Everyone has a hobby. It could be reading, singing, writing, or watching movies. These are all activities that most people spend their time doing, and if it comes to it, there are things they could say about them. 

There are lots of things to discuss for movie enthusiasts – from the latest films to the best character of a TV show, etc., there is always something to talk about. 

However, one of the popular discussions over the years is the underrated movies that ever came to the screen. Most film lovers have different opinions of what is underrated and whatnot, but some pretty good options can be labeled in this category. 

The word underrate in the movie world has two definitions – (i.) films that had great popularity at the box office because of their negative reviews but could have been given another chance (ii.) films that never found the right audience. 

Whatever the case may be, some outstanding films have come to the screens, and many people fail to realize how good they are. Looking back now, they mean something. 

In this article, you’ll find 20 of the underrated films of all time – available on YouTube, Apple TV+ or Amzn. 

20 Underrated Films The World Needs to See:

1. Apocalypto

Apocalypto is one of the most underrated movies of all time directed and produced by the famous Mel Gibson. This movie combines historical events with adventure using the indigenous people of Mexico and Native American actors. It was released on December 8^th, 2006, and hit the box office at over $120M. 

Apocalypto’s story was quite iconic. Flint Sky, Jaguar Paw’s father, was killed alongside other tribesmen in their Forest home. They were attacked by Zero Wolf, capturing Jaguar and other young men and women. His pregnant wife, Seven, and his son, Turtles, managed to hide in a pit. 

Eventually, Jaguar was able to escape, and he had the chance to avenge his father’s death and save his wife. 

2. The Red Violin

One of the oldest, best unknown movies that have made it to the screen is The Red Violin. The 1998-film directed by Francois Girard starred popular actors like Samuel L. Jackson and Sylvia Chang. It grossed $10M at the U.S. Box office. 

The Red Violin’s story spans four centuries and in 5 different countries – Canada, Australia, England, China, and Italy. Each of these settings told the story of the infamous red violin and its owners. 

This movie received numerous awards and nominations like the Academy Award for Best Original Score and the Golden Globe Award for the Best Foreign Language. 

3. Cloud Atlas

Science fiction is one of the popular movie genres in the world today. Cloud Atlas is one of the epic films that have made it to the screens in this genre. The movie is an adaptation of the novel written by David Mitchell; however, it was written and directed by Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer. 

Cloud Atlas has interesting plots because it occurred at six different timelines, with the cast playing different roles at each timeline. The 2012-film, however, had both positive and negative reviews, but it grossed over $130 Million at the box office. It also received several nominations focusing on different areas – science fiction, horror, etc. 

4. I Am Not An Easy Man

One of the underrated movies on Netflix is I Am Not An Easy Man. It is a French rom-com directed by Eleonore Pourriat, and it was released in April 2018. This movie holds the First Netflix French-language commissioned film and the Second Netflix French Original Film. 

I Am Not An Easy Man has an interesting plot featuring a shameless chauvinist, Damien, who benefits from a patriarchal society. Unfortunately, he wakes up in a parallel universe where gender roles are reversed. This movie shows his struggle to adapt to the new world and his numerous attempts to seduce Alexandra. 

5. Kingdom of Heaven

The Gladiator wasn’t the end of Ridley Scott’s epic historical fiction dramas; he continued with the Kingdom of Heaven. It is by far one of the underrated films ever. The movie, released in May 2005, grossed over $200M at Box Office, making it one of Ridley’s best works. 

The Kingdom of Heaven sets in a French Village during the 12^th century – the century of the Crusades. A young blacksmith comes to the aid of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, which was facing attacks from external forces willing to claim the city from the Christians.  

The cinematography and visual effects of this movie were nothing but incredible!

6. Chloe

A movie most people never rated well enough was Chloe. The movie was a remake of the French film Nathalie. It was an erotic thriller that received different reviews – mixed from various audiences. Nevertheless, it was a massive success as it grossed over $10 Million at Box Office. 

The story centers on a love rectangle between Chloe, Catherine, David, and Michael. Catherine is all set out to test the loyalty of her husband, David, and in order to do that, she hired Chloe, an acclaimed call girl. As Chloe reports everything with David to Catherine, she soon finds herself interested in Catherine and their son, Michael. 

