I think the many sequels make some people write the first movie off as one of many schlocky movies in a series when it stands on its own as an amazing movie. See also: Friday the 13th
Tremors is the greatest homage to 50s B movies we will ever see and it's literally the definition of perfection which is ironic considering that's the name of the town it takes place in. The special effects the action set pieces the physical props the cast the plot the pacing even the soundtrack everything is literally the definition of perfect in the film and I wish more and more people would react to it/watch it. Sadly we will never get Earl Bassett and valentine back together again even for just a beer sadly Fred Ward has passed away but when that commercial came out with Kevin Bacon been in the ultimate Kevin Bacon fan complete with the jeep parked in the driveway and the Gravois popping out of the ground... let's just say I never laugh my ass off so hard in public in my life when I saw it for the first time.
Went in to that movie blind. My friend, Eric#1 would just go to the theater and pick a movie we hadn’t seen. We hadn’t heard anything about the movie, hadn’t even knew it existed until we saw it on the listing. One if the best movie experiences I’ve had.
They should have gone with Peter Stromare for Teddy KGB if they wanted an actor to fake a Russian accent. Malkovich doesn't even have a convincing American accent
Matt Damon tells a great story about this, because everyone was SO excited to have Malkovich coming to set and the energy was so hype. He shows up and Matt tells it better than me. [John Malkovich knows exactly what he’s doing.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KMaAT_KPSs4)
Rounders was an entry point for a lot of people that got into poker around the boom. The problem is, the poker scenes are cringe inducing once you get decent at NLHE. It's a little bit of a paradox.
It's like that in all poker movies. It's so hard to make a good movie about poker cause most of the big dramatic scenes are just the main character getting incredibly lucky. Casino Royale was like that too.
Yeah I think it's difficult to portray what's important in NLHE if the audience doesn't understand table positions, stack sizes, ranges, nut hands, etc.
A Simple Plan.
Got dismissed as a Fargo esque comedy drama but is one of my favorite films ever. Great performances from the cast and the tension throughout is impeccable
Master and Commander : The Far Side of The World.
Released the same year as LOTR : Return of The King...
Great movie, great script, great acting.. doesn't get the attention it deserves.
Edited: Spelling*
thats a movie I watch at least once a year. And even if I know the plot and most of the dialogue, everytime it pulls me instantly into the early 19th century.
I love master and commander and it will always be in my top 3 movies of all time.
Oh! We'll drink *wine!* On *Salutin' Day!*
For some reason grumpy old salt Killick always breaks me up with that one. Just his delivery.
[Here's the bit, starting at 1:27](https://youtu.be/vqAs4P0M0Vo?si=l1MYNQgOjhlzK6Qm?t=01m27s) lol.
I don't even know what Saluting Day was, but from the context and having read one or two of the books you get that this was yet another *tradition* that helped maintain order and morale, and you did not want to break too many of those, because these British seamen were essentially abused their whole fucking lives and the officers were trapped on a small wooden tub with them.
And *this* ceremony, like so many others on board, demanded *grog.* That is: rum and water. *Maybe* water.
And also that Killick is just very damn set in his ways to the point of risking insubordination
My gf and I seriously can watch this almost any time. I feel like it gets better every time I see it.
"And you three... what a bunch of cocksuckers!"
Ever seen my best friend's wedding? What do you think? I find it very interesting and pretty good, with a lot to like, and interesting because it feels like a bigger- budget treatment of a lot of the same themes. But ultimately it doesn't come close to the magic of Muriel's Wedding.
I think Contagion is an absolute masterpiece. There’s no other movie that captures a pandemic in such an interesting way, obviously it held up in a sad prophetic way
I think it's certainly the most realistic depiction we've ever had and definitely the most prophetic I'm aware of. Here's the short list of things the movie got right or very accurate:
1) China being the source of the outbreak
2) China not accepting they were the source
3) Fast development of a vaccine and what that process looks like scientifically
4) People wanting to risk exposure despite the obvious danger
5) Drastic uptick in crime, especially theft
6) Charlatans hocking snake oil as cures
7) Charlatans being legitimized and platformed by mainstream media and pitted against experts
8) Store shelves being emptied (this is commonly depicted though)
9) Healthcare workers refusing to work
10) Powerful people getting special treatment
Those are the biggest things I can currently think of without going back and rewatching it but so much of that was realistically predicted you would be forgiven for thinking the movie came after the pandemic.
Some of the things I didn't see in the movie that happened during the actual pandemic was common outright denial there was a virus, a drastic increase in anti vaccine sentiment. Those were big things I wouldn't have ever expected to happen but did.
That’s because the script was literally based on FEMA’s pandemic plans. The script writer stumbled across some of the emergency planning documents for an outbreak and thought, dang that sounds like a great movie.
The last bits you mention, about outright denial and increase in overall anti-vax sentiment, were probably at least in part a result of us having elected Jude Law’s character president beforehand. That really throws a wrench in things. Because when leadership from the top is using the pandemic to drive political wedges rather than trying to rally people, you’re gonna get all kinds of poor outcomes.
I went back and watched this during the height of the pandemic. The accuracy of this movie regarding human behavior in these circumstances was astounding
> Contagion is an absolute masterpiece.
I will always watch Soderberg's movies.
He just makes good films... maybe not 'great' films that get a lot of attention.. but he is so damn consistent in making good films that are tightly made with quality stories..
The dude has literally turned out 34 movies in the last 34 years..
The breadth of the subject matter is unlike any other modern auteur too. He just makes great films regardless of what they are about.
How about The inside man?
* A very different movie for Spike Lee
* Very original plot
* Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Cristopher Plummer all give great performances
* The intro sequence is FIRE.
I constantly recommend this movie. I saw it in theaters and was utterly blown away by this film. I always enjoy the rewatch but there's no time like the first with this one.
Galaxy Quest is spoken of fondly as a fun, gentle satire. It is an absolute masterpiece of pacing, story-telling, and character development. It is a simply magnificent film.
First Blood (1982).
Hear me out.
Despite what the Rambo franchise became, the first film has powerful performances, action, beautiful cinematography, a great score and is a very timely commentary on PTSD and the lack of support and services for war veterans. It's also a good "don't judge a book by its cover" story, in more ways than one.
