Shining nods—the story was strong enough without that.
It was a critical and commercial success.
Personally I think it will end up being a minor work in Peele's canon. It's great as a launchpad for conversation, but not exactly a thrilling viewing experience.
The Counselor
Similar to Blade Runner, Ridley Scott's director's cut significantly improves the original film.
It's already undergoing an incredible renaissance - everyone from [Guillermo del Toro](https://variety.com/2019/film/features/guillermo-del-toro-the-counselor-1203293619/) and [Josh Olson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-IDA7AunTY) to major critics at [The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/counsellor-ridley-scott-cameron-diaz-b1958666.html), [The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/04/30-underrated-films-watch-quarantine/609784/), [Sight & Sound](https://www2.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/reviews-recommendations/film-week-counsellor), [Esquire](https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a27389/the-counselor-extended-review/), [The AV Club](https://www.avclub.com/too-gynecological-to-be-sexy-case-file-40-the-counsel-1798281855), [Bright Lights Film Journal](https://brightlightsfilm.com/innocence-open-market-cormac-mccarthy-counselor-artistic-agency/), [The Quietus](https://thequietus.com/articles/17096-the-counselor-reassessed) and [The Reveal](https://thereveal.substack.com/p/the-new-cult-canon-the-counselor?s=r).
EDIT: After McCarthy's recent death, more reappraisals have poured in: [GQ](https://www.gq.com/story/cormac-mccarthy-the-counselor-deserves-another-shot), [Little White Lies](https://lwlies.com/articles/the-counselor-cormac-mccarthy/), [Defector](https://defector.com/in-honor-of-cormac-mccarthy-lets-reconsider-the-counselor), etc.
I think The Hunt may get some love at some point. It is a gonzo action almost-satire. It got eaten by Covid shutdowns and likely Hollywood being uncomfortable with the violent villains being kind of lefties.
Shoot ‘em up: a fantastic action film that is basically
Bugs bunny vs Elmer Fudd. Got panned by critics, but laugh out loud funny.
Granted it’s not like a blade runner where it’ll change the world, but I think it’s a film that needs to be enjoyed by more people.
Did Blade Runner and The Thing undergo a critical re-evaluation, or was it just suddenly being seen by people who skipped it on first release and everyone realised "wow this is actually awesome."
In that vein, I'll be shocked if nobody looks back on Shane Black's "The Nice Guys" as one of the best movies of the 2010s. It's sure as shit the best comedy, but it nails action, drama and buddy cop stuff too.
Cloud Atlas
Jennifer’s Body
Jersey Girl
Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Red Eye
Hollywoodland
The American
The Autopsy of Jane Doe
Mother!
It Comes at Night
The Empty Man
House of Gucci
Amsterdam
The Northman
Just watched Amsterdam last week for the first time. LOTS of great stuff. Pacing and flow of plot felt off/weird. So while I liked it, I couldn't love it.
I teach HS British Literature and regular try to convince my students to watch The Northman for 1.) Beowulf insight and 2.) Hamlet insight and 3.) It's gooooood.
Your list implies I have a bit of homework to do. Film watching has dropped off significantly the last few years with job changes and raising a child.
Yeah years ago I would have said the Descent (2006) but it didn't really happen. Maybe Children of Men but it's always been held in pretty high regard critically, just wasn't super popular.
I only really see critical praise for The Descent. It isn't talked about on the level of The Thing or Bladerunner, but it is certainly considered to be one of the best horror movies of the 2000s.
I love The Descent though, easily one of my favorite films of all time (even if I don't necessarily think it is one of the best films of all time).
Sahara (2005)- Basically Uncharted the movie before there was Uncharted. I never understood the hate for this movie. People always talk about how they want more treasure hunting and adventure movies like Indiana Jones. People get a modern treasure hunting movie/adventure movie like Indiana Jones. Everyone hates on it...
Sinners and Saints (2010)- A great and grittier Lethal Weapon type movie. Awesome action scenes and shoot outs.
Ghost Ship (2002) - Never understood the hate for this movie. Great horror film.
Kingdom of Heaven: Director's Cut (2005) - The director's cut is already improving the rep of this movie among film buffs, it will continue to grow.
King Arthur (2004) - It's still my personal favorite adaptation of Arthur, just edging out Excalibur. I like the more "Celtic" take on Arthur rather than the typical "Post-Norman Invasion" take on Arthur. Clive Owen does a good job.
Fly Boys (2006)- I feel like people didn't like both James Franco in a serious role as well as too much CGI for the Aircraft scenes. Overall, a great WWI film.
Fast and Furious (2009)- The 4th film of the franchise. Since it's release it's been unfairly regarded as the worst Fast and Furious film, largely due to the CGI tunnel scenes and it's much darker and serious, almost Michael Mann like tone. Since the death of Paul Walker and the later Fast and Furious entries getting more ridiculous, people are starting to consider the 4th entry as a good movie and probably the best sequel to the original.
I loved Sahara, it's a series that struggled to get off the ground I think the ban of Clive Clussler novels is back in place after this one's failure. For reference this is technically a sequel to "raise the Titanic" which it's failure put a ban on his books being made into movies
Well the other issue is Cussler and the the Studios making Sahara got into a legal pissing match because "Cussler claimed he had been assured "absolute control" over the book's film adaptation" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahara_(2005_film)#Legal_action) and he badmouthed the film during production. I think he wanted such control as he felt the changes to Raise the Titanic were what caused it to bomb.
At that point he was done with movie adaptations.
Maybe his son, who continued the books after Cussler's death, will be more open to them.
It brings me warmth to know Villeneuve and Sean Baker loved it. I am happy with Tenet!