7. Annihilation

Another sci-fi film most people never rated well was Annihilation. It was an adaptation of the novel, and it was directed and written by Alex Garland. This 2014 horror movie had amazing cinematography and visuals. However, it grossed $43 Million at the box office. 

Annihilation starts with the introduction of Area X, a top-level secret facility run by the U.S. government. This facility had a group of cell biologists and explorers who entered a strange quarantined zone, “The Shimmer,” of Alien-influenced animals and plants. 

A mutant bear attacks the facility base, and the explorers must do everything to stay alive. 

8. Chef

Chef is also one of the best-underrated movies of all time. It is a comedy-drama produced in 2014 by Jon Favreau. There were many notable things about this movie, some of which were the music, story/plot, and character performances. Following a gross of $46M at Box Office, it was indeed a huge success. 

Chef introduces us to Carl Casper, played by Jon Favreau, the head chef of Gauloises in Los Angeles. Carl, however, had an altercation with a food critic, making him lose his job. He then made plans to open his restaurant by starting his own food truck with other associates and his young son. 

9. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

One of the best-underrated movies on Netflix is The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. The story is based on the memoir of William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer. It was written, directed by the popular British-Nigerian actor Chiwetel Ejiofor. 

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind focuses on William, a young schoolboy from a low-income family. He was sent away from school on numerous occasions because his parents couldn’t afford his tuition fees.

However, one day, while in the school’s library, he learned about energy production and electrical engineering. He soon developed a windmill that helped his village and got a scholarship to study abroad. 

The 2019-film had a great story but wasn’t nominated for any award category.

10. American Made

Most Tom Cruise-starred movies are top-rated, but American Made seems to be highly underrated. The 2017 action-comedy film had a great performance from Tom Cruise, but people never applauded it that much. It, however, grossed over $100 Million at Box Office. 

American Made’s plot was inspired by the story of Barry Seal, a former TWA pilot for the CIA. He became a substance dealer who tried to avoid jail by becoming an informant for the DEA. 

Tom Cruise, acting as Barry Seal, was one of the funniest performances. His numerous escapades in the movie were also quite the thrill. 

11. The Assistant 

The Assistant is one of the most underrated movies ever, even though it had a great plot and fantastic visuals. 

The movie had two premiere dates – August 30^th, 2019, at the Telluride Film Festival and January 31^st, 2020, in the United States. However, it received both positive and negative criticisms. 

The Assistant film stars Julia Garner, as Jane, a junior assistant who recently started working at a film production company and discovers her boss has been involved in sexual activities with various other junior employees. She must do all she can to protect female junior staff and end the sexual harassment culture at the company. 

12. Lord of War

One of Nicholas Cage’s films that didn’t receive the kind of attention it should have is the Lord of War. However, the movie produced and directed by Andrew Niccol had good commercial success, as it grossed over $70M at Box Office. 

Lord of War is a 2005 crime-drama film endorsed by Amnesty International, a human rights group, for its plot and character performances. It centers on Yuri Orlov (played by Nicholas) in the 80s, who became an arms dealer after witnessing the murder of two assassins using the Kalashnikov rifles. 

As the years go by, Yuri becomes one of the biggest arms dealers with the help of his brother/partner, Vitaly (Jared Leto). 

13. A Vigilante

Even though “A Vigilante” is quite a recent film, it is highly underrated. The drama film had different reviews from various people, but the story was pretty interesting.

A Vigilante focuses on Sadie, played by Olivia Wilde, who attends a support group because her husband abandoned her. During her time in the support group, she becomes a vigilante to help abused men, women, and kids. She has a map that she must follow to navigate her searches. 

The movie later shows her killing her husband and using her life insurance to travel somewhere else. 

14. Locke

For an audience that loves psychological films, Locke is one of the movies to see, even though it isn’t receiving the frenzy it should get. The movie starring Tom Hardy is an interesting one that tasks the mind. It won Tom the Best Actor in Los Angeles Film Critics Award. 

