50 Underrated Gems - Joyful, Breathtaking Classics!
I've rated nearly 2,000 titles on IMDB and here are my SURPRISE CLASSICS -- the films that have a 7.1 IMDB rating or lower but I think you MUST SEE. If you like anything on this list, you'll probably like them all. Some of them are cheesy, but they are all wonderful in a cult classic way. Maybe you've never heard of them. Maybe you have but dismissed them too quickly. Give these underdog movies a chance!!
It starts with the ones I feel most strongly about.
It starts with the ones I feel most strongly about.
List activity
12K views
• 1 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
50 titles
- DirectorBaz LuhrmannStarsPaul MercurioTara MoriceBill HunterA maverick dancer risks his career by performing an unusual routine and sets out to succeed with a new partner.This film is perfect in every way, remarkably crisp the way that Back to the Future was. The passion of two people with a dream is distilled into a phenomenon.
- DirectorBrad AndersonStarsHope DavisAlan GelfantPhilip Seymour HoffmanAn unlucky in love nurse finds her life taking a detour when her mother places a personals ad in the paper, while on the other side of Boston, a plumber is trying to change careers.This romantic comedy is flawless. Although it never got wide distribution, it's incredibly touching.
- DirectorChris EyreStarsAdam BeachEvan AdamsIrene BedardArnold rescued Thomas from a fire when he was a child. Thomas thinks of Arnold as a hero, while Arnold's son Victor resents his father's alcoholism, violence and abandonment of his family.Smoke Signals would be an incredibly touching story about family and friendship even without the native american angle that draws you in and teaches you about this culture in a way that's neither preachy nor trite.
- DirectorDan EckmanStarsDonald GloverD.C. PiersonDominic DierkesA group of former Encyclopedia Brown-style child-detectives struggle to solve an adult mystery.This movie didn't have the money for wide distribution or big action scenes, but it is full of incredibly intelligent humor. I guarantee it will make you laugh.
- DirectorMichael CuestaStarsJosh LucasLena HeadeyBrian CoxA man's newly transplanted heart leads him on a dangerous journey to find out who murdered its donor.I'm a fan of Edgar Allan Poe and this film, which didn't have the budget for wide distribution, is a hidden gem. So spooky! So clever! Such plot twists!! Oh my god, see it!
- DirectorStuart GordonStarsEzra GoddenFrancisco RabalRaquel MeroñoA boating accident runs a young man and woman ashore in a decrepit Spanish fishing town which they discover is in the grips of an ancient sea god and its monstrous half human offspring.The big horror author after Edgar Allan Poe was H.P. Lovecraft, and this is the best adaptation of his work I've ever seen. This intellectual horror will shake you to your core without gimmicks like gore or idiots running around with chainsaws and trick cinematography to startle you.
- DirectorJohn LandisStarsSylvester StalloneOrnella MutiPeter RiegertA gangster attempts to keep the promise he made to his dying father: that he would give up his life of crime and "go straight".Did you know that Sylvester Stallone wrote the script for Rocky? Give the guy some cred! Oscar is a fantastically complex comedy in the style of Gilbert & Sullivan -- it never stops moving, even for a second, but everything fits together, it's not a big heap of coincidences.
- DirectorBrian DannellyStarsJena MaloneMandy MooreMacaulay CulkinWhen a girl attending a Christian high school becomes pregnant, all of her former friends turn on her and she is ostracized and demonized.This comedy is not only funny but it has a very unusual message -- a warning about how religion can go too far, especially when it creates barriers between people.
- DirectorPeter MedakStarsGeorge HamiltonLauren HuttonBrenda VaccaroZorro, the legendary swordsman, has passed on his weapon and his sense of duty to his noble son, Diego, a dashing swashbuckler like his father. But after an injury sidelines Diego, he is forced to hand the mask over to his twin, Ramon.Trust me trust me trust me!!!! This is the BEST, most underrated comedy I have ever seen. It's not exactly pure Zorro. It's a wonderfully campy adaptation that is full of joy. It's so so good. God, it's so much fun to watch Zorro zip around and make fools of the badguys.