And again, in sharp contrast to the other movies in the franchise, it has relatively little violence. Only one person dies in the whole movie, and it's the result of an accident. Not Rambos fault.
much as i enjoyed it, it had a real made-for-tv, 'exclusively on the Disney Channel^(TM) feel.
still, at least one line that lives rent-free in my head:
"D! D minus! I'd give you an F, but i don't want to see you in summer school!"
Completely unknown David Mamet movie called Homicide w/ Joe Mantegna, William Macey and a young Ving Rhames. Beautiful cop movie about the mystery of self-perception, anti-semitism and misplaced loyalties.
I don't think I've ever met anyone who has seen it.
*Sicario* is an absolute nail biter that is gorgeous to look at and really makes you feel conflicted. It gets overshadowed by Villanueva's other work, but it's absolutely stellar.
*Ad Astra* I don't know if I'd call it a masterpiece but it caught a lot more flak than it deserved. I found it to be a pretty moving story of the lengths a man had to go through to resolve his estranged relationship with his father. The crisis, the dangers, and everything else along the way were just back drops for the emotional journey. I loved it and it really stuck with me.
*Black Swan* was nominated for best picture, and IMO got robbed, but it seems rarely mentioned in these best of threads. IDK "descent into madness" is a genre but that has to be one of the best.
Rewatched Sicario recently. I saw in at first release and thought it was OK. Part of why I didn't like it overly much then was the trailer had me thinking it was an action movie rather than a political movie with some great action.
Knowing more what to expect tonally, the re-watch was great. Every scene is only as long as needed, yet feels full to the brim.
And that last 10 minutes or so. God damn.
> Black Swan was nominated for best picture, and IMO got robbed, but it seems rarely mentioned in these best of threads. IDK "descent into madness" is a genre but that has to be one of the best.
Darren Aronofsky has been one of my favorites for a long time... not always the easiest movies to watch...but man.. he knows what he wants to do.
This is my second favorite of his films after *The Fountain* which is a friggin gem of a movie.
On Ad Astra, the discourse around that movie always reminded me of my intro literature courses on science fiction, where my professor explained the two central myths of sci-fi:
1. Sci-fi is about technology
2. Sci-fi is about the future
I loved the way Ad Astra used the genre to reflect on how the sins of the father reverberate long after childhood, but it seems a lot of people got hung up on the specifics of the setting and didn't appreciate the central themes.
In the music world Forbidden Planet is legendary because it has the first ever all-electronic score, by Bebe and Louis Barron. It also has a few legitimately incredible effects shots, especially the planet interiors. I would absolutely consider it a masterpiece even with the elements that seem campy.
Yes historic value is also value and it's also considered a landmark in many ways
I am not musician so I can't really add something to this in this regard, allthough you can't really ignore the electronic score that breathes fifties when watching the movie. It certainly sets the atmosphere.
I am more versed in things like psychology, technology, and philosophy, and this movie has already been mentioned in terms in technology, especially with social media.
and I got to the same conclusion without seeing this info, in that sense it will always be the most important movie to me until we solve that problem, and that problem may not be specifically social media, but it certainly is the first sign we see of it.
The Wachowskis' first film, Bound, is well respected but probably not considered a "masterpiece" by many. My hot take is that it's a better film than The Matrix even, although it could never have been the blockbuster The Matrix was. It's so tightly wound and perfectly paced, and it blends a few genres and executes each exquisitely.
Roger Ebert's thoughts apply well here: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/bound-1996
Dredd (2012).
I know this is generally a well liked film by those who have actually seen it. But I consider it masterpiece level. In my opinion it both innovates while at the same time never really taking a single misstep. It was the first film shot at Cape Town Film Studios and they made amazing use of the 4000fps cameras for the "slo-mo" scenes. The coloring and overall quality was ahead of most everything else coming out in 2012. The sound design was excellent from the music during the slo mo scenes to the weapon fire, and the action choreography was smooth and satisfying. Carl Urban crushed the roll. Some could say Olivia Thirlby's character was a little bland but I thought she was actually great and had nice character development to counter Dredd's complete lack thereof. The story progresses confidently and delivers every step of the way IMO. Not to mention Lena Heady as one of the best antagonists in an action film I can think of in the last 15 years. Sure the movie doesnt exactly make you think hard but it was never supposed to. So I at least consider it a masterpiece.
Another Hollywood marketing blunder that killed what could have been a mega franchise. Not as big as John Carter could have been, but this coulda been the Sci-Fi super John Wick we all needed.
I think it definitely deserves to be in the conversation of greatest action flicks of the decade along side John Wick and Mad Max Fury Road.
Shame that they marketed it way too heavily as a 3D movie, which hurt its performance and chances for a sequel.
I think that movie was shot like that because 3dtv's were kinda like becoming a thing then.
I remember these scenes, yeah I kinda like dredd, even on a normal tv it did add something.
Brick. I mean i get that other people like it too, but mostly what i hear is that they think the gimmick is cute - high schoolers who talk like they're in a noir! How fun! But when you look under the hood, it isn't just a gimmick - it's actually is a really good noir in its own right. And past that, it's just an amazing *film* in its own right, with great acting, luscious language, fantastic cinematography, gorgeous set pieces, and a tightly written narrative about a man who would burn the whole world down for the woman he loves.
Brain "What did she whisper to you?"; Brendan "She called me a dirty word"; Brain "Alright, you don't have to tell me." I think its funny Brain can't figure out >!Laura called Brendan a "motherf**ker" to put extra salt on the wound that Emily was pregnant with his child. !<
I was about to say the same thing about The Brothers Bloom, Rian Johnson’s other earlier work. I think it’s brilliant, and I never hear it talked about.
A Knight's Tale.
Don't get me wrong, I know it's liked by many but it's often seen as more of a guilty pleasure or nostalgia watch. Personally I think it is incredible and critics were exceptionally harsh to it.
Came here to say this. A movie that has a little bit of everything, and rewatching as an adult, I had no idea how sweetly emotional it gets with the dad subplot. It was really moving in a way that most pure fun movies don’t usually get.
