46 Underrated Movies
by katenelligan12 | created - 26 Aug 2013 | updated - 26 Aug 2013 | PublicUnderrated Movies: Hidden gems not enough people have heard of. Some of these movies are more popular than others, but many have either flown under the radar, were unfairly slammed by the critics or are forgotten about today.
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1. The Final Cut (2004)
PG-13 | 95 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Set in a world with memory recording implants, Alan Hakman is a cutter, someone with the power of final edit over people's recorded histories. His latest assignment is one that puts him in danger.
Director: Omar Naim | Stars: Robin Williams, Jim Caviezel, Mira Sorvino, Mimi Kuzyk
Votes: 34,488 | Gross: $0.55M
Cool concept--not many people saw it.
2. Equilibrium (2002)
R | 107 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
In an oppressive future where all forms of feeling are illegal, a man in charge of enforcing the law rises to overthrow the system and state.
Director: Kurt Wimmer | Stars: Christian Bale, Sean Bean, Emily Watson, Taye Diggs
Votes: 346,899 | Gross: $1.20M
One of the best dystopia movies.
3. The Game (1997)
R | 129 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
After a wealthy San Francisco banker is given an opportunity to participate in a mysterious game, his life is turned upside down as he begins to question if it might really be a concealed conspiracy to destroy him.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Michael Douglas, Deborah Kara Unger, Sean Penn, James Rebhorn
Votes: 429,039 | Gross: $48.32M
One of my favorite twist movies.
4. Night of the Comet (1984)
PG-13 | 95 min | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi
A comet wipes out most of life on Earth, leaving two Valley Girls fighting against cannibal zombies and a sinister group of scientists.
Director: Thom Eberhardt | Stars: Catherine Mary Stewart, Kelli Maroney, Robert Beltran, Sharon Farrell
Votes: 24,123 | Gross: $14.42M
Great "zombie" movie--one of the best B-rate horror movies around.
5. Unbreakable (2000)
PG-13 | 106 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A man learns something extraordinary about himself after a devastating accident.
Director: M. Night Shyamalan | Stars: Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Robin Wright, Spencer Treat Clark
Votes: 441,461 | Gross: $95.01M
Favorite movie ever. Arguably best twist movie ever.
6. Drive (I) (2011)
R | 100 min | Action, Drama
A mysterious Hollywood action film stuntman gets in trouble with gangsters when he tries to help his neighbor's husband rob a pawn shop while serving as his getaway driver.
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn | Stars: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks
Votes: 704,097 | Gross: $35.06M
Received decent acclaim, and it made money, but not many people saw it.
7. Tank (1984)
PG | 113 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
Sergeant Major Zack arrives at a new army base with his wife, son and Sherman tank. One night at a bar he "stops" a pimp/deputy from beating a girl. The corrupt sheriff uses Zack's son for revenge and Zack uses his tank.
Director: Marvin J. Chomsky | Stars: James Garner, Shirley Jones, C. Thomas Howell, Mark Herrier
Votes: 4,679 | Gross: $14.13M
Great 80's movie that few people talk about today.
8. Toy Soldiers (1991)
R | 111 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
A group of troublemaking boys decide to take a stand when terrorists seize control of their boarding school.
Director: Daniel Petrie Jr. | Stars: Sean Astin, Wil Wheaton, Keith Coogan, Andrew Divoff
Votes: 24,997 | Gross: $15.07M
Like Red Dawn in a school.
9. Iron Eagle (1986)
PG-13 | 117 min | Action, Thriller, War
A young pilot plans a rescue mission when his father, an Air Force Colonel, is shot down over enemy territory and captured.
Director: Sidney J. Furie | Stars: Louis Gossett Jr., Jason Gedrick, David Suchet, Tim Thomerson
Votes: 15,995 | Gross: $24.16M
Like Red Dawn in the Middle East.
10. 3 Ninjas (1992)
PG | 84 min | Action, Comedy, Family
Each year, three brothers visit their grandfather for the summer. He is highly skilled in ninjutsu, and for years he has trained the boys in his techniques.
Director: Jon Turteltaub | Stars: Victor Wong, Michael Treanor, Max Elliott Slade, Chad Power
Votes: 23,285 | Gross: $29.00M
Home alone... with kid-ninjas.
11. Lucky Number Slevin (2006)
R | 110 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A case of mistaken identity lands Slevin into the middle of a war being plotted by two of the city's most rival crime bosses. Under constant surveillance by Detective Brikowski and assassin Goodkat, he must get them before they get him.
Director: Paul McGuigan | Stars: Josh Hartnett, Ben Kingsley, Morgan Freeman, Lucy Liu
Votes: 325,582 | Gross: $22.50M
Awesome twist--awesome dialogue. Great movie.
