Movies have helped many of us get through the craziness of the past year. Looking for something new to watch? I decided to compile a list of 14 movies that I feel are underrated (or not enough people have seen) and why you should watch them. Enjoy!
Sing Street (2016) – While this list isn’t in any sort of order, out of all the films on this list, Sing Street is my absolute favorite. This coming-of-age comedy-drama musical is written and directed by John Carney, who also wrote/directed the movies Once & Begin Again. I love both of those movies as well, but Sing Street is his masterpiece and it’s about a boy in Ireland who starts a band to impress a girl that he likes. Fans of 80’s music/culture will especially love the look/feel/sound of Sing Street.
The movie is funny, heartwarming, and has some really great music. Sing Street is the movie that I’ve recommended the most to people and literally everyone that I know whose taken me up on that recommendation has wound up loving it, including those who don’t really love musicals! (There is also a Broadway version that premiered right before COVID that I hope continues once Broadway re-opens, because I’d love to see it!)
Attack the Block (2011) – Before he starred as Finn in Star Wars, John Boyega made his film premiere as the lead in this British sci-fi/comedy/horror film. Attack the Block is about a gang of youngesters in the South London projects who stumble upon an alien invasion and have to defend themselves and their neighborhood. It also stars Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who) as a nurse who winds up working with the gang to help fight the creatures.
The movie was filmed on a small $8 million dollar budget, but it looks much better than that. It’s the directorial debut of Joe Cornish, who would go on to write 2015’s Antman along with Edgar Wright. Attack the Block was featured on many critics’ best movies of 2011 lists and has become a cult hit, but still not enough people have seen this fun movie!
The Florida Project (2017) – The Florida Project is not a happy movie, but it’s impact stays with you long after you’ve watched it. The Florida Project is a drama about a 6-year old girl and her unemployed mother who live in a rundown motel called The Magic Castle which is located down the road from the happiest place on earth, Disney World. Williem Dafoe should have won an Academy Award for his incredible performance as Bobby the motel’s manager. The rest of the main cast is so talented that you’ll be surprised to find out that this was the first film appearance for the majority of them!
While the movie itself is fictional, there really are thousands of people living in absolute poverty all around the area that Disney World made famous. The Florida Project is an eye-opening, uncomfortable watch at times due to the subject matter. It’s one of those movies that you’ll likely never want to watch a second time, but you’ll still be glad that you experienced it once.
The Foot Fist Way (2006) – Looking for something lighter? The Foot Fist Way is a low-budget martial arts comedy that will have you laughing out loud. The movie was filmed for a mere $79,00 but is the launching point for both its star/writer Danny McBride & its other writer/director Jody Hill who would both go on to work together on HBO’s hilarious comedies Eastbound & Down, Vice Principals, & The Righteous Gemstones.
The Foot Fist Way feels like a movie you’d find on local cable around 2 am back in the early 90s, but that’s part of its charm. The movie is about the life of a black belt Taekwondo instructor with a big personality in a small town. Will Ferrell was so impressed with the movie he had his production company buy the distribution rights to this now cult comedy. It’s mindless and silly in all the best ways.
The Edukators (2004) – The first but not last foreign subtitled film on this list, The Edukators is better known as Die Fetten Jahre Sind Vorbei in German which means “The days of plenty are over”. It is a German/Austrian crime drama about young anarchists who break into the homes of wealthy people. They never steal anything, but they do send a message to the wealthy in other different ways.
One of the stars of this movie is Daniel Bruhl who would eventually become well known globally starring in films like Inglorious Basterds, Rush, and Captain America: Civil War. Bruhl’s most well-known foreign film is probably 2003’s Good Bye Lenin! (also worth a watch), but The Edukators is my favorite German-language movie of his. Don’t let subtitles scare you, this film makes some interesting political/social statements that should make people of all ages really think.
Undisputed (2002) – If you’re looking for an underrated sports action movie, look no further than Undisputed. It’s about an undefeated champion boxer, played by Ving Rhames who is sent to prison for rape where he eventually has to fight the reigning prison boxing champion played by Wesley Snipes.
It’s written and directed by the legendary Walter Hill (The Warriors, 48 Hours) but it’s easily his most underappreciated film. It’s a “B” action movie in all the good ways: it’s fun, short (96 minutes), and has great action & suspense. There’s no “deeper” meaning to the movie, it’s just a really solid movie if you ever need of a quick solid action flick.
The Founder (2016) – Michael Keaton stars as Ray Kroc in this biographical drama about the rise of McDonald’s as a national fast-food chain. Keaton, who has long been one of my favorite actors, is absolutely dynamic in his role here. The film also stars Nick Offerman (Parks & Rec) and John Carroll Lynch (The Drew Carey Show) as the McDonalds brothers. It’s directed by John Lee Hancock who is well known for directing other bio-pics including The Blind Side, The Rookie, The Alamo, and The Highwaymen.
The story itself provides a very interesting look at success and how its can be related to the darker sides of American capitalism. I always knew a little bit about the story of how McDonald’s became a national chain, but I learned a lot more from watching this film. Some biographical dramas can suffer when it comes to pacing, but this movie stayed engaging and entertaining throughout its entire nearly 2-hour run time. We’ve all eaten McDonald’s, so we should all know and watch this story!
Tsotsi (2005) – Out of all the movies on this list, I’m sure this is the movie that the least amount of people have heard of. This South African crime film is about a hardened young gang leader named Tsotsi who shoots a young woman and steals her car only to discover a baby in its back seat. Instead of harming the baby, he decides to take it home and attempts to care for it.