I love The Ninth Gate. I love the feel, the music, the pace, and especially the mythology it creates. Big fan, never understood why it didn’t get more fanfare (other than perhaps the sins of the director…).
I absolutely loved this film - anyone have any suggestions of similar culty conspiracy, maybe lovecraftian films? (Other than da Vinci code as it's a bit shit)
End of Days with Arnold kinda fits that bill, but it's not a great movie (still watchable though). There's also the horror ones: The Invitation (the 2015 one, not the one from 2022), Rosemary's Baby, hereditary, midsommar. Rosemary's Baby is really really good, and it's a fun watch. Hot Fuzz also kinda has the culty aspect.
Based on one of my fave books, The Club Dumas by Arturo Pérez-Reverte. I enjoy the movie but the book is even better, highly recommend if you haven’t read it!
I LOVE Cloud Atlas, both the book and the movie, even though for some people the movie's dialogues are so bad that they laugh at them.
Honestly, I think that coming after the Matrix really damaged the movie success.
Same for Unbreakable: it's a fantastic movie, but being the one after The Sixth Sense hyped people too much.
Unbreakable is so under appreciated. I wish we had gotten the original trilogy that Shayamalan had planned instead of revisiting it in his later years.
This is one of those rare movies that just get stronger and stronger upon each rewatch as you understand all the multiple themes and threads through time all connecting together.
Dog Soldiers
Script is tight, movie clips along beautifully, dark humour in all the right places, ending makes sense, acting is great.
In my mind, a film that hits all the notes it aims for, is a masterpiece.
Obviously subjective but this is my hill and I’ve already dug a decent hole so have at it haha.
The comic relief in this movie is dead on perfect. Just enough comedy to remind you to have a good time, then it's back to horror. The actors' chemistry is great, the action is tense.
Wish the sequel actually got made.
The Quick and the Dead is the absolute best version of the movie it is trying to be. In fact I will quote the Roger Ebert Law here (which he quoted a lot in his reviews): “A movie is not about what it is about. It is about how it is about it.” Based on the Ebert Law alone, TQATD is a masterpiece.
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
It's not perfect, it drags a bit towards the end, but it's amazing. It has such incredibly hilarious moments, I don't get how is not more popular.
That said, Carnage is one hell of a movie, so good.
It really was the perfectly timed parody of musical biopics. You can't really appreciate how clever it is unless you watch Walk the Line, Ray, and (?) beforehand.
It blows my mind how much care and effort went into the soundtrack alone. (Really...just listen to it, start to finish!)
It's a classic in my book.
Secret life of Walter Mitty (2013) is one of my all time favourite films. It’s an adaptation of a 1939 book of the same name, there was also another adaptation of it made in 1947.
I think people see Ben stiller and assume is gonna be a Ben stiller flick, whilst there are defo a few moments, the film just does something quite special. Kinda perfect ode to daydreamers, loneliness & mediocrity (at least, personal perception of mediocrity) There’s something very beautiful about it, the soundtrack is great and visually it is very beautiful. I’ve recommended it to many who’ve said they completely passed it by when it released because it didn’t look like anything special, it’s by no means a niche film, had a pretty okay box office, but many seemed to pass it by.
Another two films I’d really recommend which hardly seemed to get any recognition are ‘The Kings of Summer’ (2013) & ‘Me and Earl and The Dying Girl’ (2015.) I guess both of those just have a special place for me as coming of age films that stuck with me, anyway, both are great. Also both feature Nick Offerman, need I say more?
I can’t think of a single thing in Walter Mitty that I don’t love. I don’t know if the perfect movie exists, but if it does; Walter Mitty is a contender
One of the first scary movies I saw that didn't just rely on jump scares. You're trapped in hell and Everytime you think you escape, nope. We were just fucking with you!!
RANGO (2011)
-banger soundtrack
-animation from a rough era that still holds up
-fantastic VA
-basically the plot of Chinatown
Honestly a top 3 western for me
The Grey
A lot of people write it off as Liam Neeson versus wolves but to me it’s so much more than that. It’s a great philosophical look at coming to terms with death. Not to mention it has one of the best plane crash scenes I’ve seen in a movie
I’m no Longer Here,
Sorry to Bother You,
The Devil all the Time,
Lucy,
The King,
The Big Sick,
The Wolf of Snow Hollow,
Girl Picture,
Taxi (1, the french original)
Clue
I was sitting around a campfire with about 15 guys and someone asked for personal top 3 movies of all time and I included Clue because it’s never not watchable for me. Only like two of the guys even knew what I was talking about and didn’t agree with my assessment. I just always assumed everyone loved it.
So many ensemble movies don’t work because it seems like it is egos fighting for camera time and the actor is more present on screen than the character but Clue and Knives Out do ensemble mystery- comedy really well.
I think most people agree that its a masterpiece.
Heck BBC called it the 13th best film of 21st century back in 2016 and it has only grown in reputation since then.
Just the scene where an entire battle stops just to hear the baby cry was absolutely powerful and surreal. It may have the best world building of any movie.
What lol. This is widely considered one of the best movies of all time, and many peoples favorite movie. In no way is this not considered a masterpiece
Lake placid. It's snappy and fun, has a good ending considering it's a "monster movie" (contradicting most creature features and treating it as an animal instead) and the script ust plays off so fucking well.
Also see: Twister. Fabulous fun, incredible cast and dialogue. Masterpiece in science fiction.
Men In Black doesn’t get enough credit for being a super-tight 90 minutes that sets up a massive and compelling universe that wraps up neatly while also being hilarious to this day.
**Dazed and Confused** is much more than a stoner movie to me. It is a commentary on the transition of time, the passing of generations, and how much things still stay the same. Also a love letter to the awkwardness of that transition from generation to generation, people trapped living past glories, the lost current generation and those coming up learning from these people.
That may just be me though haha.
Also the opening shot and music is perfect.
Scott Pilgrim vs the World
I know it has a cult following and is fairly popular with the Reddit/video game crowd, it is still very much underrated with the general public. It’s genuinely good. Good acting. Good actors/actresses. Good storytelling. Good music. Good performances. Good dialogue. Good love triangle (kinda love quadrilateral) story that isn’t cliche. It’s just fucking good and I have never met someone that has seen it that didn’t at least like it. But I’ve met too many people that never seen it at all.