12. Morning Glory (2010)
PG-13 | 107 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
An upstart television producer accepts the challenge of reviving a struggling morning show program with warring co-hosts.
Director: Roger Michell | Stars: Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Noah Bean
Votes: 82,529 | Gross: $31.01M
Wonderful, uplifting romantic comedy. Reminds me of working girl but the protagonist is more likable.
13. Sinister (I) (2012)
R | 110 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A controversial true-crime writer finds a box of Super 8 home movies in his new home, revealing that the murder case he is currently researching could be the work of an unknown serial killer whose legacy dates back to the 1960s.
Director: Scott Derrickson | Stars: Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, James Ransone, Fred Thompson
Votes: 280,005 | Gross: $48.09M
Great horror movie with a twist. One of the scariest movies out there.
14. Before Sunrise (1995)
R | 101 min | Drama, Romance
A young man and woman meet on a train in Europe, and wind up spending one evening together in Vienna. Unfortunately, both know that this will probably be their only night together.
Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Andrea Eckert, Hanno Pöschl
Votes: 339,076 | Gross: $5.54M
Great chemistry, writing and characters.
15. Insidious (I) (2010)
PG-13 | 103 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further.
Director: James Wan | Stars: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, Lin Shaye
Votes: 338,890 | Gross: $54.01M
One of the more popular movies on the list, but not enough people have seen this. It's better than the conjuring and maybe even scarier than Paranormal Activity.
16. Dead Silence (2007)
R | 89 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
After his wife meets a grisly end, Jamie Ashen returns to his hometown of Ravens Fair to find answers. His investigation leads him to the ghost of a ventriloquist named Mary Shaw who seems to have ties to his entire family tree
Director: James Wan | Stars: Ryan Kwanten, Amber Valletta, Donnie Wahlberg, Michael Fairman
Votes: 101,813 | Gross: $16.81M
James Wan is amazing! Everyone knows puppets are scary! Great concept; genuinely scary movie.
17. Night of the Creeps (1986)
R | 88 min | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi
Alien brain parasites, entering humans through the mouth, turn their host into a killing zombie. Some teenagers start to fight against them.
Director: Fred Dekker | Stars: Jason Lively, Tom Atkins, Steve Marshall, Jill Whitlow
Votes: 26,094 | Gross: $0.59M
Zombie movie from the 80's. Campy and fun!
18. The Island (2005)
PG-13 | 136 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A man living in a futuristic sterile colony begins to question his circumscribed existence when his friend is chosen to go to the Island, the last uncontaminated place on earth.
Director: Michael Bay | Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Ewan McGregor, Djimon Hounsou, Steve Buscemi
Votes: 327,555 | Gross: $35.82M
Entertaining Science-Fiction movie. Decent twist, underrated by critics.
19. Gattaca (1997)
PG-13 | 106 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A genetically inferior man assumes the identity of a superior one in order to pursue his lifelong dream of space travel.
Director: Andrew Niccol | Stars: Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law, Gore Vidal
Votes: 323,074 | Gross: $12.34M
Forgotten Science-Fiction dystopian movie. Interesting concept.
20. Big Fish (2003)
PG-13 | 125 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
A frustrated son tries to determine the fact from fiction in his dying father's life.
Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange
Votes: 458,748 | Gross: $66.26M
Nice family film--very creative.
21. 12 Monkeys (1995)
R | 129 min | Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
In a future world devastated by disease, a convict is sent back in time to gather information about the man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population on the planet.
Director: Terry Gilliam | Stars: Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt, Joseph Melito
Votes: 646,483 | Gross: $57.14M
Great twist--forgotten about movie.
22. All About Steve (2009)
PG-13 | 99 min | Comedy, Family, Romance
Convinced that a CCN cameraman is her true love, an eccentric crossword puzzler trails him as he travels all over the country, hoping to convince him that they belong together.
Director: Phil Traill | Stars: Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, Thomas Haden Church, Ken Jeong
Votes: 44,426 | Gross: $33.86M
This movie was actually funny. Unfairly slammed by the critics. It's not as good as the proposal, but I'm convinced if it didn't come out right after the Blindside, it wouldn't have been critiqued so harshly.
23. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)
R | 88 min | Action, Fantasy, Horror
Brother/sister duo Hansel and Gretel are professional witch-hunters who help innocent villagers. One day they stumble upon a case that could hold the key to their past.
Director: Tommy Wirkola | Stars: Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Peter Stormare, Famke Janssen
Votes: 216,665 | Gross: $55.70M
Another movie that was unfairly panned by critics. This was a fun action-horror movie.