- DirectorJonathan MostowStarsKurt RussellJ.T. WalshKathleen QuinlanA man searches for his missing wife after his car breaks down in the middle of the desert.This thrill with Kurt Russell does not let up. From the moment the tension starts it builds and builds without needing a gimmick like a nuclear bomb or space battle. It's all done with about 12 people in a small town but it's COMPLETELY HAIR-RAISING!!
- DirectorArthur HillerStarsPeter FalkAlan ArkinRichard LibertiniOn the eve of their children's marriage, NYC in-laws Sheldon Kornpett and Vince Ricardo embark on a series of misadventures involving the CIA, the Treasury Department and Central American dictators.Before the remake with Michael Douglas, this film is perfect because the casting is perfect. Peter Falk was born to be likable yet supremely irritating to a straight man, and Alan Arkin was born to be the straight man who just can't say no. It's so joyful and has a great twist ending.
- DirectorDavid MirkinStarsSigourney WeaverJennifer Love HewittGene HackmanA mother and daughter con team seduce and scam wealthy men.Let's face it guys, women can twist us around their finger when they want to. This wonderful romantic comedy plays up that concept with likable con women including Sigorney Weaver! I like a good woman power film. There are just too many films that only have men as the heroes.
- DirectorMark WatersStarsJamie Lee CurtisLindsay LohanMark HarmonAn overworked mother and her daughter did not get along. When they switch bodies, each is forced to adapt to the other's life for one freaky Friday.I'm not a teenage girl, I don't have a sister, and I don't have a daughter. Why do I love this film so much!! I think the word again is "joy". There's just a ton of joyful antics, but it's a really intelligent film, not stupid like so many Disney flicks. I love how the plot all weaves together without ridiculous coincidences. It's tremendously uplifting.
- DirectorDavid LynchStarsKyle MacLachlanVirginia MadsenFrancesca AnnisA Duke's son leads desert warriors against the galactic emperor and his father's evil nemesis to free their desert world from the emperor's rule.This is a highly cheesy movie. But it's done with such panache! Such visuals! So many deep themes! It really is the secret "Star Wars" of its decade. If you like science fiction, see it!
- DirectorJohn WatersStarsEdward FurlongChristina RicciBess ArmstrongA talented young photographer, who enjoys snapping photos of his satirical, perverted Baltimore neighborhood and his wacky family, gets dragged into a world of pretentious artists from New York City and finds newfound fame.This intelligent comedy is about a photographer with a dream, an everyman, whose gift is that he sees people the way they REALLY are... so his photographs get him in trouble! And things just spiral up and up in a small town way with a great ending.
- DirectorJohn MaddenStarsGwyneth PaltrowAnthony HopkinsHope DavisThe daughter of a brilliant but mentally disturbed mathematician, recently deceased, tries to come to grips with her possible inheritance: his insanity. Complicating matters are one of her father's ex-students, who wants to search through his papers, and her estranged sister, who shows up to help settle his affairs.Worthy of Tom Stoppard, this crisp play has so many levels and layers!! It's Powerful with a capital P, and the acting -- oh, the acting!!! WHY HAVE YOU NOT SEEN THIS YET?
- DirectorMark NeveldineBrian TaylorStarsJason StathamAmy SmartCarlos SanzProfessional assassin Chev Chelios learns his rival has injected him with a poison that will kill him if his heart rate drops.Potentially the best ARTY action movie of all time, this is what happens when you put incredible action thrills into a plot that's so So SO intelligent and fire it up with comedy and hugely impressive acting. Wow!! If you like action movies you NEED to see this.
- DirectorMichael AptedStarsDougray ScottKate WinsletSaffron BurrowsA young genius frantically races against time to crack an enemy code and solve the mystery surrounding the woman he loves.Like many of the films on this list, this is a crossover, nailing it both as a pure thriller, and as a drama that's on the incredibly important topic of breaking codes during World War II. And such acting!!
