OT: Underrated Movie List

Submitted by Braylon1 on

Gattaca
12 Monkeys
Ben-Hur (younger generation doesn't know about it)
Lord of War
7 Pounds
For Love of the Game
Syriana

Please feel free to add to the list.

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chatster

October 30th, 2014 at 9:06 AM ^

Some on this list – like A League of Their Own, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Forrest Gump and The Big Lebowski – truly can’t be considered “underrated,” because of how some of their classic lines are so often repeated and how audiences rate them on Rotten Tomatoes; but I’ve arbitrarily used a score of 80 on Rotten Tomatoes by all critics (and not the audience score or the top critics' score) as the cutoff for this list.
 
The list is in alphabetical order with the Rotten Tomatoes critics' score for each film. The audience scores for each of these films often are different from the reviewers' scores.
 
A Civil Action (60), A League of Their Own (76), A Walk On The Moon (72) Amistad (76), Barney’s Version (80), Benny & Joon (75), Between The Lines (Not Rated), Bowfinger (80), Cinderella Man (80), Cradle Will Rock (65), Death Wish (67), Dogma (67), Eddie and The Cruisers (33), Empire Records (24), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (80), Fever Pitch (The Perfect Catch) (65), Forrest Gump (71), Getting Straight (33), Gran Torino (79), Home Alone (54), I’m Not There (76), Independence Day (60), Kelly’s Heroes (80), Magical Mystery Tour (58), Man on The Moon (63), Match Point (76), Mighty Aphrodite (77), Mr. Holland’s Opus (74), Munich (78), Murder By Death (69), Mystery, Alaska (38), 1941 (32), Patch Adams (23), Pirate Radio (61), Radio Flyer (32), Rattle and Hum (67), School Ties (68), Shampoo (63), Sleepers (74), Small Time Crooks (67), Spaceballs (54), The Big Lebowski (80), The Company Men (67), The Long Riders (78), The Opposite of Sex (80), Tin Men (79), 25th Hour (78), Vanishing Point (1976) (75), War Horse (77), Young Sherlock Holmes (75)

Joined: 09/14/2010

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chatster

October 30th, 2014 at 10:56 AM ^

I chose films that I've enjoyed and would consider watching to the end, even if I catch the film on TV when it's past the beginning.  Then I checked to see how they were rated on Rotten Tomatoes.  I chose an 80 rating as an arbitrary cutoff line and then compared the Rotten Tomatoes rating to the rating I would've given to the film, based solely on my personal tastes. If my rating would've been higher than Rotten Tomatoes, I considered the film to have been "underrated," even though an 80 rating on Rotten Tomatoes usually would be considered very good.

As for War Horse, I liked it very much and would've rated it somewhat higher than the 77 it got on Rotten Tomatoes, even though the Rotten Tomatoes audience rating for the film is at 74. As for the film's genesis, War Horse was a 1982 novel that was adapted for the stage in 2007 and for film in 2011. So, the film came after the stage play.

Joined: 09/14/2010

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Webber's Pimp

October 30th, 2014 at 8:22 AM ^

Errrr, Ben Hur is arguably the greatest movie of all time. It won more Oscars (11) than any other movie in the history of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The record still stands but was equaled by Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King - which I might add is ridiculous because neither of those last two movies can hold a candle to Ben Hur.

Joined: 09/12/2010

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Dubs

October 30th, 2014 at 10:09 AM ^

Every time I mention I love Punch Drunk Love everyone says "I thought you hated Adam Sandler?"  This is different, as Paul Thomas Anderson is an amazing filmmaker. 

Joined: 05/30/2011

MGoPoints: 8355

MGoBender

October 30th, 2014 at 8:33 AM ^

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011).

It's one part thriller, one part drama, one part horror.

It's immensely original and hits on a ton of themes.  Tilda Swinton is remarkable, as is John C. Reilly.  Ezra Miller, who plays the teenage Kevin, is amazing and disturbing.

It's not a fun movie, but it is moving and deeply haunting.  Good for this time of the year.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1242460/

EDIT: Don't read the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.  Many inexplicably include spoilers right in their title.

Joined: 03/26/2010

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GoWings2008

October 30th, 2014 at 9:18 AM ^

Ladykillers (Tom Hanks)

Boondock Saints - possibly not underrated, but still one of my absolute favorites. 

EDIT:  I have to share the opening scene of Ladykillers....movie is so under-the-radar-funny and this opening scene cracks me up every time I watch it...

 

Joined: 01/26/2011

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Sam1863

October 30th, 2014 at 9:00 AM ^

The 1951 version of Red Badge of Courage, starring Audie Murphy. While the WWII hero-turned-movie star never was much of an actor, he works really well in this film. It was directed by John Huston, and is very faithful to the book.

Joined: 04/27/2014

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jmdblue

October 30th, 2014 at 9:00 AM ^

Cobb with Tommy Lee Jones.  Wolf with Nicholson and M. Pfeiffer.

A couple other underappreciated movies (although critically acclaimed):  Lost in Translation and The Remains of the Day.

Joined: 12/01/2010

MGoPoints: 8655

charblue.

October 30th, 2014 at 11:31 AM ^

George Clooney received an Oscar nomination for this performance in Michael Clayton, and I think it was also up for a couple of other oscars including best screenplay. The narrative and the writing are very strong in that film, and the casting was outstanding. Just a lot of great performances throughout.

I also liked The Game and Inside Man, both very intriuging films that force the audience to guess about the plot without giving away the narrative till the end. Love those kinds of films.

Joined: 05/25/2010

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