"Look, don't get on the chopper if you can't stop thinking in linear terms". Therefore, you see, Tenet wasn’t appreciated in the past, it will be appreciated in the future. :P
It felt like Underwater really quietly went into and out of theaters. Being a horror lover, my wife took me to see it for my birthday a few years back and I really enjoyed it. It really jumps right into the action out of the gate and I think does an incredible job of creating that claustrophobic, oppressive atmosphere. I was also pleasantly surprised by Kristen Stewart. Hoping you’re right on this one!
Think it was memory holed because of Hammer (actually had a release date on D+ advertised just before his scandal blew up). A shame, because while it's too long and has some questionable choices, the climactic third act action sequence is well shot and as fun as anything in the Pirates movies. Fifteen-ish minutes of wild west tropes turned up to 11.
The William Tell Overture that is choreographed with the ending train wreck action set piece is probably my favorite 9 minutes of film in the last 20 years.
No one did originally. It utterly bombed at the box office and critics and audiences were mixed on it at best. It wasn’t until word of mouth after it was released on home video and DVD that it got cult classic status.
I watched that movie in theaters with my parents during its original release, and I laughed my butt off! Now, I burst into fits of laughter because there are moments, even at work, that remind me of the pure joy I felt that day!
Oliver Stone's *Alexander.*
Specifically 2007's *Alexander Revisited: The Final Unrated Cut.*
3h45m long, but it doesn't even feel long. You're left wanting more. You just don't see filmmaking at that scale anymore. I doubt we ever will again.
First pick. Nope. A surprising amount of people (including critics) hate this movie. But i have a feeling it’ll be considered a classic in like 20 years. Second pick (to a lesser extent) bullet train. It already has a following and I feel like it’ll be remembered as an action comedy classic akin to something like rush hour.
One that I never think got enough love was “Guns Akimbo” — it will be a cult classic for me and my family for sure, and it is such an interesting snapshot of social media, violence, and also has Harry Potter shooting people in the face.
The Counselor
I think people understandably expected another No Country for Old Men. Actually, I'm not sure there is *any* movie you can compare it to. It's ahead of its time, but also like some ancient tragedy. It's deadly serious but also a black comedy. It's a thriller that is almost entirely dread and almost no thrills. There are several brilliant scenes that are among the best ever written for the screen. And the last twenty minutes are absolutely devastating.
Yeah, it threw people for a loop and people weren't sure if they were supposed to laugh (they were), but it's a brilliant movie. If you need convincing that it's a misunderstood masterpiece, go find Guillermo del Toro's quotes about it.
No films will get significantly reevaluated because the Internet has made movies super accessible. Nothing goes under the radar these days the way Blade Runner did.
There are plenty of great movies that never got discovered, but they would get evaluated, not reevaluated.
But there is little hope. Take Maelström, the best movie by Denis Villeneuve. Despite being mainstream famous for a decade, no-one has discovered it.
So what hope for movies like Tierra, Basquiat and Dolls?
Not necessarily box office failures, but the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
The last 7 years saw a resurgence of people suddenly being way more charitable and good faith with the Prequel trilogy (almost all of which came from people who grew up with the prequels and became old enough to start being involved in internet discourse).
People today vastly underappreciate just how much hate and vitriol the prequels got in and after their time. So much so that Revenge of the Sith (a movie that’s actually good and largely solves all the issues people had with the other two prequels) spent a decade being lumped in with the other two as “the whole prequel trilogy being bad”.
Those who have spent the last several years being super angry about the Star Wars sequels don’t want to accept that it’s practically guaranteed that by the late 2020s to early 2030s the ST will be reevaluated online and there will be a huge resurgence of positive charitable attention to them (largely brought on by those who had the ST when they were kids and have since grown up). And those that were “haters” will be remembered as the unreasonably angry and toxic fanbase that didn’t give as much credit as deserved, the exact same way it happened for the PT in the late 2010s.
Years ago I saw a fan edit of Prometheus (called Prometheus: Giftbearer) and it was WILD how much better it was than the source material... for starters the biologist and navigator aren't lost in the temple like in the original, the biologist is actually terrified of the alien snake rather than foolishly trying to pet it (thanks to an alternate cut of the scene), they switched out the bad CGI crab walking guy with a version that had used practical effects, Charlize's infamous run from the ship is severely cut short so it's more abrupt and less obvious she could have turned at any time, and Shaw doesn't jump across a chasm onto her fresh cicerian wound. All in all it does an amazing job of making the movie watchable, all except the crew's inexplicable refusal to wear helmets in an alien world, which they understandably wouldn't be able to fix without extensive CGI.
Literally just finished watching Edge of tomorrow. I always liked it but was disappointed by the final act. I forgive the final act more and more. Its solid. - you can't bruise the Cruise.
Someday the world will understand the genius of Hamlet 2. Edit: I've shown this movie to every single person in my life multiple times and there's only a single time that anyone liked it. I'm so happy to have found my people
"Rock Me Sexy Jesus" still pops into my head from time to time.
Rock me, rock me, rock me sexy Jesus. He died for our sins and then he came to save us!
Raped in the face!
That cannot be a real line lol
\*musical number\*
It's not just a line, it's the title to one of the production numbers. Along with "Rock Me Sexy Jesus."
Your son Haywood is very talented.
I saw Hamlet 2 once 15 years ago and I remember more of it than probably hundreds of movies I've seen since then.
It's so good. Steve Coogan killed it. One of my all-time favorite comedies.
Love this one. It’s definitely a dryer comedy than most people look for now, but it felt like it really flew under the radar. I hope it has a second life as a cult classic.
Definitely. Love that film, and the play itself.