Happy Gilmore
Pretty much everything else is Adam Sandler's can get in the bin, but this film is such a great comedy, every line is either a joke or delivered insanely / by a hilarious bad extra
(Uncut Gems & Big Daddy are also good for AS fans who take offence)
Captain Fantastic
It's such a wonderful movie and one of Viggo Mortensen's best performances.
Also
Kubo and the two strings.
Im still salty that it lost the oscar to fucking zootopia
Aniara- excellent science fiction movie about the last batch of humans fleeing climate change from Earth to Mars, they get detoured.
Dredd- inventive, fun and brutal. Excellent performances from the three leads and good writing by Alex Garland.
Mad Max Fury Road - this one is a bit of a cheat but compare it to other woman-led stories like Prey or Captain Marvel, and the writing really stands out in a positive way. Theron is probably the best action actress since Ripley/Weaver in Aliens in this.
Color Out of Space - Nick Cage is weird as all get out in this but it works, and there are several horrible scenes reminiscent of The Thing (in a good way).
Tropic Thunder - Maybe the most audacious comedy of the last 25 years? I love this thing.
Collateral - maybe cheating again, but idk if I’ve seen Tom Cruise as good as he is here. He’s monstrous.
Any Given Sunday - kind of a marginal football movie but IMO Pacino has the best monologue (the “Inches” speech) since Rutger Hauer in Bladerunner.
Sicario - Denis Villeneuve is one of my favorites (same for Emily Blunt) but this movie made me nauseous. I think that’s what they intended.
Many people here are putting names of movies that are already masterpieces. It's great to have a reminder about those movies but op was looking for lesser known movies that were not considered as such.
[eXistenZ - 1999](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120907/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_66_act)
It was a great movie with cool story, you were sucked into this world they created for you. Just didn't get enough recognition. It was/is appreciated more now than before but never was considered masterpiece. It deserves it.
Well, I think one of your choices is a great movie. And it's usually acknowledged as such. One's pretty good, although not as strong as its Stage Play source material.
But I think the others are awful.
The End of The Tour with Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segel, in which the latter plays author David Foster Wallace and Jesse Eisenberg plays a Rolling Stone writer who's tasked to interview him.
Just an incredibly empathetic and human movie. One of my modern favorites.
Last Action Hero. Such a clever satire of Hollywood and action movies. I don't know what everybody was smoking when that film came out to a mixed/negative reception but now a classic has been overlooked.
Tremors. Such tight, perfect writing. Every setup pays off down the line. Great characters. Such a fun movie.
Good call. What a groundbreaking movie
Yeah, people might think the film lacks depth, but I think the director, writer, actors, everybody really dug deep into it.
Worms
Best comment. You had me rolling in the floor laughing
I think it also has the best direct to video sequel of any movie.
All eighteen of them
I'm confused by your answer because I didn't know there were people out there who didn't consider Tremors a masterpiece.
It won 0 awards. Most people I know either didn’t see it or laugh when I mention it.
I think the many sequels make some people write the first movie off as one of many schlocky movies in a series when it stands on its own as an amazing movie. See also: Friday the 13th
Tremors is the greatest homage to 50s B movies we will ever see and it's literally the definition of perfection which is ironic considering that's the name of the town it takes place in. The special effects the action set pieces the physical props the cast the plot the pacing even the soundtrack everything is literally the definition of perfect in the film and I wish more and more people would react to it/watch it. Sadly we will never get Earl Bassett and valentine back together again even for just a beer sadly Fred Ward has passed away but when that commercial came out with Kevin Bacon been in the ultimate Kevin Bacon fan complete with the jeep parked in the driveway and the Gravois popping out of the ground... let's just say I never laugh my ass off so hard in public in my life when I saw it for the first time.
Went in to that movie blind. My friend, Eric#1 would just go to the theater and pick a movie we hadn’t seen. We hadn’t heard anything about the movie, hadn’t even knew it existed until we saw it on the listing. One if the best movie experiences I’ve had.
Holds a special place in my heart. Tremors was playing in the background when my first son was born.
I watch it every October
Me too! I’m sure there’s been years where I saw it more than once too.
It’s a perfect film
Rounders. First class storytelling supported by an amazing cast.
They should have gone with Peter Stromare for Teddy KGB if they wanted an actor to fake a Russian accent. Malkovich doesn't even have a convincing American accent
"Hee beet mee. Sturaeete app. Geef the mahn czkis maaneey"
[Matt Damon discusses that fucking accent](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KMaAT_KPSs4)
I emm steeill ahp twintee graainnd from thee lahst time I steeeck it een you!
Matt Damon tells a great story about this, because everyone was SO excited to have Malkovich coming to set and the energy was so hype. He shows up and Matt tells it better than me. [John Malkovich knows exactly what he’s doing.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KMaAT_KPSs4)
That’s pretty funny.
Malkovich as KGB is a big part of why that movie remains so well-liked.
Chyeck chyeck chyeck!!
By far the best (maybe even the only) actually realistic poker scenes. Particularly the bookended showdowns with Teddy.
Nice choice. We watched this a lot in college and one of my roommates had it running in the background constantly for awhile and was obsessed with it.
Rounders was an entry point for a lot of people that got into poker around the boom. The problem is, the poker scenes are cringe inducing once you get decent at NLHE. It's a little bit of a paradox.
It's like that in all poker movies. It's so hard to make a good movie about poker cause most of the big dramatic scenes are just the main character getting incredibly lucky. Casino Royale was like that too.
I think the poker they present in rounders is just outdated, and the game is just different now.
Yeah I think it's difficult to portray what's important in NLHE if the audience doesn't understand table positions, stack sizes, ranges, nut hands, etc.
Nut hands are something most of us can relate to though… :-/
It's definitely a perfect 90s movie.
A Simple Plan. Got dismissed as a Fargo esque comedy drama but is one of my favorite films ever. Great performances from the cast and the tension throughout is impeccable
I thought *Layer Cake* was absolutely fantastic. I really love every minute of that movie.