24. Nobody's Fool (1994)
R | 110 min | Comedy, Drama
A stubborn man past his prime reflects on his life of strict independence and seeks more from himself.
Director: Robert Benton | Stars: Paul Newman, Bruce Willis, Jessica Tandy, Melanie Griffith
Votes: 22,517 | Gross: $39.49M
No one talks about this movie, but it's a great drama.
25. The Last Stand (2013)
R | 107 min | Action, Thriller, Western
The leader of a drug cartel busts out of a courthouse and speeds to the Mexican border, where the only thing in his path is a sheriff and his inexperienced staff.
Director: Jee-woon Kim | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Forest Whitaker, Johnny Knoxville, Rodrigo Santoro
Votes: 145,307 | Gross: $12.05M
Fun action movie. This deserved to do better at the box office.
26. Bullet to the Head (2012)
R | 92 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
After watching their respective partners die, a New Orleans hitman and a Washington, D.C. detective form an alliance in order to bring down their common enemy.
Director: Walter Hill | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Momoa, Christian Slater, Sung Kang
Votes: 52,423 | Gross: $9.48M
Another fun popcorn movie. Great action; feels like it was pulled right out of the 80's. Deserved to be seen by more people.
27. Dead & Breakfast (2004)
R | 88 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
A night at a local bed and breakfast turns into a bloody supernatural fight to the death.
Director: Matthew Leutwyler | Stars: Jeremy Sisto, Erik Palladino, Bianca Lawson, Oz Perkins
Votes: 6,106
Fun/weird zombie movie. Worth seeing if you're running out of ideas around Halloween.
28. The Mad (2007)
Unrated | 83 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
A comedy-horror-thriller in which a doctor and his teenage daughter are terrorized by flesh-eating zombies at a truck stop.
Director: Johnny Kalangis | Stars: Billy Zane, Maggie Castle, Shauna MacDonald, Evan Charles Flock
Votes: 1,885
Another weird/good zombie movie no one has heard of.
29. Memento (2000)
R | 113 min | Mystery, Thriller
A man with short-term memory loss attempts to track down his wife's murderer.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Mark Boone Junior
Votes: 1,322,262 | Gross: $25.54M
This received acclaim from critics, but deserved to do better at the box office. It's way better than inception.
30. Running Scared (2006)
R | 122 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A low-ranking thug is entrusted by his crime boss to dispose of a gun that killed corrupt cops, but things get out of control when the gun ends up in wrong hands.
Director: Wayne Kramer | Stars: Paul Walker, Cameron Bright, Chazz Palminteri, Vera Farmiga
Votes: 103,641 | Gross: $6.86M
Maybe the most underrated movie on this list--great thriller with a twist.
31. Arlington Road (1999)
R | 117 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A man begins to suspect his neighbors are not what they appear to be and their secrets could be deadly.
Director: Mark Pellington | Stars: Jeff Bridges, Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack, Hope Davis
Votes: 91,845 | Gross: $24.36M
Awesome thriller--keeps you guessing until the end.
32. Homicidal (1961)
Unrated | 88 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
The brutal stabbing murder of a justice-of-the-peace sparks an investigation of dark family secrets in a sleepy small town in Southern California.
Director: William Castle | Stars: Glenn Corbett, Patricia Breslin, Eugenie Leontovich, Alan Bunce
Votes: 3,768
Really great horror/slasher/mystery. No one I know has ever heard of it.
33. Suspect Zero (2004)
R | 99 min | Crime, Horror, Mystery
A mysterious serial killer is preying on other serial killers and one FBI agent suspects there may be more to the vigilante than the obvious characteristics.
Director: E. Elias Merhige | Stars: Aaron Eckhart, Ben Kingsley, Carrie-Anne Moss, Harry Lennix
Votes: 21,167 | Gross: $8.73M
Really cool and creepy horror/thriller. Interesting concept--very unique.
34. Seven Psychopaths (2012)
R | 110 min | Comedy, Crime
A struggling screenwriter inadvertently becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his oddball friends kidnap a gangster's beloved Shih Tzu.
Director: Martin McDonagh | Stars: Colin Farrell, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken
Votes: 273,829 | Gross: $15.02M
Fun movie--great writing. Deserved better sales at the box office.
35. Night of the Demons (1988)
R | 90 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
Ten teenagers party at an abandoned funeral parlor on Halloween night. When an evil force awakens, demonic spirits keep them from leaving and turn their gathering into a living Hell.
Director: Kevin Tenney | Stars: Cathy Podewell, Alvin Alexis, Hal Havins, Allison Barron
Votes: 19,119 | Gross: $3.11M
Fun B-movie. Great for Halloween. Spawned several sequels.