- DirectorWilford LeachStarsKevin KlineAngela LansburyLinda RonstadtAfter a young man leaves a band of pirates, hilarity ensues.A flawless musical that has Kevin Kline!! Tap tap tap. Is this thing on? What more do you need to hear? It's everyone's favorite Gilbert & Sullivan.
- DirectorWayne KramerStarsHarrison FordAshley JuddRay LiottaCrossing Over is about illegal aliens of many nationalities in the Los Angeles area and the authorities and individuals dealing with them.Remember Crash (2004), the incredibly powerful Oscar winning movie that plays with race in a way that's kinda arty but SO CAPTIVATING and not preachy that you didn't care? This is like Crash but for immigration. It's a drama that's not melodramatic or over-your-head. Just fascinating.
- DirectorPeter WeirStarsJeff BridgesIsabella RosselliniRosie PerezA man's personality is dramatically changed after surviving a major airline crash.Tragedy! Hope! Pain! Courage! A man survives a plane crash and launches himself so deeply into saving another that he forget to save himself. It's got Jeff Bridges!
- DirectorEdward ZwickStarsDenzel WashingtonBruce WillisAnnette BeningThe secret U.S. abduction of a suspected terrorist leads to a wave of terrorist attacks in New York City, which leads to the declaration of martial-law.I've chosen The Siege, The Sum of All Fears, and The Kingdom because they all touch on international affairs and dangers like nuclear weapons. Some day, there will be a nuclear explosion and people will ask, "why weren't we warned?" See these films and get a reality check combined with great action flicks.
- DirectorPhil Alden RobinsonStarsBen AffleckMorgan FreemanIan MongrainCIA analyst Jack Ryan must stop the plans of a Neo-Nazi faction that threatens to induce a catastrophic conflict between the United States and Russia's President by detonating a nuclear weapon at a football game in Baltimore, Maryland.I've chosen The Siege, The Sum of All Fears, and The Kingdom because they all touch on international affairs and dangers like nuclear weapons. Some day, there will be a nuclear explosion and people will ask, "why weren't we warned?" See these films and get a reality check combined with great action flicks.
- DirectorPeter BergStarsJamie FoxxChris CooperJennifer GarnerA team of U.S. government agents are sent to investigate the bombing of an American facility in the Middle East.I've chosen The Siege, The Sum of All Fears, and The Kingdom because they all touch on international affairs and dangers like nuclear weapons. Some day, there will be a nuclear explosion and people will ask, "why weren't we warned?" See these films and get a reality check combined with great action flicks.
- DirectorStephen GaghanStarsGeorge ClooneyMatt DamonAmanda PeetA politically charged epic about the state of the oil industry in the hands of those personally involved in and affected by it.And Syriana.
- DirectorJames CameronStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerJamie Lee CurtisTom ArnoldA fearless, globe-trotting, terrorist-battling secret agent has his life turned upside down when he discovers his wife might be having an affair with a used-car salesman while terrorists smuggle nuclear war heads into the United States.This is the most fantastic of the underrated Arnold Schwartzenegger films. Conan: crap. Running Man: crap. Total Recall crap. Predator: entertaining crap. But True Lies is intelligent and has a lot of orginality, blows out the comedy and the action. See it!
- DirectorJuan Carlos FresnadilloStarsJeremy RennerRose ByrneRobert CarlyleSix months after the rage virus was inflicted on the population of Great Britain, the US Army helps to secure a small area of London for the survivors to repopulate and start again. But not everything goes according to plan.I really enjoyed this Zombie sequel. I thought it was just as good as the original by Oscar winning director Danny Boyle.