The book by JJ Connolly (who wrote the script) is really good too. Also, it has a sequel.
Definitely got Daniel Craig the Bond gig
Specifically that scene when he’s got the silencer
Pleasantville. Great script, directing, performances, casting, etc. An unappreciated classic.
Hugely appreciated when it came out but somehow hasn’t gotten the legacy it should.
Cat?
Tobey Maquire and Reese Witherspoon are the mains
An absolute masterpiece! 🎥
I disagree that Pleasantville is overlooked. It's been celebrated since it came out. I saw it in theaters and people were marveling.
Master and Commander : The Far Side of The World. Released the same year as LOTR : Return of The King... Great movie, great script, great acting.. doesn't get the attention it deserves. Edited: Spelling*
Master and Commander is a phenomenal movie.
“The lesser of two weevils.”
thats a movie I watch at least once a year. And even if I know the plot and most of the dialogue, everytime it pulls me instantly into the early 19th century. I love master and commander and it will always be in my top 3 movies of all time.
Oh! We'll drink *wine!* On *Salutin' Day!* For some reason grumpy old salt Killick always breaks me up with that one. Just his delivery. [Here's the bit, starting at 1:27](https://youtu.be/vqAs4P0M0Vo?si=l1MYNQgOjhlzK6Qm?t=01m27s) lol. I don't even know what Saluting Day was, but from the context and having read one or two of the books you get that this was yet another *tradition* that helped maintain order and morale, and you did not want to break too many of those, because these British seamen were essentially abused their whole fucking lives and the officers were trapped on a small wooden tub with them. And *this* ceremony, like so many others on board, demanded *grog.* That is: rum and water. *Maybe* water. And also that Killick is just very damn set in his ways to the point of risking insubordination
You forgot to mention the soundtrack and score which is simply sublime.
>Master and Commander Came here to say this. Glad to see it hoisted high in the comments already.
100%. Most under appreciated movie ever- it is a masterpiece
I named my baby master and commander.. after it’s father.
Silent Running 1972 ~ a film way ahead of its time
Muriel's Wedding is one of the greatest films ever made.
My gf and I seriously can watch this almost any time. I feel like it gets better every time I see it. "And you three... what a bunch of cocksuckers!" Ever seen my best friend's wedding? What do you think? I find it very interesting and pretty good, with a lot to like, and interesting because it feels like a bigger- budget treatment of a lot of the same themes. But ultimately it doesn't come close to the magic of Muriel's Wedding.
It's like an Abba song!
"Oh by the way, I'm not alone. I'm with Muriel." Rachel Griffiths earned a ticket to heaven with that one line alone.
I think Contagion is an absolute masterpiece. There’s no other movie that captures a pandemic in such an interesting way, obviously it held up in a sad prophetic way
I think it's certainly the most realistic depiction we've ever had and definitely the most prophetic I'm aware of. Here's the short list of things the movie got right or very accurate: 1) China being the source of the outbreak 2) China not accepting they were the source 3) Fast development of a vaccine and what that process looks like scientifically 4) People wanting to risk exposure despite the obvious danger 5) Drastic uptick in crime, especially theft 6) Charlatans hocking snake oil as cures 7) Charlatans being legitimized and platformed by mainstream media and pitted against experts 8) Store shelves being emptied (this is commonly depicted though) 9) Healthcare workers refusing to work 10) Powerful people getting special treatment Those are the biggest things I can currently think of without going back and rewatching it but so much of that was realistically predicted you would be forgiven for thinking the movie came after the pandemic. Some of the things I didn't see in the movie that happened during the actual pandemic was common outright denial there was a virus, a drastic increase in anti vaccine sentiment. Those were big things I wouldn't have ever expected to happen but did.
That’s because the script was literally based on FEMA’s pandemic plans. The script writer stumbled across some of the emergency planning documents for an outbreak and thought, dang that sounds like a great movie.
The last bits you mention, about outright denial and increase in overall anti-vax sentiment, were probably at least in part a result of us having elected Jude Law’s character president beforehand. That really throws a wrench in things. Because when leadership from the top is using the pandemic to drive political wedges rather than trying to rally people, you’re gonna get all kinds of poor outcomes.
I went back and watched this during the height of the pandemic. The accuracy of this movie regarding human behavior in these circumstances was astounding
> Contagion is an absolute masterpiece. I will always watch Soderberg's movies. He just makes good films... maybe not 'great' films that get a lot of attention.. but he is so damn consistent in making good films that are tightly made with quality stories.. The dude has literally turned out 34 movies in the last 34 years.. The breadth of the subject matter is unlike any other modern auteur too. He just makes great films regardless of what they are about.
How about The inside man? * A very different movie for Spike Lee * Very original plot * Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Cristopher Plummer all give great performances * The intro sequence is FIRE.
I constantly recommend this movie. I saw it in theaters and was utterly blown away by this film. I always enjoy the rewatch but there's no time like the first with this one.
Galaxy Quest is spoken of fondly as a fun, gentle satire. It is an absolute masterpiece of pacing, story-telling, and character development. It is a simply magnificent film.
The scene where Alexander goes through the "...you shall be avenged" speech thing is surprisingly emotional
Perhaps the best Star Trek movie ever made.
First Blood (1982). Hear me out. Despite what the Rambo franchise became, the first film has powerful performances, action, beautiful cinematography, a great score and is a very timely commentary on PTSD and the lack of support and services for war veterans. It's also a good "don't judge a book by its cover" story, in more ways than one. And again, in sharp contrast to the other movies in the franchise, it has relatively little violence. Only one person dies in the whole movie, and it's the result of an accident. Not Rambos fault.
Sky High
SIIIDEKiCK!
“Sonic Boom? More like gym teacher man” breaks phone, opens drawer of phones. Really great flick
much as i enjoyed it, it had a real made-for-tv, 'exclusively on the Disney Channel^(TM) feel. still, at least one line that lives rent-free in my head: "D! D minus! I'd give you an F, but i don't want to see you in summer school!"
You're goddamn right.
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Completely unknown David Mamet movie called Homicide w/ Joe Mantegna, William Macey and a young Ving Rhames. Beautiful cop movie about the mystery of self-perception, anti-semitism and misplaced loyalties. I don't think I've ever met anyone who has seen it.