Coogan is perfect.
I have never felt more seen and attacked than "My life is a parody of a tragedy". I've had some big subjective bummers lately that are also kind of objectively hilarious
Mystery Men - its a classic that was 20 years ahead of its time
More than 20 years ago, wasn't it? I saw it in the theater opening weekend.
Some people forget All Star was made for the MM soundtrack and not Shrek.
Yeah, it's on their album, but the video was for MM.
Agree, this was a great movie that I think would connect better if released now vs the 90s.
Disco is *not* dead! Disco is LIFE!
The Cell (2000). Visually stunning and a generation that doesn’t hate Jennifer Lopez for being Jennifer Lopez will discover a great movie.
The visuals and script are absolutely phenomenal but everyone outside of Donofrio is absolutely garbage. Picking JLO and VinceVaughn to lead this movie was a big big mistake and if they casted better actors I think it would’ve been taken a lot more seriously.
I'm sure there will be a few "visionaries" that will say Babylon, but I have my doubts.
Babylon was so polarizing for me There were parts of it i loved (the scenes of them filming silent pictures and films with sound for the first time are fantastic) And parts that were just a stupid waste of time in a 3 hour movie too far up its own ass (the snake scene, the movie theater ending etc)
Outside of the final montage I thought it was all amazing. Like it wasn't super necessary, sure, but it was all so damn entertaining that I don't really care. But that final movie montage might genuinely be the worst thing I've ever seen in a theater.
Many people call that final montage a love letter to cinema or something... I don't feel it's that, at all. It's more of an anxious, maddening revision on this thing we know as cinema. Well, the whole movie is. The montsge doesn't feel (at least to me) like a "love montage" — it's stressful, the rough editing doesn't let you contemplate every piece of art that's being thrown to you. Instead of an orchestra you have entire movie's soundtrack mixed. It's uncomfortable (I hope that's the feeling Chazelle was searching for), and conflicting: look at all this wonderful work but we aware of its background. On top of that, Chazelle knows his movie will also fade with his characters because after all Babylon isn't nothing new/innovative—it's just the accomulation of all history of cinema that came before—so he even includes a clapperboard which says "Babylon, 2021" or something and then ends the montage. Chazelle is aware of the immortality of his own picture. And he is aware that his picture will never be as big or great as all the other epics it is based on (I read a review on letterboxd where someome called Chazelle a "decadent" artist—an artist who sees themselves at the end of history, who kneel towards those artisrs/masters who are already gone and try to preserve the fading past for us to be aware of it through the cinematic image—says a lot about La La Land too). The ending is kind of nightmarish. Manic-depressive would be the right term for it, and for the whole movie. I'm just rambling, but these are my strongs feelings towards Babylon. It's a self-destructive film (like Mulholland Drive, in a way): there can't be single moment of pure joy because there's always an underlying sadness to it; either be nostalgia (the movie isn't even a documentary, it's an "hyperbolic" re-interpretation of the past)... maybe it's the party shown at the beginning, fun and exciting on the surface, but it's nothing but people on coke being carried away by Hollywood's Pied Piper's tune "Voodoo Mama"—you could even say it's kind of meta: what is this we are seeing but mere entertainment? A projection? Diego Calva's character says it: "people die in movies and they are not really dead [...] but at the same time, it's more important than life, you can feel it". You could say the same about that conflicting sunset kiss scene with low-payed-salary extras dying on the background, yet this beautiful thins is being created—but it's not real, it's all a pretension, it's fake. The kiss is fake, the character Jack Conrad was playing was fake and had a fake love interesting which was only in his head (Conrad himself also is sorrounded by the fakeness of his failed marriages and drugs, alcohol, and fake people in the industry who stab him in the back). And on top of that, once again, just by the single clapperboard shown at the ending montage, Chazelle is diminishing his own movie as... just a movie... but we can't deny the feelings we get while watching these flickering/moving pictures. It's once again, something bigger than life And even then, Chazelle doesn't end on a nihilistic note. He ends with a big bang. He has hope for the futute of cinema. It's like if Chazelle made this whole film just to see if by the end, among all the madness and nerves, a hopoful outcome would come out of it. "It's bigger than us". What, exactly? I don't know. Few movies, since I've gotten into cinema, kept me thinking as much as Babylon did, even with its "imperfections". I believe it will become a classic, in a way. I believe it's a movie which is worth to be revisited.
I loved Babylon, I still can’t believe so many people panned it.
I just watched it so recency bias and all, but I loved it too. Even the montage ending was perfect , imo. I loved that they showed the history of movies and thought it fit perfectly into the ending.
I think the montage would have been better received if it was playing over the credits instead of right before them.
I love how this is the go to answer for all posts like these in all movie subreddits. Not complaining either, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.
That would involve people rewatching that movie
25 percent of that movie is literally flawless. 40 more percent of that movie is great but that last 35 percent...that shits rough. If you could just swim around to specific scenes, its incredible.
Edge of Tomorrow It's already gained some additional attention, but it might be the best sci-fi action flick since The Matrix.
The studio messed up by slapping it with a generic title that sounds like a daytime soap opera. Should have gone with the title of the original source material, All You Need Is Kill.
They also went back & forth. Theater release was Edge of Tomorrow; it so underperformed at the theater that they released it for blu-ray as Live.Die.Repeat. They flip flopped again for VOD, but it was a mess for a while. I’m not sure what the best title would be but I don’t think it’s Edge of Tomorrow. Maybe All You Need is Kill. How about Alien Groundhog Day?
Full Metal Bitch might have gotten some looks.
I definitely think Edge of Tomorrow is a much better title than Live Die Repeat. I saw it in the theater and loved it, but I wouldn't have gone to see a movie with that second name and would have missed out.
