Top 10 Films: Underrated
Top 10 Underrated Films
Within a typical year; there’s an average of about 700 films released. No matter if its theatrical, physical or streaming, a lot of films that come out get lost to the masses. When this happens, majority of the going audience will miss out on some timeless stories. These that get passed over by the majority and turn out to be great are considered in the film community as underrated.
Underrated films can fall into any genre. No matter if it’s action, horror or a dramatic, it’s a film that has a strong story, characters and overall direction. A film that is underrated builds up a following overtime, creating diehard fans that bring a sphere of influence through the community. This keeps the film relevant through the years. This eventually helps the film to get watched by those that didn’t know it exist and missed it in its original run. They eventually watch the film and will have the common reaction of ‘Why did I not watch this sooner’.
When you’re presented with that question, you become a diehard and start preaching the greatness to everyone that needs to see that particular film. That’s basically what I’m doing here. These ten films most of the ongoing film audience either has not seen or don’t know they exist. With that being said, here are my top 10 Underrated films.
10. Equilibrium – This film came out at the same time as the Matrix. Because of this, it never picked up the following and got lost to the bigger film. The reason it got passed over is it had a similar sci-fi styled aspect. From there, the two were vastly different in story. Both deal with the fall of human society, but Equilibrium deals with a dystopian future where all humans have no emotions. From this setup, it moves down an ambiguous path, one that provides deep psychological and philosophical questions. What helps it stand out uniquely is the world created, the character dynamics and the overall action in the film. Before he was big, Christian Bale led this cast and showed strong potential. This is a film that’s a great starting point for this list, and one you should watch.
9. Layer Cake – Before he was James Bond, Daniel Craig was an unknown British actor. He did many Indie films in Britain; and this is one of them. Layer Cake is a British Indie Flick that didn’t get a wide release internationally. This film provides a facade of the gangster world in Great Britain. What it eventually turns out to be is a stylistic and deep character tale of this ‘unknown’ man. It shows that this nameless protagonist must get through crazy situations while trying to stay alive. Through slick dialogue, deep/characterization and overall strong vision from director Matthew Vaughn, this is a satirical dark comedy that anyone can enjoy. This film becomes a very strong meaningful experience about what is it to be remembered.
8. Edge of Tomorrow – There are many people that have seen this now because of the strong word of mouth. Before that, this film got pushed to the barrel because of the marketing and lack of fan appeal. Even so, if you got a chance, you realize it is a film that provides some of the best action, sci-fi and characterization in one story. Not going to go in depth, as you can read my review here. In short, Tom Cruise proves he is formidable actor, and one that can be an action star for many years to come.
7. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World – This is a great example of a film that many people just passed over There are many reasons it got passed (Stylistic setting, the odd originality and the lack of marketing); but it didn’t do the business it deserved. In short, this is one of the great adaptations of a unique graphic novel known to the comic book community. With odd-like characters combined with some of the most intuitive action scenes found in a movie, this is a film that will play to many fans of the comic book genre.
6. Pan’s Labyrinth – This is a foreign film that many people never got to see, and still haven’t seen. It falls on the underrated list because it has built up a cult following, and has maintained its presence as one of the best foreign/fantasy tales ever made. This film is on many top ten foreign lists, and still (to me) Del Toro’s best directed/written film. If you’re a fan of strong characters, unique storytelling and fantasy, this is one for you.
5. Open Range – When you think of Westerns, you usually think of the classics made by Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven, The Good/Bad/and the Ugly) and some current releases (Django Unchained, 3:10 to Yuma). Many people will not even realize that there was another great one that came out in=between all of these. Open Range is a western film that many people didn’t even realize was ever made. With some of the best actors alive (Robert Duvall and Kevin Costner) and a great original take on ‘living as a cowboy’; this film presents a strong characterized approach to people that just want to settle down and live a simple life. If you haven’t watched this one, I recommend it to fans of Westerns and Character films.
4. Children of Men – This is another dystopian film that deals with the end of human civilization. This film was deterred from the masses because of a lack of marketing and an early year release. With it not making its money due, the fans of this original tale have kept it alive in the movie community. With a strong lead in Clive Owen and an intense ‘edge of your seat’ style thrilling pace; this original Sci-fi will have you guessing who will survive while also presenting the question should ‘humans’ still be allowed to live.
3. Cinderella Man – This film failed to make its money because it was a dramatic tale released in the heart of the summer season. At the time, the main movies that got all the accolades were your typical action and blockbusters. A film starring Russell Crowe, it is one that showcases a typical ‘underdog’ tale, but turns that tale into a wealth of characterization, drama and heart. With a strong lead and a very strong boxing script, this is a film that should not be missed. If you’re a fan of the actor and boxing, I recommend you watch this.
2. Drive – This is one of my favorite films of all time; but one that failed to be recognized by the Academy Awards. With a combination of strong characters, script and great use of ultra-violence; this film combines a wealth of how to create a character tale with depth in a simplistic vision. With performances that showcase individualism with flawed dynamic, purpose and overall faults of the meaning of choice, this is a film that has a lot of strength that many people failed to see. Even as this amazing film didn’t break the mold in the masses, it doesn’t claim the number one spot of this list.
1. Stardust – This is the quintessential Underrated film. This is a movie that had everything going for it:
An amazing director at the helm (Matthew Vaughn)
A great and diverse cast
A whimsical, witty and smart script
This film is (at its heart) a romance; captivated by the originality of its lore, and building upon the imagination found in the fantasy genre. It delves you into a hearty experience, one that provides a strong adventure style with amazing visuals and truly humanizing characters (Both good and bad). A film like this should have picked a great following. Sadly, it never made the box office money and quickly faded from the big screen. Even so, the film has kept a strong following for many reasons. This is a film that has the caliber of being a great and endearing tale; and one that makes you thinks ‘Why I didn’t watch this sooner?’ This is why Stardust is my number one underrated film.