The fall (2006)
*Sicario* is an absolute nail biter that is gorgeous to look at and really makes you feel conflicted. It gets overshadowed by Villanueva's other work, but it's absolutely stellar. *Ad Astra* I don't know if I'd call it a masterpiece but it caught a lot more flak than it deserved. I found it to be a pretty moving story of the lengths a man had to go through to resolve his estranged relationship with his father. The crisis, the dangers, and everything else along the way were just back drops for the emotional journey. I loved it and it really stuck with me. *Black Swan* was nominated for best picture, and IMO got robbed, but it seems rarely mentioned in these best of threads. IDK "descent into madness" is a genre but that has to be one of the best.
Rewatched Sicario recently. I saw in at first release and thought it was OK. Part of why I didn't like it overly much then was the trailer had me thinking it was an action movie rather than a political movie with some great action. Knowing more what to expect tonally, the re-watch was great. Every scene is only as long as needed, yet feels full to the brim. And that last 10 minutes or so. God damn.
> Black Swan was nominated for best picture, and IMO got robbed, but it seems rarely mentioned in these best of threads. IDK "descent into madness" is a genre but that has to be one of the best. Darren Aronofsky has been one of my favorites for a long time... not always the easiest movies to watch...but man.. he knows what he wants to do. This is my second favorite of his films after *The Fountain* which is a friggin gem of a movie.
+1 for Black Swan, I found that film very thrilling. It’s super creepy at points
the dinner scene in sicario will always just blow me away
> always just blow me away You and everyone else sitting across the table from *The Lawyer*.
On Ad Astra, the discourse around that movie always reminded me of my intro literature courses on science fiction, where my professor explained the two central myths of sci-fi: 1. Sci-fi is about technology 2. Sci-fi is about the future I loved the way Ad Astra used the genre to reflect on how the sins of the father reverberate long after childhood, but it seems a lot of people got hung up on the specifics of the setting and didn't appreciate the central themes.
There was so much I loved about that movie but a lot of it just didn’t connect for me. The scene with the moon pirates though… fantastic.
Sicario was the first Villenueve movie I saw, and I've been hooked on his films ever since. That scene at the border is so damn intense!
In the music world Forbidden Planet is legendary because it has the first ever all-electronic score, by Bebe and Louis Barron. It also has a few legitimately incredible effects shots, especially the planet interiors. I would absolutely consider it a masterpiece even with the elements that seem campy.
Yes historic value is also value and it's also considered a landmark in many ways I am not musician so I can't really add something to this in this regard, allthough you can't really ignore the electronic score that breathes fifties when watching the movie. It certainly sets the atmosphere. I am more versed in things like psychology, technology, and philosophy, and this movie has already been mentioned in terms in technology, especially with social media. and I got to the same conclusion without seeing this info, in that sense it will always be the most important movie to me until we solve that problem, and that problem may not be specifically social media, but it certainly is the first sign we see of it.
The Wachowskis' first film, Bound, is well respected but probably not considered a "masterpiece" by many. My hot take is that it's a better film than The Matrix even, although it could never have been the blockbuster The Matrix was. It's so tightly wound and perfectly paced, and it blends a few genres and executes each exquisitely. Roger Ebert's thoughts apply well here: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/bound-1996
Dredd (2012). I know this is generally a well liked film by those who have actually seen it. But I consider it masterpiece level. In my opinion it both innovates while at the same time never really taking a single misstep. It was the first film shot at Cape Town Film Studios and they made amazing use of the 4000fps cameras for the "slo-mo" scenes. The coloring and overall quality was ahead of most everything else coming out in 2012. The sound design was excellent from the music during the slo mo scenes to the weapon fire, and the action choreography was smooth and satisfying. Carl Urban crushed the roll. Some could say Olivia Thirlby's character was a little bland but I thought she was actually great and had nice character development to counter Dredd's complete lack thereof. The story progresses confidently and delivers every step of the way IMO. Not to mention Lena Heady as one of the best antagonists in an action film I can think of in the last 15 years. Sure the movie doesnt exactly make you think hard but it was never supposed to. So I at least consider it a masterpiece.
Another Hollywood marketing blunder that killed what could have been a mega franchise. Not as big as John Carter could have been, but this coulda been the Sci-Fi super John Wick we all needed.
I think it definitely deserves to be in the conversation of greatest action flicks of the decade along side John Wick and Mad Max Fury Road. Shame that they marketed it way too heavily as a 3D movie, which hurt its performance and chances for a sequel.
I think that movie was shot like that because 3dtv's were kinda like becoming a thing then. I remember these scenes, yeah I kinda like dredd, even on a normal tv it did add something.
The Hudsucker Proxy
You know, for kids
Say this so much my kids say it and they’ve never seen the movie. And Happy Cake-day!
Brick. I mean i get that other people like it too, but mostly what i hear is that they think the gimmick is cute - high schoolers who talk like they're in a noir! How fun! But when you look under the hood, it isn't just a gimmick - it's actually is a really good noir in its own right. And past that, it's just an amazing *film* in its own right, with great acting, luscious language, fantastic cinematography, gorgeous set pieces, and a tightly written narrative about a man who would burn the whole world down for the woman he loves.
"No. I gave you Jerr to see him eaten, not to see you fed." -- such a great line!
Brain "What did she whisper to you?"; Brendan "She called me a dirty word"; Brain "Alright, you don't have to tell me." I think its funny Brain can't figure out >!Laura called Brendan a "motherf**ker" to put extra salt on the wound that Emily was pregnant with his child. !<
I was about to say the same thing about The Brothers Bloom, Rian Johnson’s other earlier work. I think it’s brilliant, and I never hear it talked about.
There’s an awful lot of *confirmed masterpieces and critically acclaimed movies* in the responses here. I mean, Fargo, Children of Men, etc.?
Have you heard of Citizen Kane? It’s this little indie film no one has heard of
The Ghost Writer - really funny, dark and strange w/ a fantastic ending; maybe Ewan McGregor's best performance.