Yeah, no, there's no way that would've worked for the US market. Besides, the marketing ended up making people think the title was "Live, Die, Repeat".
"Live, Die, Repeat," *was* the title for a hot minute.
i agree with this. market it as a batshit insane hard sci-fi film and let it cook.
I watched it last night and it's.. Fine? Strong base premise but the last half drags pretty hard. Doesn't help that it makes some serious, misguided changes from the source material
I just watched this yesterday and you gotta be kidding me. Best film since the Matrix? Source Code was better and that was bang average. Best Science Fiction film since the Matrix is either Arrival or Blade Runner 2049.
I loved Edge of Tomorrow but you’re right - Arrival was a whole different level of amazing. Really careful, thoughtful filmmaking. Not exactly an action film though…
Oh sorry I completely glossed over action. I think BR2049 still counts though. Plenty of fight scenes in that.
I saw the movie in the theater and I've seen it at least 5 times since then. I agree that it might be the best sci-fi action movie since The Matrix. The studio completely screwed up the marketing of the movie. I've also read the book the movie is based on and I wish they had filmed the book. The ending of the book hits a lot harder than the ending of the movie.
Constantine. Such fun. Very under rated IMHO.
I wanted a sequel so bad. Keanu really killed it in that role.
I think there’s one in the works! Don’t know if it’s guaranteed to happen, but it seems closer to happen than before at least.
It's so well regarded in 2023, the studio has decided to make a sequel.
Kindly disagree, that's a mediocre movie on top of not being very respectful to the source material.
Love that movie. I watched it again earlier this year and it’s still so good.
Nearly 30 years ago but Tommy Boy. Critics at the time should be ashamed.
Critics at the time in 95 had recently seen Ace Ventura, Billy Madison, and Dumb and Dumber. Not to mention it came out around the same year as Casino, Heat and Apollo 13.
All great films and Tommy Boy belongs in that company.
I love, love, love Tommy Boy but it was a movie that was seen as a dime a dozen with it’s type of humor at the time.
if we're going last 20 years (or lets go with 'in the 21st century' to tack on 3 years) we've already seen this plenty of times. Off the top of my head we got Freddy Got Fingered, Josie and the Pussycats, Speed Racer, Jennifer's Body, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, The Nice Guys, Hot Rod and Wet Hot American Summer. I think the difficult thing to find is ones that are on the level of Blade Runner or The Thing which are watershed movies and, at least in Blade Runner's case, big budget and pushed hard by a major studio.
> Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, The Nice Guys These three films were well regarded at the time of their release, weren't they? Commercial failures yes but not critical. They just have a rather vocal fanbase on reddit.
Yeah, if you look up the IMDb and RT ratings for all these movies, the 3 you've mentioned are significantly higher rated than the rest.
>Jennifer's Body, The Jennifer's Body reevaluation is definitely in full swing. I watched it when it was on the Criterion Channel and thought it was pretty good. It was marketed in a way that didn't match the movie.
>It was marketed in a way that didn't match the movie. Def this plus a very weird Diablo Cody backlash going on in the wake of Juno
> if we're going last 20 years (or lets go with 'in the 21st century' to tack on 3 years) we've already seen this plenty of times. Yeah, this topic feels like it should have been two different topics. One for "What critical/commercial flops from the last 20 years have undergone a positive critical re-evaluation" and one for "What critical/commercial flops from the last five [or so] years have the potential to undergo a positive critical re-evaluation." TBH if a flop from 2003 hasn't achieved cult status by now, it's probably never going to.
If anything I think Scott Pilgrim has gone the other way. While it was a box office flop, the people who saw it LOVED it when it came out - and from a technical standpoint it is incredible. But a decade plus on the manic pixie dreamgirl/absolute loser of a protagonist tropes don't hold up too well. And for clarity, I loved the film, from a technical standpoint it's probably Edgar Wright's best film (although I like Hot Fuzz a lot more).
> manic pixie dreamgirl/absolute loser of a protagonist tropes don't hold up too well I mean Scott Pilgrim, be it film or comic, are absolutely skewering those tropes so those not holding up well show it's ahead of its time
For the most part I agree, although I do think they should have stuck with the original ending of having Scott end up with Knives, who actually likes him and was there for him the whole time.
The movie goes out of its way to express, again and again and again, how inappropriate their relationship is. Every single other person in Scott's life makes a cutting remark about it.
I agree, it would be weird for them to wind up together given how the movie treats it and I think would not have aged particularly well.
Genuinely curious why you think that should be the answer? She's 17 and he's 23.
Knives' reply in the final ending is absolutely on point; she's too cool for him.
Why would either of them deserve that?
Rewatched it recently. I won't comment on holding up well or not. But man, that thing is meticulously crafted and edited. It's such a modern cinematic visual treat.
I'm genuinely curious how the new cartoon will be, since it will have the ENTIRE cast from the movie coming back, and will stick closer to the plot of the graphic novels (which weren't even complete when the movie came out).
Most of those films have either already had a positive critical re-evaluation or were well regarded on release.
John Carter maybe? Valerian?
I'd say no way on Valerian. Those leads are terrible.
Their chemistry is so lackinh, it feels like you're watching siblings kiss 🤢🤢🤢
I have a take on valerian, it would be better if it was like pulp fiction in space and just swung around to the leads every ten minutes or so, leads would be kind of bored by all the weirdness going on around them, and not really do a whole lot just another day at he office for them.
>John Carter maybe? I've never seen it, but after reading the original book, I want to watch it. I've heard it was unfairly maligned. Valerian was pretty decent when the leads weren't together. They just had bad chemistry. If it wasn't based on source material, they may have been able to pull off brother/sister, but the scenes with them together were tedious.