This movie, which stars all South African actors, is a breath of fresh from your typical Hollywood-made movies. It’s also one of those rare films where we get to see a truly bad person attempt to redeem himself. How will this baby completely change this cold-blooded killer’s life? You just have to watch it to find out!
About Time (2013) – Writer/Director Richard Curtis is known for his classic romantic comedies (Love Actually, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones) and yet it’s rare that I hear anyone talk about About Time. Maybe it’s the time travel? Or maybe it’s because Domhnall Gleeson is an unlikely leading man? Whatever the reason, this film remains vastly underrated and that’s a real shame.
Rom-coms are usually hit or miss for me, but About Time is really good. It’s a beautifully sincere and sentimental movie that I think too many people might have skipped over. The movie also stars Rachel McAdams and Bill Nighy as the lead character’s love interest and father, respectively. There is also one emotional scene with his father that absolutely gets me every single time that I’ve seen it. As far as underrated rom-coms go, this is at the top of my list!
Beasts of No Nations (2015) – Today, Netflix is filled with tons of its own original movies, but Beasts of No Nation was the streaming platform’s first and is still remains one of its best. Beasts features Idris Elba as the Commandant who leads a group of guerilla soldiers, many of them children, during an African civil war. One of those children is Agu, and this movie follows his fall from innocence. The movie is a bleak, powerful look into the life of a child soldier.
Given the subject matter, it’s one of those movies that you have to be prepared for, but don’t let that turn you off. While this film is fictional, many real-world atrocities like this movie happen every day. As Americans, we like to turn a blind eye to what’s going on in other countries, especially the poor “unimportant” ones, but this film helps play a small part in opening our eyes to the brutal horrors happening elsewhere.
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) – If you ask the average person what their favorite Coen Brothers movie is, they’re likely to say something like Fargo, The Big Lebowksi, O’Brother Where Art Thou, or No Country For Old Men. My favorite Coen Brothers movie? It’s Inside Llewyn Davis, and it’s not even close! Set in the early 1960s, the movie stars Oscar Isaac as the title character who happens to be a down on his luck, melancholy folk singer looking for his big break. Most people will think my man crush for Oscar started with the new Star Wars trilogy, but it actually started with this movie.
Did you know that Oscar Isaac is also a really good singer? If you didn’t, you’ll find out very quickly that he is. The incredible soundtrack was produced by T Bone Burnett and also features the likes of Justin Timberlake, Marcus Mumford, and Adam Driver. This movie was nominated for two academy awards, and yet it somehow still remains vastly overrated. It is the Coen Brothers most soulful movie by far!
Seven Samurai (1954) – You may be asking yourself how can a movie that has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is ranked #19 on IMDB’s top movies of all-time be considered underrated, and I’ll answer that in a form of a question. Have you seen all 207 minutes of it? The answer, unless you’re a film buff or took a few film classes in college, is likely no. But you should!
Kurosawa’s epic Samurai masterpiece is one of, if not the most, influential movies of all-time. It’s about a village in Japan that hire seven ronin (masterless samurai) to protect them from bandits. Does that sound familiar? It should because it’s the basis of both The Magnificent Seven movies. Every director from George Lucas to Quentin Tarantino has been influenced by the Seven Samurai and its influence can be seen in movies like Mad Max, Lord of the Rings, the Matrix, The Three Amigos, Justice League, Infinity War, and many, many more! Outside of being in black & white, the film still feels extremely modern especially when it comes to photography/directing. If you’ve never watched one of the single most important movies of all-time you should finally do so.
Idlewild (2006) – Did you know that Outkast, one of the greatest hip-hop groups of all-time, made a musical set in the prohibition-era south? Well, they did and it’s a lot better than you realize. It was also one of my late mother’s favorite newer movies and she was never a big fan of hip-hop. The story follows childhood friends Percival (Andre 3000) and Rooster (Big Boi), speakeasy musicians who run into issues with some local gangsters.
The real star of the movie is obviously the musical numbers. Some of the songs in the movie were previously featured on Outkast’s Speakerboxx/The Love Below double album, but there’s also a soundtrack of new songs made just for the movie. The new songs mix modern hip-hop with jazz/blues from the 1930s and the results are truly incredible (my favorite songs are “PJ & Rooster”, “Idlewild Blue”, “Chronomentrophobia”, & “When I look In Your Eyes”) You absolutely do not have to be a fan of hip-hop to enjoy this underrated gem, and if you go into it with an open mind I think you’ll come out pleasantly surprised.
A Goofy Movie (1995) – I know that a lot of people my age watched A Goofy Movie when it came out, but how many have since seen it again as an adult? A Goofy Movie may just be Disney’s most underrated movie of all-time, and that’s really saying something. The cross-generational connection story between Goofy, a single father just trying his hardest, and his son Max, your typical angsty teenager, truly doesn’t get the credit it deserves. When you watch it as a kid, you’re totally on Max’s side but the older you get, you start to understand where Goofy is coming from as well.
The movie also features an incredible soundtrack. Tevin Campbell’s (aka Powerline) “I2″I & “Standout” are fantastic high energy pop-songs that still hold up today. “After Today” and “On the Open Road” are humorous and “Nobody Else But You” is the movie’s emotional “father & son” song. I really think that out of all the Disney movies, A Goofy Movie understands the complexities of a parent/child relationship the most, and that’s what makes it so special. Not many movies touch on male bonding/learning from a father figure as well as this one does!
So that’s my list! I really hope that you find some new-to-you movies on here that you wind up really enoying!