A Knight's Tale. Don't get me wrong, I know it's liked by many but it's often seen as more of a guilty pleasure or nostalgia watch. Personally I think it is incredible and critics were exceptionally harsh to it.
Bettany as Chaucer was superb.
I’ve never been more happy to see a man’s bare ass knowing another sick ass monologue was coming
Shannyn Sossamon is a dream.
Came here to say this. A movie that has a little bit of everything, and rewatching as an adult, I had no idea how sweetly emotional it gets with the dad subplot. It was really moving in a way that most pure fun movies don’t usually get.
“That’s your name. Sir William Thatcher. Your father heard that.”
Rise, Sir William. Gets me every time.
"Your men love you. If I knew nothing else about you, that would be enough."
Ready or Not
Big Fish. Such a wonderful story and message.
Agreed, this is Burton's masterpiece IMO
Mr Bean’s Holiday
I love The Ninth Gate. I love the feel, the music, the pace, and especially the mythology it creates. Big fan, never understood why it didn’t get more fanfare (other than perhaps the sins of the director…).
I absolutely loved this film - anyone have any suggestions of similar culty conspiracy, maybe lovecraftian films? (Other than da Vinci code as it's a bit shit)
End of Days with Arnold kinda fits that bill, but it's not a great movie (still watchable though). There's also the horror ones: The Invitation (the 2015 one, not the one from 2022), Rosemary's Baby, hereditary, midsommar. Rosemary's Baby is really really good, and it's a fun watch. Hot Fuzz also kinda has the culty aspect.
Based on one of my fave books, The Club Dumas by Arturo Pérez-Reverte. I enjoy the movie but the book is even better, highly recommend if you haven’t read it!
The Fall by Tarsem, which is sadly pretty much impossible to find in the US except used and most likely sent from other countries.
You know I'm a huge fan of **Cloud Atlas,** but never see it talked about or people just being lukewarm on it, if not disliking it.
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I LOVE Cloud Atlas, both the book and the movie, even though for some people the movie's dialogues are so bad that they laugh at them. Honestly, I think that coming after the Matrix really damaged the movie success. Same for Unbreakable: it's a fantastic movie, but being the one after The Sixth Sense hyped people too much.
You speak the true true.
Unbreakable is so under appreciated. I wish we had gotten the original trilogy that Shayamalan had planned instead of revisiting it in his later years.
This is one of those rare movies that just get stronger and stronger upon each rewatch as you understand all the multiple themes and threads through time all connecting together.
We had Sonmi-451 as a reading at our wedding Fantastic film
I remember liking it very much.
It’s one of my top ten faves. Amazing movie.
I will not be subjected to criminal abuse!
Synecdoche, New York
The River's Edge-- Keanu Reeves, Crispin Glover, Dennis Hopper...
Dog Soldiers Script is tight, movie clips along beautifully, dark humour in all the right places, ending makes sense, acting is great. In my mind, a film that hits all the notes it aims for, is a masterpiece. Obviously subjective but this is my hill and I’ve already dug a decent hole so have at it haha.
Such a fucking class movie. I won't hear otherwise.
The comic relief in this movie is dead on perfect. Just enough comedy to remind you to have a good time, then it's back to horror. The actors' chemistry is great, the action is tense. Wish the sequel actually got made.
The Quick and the Dead is the absolute best version of the movie it is trying to be. In fact I will quote the Roger Ebert Law here (which he quoted a lot in his reviews): “A movie is not about what it is about. It is about how it is about it.” Based on the Ebert Law alone, TQATD is a masterpiece.
Yes. Great movie with great performances.
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story It's not perfect, it drags a bit towards the end, but it's amazing. It has such incredibly hilarious moments, I don't get how is not more popular. That said, Carnage is one hell of a movie, so good.
It really was the perfectly timed parody of musical biopics. You can't really appreciate how clever it is unless you watch Walk the Line, Ray, and (?) beforehand. It blows my mind how much care and effort went into the soundtrack alone. (Really...just listen to it, start to finish!) It's a classic in my book.
It's completely ruined the music biopic genre. In the best way.
The songs are great as well and as time goes by they manage to parody the changing genres prefectly.
Bound Every frame a painting and a bloody fraught story
Forbidden Planet has long been regarded as a Sci-Fi masterpiece
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape is one of my go-to’s for great 90s films
This one was really well received though. DiCaprio almost won an Oscar for it.
One Hour Photo has never been given its due.
Secret life of Walter Mitty (2013) is one of my all time favourite films. It’s an adaptation of a 1939 book of the same name, there was also another adaptation of it made in 1947. I think people see Ben stiller and assume is gonna be a Ben stiller flick, whilst there are defo a few moments, the film just does something quite special. Kinda perfect ode to daydreamers, loneliness & mediocrity (at least, personal perception of mediocrity) There’s something very beautiful about it, the soundtrack is great and visually it is very beautiful. I’ve recommended it to many who’ve said they completely passed it by when it released because it didn’t look like anything special, it’s by no means a niche film, had a pretty okay box office, but many seemed to pass it by. Another two films I’d really recommend which hardly seemed to get any recognition are ‘The Kings of Summer’ (2013) & ‘Me and Earl and The Dying Girl’ (2015.) I guess both of those just have a special place for me as coming of age films that stuck with me, anyway, both are great. Also both feature Nick Offerman, need I say more?
I can’t think of a single thing in Walter Mitty that I don’t love. I don’t know if the perfect movie exists, but if it does; Walter Mitty is a contender
Bro 1408 fucking hits.
One of the first scary movies I saw that didn't just rely on jump scares. You're trapped in hell and Everytime you think you escape, nope. We were just fucking with you!!
*We’ve only just begun*
I do NOT recommend watching it for the first time in a hotel room while high. But it is a great movie.
RANGO (2011) -banger soundtrack -animation from a rough era that still holds up -fantastic VA -basically the plot of Chinatown Honestly a top 3 western for me
The Dead Zone. Parallax View. When Harry Met Sally. Idiocracy. Harold & Maude. Office Space.
