“I'm in a wonderful position; I'm unknown, I'm underrated, and there's nowhere to go but up.”
-- Pierre S du Pont IV
-- Pierre S du Pont IV
As opposed to movies that had potential and just need another chance, these are movies that were actually done correctly and overlooked for other reasons.
10. Another Earth
The General Consensus:
An independent movie that grossed about $1.8 million at the box office, nowhere near enough people saw this to have a consensus.
What it Really Is:
Don't worry, I'm not turning this into a pretentious list of independent movies you should've seen. But trust me on this one: it is not nearly as sci-fi as the premise would have you believe. A planet identical to Earth is found orbiting the Sun and it is thought that even the lifeforms on it were identical until the moment the two planets noticed each other. But all of that is secondary to one woman's guilt and one man's coping and their interaction because of it. The ending puts a bow on the whole thing and brings the sci-fi back to the forefront.
The General Consensus:
An independent movie that grossed about $1.8 million at the box office, nowhere near enough people saw this to have a consensus.
What it Really Is:
Don't worry, I'm not turning this into a pretentious list of independent movies you should've seen. But trust me on this one: it is not nearly as sci-fi as the premise would have you believe. A planet identical to Earth is found orbiting the Sun and it is thought that even the lifeforms on it were identical until the moment the two planets noticed each other. But all of that is secondary to one woman's guilt and one man's coping and their interaction because of it. The ending puts a bow on the whole thing and brings the sci-fi back to the forefront.
9. Sunshine
The General Consensus:
A throwaway British sci-fi movie that wanted you to take The Human Torch seriously.
What it Really Is:
A movie that asks you to suspend a lot of disbelief (we're using the last of Earth's radioactive material to restart the dying-sooner-than-expected Sun), but under the policy of always granting a movie it's initial premise, this is actually a great watch. I mentioned before that Chris Evans plays a badass in it. Throw in a great villain and some trippy final scenes, and you have a great movie that you'll be thinking about long after the credits roll.
The General Consensus:
A throwaway British sci-fi movie that wanted you to take The Human Torch seriously.
What it Really Is:
A movie that asks you to suspend a lot of disbelief (we're using the last of Earth's radioactive material to restart the dying-sooner-than-expected Sun), but under the policy of always granting a movie it's initial premise, this is actually a great watch. I mentioned before that Chris Evans plays a badass in it. Throw in a great villain and some trippy final scenes, and you have a great movie that you'll be thinking about long after the credits roll.
8. Warrior
The General Consensus:
A poor man's Rocky designed to cash in on the popularity of MMA.
What it Really Is:
A fantastic movie that has a lot to say about family. It's pretty easy to blame the marketing on this one. The trailer is awful, splicing the most kitschy scenes together with the most violent ones and opening with the line "I want to know who the toughest man on the planet is." That doesn't do much to dispel the preconception that this is going to be a mindless punchfest (a notion I admittedly held before watching). It's really much more akin to The Fighter, and I'd argue superior in many respects.
The General Consensus:
A poor man's Rocky designed to cash in on the popularity of MMA.
What it Really Is:
A fantastic movie that has a lot to say about family. It's pretty easy to blame the marketing on this one. The trailer is awful, splicing the most kitschy scenes together with the most violent ones and opening with the line "I want to know who the toughest man on the planet is." That doesn't do much to dispel the preconception that this is going to be a mindless punchfest (a notion I admittedly held before watching). It's really much more akin to The Fighter, and I'd argue superior in many respects.
7. Pandorum
The General Consensus:
Is there one? I'm not sure this movie is well-known enough to have a consensus.
What it Really Is:
A tense sci-fi horror film that benefits from claustrophobic sets, and a cavalcade of twists at the end that are spaced perfectly to let you absorb them before hitting you with the next one. Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster both deliver and effects are surprisingly good for a $33 million movie. Proof that great sci-fi can still be made on a budget, it deserved better than its $20 million box office take.
The General Consensus:
Is there one? I'm not sure this movie is well-known enough to have a consensus.
What it Really Is:
A tense sci-fi horror film that benefits from claustrophobic sets, and a cavalcade of twists at the end that are spaced perfectly to let you absorb them before hitting you with the next one. Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster both deliver and effects are surprisingly good for a $33 million movie. Proof that great sci-fi can still be made on a budget, it deserved better than its $20 million box office take.
6. Multiplicity
The General Consensus:
An unfunny comedy. When they miss, there isn't much to say about them.
What it Really Is:
The only comedy good enough to make the list. Somewhat unique (Eddie Murphy loves playing multiple roles, but it isn't exactly a Michael Keaton staple), it has plenty of memorable scenes and one-liners ("She touched my peppy, Steve.") Made on a budget of $45 million, it would probably cost half that today, and the fact that it didn't make it's budget back at the box office has stuck with it like a scarlet letter.
The General Consensus:
An unfunny comedy. When they miss, there isn't much to say about them.