- DirectorMick JacksonStarsSteve MartinVictoria TennantRichard E. GrantWith the help of a talking freeway billboard, a wacky weatherman tries to win the heart of an English newspaper reporter, who is struggling to make sense of the strange world of early 1990s Los Angeles.A lot of the old Steve Martin stuff is crap. Don't ever go back and see "All of Me" or "The Jerk". L.A. Story is a romantic comedy that I found really original and touching. It has a big heart.
- DirectorFred SchepisiStarsSteve MartinDaryl HannahRick RossovichThe large-nosed C.D. Bales is in love with the beautiful Roxanne; she falls for his personality but another man's looks.Another wonderfully original Steve Martin film, this time loosely based on a classic, Cyrano de Bergerac. I loved the adaptation and literary elements to this intelligent and joyful comedy.
- DirectorFrank OzStarsSteve MartinEddie MurphyHeather GrahamWhen a desperate movie producer fails to get a major star for his bargain-basement film, he decides to shoot the film secretly around him.This intelligent comedy is a commentary on Hollywood and Scientology, and has such wonderfully satirical acting by Eddie Murphy.
- DirectorFrank OzStarsSteve MartinMichael CaineGlenne HeadlyTwo con men try to settle their rivalry by betting on who can swindle a young American heiress out of fifty thousand dollars first.Oh my god. This rounds out my Steve Martin movies. The actors are clearly having so much fun making this film, with twists within twists. It's like an Agatha Christie novel, except nobody dies.
- DirectorJerry ZuckerStarsBreckin MeyerAmy SmartWhoopi GoldbergA Las Vegas casino magnate determined to find a new avenue for wagering sets up a race for money.Don't like Steve Martin? I laughed and laughed and laughed all the way through this nutty comedy with an all-star cast. It's like the modern version of Airplane! and has a wonderful trick ending.
- DirectorRichard DonnerStarsSylvester StalloneAntonio BanderasJulianne MooreProfessional hit-man Robert Rath wants to fulfill a few more contracts before retiring but unscrupulous ambitious newcomer hit-man Miguel Bain keeps killing Rath's targets.How can I be the only one who loves this movie?? A good action flick keeps the goodguy and the badguy in close proximity trying to kill each other for the longest time. This one manages it through the whole movie! I really found this original and it has two great stars.
- DirectorPierre MorelStarsCyril RaffaelliDavid BelleTony D'AmarioIn the ghettos of Paris in 2010, an undercover cop and an ex-thug try to infiltrate a gang in order to defuse a neutron bomb.Do you remember the start of Casino Royale (2006) where the badguy is jumping around, through, and over the construction zone? This movie is ALL that! I know that nobody can do that in real life, but just to see the stunt guys act it out -- just that by itself is incredibly impressive! And it's original, intelligent, and French. The best French kick-ass movie since The Professional (1994).
- DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsKurt RussellKim CattrallDennis DunA rough-and-tumble trucker and his side kick face off with an ancient sorcerer in a supernatural battle beneath Chinatown.The best campy cult classic ever. With Kurt Russell.
- DirectorPaul VerhoevenStarsMichael DouglasSharon StoneGeorge DzundzaA violent police detective investigates a brutal murder that might involve a manipulative and seductive novelist.An intense thriller, with possibly too many coincidences, but -- such acting!
- DirectorRoger MichellStarsBen AffleckSamuel L. JacksonKim StauntonA young lawyer and a businessman share a small automobile accident, and their mutual road rage escalates into a feud.Without needing gimmicks like a jump from a helicopter or dinosaurs, this is basically just two guys, but it's so well written that this thriller ratchets up and up and up!! It's supremely intelligent, a commentary on the power of one's anger to destroy oneself, and has a great twist ending.
- DirectorMcGStarsCameron DiazDrew BarrymoreLucy LiuThree women, detectives with a mysterious boss, retrieve stolen voice-ID software, using martial arts, tech skills, and sex appeal.Why didn't this ultimate girl power movie get a higher rating? I thought the balance of serious action thrill plus not taking itself too seriously comedy was perfect. Wonderful!
