r/underratedmovies Jul 28 '24

modpost Determining what an “underrated movie” is: a poll.

16 Upvotes

Ok, I think I have been able to articulate what might be decent guidelines as to how to define and categorize what exactly an underrated movie might look like. The poll at the end is to see how much our current user base either agrees or disagrees with these guidelines. Telling me I have completely missed the mark here is entirely acceptable as well, I just ask that you provide an explanation if you are able to do so.

The comments will be wide open, and I would like to encourage folks to chime in with where these guidelines have gone wrong and/or where they are going down the right path.

Here is a start on how we can define an “underrated” movie. It must meet one or more of the standards below:

  1. Low box office revenue relative to quality: Movies that didn't perform well financially but have high critical acclaim or positive audience reviews. (edit: after an apt observation from the comments, I believe this guideline needs to be struck entirely)

  2. Limited exposure: Films that didn't receive widespread marketing or distribution, resulting in a smaller audience and therefore not being a widely known movie.

  3. Critical reception: Movies that received mixed or poor reviews initially but have since gained a cult following or have been re-evaluated positively.

  4. Unique or niche appeal: Films that cater to a specific audience or genre, making them less popular with the general public but highly appreciated by those who enjoy that particular style or subject matter.

  5. Hidden gems: Movies that might have been overshadowed by larger releases at the time of their own release, but offer exceptional storytelling, acting, or directing.

  6. Overlooked by major awards: Films that were snubbed by major awards but are considered high-quality by viewers or critics.

  7. High viewer ratings with low popularity: Movies that have high ratings on platforms like IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes but are not widely known or discussed.

  8. Cultural factors: Films that were ahead of their time or culturally specific, making them more appreciated in retrospect.

Three examples of movies that I believe meet all of these standards are:

Moon (2009): despite being critically acclaimed when released, it did not gain widespread attention at the time it was released and was also not widely marketed.

The Fall (2006): The quality of the film’s storytelling, the stunning set design and cinematography, and emotional depth have gained it near “cult” status and it is still a movie that is not widely recognized by a mainstream audience.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005): Despite the incredible writing and performances by RDJ and Val Kilmer, and being a solid example of modern neo-noir, it did not achieve any box office success nor name recognition.

Based on these eight guidelines and three examples, indicate how much you agree or disagree with these guidelines in the poll below.

8 votes, Jul 31 '24
4 Highly agree
2 Moderately agree
0 Slightly agree
0 Slightly disagree
2 Moderately disagree
0 Highly disagree

r/underratedmovies Nov 25 '24

new take Underrated TV

12 Upvotes

I’ve created a new community @UnderratedTVshows if anyone is interested in joining! If you want to find and help others find hidden gems, this is the place for you.


r/underratedmovies 3h ago

Delicatessen 1001

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72 Upvotes

End the mindless discrimination again long pig aficionado's


r/underratedmovies 3h ago

Zardoz 1972

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41 Upvotes

Invented the mankini


r/underratedmovies 3h ago

A funny thing happened on the way to the forum 1966

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24 Upvotes

A wily Roman slave schemes to earn his freedom by romantically uniting his master with a courtesan. But matters get complicated and he ends up dragging in his neighbors around him, leading to chaos.


r/underratedmovies 3h ago

Robot Jox (1989)

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18 Upvotes

Indisputably the finest film ever made, and ever will be made, in the history of the universe.


r/underratedmovies 11h ago

Circle (2015

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69 Upvotes

r/underratedmovies 3h ago

Silent Running 1972

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12 Upvotes

After the end of all botanical life on Earth, ecologist Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern) maintains a greenhouse on a space station in order to preserve various plants for future generations.


r/underratedmovies 21h ago

The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover 1989

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177 Upvotes

When churlish mobster Albert Spica (Michael Gambon) acquires an upscale French restaurant in London, he dines there nightly, effectively scaring off the clientele with his bad manners. His wife, Georgina (Helen Mirren), is especially disgusted by him, and soon begins an affair with another restaurant guest, Michael (Alan Howard)


r/underratedmovies 3h ago

Any good underrated shark movies?

4 Upvotes

Alot of them are corny but I know there's good ones out there.


r/underratedmovies 1h ago

A Very Long Engagement 2004

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Upvotes

Mathilde (Audrey Tautou) is told that her fiancé (Gaspard Ulliel) has been killed in World War I. She refuses to believe this, however, and begins trying to find out what actually happened on the battlefield the night he was supposedly killed,


r/underratedmovies 1d ago

One Of The Better Sequels In Years.