The film carries the audience into a single actor character, Ivan Locke, who maintains conversations with different people. In total, Locke had held 36 phone calls, with each of the callers having an issue or in trouble. 

This psychological drama film was released in 2013 and 2014, and overall, it grossed $5M at Box Office. 

15. About Time

Romantic movies have always been one of people’s favorites. The storyline of where the boy meets the girl is quite cliché, but most people love seeing how it ends. Unfortunately, that has not been the same with the movie: About Time. Even though this romantic comedy-drama follows this same theme, it remains one of the underrated movies ever. 

About Time centers on Tim Lake, played by Domhnall Gleeson, a young woman who recently learned about his family’s secret ability to time travel. Tim travels to the past, hoping to change his future while sharing romance with Kit Kat, portrayed by Rachel McAdams. 

The film grossed $88 Million at Box Office. 

16. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox is definitely one of the many exciting films to see. Unfortunately, this movie didn’t also get the accolades it deserved when it was released in 2017. The comedy film stars John C. Riley, who has a great sense of humor to a large audience. 

The film, however, references a 2015-movie titled: “Walk the Line,” which was about Johnny Cash. So, it could be said that Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is a parody. Typically, it showed the rise and fall of a fictional music icon.  

Even though the movie was totally ridiculous, it grossed the box office at $20.6 Million. 

17. Smokin Aces

One of the most underrated movies of all time is Smoking’ Aces. This movie was supposed to be on the list of amazing action thrillers ever produced; however, the audience didn’t think so. Nothing less than extraordinary should be expected for a movie with casts like Ryan Reynolds, Ben Affleck, Alicia Keys, Taraji P. Henson. 

Smokin’ Aces’ story starts with Robert ‘Buddy Aces’ Israel, portrayed by Jeremy Piven, a Las Vegas magician who became an informant for the Mafia. While a bounty of 1 million dollars is placed on his head, different people are set out to protect, kill, or capture him. 

18. Enemy

Another psychological drama that didn’t cause a media frenzy was Enemy. This film is an adaptation of the novel: The Double by Saramango (2002). It also stars Jake Gyllenhaal, as he plays a two-man role – identical but with differentiating personalities. 

Enemy also has an interesting plot, as it centers on Adam Bell, a college professor who got to see a movie titled: Where There’s a Will There’s a Way based on a colleague’s recommendation. However, he soon finds someone who had a striking resemblance with him, known as Anthony Claire. 

In this movie, he must find answers and, in order to do that, become Anthony himself. 

19. The Rundown

The Rundown, also known as Welcome to the Jungle, is one of Hollywood’s most petite top-rated movies. With the likes of Dwayne Johnson, Christopher Walken, one would expect the movie to have gotten more attention from the audience. It even grossed $80.9 Million at Box Office against a movie budget of $85 Million. 

The Rundown’s story gets the audience into the life of Beck, portrayed by Dwayne Johnson, a bounty hunter who walked for Billy Walker. Unfortunately, he soon faced trouble with one of Walker’s men, which made him want out. He must go on the last bounty mission in Brazil to become a free man. 

20. The One I Love

The One I Love also makes it to the list of the best unknown movies in the world. Being a comedy thriller, it was only on limited release making the turn out lower than expected – grossed over $500K at Box Office. 

The One I Love (2017) centers on a married couple – Ethan (Mark Duplass) and Sophie (Elisabeth Moss), who regularly visited a therapist. With a piano note, the therapist discovers the problem with their relationship and suggests a weekend vacation in an estate. 

At the estate, they discover different problems with their marriage and finds ways to fix them. 

Conclusion

From the list of underrated movies reviewed above, you can quickly tell that lots of good films really need to be re-visited. These movies may not have found a huge or welcoming audience, but they are definitely worth watching. They can be found on various platforms, including YouTube or Amzn. 

Similar articles:

Best Comedy Movies of All Time

Similar Movies Like Knives Out

Similar Movies Like Superbad

Similar Movies Like 365 Days

Similar Movies Like The Maze Runner

Similar Movies Like Divergent

Movies Like Perks of Being a Wallflower

Best Black ‘90s Movies: An Era of Black Excellence