- DirectorCraig BrewerStarsChristina RicciSamuel L. JacksonJustin TimberlakeA God-fearing bluesman takes to a wild young woman who, as a victim of childhood sexual abuse, looks everywhere for love, never quite finding it.This film is weird but it has a wonderful Southern soul to it. It's as powerful as Gone with the Wind, without the complaining woman or Civil War hang-ups.
- DirectorHerbert RossStarsKevin BaconLori SingerJohn LithgowA city teenager moves to a small town where rock music and dancing have been banned, and his rebellious spirit shakes up the populace.The ultimate 1980s flick. Dancing and liberation! :)
- DirectorAdam GreenStarsShawn AshmoreEmma BellKevin ZegersThree skiers stranded on a chairlift are forced to make life-or-death choices, which prove more perilous than staying put and freezing to death.I don't know about the wolves, but this ultra-intelligent thriller stars real people, not "action heroes" who jump around without getting hurt. It's amazingly compelling to see real people in a realistic life or death situation.
- DirectorStanley TongStarsJackie ChanMichelle YeohMaggie CheungA Hong Kong detective teams up with his female Red Chinese counterpart to stop a Chinese drug czar.My favorite martial arts film. Jackie Chan combines wonderful stunts with wonderful comedy.
- DirectorJim StrouseStarsJohn CusackEmily ChurchillRebecca SpenceUpon hearing his wife was killed in the Iraq war, a father takes his two daughters on a road trip.Wow. Arty films scare me. They can be preachy and boring. But this film about childhood, death, and the loss of innocence left me transformed.
- DirectorAndy TennantStarsWill SmithEva MendesKevin JamesA smooth-talking man falls for a hardened columnist while helping a shy accountant woo a beautiful heiress.This intelligent comedy has so much commentary on relationships. It has a lot of wonderful ideas and Kevin James TOTALLY ROCKS!
- DirectorPeter BrookStarsJames AubreyTom ChapinHugh EdwardsSchoolboys marooned on a Pacific island create their own savage civilization.Based on the classic novel, how can you ignore this film?
- DirectorBreck EisnerStarsMatthew McConaugheyPenélope CruzSteve ZahnMaster explorer Dirk Pitt goes on the adventure of a lifetime of seeking out a lost Civil War battleship known as the "Ship of Death" in the deserts of West Africa while helping a WHO doctor being hounded by a ruthless dictator.This film is over the top with joyful campy-ness. But that's why I love it. And I'm not even from the South, but the plot holes just DON'T MATTER because it's such a breathtaking and exuberant ride.
- DirectorGary NelsonStarsMaximilian SchellAnthony PerkinsRobert ForsterA research vessel finds a missing ship, commanded by a mysterious scientist, on the edge of a black hole.This movie is incredibly cheesy, but it's cheesy in such a classic, engaging manner. It's haunting, thrilling, with wonderful music and visuals and a fantastic ending. How can anyone resist?
- DirectorJamie UysStarsN!xauMarius WeyersSandra PrinslooA comic allegory about a traveling Bushman who encounters modern civilization and its stranger aspects, including a clumsy scientist and a band of revolutionaries.This thoughtful comedy is what Crocodile Dundee might have been.
- DirectorJan de BontStarsHelen HuntBill PaxtonCary ElwesTwo storm chasers on the brink of divorce must work together to create an advanced weather alert system by putting themselves in the cross-hairs of extremely violent tornadoes.If you love science, you'll love the passion of these people risking their lives for knowledge -- and it's got a great ending.
- DirectorMartha CoolidgeStarsVal KilmerStacy PeraltaDaniel AdesAn uptight teenage prodigy enters a top engineering college, but feels awkward among the freewheeling students. When a professor aims to turn their laser project into a military weapon, he and his offbeat roommate plot to ruin the plan.I just love this film because I went to MIT. It's incredibly joyful, these technology geeks who play around while they are inventing the future. It has a great ending and is such a cheesy 1980s film.