10 Most Overhated Movies of All Time, Ranked (original) (raw)
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Published Nov 15, 2024, 5:45 PM EST
Liam Gaughan is a film and TV writer at Collider. He has been writing film reviews and news coverage for ten years. Between relentlessly adding new titles to his watchlist and attending as many screenings as he can, Liam is always watching new movies and television shows.
In addition to reviewing, writing, and commentating on both new and old releases, Liam has interviewed talent such as Mark Wahlberg, Jesse Plemons, Sam Mendes, Billy Eichner, Dylan O'Brien, Luke Wilson, and B.J. Novak. Liam aims to get his spec scripts produced and currently writes short films and stage plays. He lives in Allentown, PA.
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Cinephiles tend to fixate on films that don’t work, leading to situations in which projects are unable to shake off the bad reputation that they earned from the initial wave of responses. While there are certainly bad movies out there that do not need to be “reclaimed” as secret masterpieces, there is a tendency for the cinephile community to cast aside ambitious, challenging projects that were simply ahead of their time.
Every movie deserves a second shot, as judging something based on its initial inability to become a blockbuster smash hit or earn major awards contender isn’t a productive way to conduct discourse. Based on the way that online fan communities, critics, and pundits direct their comments, it can be hard for nuanced films to get the fair appeal that they deserve. Here are the ten most overrated movies of all-time.
10 ‘Meet Joe Black’ (1999)
Directed by Martin Brest
Image via Universal Pictures
Meet Joe Black hails from the legendary director Martin Brest, whose resume includes the action comedy Beverly Hills Cop, the buddy classic Midnight Run, the heist adventure Going With Style, and the Oscar winning drama Scent of a Woman. While Meet Joe Black may have been weaker when compared to the aforementioned films, it’s a surprisingly sincere romantic drama that commits wholeheartedly to its admittedly absurd premise.
Meet Joe Black features excellent performances by Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins, who help to sell even the most saccharine of moments. Although the film’s broad attempts at being heartwarming may make it an easy target for lazy criticism, there’s too much great production value to dismiss Meet Joe Black as a complete failure by any definition of the word. It’s admirable that Brest used his clout to make a project so ambitious.
9 ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge’ (1985)
Directed by Jack Sholder
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge had the unfortunate task of following up one of the most famous horror films of all-time, as the original A Nightmare on Elm Street from director Wes Craven was instantly hailed as being an all-time classic within the genre. While Robert Englund returned to give another menacing performance as Freddy Krueger, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge opted to tell an original story with a completely new batch of young leads.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge was groundbreaking as a work of LGBTQIA representation, as it uses a “coming out” metaphor as one of the major aspects of the coming-of-age storyline. While many of the additional sequels were just derivative of what Craven had already done, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge boldly attempted to add something new to the mythology that showed it from a different perspective.
Release Date
November 1, 1985
Runtime
87 minutes
Director
Jack Sholder
Writers
David Chaskin, Wes Craven
Producers
Robert Shaye
Prequel(s)
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Sequel(s)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
Budget
$3 Million
Distributor(s)
New Line Cinema
8 ‘John Carter’ (2012)
Directed by Andrew Stanton
Image via Walt Disney Pictures
John Carteris a film that will forever be tied to its box office, as when looking at the film’s final worldwide gross compared to its budget, it is easily one of the biggest bombs in the history of cinema. However, there are many all-time classics like The Shawshank Redemption, The Thing, and Blade Runner that were not hits at the box office, so using _John Carter’_s financial results as an argument against it seems to be in poor spirit.
John Carter is a rousing space adventure with amazing visuals, as the legendary Pixar director Andrew Stanton made the case for more animated artists to take a chance on making live-action films. Taylor Kitsch had a lot more charisma than he was ever given credit for, and it’s actually a bit of a tragedy that John Carter did not end up making him into a bigger star.
Release Date
March 9, 2012
Runtime
132 minutes
Director
Andrew Stanton
Writers
Michael Chabon, Mark Andrews, Andrew Stanton
Franchise(s)
John Carter
7 ‘Alien 3’ (1992)
Directed by David Fincher
A Xenomorph opens its mouth right next to Ripley's head in 'Alien 3'
Image via 20th Century Studios
Alien 3was another film that faced extremely high expectations, as the first two installments in the series are considered to be among the greatest science fiction films of all-time. Alien 3 had a notoriously difficult production, and while David Fincher can’t be blamed for some of the messiness that is evident in the final product, he does deserve credit for making a bold attempt to bring the series back to true horror.
Alien 3 plays with expectations in the same way that first two films do, as it once again puts Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) in a vulnerable position in which she has to survive on her wits alone. The examination of the alien virus and the prison-industrial complex added a new level of nuance, as the themes of Alien 3 could easily be interpreted to be a metaphor for the ongoing AIDS crisis.
Release Date
May 22, 1992
Runtime
114 minutes
Director
Writers
David Giler, Larry Ferguson, Walter Hill, Vincent Ward, Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett
Producers
Ezra Swerdlow
Returning from LV-426, Ellen Ripley crash-lands on the maximum-security prison Fiorina 161, where she discovers that she has unwittingly brought along an unwelcome visitor.