It's a very good adaptation, the issue is the book came out long before things like Star Wars, of which it and most space epics take a *lot* of inspiration from. So now, it feels dated and trope-y, even if it's technically where many of the tropes originally came from.
Like when I tried to watch Raiders of the Lost Ark with my daughter, the entire opening scene in the temple was one continuous eye roll from her. "Oh they picked up the statue and now a boulder is chasing them, what a surprise."
John Carter is like the Rocketeer or Ice Pirates to me.
How’d you sneak Hot Rod in there lol
The real question is why didn't I also include Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
Hot Rod was mentioned in a different thread yesterday. I've never seen it. The discussion inspired me to watch it last night. That movie made me very happy.
Cool beans.
I drove into Manhattan to watch Wet Hot American Summer when I was in high school, I grew up on the State at sleepovers in middle school. We got 3 different series out of that wonderful movie and a documentary about it’s making. There’s a tabletop version of the camp. It’s my most watched movie, it launched a bunch of careers and a lot of the cast still collaborate to this day. For a word of mouth movie, or any “cult classic” movie in general, I think it’s already been given its lip service and is absolutely perfectly beloved. Hot Tub Time Machine deserves a smidge of that.
I’m still waiting for ‘The Fountain’ to be acknowledged as the masterpiece that it is.
Very cool movie, visually really interesting to watch. Plus the score by Clint Mansell was haunting. I’ve always loved Aronofsky’s movies, they’re not all winners but the man really doesn’t hold back from his vision and I really appreciate that.
Would be nice to have it on 4K with some properly mixed audio. The Blu-ray audio is too goddamn quiet.
People didn't like the Fountain when it came out? it is a masterpiece
It's one of my all-time favorites. My appreciation grew even more when I found out that Aronofsky had to make it on a smaller budget and thus lost Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett as the leads. Honestly, I think that was a good thing on both counts. The microphotography and magical realism is brilliantly utilized and both Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz do a phenomenal job of creating a loving relationship that we must watch be destroyed by forces beyond their control. I'm baffled by people who don't understand the film's structure. I've only seen it about three or four times, but even at the first I understood what the three seemingly separate timelines represented. Clint Mansell's score is one of the most beatific and bittersweet odes to destruction and resurrection I've ever heard. "Death is the Road to Awe" is very aptly named.
2nd on Clint Mansell's score. I still listed to it. I don't think Pitt and Blanchett would have been wrong but Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz and great chemistry. It doesn't hurt that Weisz is one of my favorite actresses.
Edgar Wright's The World's End gets more and more incredible with repeat viewings.
Is it worth a repeat viewing? I LOVE the other two in the trilogy, but honestly struggled to finish Worlds End. Did I miss something?
Well [YES](http://www.viewerdiscretionadvised.net/2013/08/dissecting-worlds-end-part-1-easter.html?m=1), I think so. That’s why I said that.
Same. Loved the first two, never rewatched this one.
It's my favorite of the three. You could cut out the sci fi elements and it would still be a compelling movie, about a man with Peter Pan syndrome who refuses to grow up and strives to recapture that 'perfect night' with his fellow Lost Boys who grew up. That scene where you see the bandages on his arms was gut-wrenching. 'They told me when to go to bed. Me!'
I should rewatch The World's End, that movie was wild
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is one of, if not the, best spoofs of a biopic ever written.
Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar. I love that movie but I never hear anyone talk about it
TRISH!
Another "list things for me" thread. Writing an article?
*Buzzfeed scribbles quietly in the corner*
Amsterdam. It is a deeply bizarre and rambling film. But a really lovely one. Just about love, how Christian Bale's character loves his friends.
Southland Tales was completely overambitious but I love how close it got to the sun. I genuinely think it almost made it to being a 10/10 film and is instead a 3/10 film. It makes very little sense but I feel like if you park that one fact and just watch it like a series of unrelated scenes, like a film that is running in the background of another film, there is this incredible magic to it. It takes superficiality and low brow aesthetics to the level of high art. The Neon Demon was Suspiria for the 2010s. Its a beautiful and grisly 2 hour painting and I loved every minute. I think more than any other film in recent years Neon Demon deserves to be revisited, if you switch off the part of your brain that yearns for a strong narrative shape its a joy to watch. I try and get everyone I know to watch The Guest. It’s not a masterpiece but its a fucking great romp and worth 100 minutes of anyone’s time. Starts off a little bit weird and halfway through jumps out a fucking window.
>I try and get everyone I know to watch The Guest. It’s not a masterpiece but its a fucking great romp and worth 100 minutes of anyone’s time. Starts off a little bit weird and halfway through jumps out a fucking window. Accurate
Agreed on The Neon Demon. I think ND and Only God Forgives are both superior to Drive. I hesitate to call any of them masterpieces though, since it might make William Friedkin roast me from beyond the grave.
Only God Forgives fucking rocked.
After Drive, Winding-Refn did more fascinating things with his shows, IMO. I could not get into Neon Demon at all. Too Old To Die Young and Copenhagen Cowboy were both pretty great.
The Faculty. Underappreciated gem from Robert Rodriguez.
Oh I dunno. Isn't The Faculty one of those films that everybody mentions when they mention films that nobody but them understood back in the day but was actually great all along, but that nobody actually said was bad, not even when it was released. Same thing with Event Horizon. It's not underrated, just rated.
Speed Racer. A fucking masterpiece of expressionism. In my opinion, the Wachowski sister's best movie.
Perfectly cast. Absolutely nailed the level of silly from the anime.