What it Really Is:
The only comedy good enough to make the list. Somewhat unique (Eddie Murphy loves playing multiple roles, but it isn't exactly a Michael Keaton staple), it has plenty of memorable scenes and one-liners ("She touched my peppy, Steve.") Made on a budget of $45 million, it would probably cost half that today, and the fact that it didn't make it's budget back at the box office has stuck with it like a scarlet letter.
5. Reign of Fire
The General Consensus:
That terrible dragon movie.
What it Really Is:
Christian Bale, Gerard Butler, and Matthew McConaughey making a better-than-you-remember end-of-the-world movie. 1 part Dragonheart, 1 part The Road, and 1 part Braveheart (you can't tell me McConaughey's character doesn't bear at least a passing resemblance to the Irishman, Stephen, in Braveheart), the movie was just a tad ahead of its time, arriving before the post-apocalyptic craze really took off.
The General Consensus:
That terrible dragon movie.
What it Really Is:
Christian Bale, Gerard Butler, and Matthew McConaughey making a better-than-you-remember end-of-the-world movie. 1 part Dragonheart, 1 part The Road, and 1 part Braveheart (you can't tell me McConaughey's character doesn't bear at least a passing resemblance to the Irishman, Stephen, in Braveheart), the movie was just a tad ahead of its time, arriving before the post-apocalyptic craze really took off.
4. Silent Hill
The General Consensus:
A video game adaptation. That phrase alone conjures up all sorts of preconceived notions that aren't complimentary.
What it Really Is:
A well-paced horror movie that also features Sean Bean (and he doesn't die!), but is mainly carried by Radha Mitchell who is a little out of her depth, but not by enough to ruin the movie. It has several diversions that are obviously present to remain faithful to the video game, it is still creepy enough in its ambience and themes to be more than watchable.
The General Consensus:
A video game adaptation. That phrase alone conjures up all sorts of preconceived notions that aren't complimentary.
What it Really Is:
A well-paced horror movie that also features Sean Bean (and he doesn't die!), but is mainly carried by Radha Mitchell who is a little out of her depth, but not by enough to ruin the movie. It has several diversions that are obviously present to remain faithful to the video game, it is still creepy enough in its ambience and themes to be more than watchable.
3. The Mist
The General Consensus:
Yet another Stephen King adaptation, only notable for being released in theaters instead of as a TV miniseries.
What it Really Is:
A taut horror movie that parses out information to the audience so sparingly that it's easy to share in the character's sense of dread. As an added bonus, it reworks the book's ending to a much darker one, prompting Mr. King himself to say it was superior to his novel. Competent effects, acting, and the direction of Frank Darabont mean this should have gotten a longer look from audiences.
The General Consensus:
Yet another Stephen King adaptation, only notable for being released in theaters instead of as a TV miniseries.
What it Really Is:
A taut horror movie that parses out information to the audience so sparingly that it's easy to share in the character's sense of dread. As an added bonus, it reworks the book's ending to a much darker one, prompting Mr. King himself to say it was superior to his novel. Competent effects, acting, and the direction of Frank Darabont mean this should have gotten a longer look from audiences.
2. Dark City
The General Consensus:
Like Pandorum, I don't know that it's well known enough for a general consensus.
What it Really Is:
A completely overshadowed masterpiece. Released in 1998, it explored similar themes as The Matrix (1999), and given the latter's cinematography, got lost in the shuffle. Make no mistake: this may be lower budget, with fewer recognizable names, but it explores the themes of individuality and the human soul from a completely different, arguably more compelling angle than it's better known cousin.
The General Consensus:
Like Pandorum, I don't know that it's well known enough for a general consensus.
What it Really Is:
A completely overshadowed masterpiece. Released in 1998, it explored similar themes as The Matrix (1999), and given the latter's cinematography, got lost in the shuffle. Make no mistake: this may be lower budget, with fewer recognizable names, but it explores the themes of individuality and the human soul from a completely different, arguably more compelling angle than it's better known cousin.
1. Vanilla Sky
The General Consensus:
An overly-pretentious Tom Cruise vanity project in the vein of Eyes Wide Shut.
What it Really Is:
Directed by Cameron Crowe, Vanilla Sky is a brilliant, well cast (yes, you've got Tom Cruise, but there's also Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, and Jason Lee, plus Michael Shannon and Banshee's Ivana Milicevic in incredibly minor roles), psychological thriller where Cruise's ability to easily slip into these leading man roles like a change of clothes works perfectly. Its only flaw is that they seem in a bit of a hurry to get through their "big reveal" ending and don't really let you take it all in.
The General Consensus:
An overly-pretentious Tom Cruise vanity project in the vein of Eyes Wide Shut.
What it Really Is:
Directed by Cameron Crowe, Vanilla Sky is a brilliant, well cast (yes, you've got Tom Cruise, but there's also Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, and Jason Lee, plus Michael Shannon and Banshee's Ivana Milicevic in incredibly minor roles), psychological thriller where Cruise's ability to easily slip into these leading man roles like a change of clothes works perfectly. Its only flaw is that they seem in a bit of a hurry to get through their "big reveal" ending and don't really let you take it all in.
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