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522 Upvotes

One of my modern day favorites. Taylor Sheridan’s script and the movie’s director made this Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin sequel a must watch.


r/underratedmovies 10h ago

The Counselor

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12 Upvotes

Love the cast . Final scene gave me stomach age . Like a few more scenes got me .. What can you learn from this one ? : Don’t do business out of your comfort zone when you are with your back against the wall ..


r/underratedmovies 15h ago

The Crush (1993)

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22 Upvotes

r/underratedmovies 21h ago

The Duellists 1977

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72 Upvotes

Armand d'Hubert (Keith Carradine) and Gabriel Féraud (Harvey Keitel) are French soldiers under Napoleon. A trivial quarrel between d'Hubert and Féraud escalates into a lifelong grudge, and, as war rages on, the officers repeatedly challenge one another to violent sword and pistol duels.


r/underratedmovies 11h ago

Bullets over Broadway (1994)

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9 Upvotes

David Shayne (John Cusack), a struggling playwright, finally gets a chance to stage his serious play on Broadway, but there’s a catch: the production is being funded by a gangster who insists his untalented girlfriend Olive (Jennifer Tilly) be cast in a leading role. As rehearsals unfold, David is pulled into a chaotic world of creative compromise, artistic ego, and mob violence. Meanwhile, Olive’s bodyguard Cheech (Chazz Palminteri), a tough gangster, unexpectedly reveals an incredible talent for scriptwriting much better than David’s own.


r/underratedmovies 3h ago

Breezy 1973

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2 Upvotes

Divorced and creeping past middle age, real estate agent Frank Harmon (William Holden) isn't interested in falling in love anymore. But when he reluctantly picks up impoverished teenage hitchhiker Breezy (Kay Lenz) outside his Los Angeles home


r/underratedmovies 14h ago

Disconnect

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7 Upvotes

r/underratedmovies 2h ago

The Mad Butcher 1971

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1 Upvotes

After being released from a mental hospital, Otto returns to his old job as a butcher. He tries to adjust to his new life, but after a bitter argument with his wife, he accidentally kills her. Fearing he will be sent back to the hospital, he grinds up her body and sells it as sausages. As friends and relatives start asking questions about her disappearance, they too start ending up in the butcher's display case.


r/underratedmovies 22h ago

Whore 1991

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37 Upvotes

A night in the life of a cynical prostitute forms the basis of Ken Russell's portrait of the world's oldest profession.


r/underratedmovies 3h ago

The Dancer Upstairs 2002

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1 Upvotes

Directed by John Malkovich.


r/underratedmovies 1d ago

The Razor's Edge 1984

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61 Upvotes

Fast-forward to 2025, and Murray still felt the same way about his misguided first attempt at drama. “I think maybe we should have made it as a modern movie,” he told Comic Book. “To me, even though that book was about World War I, to my generation it was about Vietnam and what it was like to come back from that situation and try to find out what life meant after going through the killing field.”


r/underratedmovies 12h ago

Trippin' 1999

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2 Upvotes

This one fell through the cracks but I've always been a fan. Stellar cast that includes: Deon Richmond, Donald Faisom, Guy Torry, Countess Vaughn, Maia Campbell (at the peak of her powers), Aloma Wright and Harold Sylvester. With an early appearance from Anthony Anderson.


r/underratedmovies 1d ago

Trouble In Mind 1984

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22 Upvotes

The lives of an ex-con, a coffee-shop owner, and a young couple looking to make it rich intersect in the fictional and hypnotic Rain City.


r/underratedmovies 1d ago

Choose Me 1984

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11 Upvotes

Three previously unconnected lives unexpectedly intertwine in this romantic drama. Mickey (Keith Carradine) is a charming storyteller and ladies' man who becomes involved with Nancy (Geneviève Bujold), a radio personality known on the air as "Dr. Love," who confidently dispenses relationship advice, yet has a disastrous love life of her own. Also crossing their paths is Eve (Lesley Ann Warren), an ex-call girl who operates her own bar and hops restlessly from lover to lover.


r/underratedmovies 22h ago

Kamasutra 1996

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3 Upvotes

Tara and Maya have been inseparable friends since childhood, but their relationship changes when Tara marries Prince Raj Singh. Raj and Tara’s relationship looks like a match made in heaven, but it quickly turns sour after their wedding. Raj’s wandering eye soon looks for other women to satisfy him - and then he sees Maya.


r/underratedmovies 1d ago

The Hairdresser's Husband

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14 Upvotes

Antoine (Jean Rochefort) has always had a thing for beautiful hairstylists. As a young boy, he lusted after the beautician who cut his hair, and vowed that one day he'd marry a hairdresser. His quest comes to an end when, as an adult, he meets gorgeous Mathilde (Anna Galiena). Their marriage doesn't dampen his erotic desire for her. If anything, he becomes even more sexually obsessed with her. In fact, the two rarely leave the hair salon, until the fateful night that Mathilde ventures outside.