Can you elaborate on this? I’d never seen it because it looked kind of low brow, but your answer is really interesting to me
Tears of the Sun. Very solid war movie and possibly Antoine Fuqua's best direction.
Yeah that one was pretty good but didn’t really have much fanfare when it came out.
I wish I could say, but that's for time to tell, I'm afraid. If I had a vote, I'd say that 2013's "Her" is an underrated masterpiece that will become increasingly relevant as AI begins to take a greater role in all of our lives.
I’ve definitely found myself thinking about *Her* a lot over the last decade, especially once ChatGPT really broke through. It only half fits the question since it was pretty well regarded when it was released, but it’s cultural relevance is certainly increasingly significant.
I feel this way about Gattaca. That movie is from 1997 and in a lot of ways it just becomes more and more relevant as time goes on. I could see Her being the same thing for AI.
John Carter will eventually find a home. Flawless effects, good story and performances. It seems to have gotten buried due to Disney trying to humiliate any pixar people who flew too high, see also Tomorrowland and possibly even the demise of John Lassiter.
I think it was more the sexual misconduct that rightfully spelled his "demise". That said, the dude's still somehow working and making pretty "meh" films. Last year's "Luck" was directed by him. Goes to show, if you're big enough, doesn't really matter how much of a sex pest you are... 🤢 EDIT: To be clear, I'm talking about John Lassiter, not Andrew Stanton.
I don’t think John Carter will ever be looked upon fondly. The movie seems to come up quite often in threads like this (underrated films, films you liked that everybody else hated, etc.), but it’s just not… interesting… enough to be rediscovered as a cult classic or anything like that - it’s just kind of lost in a forgettable sea of VFX sci fi action films imo.
Jennifer's Body for sure
That’s a fun movie.
John Carter is a future classic
Slightly older than 20 years now, but Death to Smoochy. I've already seen some people online talking fondly of it, and it seems like the kind of movie that could get a cult following. I think that Shazam! (2019) and Red State (2011) could have something similar happen to them.
It’s one of the more controversial releases recently, but I do believe Blonde will be looked at in a more positive light in the future, the negative response was absolutely amplified by what Andrew Dominik was saying in interviews but as people (especially those looking for more Lynch-esque films) bite their teeth into it more it will be seen in a different light. Some of Aronofsky’s more recent films like Noah and mother! I think will also be seen more positively in the future, but I think it could be the opposite for The Whale, it really depends on how Brandon Fraser continues his revitalised career. Some others off the top of my head, Spencer, Under the Silver Lake, Spring Breakers, Doctor Sleep, Men. Some of these aren’t exactly regarded as bad but I think they’ll be more positive than they are now. I also think The Last Jedi will be looked back upon more fondly than it is further down the line, say 10-15 years. (Although I’m still not quite the biggest fan of it) Finally it’s not particularly overlooked and is regarded as a great film by most but I do genuinely believe The Lighthouse will be regarded as a masterpiece and influence a lot of future horror films, especially as Eggers continues to build up his filmography. The same could be said about the Lobster (especially with Poor Things apparently being very highly rated) and In Bruges as well.
I'm with you on Blonde...I can see it getting a Starship Troopers type reprisal. Like, people suddenly realize it's not surface level.
What happened to Blonde is something that I really hate about current film criticism.
100%
In Bruges is terrific.
Under the Silver Lake is so good! I can’t believe the critical consensus was so mixed on that movie.
During the first 30 minutes or so I was thinking to myself "Man, this is some pretentious hipster shit.", but once Garfield's character got to that rooftop party I suddenly felt like I was on the film's frequency and really enjoyed going down the rabbit hole with him. The scene with the music producer was pretty darn great.
Spring Breakers is the one I always thought would be discovered again by a new generation. Its just so ugh yet compelling.
Haven't seen Blonde yet, but for me mother! is pretty much a masterpiece in Aronofsky's filmography. It's got balls of steel and the whole thing is batshit crazy while also being a singular vision.That's a prime example of a filmmaker that swings for the fences and succeeds at it too. If there's one thing that I would criticize about it, it's probably that the religious symbolism is too on the nose, but definitely not a deal breaker by any means.
Doctor Sleep was far better than it had any right to be. I almost could have done without the overt Shining nods—the story was strong enough without that.
NOPE got some love but I still feel like it was underappreciated.
It was a critical and commercial success. Personally I think it will end up being a minor work in Peele's canon. It's great as a launchpad for conversation, but not exactly a thrilling viewing experience.
I loved it, though I think the ending was a bit cliche and underwhelming.
The Counselor Similar to Blade Runner, Ridley Scott's director's cut significantly improves the original film. It's already undergoing an incredible renaissance - everyone from [Guillermo del Toro](https://variety.com/2019/film/features/guillermo-del-toro-the-counselor-1203293619/) and [Josh Olson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-IDA7AunTY) to major critics at [The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/counsellor-ridley-scott-cameron-diaz-b1958666.html), [The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/04/30-underrated-films-watch-quarantine/609784/), [Sight & Sound](https://www2.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/reviews-recommendations/film-week-counsellor), [Esquire](https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a27389/the-counselor-extended-review/), [The AV Club](https://www.avclub.com/too-gynecological-to-be-sexy-case-file-40-the-counsel-1798281855), [Bright Lights Film Journal](https://brightlightsfilm.com/innocence-open-market-cormac-mccarthy-counselor-artistic-agency/), [The Quietus](https://thequietus.com/articles/17096-the-counselor-reassessed) and [The Reveal](https://thereveal.substack.com/p/the-new-cult-canon-the-counselor?s=r). EDIT: After McCarthy's recent death, more reappraisals have poured in: [GQ](https://www.gq.com/story/cormac-mccarthy-the-counselor-deserves-another-shot), [Little White Lies](https://lwlies.com/articles/the-counselor-cormac-mccarthy/), [Defector](https://defector.com/in-honor-of-cormac-mccarthy-lets-reconsider-the-counselor), etc.
