Top 10 Underrated Movies of All Time

These are some of the greatest movies of all time you may have never seen. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 underrated movies of all time.

For this list, we’re looking at movies released between the 1980s and 2010s that remain mysteriously overlooked or forgotten over the years and often suffered from a modest box office performance or general lack of acknowledgment, despite their quality.

This movie was written and directed by Wes Anderson, and features all of his trademark quirkiness, eccentricity and originality, which make for a fun, if awkward, time. It’s filled with terrific performances by an all-star cast, most notably Bill Murray as Steve, a man who sets out to find the shark that killed his friend. While Wes is becoming more popular today, this movie proved too strange for audiences, receiving mixed reviews and bombing with a box-office performance of only $35 million.

Notable for being director Michael Mann’s major film directorial debut, “Thief” is just as powerful and exciting as any of his other movies. Adapted from a novel written by real thief John Seybold, it tells the story of a thief performing a job for the mafia. The film stars James Caan, and like usual, he is terrific in the role, embodying a professional thief perfectly. “Thief” is heart stopping at its best moments, proving to be an exciting and intelligent film that broke boundaries of what a thriller could accomplish.

A great merger of Western and vampire films, “Near Dark” perfectly blends the two genres together, but never loses the unique touch that makes each one memorable. The movie is directed by Kathryn Bigelow, now a big name A-lister, and received favorable reviews and later a cult following. However, it was released too soon after more successful vampire movies, being overshadowed by their success. Even so, as a young man becomes involved with a group of nomadic vampires, the audience is treated to a tour-de-force of beautifully shot sequences, lots of blood, and even some genuine emotion.

Easily one of the most overlooked movies of this current decade so far, “Prisoners” is a fantastic film that showcases the talents of everyone. It’s about two young girls who are kidnapped in Pennsylvania, and while it sounds simple enough, it is a dark, complex, and emotional story that hits many unpredictable beats. The performances are outstanding, specifically those by Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal, and the movie was nominated for an Oscar for its breathtaking cinematography. It’s a work of art that deserves all the recognition it can get.

Action comedies are a winning combination, and this is certainly the case with “Something Wild,” an underrated gem starring the always-fantastic Jeff Daniels as a man who is taken on an adventure by a free-spirited woman. While it certainly isn’t as popular as it deserves to be due to its quirkiness, it has obtained a cult following and has been hailed as one of Daniels’ funniest, most overlooked roles. It also has plenty of tonal shifts to keep the movie interesting, and it makes for one unpredictable ride.

One of Brian De Palma’s masterpieces, “Blow Out” sees the director at the top of his game and features an A-list cast, including the outstanding John Travolta and John Lithgow. Negative word of mouth spread after the movie premiered due to its dreary story about a sound effects technician who discovered audio evidence of an assassination. As such, it performed poorly at the box office and never reached an audience. The ending only adds to the film’s depravity, and makes for an emotional, yet unforgettable movie experience.

A unique title for a unique movie, it lets the audience know right away what they’re getting into, which is a terrific story leading up to the titular historic killing of Jesse James by Robert Ford. Starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck, respectively, they become their characters through hypnotic performances, and the movie is completed by memorably beautiful and desolate cinematography. It deserves a spot in the pantheon of great Westerns, but sadly, it bombed at the box office and has failed to make an impression.

Everyone loves the Coen brothers. So why doesn’t everybody love this movie? The most anyone knows about it is the famous forest scene, but there’s so much more in the story of a man who plays both sides of a gangster family rivalry. It features the signature Coen intensity, and the performances are all outstanding. The movie was released before the brothers became popular, and consequently, was quickly forgotten, but that’s not to say this outing isn’t just as fantastic as their other efforts.

Easily the most underrated film of the ‘90s, “A Simple Plan” has an A-list cast and the fantastic Sam Raimi behind the camera. The film follows Billy Bob Thornton and Bill Paxton as brothers who discover over $4 million in cash and begin to doubt each other in their plan to keep it secret. The story plays out intensely and unpredictably, and the performances are all mesmerizing, with each character reaching their breaking point in realistic fashion. It was even nominated for two Academy Awards, but sadly, never got a fraction of the audience it should have.

Before we look at our most underrated film of all time, here are a few honorable mentions:

Seven Psychopaths
Dredd
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Moon
Red Rock West

When we say comedy, the gritty Martin Scorsese is probably not the first person to pop into your head, but his funny bone shines in this film about a man who runs into misadventures as he makes his way home. Scorsese had successfully dabbled in comedy prior to this with “The King of Comedy,” but “After Hours”’ outrageous, fun and relatively simple premise makes it a true gem. Scorsese even won himself the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival, and the movie remains darkly hilarious, but sadly overlooked to this day.

Do you agree with our list? What do you think is the most underrated movie of all time? For more informative top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.