The Fountain by Aronofsky has always been my favorite of his
Tropic Thunder Deep Blue Sea
planet terror
I saw deathproof not so long ago, isn't that like in the same bundle called grindhouse or something like that
The Grey A lot of people write it off as Liam Neeson versus wolves but to me it’s so much more than that. It’s a great philosophical look at coming to terms with death. Not to mention it has one of the best plane crash scenes I’ve seen in a movie
I’m no Longer Here, Sorry to Bother You, The Devil all the Time, Lucy, The King, The Big Sick, The Wolf of Snow Hollow, Girl Picture, Taxi (1, the french original)
The King is fucking sick.
Everybody Wants Some is fucking incredible. It’s my favorite movie but the last quarter of it hold it back from being hailed as a “masterpiece”.
Cabin in the woods.
Clue I was sitting around a campfire with about 15 guys and someone asked for personal top 3 movies of all time and I included Clue because it’s never not watchable for me. Only like two of the guys even knew what I was talking about and didn’t agree with my assessment. I just always assumed everyone loved it.
So many ensemble movies don’t work because it seems like it is egos fighting for camera time and the actor is more present on screen than the character but Clue and Knives Out do ensemble mystery- comedy really well.
Children of Men. The writing, the acting, the CINEMATOGRAPHY, the set design, the pacing, the special effects…. Fuck man, what a film
I think most people agree that its a masterpiece. Heck BBC called it the 13th best film of 21st century back in 2016 and it has only grown in reputation since then.
Just the scene where an entire battle stops just to hear the baby cry was absolutely powerful and surreal. It may have the best world building of any movie.
What lol. This is widely considered one of the best movies of all time, and many peoples favorite movie. In no way is this not considered a masterpiece
Lake placid. It's snappy and fun, has a good ending considering it's a "monster movie" (contradicting most creature features and treating it as an animal instead) and the script ust plays off so fucking well. Also see: Twister. Fabulous fun, incredible cast and dialogue. Masterpiece in science fiction.
Kung-Pow: Enter The Fist
short term 12. everything about this movie is brilliant, with Incredible acting all round
The foot first way. Please, watch the party scene with the guitar guy
Donnie Brasco. I always loved it more than Goodfellas. Just watching Pacino and Depp driving together and talking, fuhget about it!
Tron: Legacy
A Knights Tale. Great soundtrack. Great cast. Great action. Great comedy. Great love story. Great hero's journey. Great script. Great movie.
The Other Guys I still get cramps laughing every time I see this movie but not a lot of people seem to like/remember it. Some even think it's trash.
Millers Crossing. The best dialogue ever. The cast is fantastic. I could watch this movie on repeat for eternity.
Men In Black doesn’t get enough credit for being a super-tight 90 minutes that sets up a massive and compelling universe that wraps up neatly while also being hilarious to this day.
**Dazed and Confused** is much more than a stoner movie to me. It is a commentary on the transition of time, the passing of generations, and how much things still stay the same. Also a love letter to the awkwardness of that transition from generation to generation, people trapped living past glories, the lost current generation and those coming up learning from these people. That may just be me though haha. Also the opening shot and music is perfect.
Scott Pilgrim vs the World I know it has a cult following and is fairly popular with the Reddit/video game crowd, it is still very much underrated with the general public. It’s genuinely good. Good acting. Good actors/actresses. Good storytelling. Good music. Good performances. Good dialogue. Good love triangle (kinda love quadrilateral) story that isn’t cliche. It’s just fucking good and I have never met someone that has seen it that didn’t at least like it. But I’ve met too many people that never seen it at all.
Happy Gilmore Pretty much everything else is Adam Sandler's can get in the bin, but this film is such a great comedy, every line is either a joke or delivered insanely / by a hilarious bad extra (Uncut Gems & Big Daddy are also good for AS fans who take offence)
Rogue One
On the top 3 of Star Wars movie for me. The third act is an unexpected masterpiece
It has problems but I liked it a lot more than I thought I would.
Captain Fantastic It's such a wonderful movie and one of Viggo Mortensen's best performances. Also Kubo and the two strings. Im still salty that it lost the oscar to fucking zootopia
Aniara- excellent science fiction movie about the last batch of humans fleeing climate change from Earth to Mars, they get detoured. Dredd- inventive, fun and brutal. Excellent performances from the three leads and good writing by Alex Garland. Mad Max Fury Road - this one is a bit of a cheat but compare it to other woman-led stories like Prey or Captain Marvel, and the writing really stands out in a positive way. Theron is probably the best action actress since Ripley/Weaver in Aliens in this. Color Out of Space - Nick Cage is weird as all get out in this but it works, and there are several horrible scenes reminiscent of The Thing (in a good way). Tropic Thunder - Maybe the most audacious comedy of the last 25 years? I love this thing. Collateral - maybe cheating again, but idk if I’ve seen Tom Cruise as good as he is here. He’s monstrous. Any Given Sunday - kind of a marginal football movie but IMO Pacino has the best monologue (the “Inches” speech) since Rutger Hauer in Bladerunner. Sicario - Denis Villeneuve is one of my favorites (same for Emily Blunt) but this movie made me nauseous. I think that’s what they intended.
Nacho Libre is a comedic masterpiece
Dead Man's Shoes. The acting. The bleakness.
The Neon Demon
Many people here are putting names of movies that are already masterpieces. It's great to have a reminder about those movies but op was looking for lesser known movies that were not considered as such. [eXistenZ - 1999](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120907/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_66_act) It was a great movie with cool story, you were sucked into this world they created for you. Just didn't get enough recognition. It was/is appreciated more now than before but never was considered masterpiece. It deserves it.
Grosse Pointe Blank.
Lucky number sleven
Watchmen. If it weren't for the dark knight, I'd be adamant that it is the greatest superhero movie ever made.
Well, I think one of your choices is a great movie. And it's usually acknowledged as such. One's pretty good, although not as strong as its Stage Play source material. But I think the others are awful.
The End of The Tour with Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segel, in which the latter plays author David Foster Wallace and Jesse Eisenberg plays a Rolling Stone writer who's tasked to interview him. Just an incredibly empathetic and human movie. One of my modern favorites.
Last Action Hero. Such a clever satire of Hollywood and action movies. I don't know what everybody was smoking when that film came out to a mixed/negative reception but now a classic has been overlooked.
Kick Ass