36. Drop Dead Fred (1991)
PG-13 | 103 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
A young woman finds her already unstable life rocked by the presence of a rambunctious imaginary friend from childhood.
Director: Ate de Jong | Stars: Phoebe Cates, Rik Mayall, Marsha Mason, Tim Matheson
Votes: 31,412 | Gross: $43.88M
One of my favorite movies as a kid. Silly and fun and totally forgotten about.
37. Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (1991)
PG-13 | 102 min | Comedy
Five siblings are left alone all summer when their mom leaves town and the evil babysitter bites the dust.
Director: Stephen Herek | Stars: Christina Applegate, Joanna Cassidy, John Getz, Josh Charles
Votes: 37,963 | Gross: $25.20M
One of my all-time favorites. They don't make movies like this anymore. Fun and uplifting.
38. Mystery Men (1999)
PG-13 | 121 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
A group of inept amateur superheroes must try to save the day when a supervillain threatens to destroy a major superhero and the city.
Director: Kinka Usher | Stars: Ben Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, William H. Macy, Hank Azaria
Votes: 70,617 | Gross: $29.76M
Surprisingly funny action/comedy.
39. Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2010)
PG-13 | 107 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
The adventures of supernatural private investigator, Dylan Dog, who seeks out the monsters of the Louisiana bayou in his signature red shirt, black jacket, and blue jeans.
Director: Kevin Munroe | Stars: Brandon Routh, Aníta Briem, Sam Huntington, Taye Diggs
Votes: 15,641 | Gross: $1.18M
No one has seen this--fun paranormal P.I. movie.
40. John Dies at the End (2012)
R | 99 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
A new street drug that sends its users across time and dimensions has one drawback: some people return no longer human. Can two college drop-outs save humanity from this silent, otherworldly invasion?
Director: Don Coscarelli | Stars: Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes, Paul Giamatti, Clancy Brown
Votes: 40,349 | Gross: $0.14M
Great movie--weird, but fun.
41. Daybreakers (2009)
R | 98 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
In the year 2019, a plague has transformed almost every human into vampires. Faced with a dwindling blood supply, the fractured dominant race plots their survival; meanwhile, a researcher works with a covert band of vamps on a way to save humankind.
Directors: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig | Stars: Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill, Harriet Minto-Day
Votes: 134,971 | Gross: $30.10M
This deserved to be a big hit. Cool concept and finally a vampire movie where vampires are scary again.
42. Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)
R | 92 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
When residents of their nursing home start dying of dubious causes, an aged Elvis and an African-American senior who claims to be President John F. Kennedy discover that the perpetrator is an Egyptian mummy with murderous intentions.
Director: Don Coscarelli | Stars: Bruce Campbell, Ossie Davis, Bob Ivy, Ella Joyce
Votes: 51,483 | Gross: $2.00M
Weird and funny. I don't know many people who have seen this.
43. Fright Night (2011)
R | 106 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
"Fright Night" - A new neighbor moves in next to Charley, who discovers that he is an ancient vampire who preys on the community. Can he save his neighborhood from the creature with the help of the famous "vampire killer", Peter Vincent?
Director: Craig Gillespie | Stars: Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, David Tennant, Toni Collette
Votes: 113,083 | Gross: $18.30M
Maybe one of the best remakes ever. Absolutely fantastic horror movie, maybe even better than the original. This is one of the best movies I have ever seen in 3D
44. Legion (2010)
R | 100 min | Action, Fantasy, Horror
When a group of strangers at a dusty roadside diner come under attack by demonic forces, their only chance for survival lies with an archangel named Michael, who informs a pregnant waitress that her unborn child is humanity's last hope.
Director: Scott Stewart | Stars: Paul Bettany, Dennis Quaid, Charles S. Dutton, Lucas Black
Votes: 111,929 | Gross: $40.17M
Decent movie--deserved better at the box office.
45. Adventures in Babysitting (1987)
PG-13 | 102 min | Adventure, Comedy, Crime
A babysitter must battle her way through the big city after being stranded there with the kids she's looking after.
Director: Chris Columbus | Stars: Elisabeth Shue, Maia Brewton, Keith Coogan, Anthony Rapp
Votes: 49,081 | Gross: $34.37M
One of my favorite family movies.
46. Dead Again (1991)
R | 107 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A woman who has lost her memory is taken in by a Los Angeles orphanage, and a private eye is enlisted to track down her identity, but he soon finds that he might have a past life connection to her that endangers their lives.
Director: Kenneth Branagh | Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Andy Garcia, Lois Hall
Votes: 30,372 | Gross: $38.02M
No one has seen this mystery/thriller! Great twist!
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