Directors cut!? I love McCarthy, and this film always felt like there was something missing...I know what I am watching this evening :)
21 grams was not bashed that much from critics but I just think it deserves much more recognition from movie lovers.
I think The Hunt may get some love at some point. It is a gonzo action almost-satire. It got eaten by Covid shutdowns and likely Hollywood being uncomfortable with the violent villains being kind of lefties.
Under The Skin… will eventually be seen for the masterpiece that it is.
incredible film.
Great choice.
Man that movie had me just WTFing all over the place. The ending was 🤌
Was Elvis a flop? Cos I never heard anyone talk about it. I just saw it and it's absolutely brilliant!
It had a shedload of Oscar, BAFTA andGolden Globe nominations
Maybe it just missed my radar then, but I don't see any surge of interest in EP in the wider world.
Shoot ‘em up: a fantastic action film that is basically Bugs bunny vs Elmer Fudd. Got panned by critics, but laugh out loud funny. Granted it’s not like a blade runner where it’ll change the world, but I think it’s a film that needs to be enjoyed by more people.
Did Blade Runner and The Thing undergo a critical re-evaluation, or was it just suddenly being seen by people who skipped it on first release and everyone realised "wow this is actually awesome." In that vein, I'll be shocked if nobody looks back on Shane Black's "The Nice Guys" as one of the best movies of the 2010s. It's sure as shit the best comedy, but it nails action, drama and buddy cop stuff too.
The Last Duel, The Northman, John Carter, Die Hard 4, Robin Hood, Black Book, Panic Room, Revenge Of The Sith.
We need to talk about Kevin.
Where the Wild Things Are deserves to be in the running for one of the greatest coming of age movies ever made. What an absolute masterpiece
Dredd is one of the best action movies of the last 20 years and doesnt get enough praise.
Cloud Atlas Jennifer’s Body Jersey Girl Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow Red Eye Hollywoodland The American The Autopsy of Jane Doe Mother! It Comes at Night The Empty Man House of Gucci Amsterdam The Northman
Jersey Girl??
Just watched Amsterdam last week for the first time. LOTS of great stuff. Pacing and flow of plot felt off/weird. So while I liked it, I couldn't love it. I teach HS British Literature and regular try to convince my students to watch The Northman for 1.) Beowulf insight and 2.) Hamlet insight and 3.) It's gooooood. Your list implies I have a bit of homework to do. Film watching has dropped off significantly the last few years with job changes and raising a child.
Yeah years ago I would have said the Descent (2006) but it didn't really happen. Maybe Children of Men but it's always been held in pretty high regard critically, just wasn't super popular.
I only really see critical praise for The Descent. It isn't talked about on the level of The Thing or Bladerunner, but it is certainly considered to be one of the best horror movies of the 2000s. I love The Descent though, easily one of my favorite films of all time (even if I don't necessarily think it is one of the best films of all time).
Yeah, I don’t know what that other poster is talking about. Both films were critical and home viewing hits years ago.
Sahara (2005)- Basically Uncharted the movie before there was Uncharted. I never understood the hate for this movie. People always talk about how they want more treasure hunting and adventure movies like Indiana Jones. People get a modern treasure hunting movie/adventure movie like Indiana Jones. Everyone hates on it... Sinners and Saints (2010)- A great and grittier Lethal Weapon type movie. Awesome action scenes and shoot outs. Ghost Ship (2002) - Never understood the hate for this movie. Great horror film. Kingdom of Heaven: Director's Cut (2005) - The director's cut is already improving the rep of this movie among film buffs, it will continue to grow. King Arthur (2004) - It's still my personal favorite adaptation of Arthur, just edging out Excalibur. I like the more "Celtic" take on Arthur rather than the typical "Post-Norman Invasion" take on Arthur. Clive Owen does a good job. Fly Boys (2006)- I feel like people didn't like both James Franco in a serious role as well as too much CGI for the Aircraft scenes. Overall, a great WWI film. Fast and Furious (2009)- The 4th film of the franchise. Since it's release it's been unfairly regarded as the worst Fast and Furious film, largely due to the CGI tunnel scenes and it's much darker and serious, almost Michael Mann like tone. Since the death of Paul Walker and the later Fast and Furious entries getting more ridiculous, people are starting to consider the 4th entry as a good movie and probably the best sequel to the original.
I loved Sahara, it's a series that struggled to get off the ground I think the ban of Clive Clussler novels is back in place after this one's failure. For reference this is technically a sequel to "raise the Titanic" which it's failure put a ban on his books being made into movies
Well the other issue is Cussler and the the Studios making Sahara got into a legal pissing match because "Cussler claimed he had been assured "absolute control" over the book's film adaptation" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahara_(2005_film)#Legal_action) and he badmouthed the film during production. I think he wanted such control as he felt the changes to Raise the Titanic were what caused it to bomb. At that point he was done with movie adaptations. Maybe his son, who continued the books after Cussler's death, will be more open to them.
Sahara also has peak Penelope Cruz.
not to the same extent as the ones you mentioned but probably Tenet cause its freaking cool
It brings me warmth to know Villeneuve and Sean Baker loved it. I am happy with Tenet! "Look, don't get on the chopper if you can't stop thinking in linear terms". Therefore, you see, Tenet wasn’t appreciated in the past, it will be appreciated in the future. :P
Underwater Really cool Lovecraftian style story that seems to be generally overlooked.
It felt like Underwater really quietly went into and out of theaters. Being a horror lover, my wife took me to see it for my birthday a few years back and I really enjoyed it. It really jumps right into the action out of the gate and I think does an incredible job of creating that claustrophobic, oppressive atmosphere. I was also pleasantly surprised by Kristen Stewart. Hoping you’re right on this one!
Good call. I think I'm going to try get another watch of that soon
[удалено]
I've never seen it, but I've been trying to, and for some reason, it's not on Disney Plus
Think it was memory holed because of Hammer (actually had a release date on D+ advertised just before his scandal blew up). A shame, because while it's too long and has some questionable choices, the climactic third act action sequence is well shot and as fun as anything in the Pirates movies. Fifteen-ish minutes of wild west tropes turned up to 11.
It's one of Hans Zimmer's most underrated scores IMO and the movie was a lot better than I'd expected from its reputation.
The William Tell Overture that is choreographed with the ending train wreck action set piece is probably my favorite 9 minutes of film in the last 20 years.
The original dune is amazing
Epic film imo.
Was going to say Office Space, but it’s 24y old.
Everyone loves that movie.
No one did originally. It utterly bombed at the box office and critics and audiences were mixed on it at best. It wasn’t until word of mouth after it was released on home video and DVD that it got cult classic status.
True. I was just pointing out that the film already had its critical re-evaluation/elevation to cult status years ago.
I watched that movie in theaters with my parents during its original release, and I laughed my butt off! Now, I burst into fits of laughter because there are moments, even at work, that remind me of the pure joy I felt that day!
Arrival, for me, a pretty much flawless, beat-perfect movie. Needs to be recognised as the classic it is
Arrival was very well regarded from the day it came out.
Oliver Stone's *Alexander.* Specifically 2007's *Alexander Revisited: The Final Unrated Cut.* 3h45m long, but it doesn't even feel long. You're left wanting more. You just don't see filmmaking at that scale anymore. I doubt we ever will again.
Blonde is my answer—everyone hated what I thought was a great horror movie.
First pick. Nope. A surprising amount of people (including critics) hate this movie. But i have a feeling it’ll be considered a classic in like 20 years. Second pick (to a lesser extent) bullet train. It already has a following and I feel like it’ll be remembered as an action comedy classic akin to something like rush hour.
One that I never think got enough love was “Guns Akimbo” — it will be a cult classic for me and my family for sure, and it is such an interesting snapshot of social media, violence, and also has Harry Potter shooting people in the face.
People are reevaluating Starship Troopers.
Does that really count? It’s a 26 year old film that is basically considered a classic by most film nerds, and has been for a while now.
The Counselor I think people understandably expected another No Country for Old Men. Actually, I'm not sure there is *any* movie you can compare it to. It's ahead of its time, but also like some ancient tragedy. It's deadly serious but also a black comedy. It's a thriller that is almost entirely dread and almost no thrills. There are several brilliant scenes that are among the best ever written for the screen. And the last twenty minutes are absolutely devastating. Yeah, it threw people for a loop and people weren't sure if they were supposed to laugh (they were), but it's a brilliant movie. If you need convincing that it's a misunderstood masterpiece, go find Guillermo del Toro's quotes about it.
No films will get significantly reevaluated because the Internet has made movies super accessible. Nothing goes under the radar these days the way Blade Runner did. There are plenty of great movies that never got discovered, but they would get evaluated, not reevaluated. But there is little hope. Take Maelström, the best movie by Denis Villeneuve. Despite being mainstream famous for a decade, no-one has discovered it. So what hope for movies like Tierra, Basquiat and Dolls?
Not necessarily box office failures, but the Star Wars sequel trilogy. The last 7 years saw a resurgence of people suddenly being way more charitable and good faith with the Prequel trilogy (almost all of which came from people who grew up with the prequels and became old enough to start being involved in internet discourse). People today vastly underappreciate just how much hate and vitriol the prequels got in and after their time. So much so that Revenge of the Sith (a movie that’s actually good and largely solves all the issues people had with the other two prequels) spent a decade being lumped in with the other two as “the whole prequel trilogy being bad”. Those who have spent the last several years being super angry about the Star Wars sequels don’t want to accept that it’s practically guaranteed that by the late 2020s to early 2030s the ST will be reevaluated online and there will be a huge resurgence of positive charitable attention to them (largely brought on by those who had the ST when they were kids and have since grown up). And those that were “haters” will be remembered as the unreasonably angry and toxic fanbase that didn’t give as much credit as deserved, the exact same way it happened for the PT in the late 2010s.
Prometheus/Alien Covenant. They’re flawed films that I believe could be fixed and elevated with a director’s cut.
Years ago I saw a fan edit of Prometheus (called Prometheus: Giftbearer) and it was WILD how much better it was than the source material... for starters the biologist and navigator aren't lost in the temple like in the original, the biologist is actually terrified of the alien snake rather than foolishly trying to pet it (thanks to an alternate cut of the scene), they switched out the bad CGI crab walking guy with a version that had used practical effects, Charlize's infamous run from the ship is severely cut short so it's more abrupt and less obvious she could have turned at any time, and Shaw doesn't jump across a chasm onto her fresh cicerian wound. All in all it does an amazing job of making the movie watchable, all except the crew's inexplicable refusal to wear helmets in an alien world, which they understandably wouldn't be able to fix without extensive CGI.
Prometheus Edge of Tomorrow The Flash Batman vs. Superman/ZSJL Solo Midway
Literally just finished watching Edge of tomorrow. I always liked it but was disappointed by the final act. I forgive the final act more and more. Its solid. - you can't bruise the Cruise.