Budget
$50 million
Studio(s)
20th Century
Distributor(s)
20th Century
6 ‘Blonde’ (2022)
Directed by Andrew Dominik
Ana De Armas as Marilyn Monroe in a pink dress and red lipstick in 'Blonde.'
Image via Netflix
Blondewas certainly a film that was made to incite divisive reactions, as it was based on a controversial novel that ignored major aspects of the real Marilyn Monroe’s story. However, it is important to remember that Blonde is not a straightforward biopic, as those interested in a fact-based recounting of what Monroe’s life was actually like are better suited to check out My Week With Marilyn, starring Michelle Williams.
Blonde is a psychological horror film about the pressures put upon women by Hollywood, the media, and society in general, and evokes some of the most horrifying images in recent history, with allusions to the surrealist work of David Lynch and David Cronenberg. Even the film’s most hardcore haters had to give respect to Ana de Armas for her incredible performance, which earned a very well deserved Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
Release Date
September 28, 2022
Runtime
2h 46m
Director
Andrew Dominik
Writers
Andrew Dominik, Joyce Carol Oates
Blonde chronicles the rise and fall of Hollywood star Marilyn Monroe. The biopic is a fictionalized version of Monroe’s life starring Anna de Armas from director Andrew Dominik. The film was criticized for its NC-17 rating, with many claiming the film exploited Monroe’s tragic story. Alongside Armas, Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale, Zavier Samuel, and Julianne Nicholson round out the cast.
Budget
22 million
Studio(s)
Netflix
Distributor(s)
Netflix
5 ‘Psycho’ (1998)
Directed by Gus Van Sant
Psychois one of the oddest remakes of all-time, as director Gus Van Sant chose to recreate the original 1960 film directed by Alfred Hitchcockshot-for-shot. While some would argue that this did nothing to reinvent the material, there are subtleties in the way that Van Sant changes aspects of the violence, coloring, and movement that suggest he has more ambitious concepts in mind.
Psycho is best viewed as an experimental work, rather than a straight up horror film, as it is intended to be viewed in conjunction with the original masterpiece. Considering how many Disney “live action” remakes of animated films have been massive successes in recent years, it’s safe to say that Van Sant’s Psycho deserves another look for at least trying to be an artistic interpretation. Van Sant is a bold artist, and should not be accused of laziness.
Release Date
December 4, 1998
Runtime
105 Minutes
Director
Writers
Joseph Stefano, Robert Bloch
Producers
A psychological horror film retelling the story of Marion Crane, who steals a significant amount of money and seeks refuge at the remote Bates Motel. The motel is run by the enigmatic Norman Bates, whose peculiar behavior hints at deeper, more sinister secrets. As Marion becomes entangled in the unsettling environment of the motel, she faces terrifying revelations that lead to a shocking conclusion. This remake stays true to the original's plot while updating the setting and style for a modern audience.
IMDb ID
tt0155975
TMDB User Rating
5 .13
Main Genre
Budget
60000000.0
Studio(s)
Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment
4 ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ (2018)
Directed by Ron Howard
Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Image via Lucasfilm
Solo: A Star Wars Storyis another film that was unfairly judged because of its box office performance, as many toxic Star Wars fans wrote off the film before they got the chance to see it. In actuality, Solo: A Star Wars Story is the exact type of Star Wars film that Disney should be making more of; it is completely devoid of any references to “the force” or “the Skywalker saga,” as it chooses to be a small-scale heist adventure that just so happens to be set in the galaxy far, far away.
Alden Ehrenreich does a great job at reinterpreting the role of Han Solo by showing him to be a slightly less experienced, overconfident scoundrel who has a habit of getting himself into trouble. Charismatic side performances from Woody Harrelson, Donald Glover, and Paul Bettany ensure that Solo: A Star Wars Story is one of the funniest entries in the saga thus far.
Release Date
May 25, 2018
Runtime
135 Minutes
Director
Writers
Jonathan Kasdan, Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas
Prequel(s)
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
Sequel(s)
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker
Franchise(s)
Star Wars
In Solo: A Star Wars Story, young Han Solo embarks on a series of daring adventures within a perilous criminal underworld. He forges significant alliances, including with his future copilot Chewbacca and the enigmatic gambler Lando Calrissian, while navigating a landscape fraught with danger and betrayal.
Main Genre
Sci-Fi
Budget
$275–300 million
Studio(s)
Disney
Distributor(s)
Disney
3 ‘Hulk’ (2003)
Directed by Ang Lee
Eric Bana as Hulk in Hulk (2003)
Image via Universal Pictures
Hulktook a bold artistic swing in interpreting the origin story of one of Marvel Comics’ most iconic characters, and deserves to be praised for how artistic it is. While there is a blandness to many installments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that has led to a general decline in the genre’s popularity, Hulk took a bold look at how pressure and trauma shaped Eric Bana’s interpretation of Bruce Banner into a hero.
Director Ang Lee made bold attempts with the visual style of the film, and spotlighted computer generated imagery that has aged very well. In addition to including a genuinely menacing performance by Nick Nolte, Hulk was keen to examine the destructive nature of the military-industrial complex, which many other superhero films have been complacent in supporting. It’s unfortunate that Lee was not able to continue with this version of the character into additional sequels.
Release Date
June 19, 2003
Runtime
138 Minutes
Director
Writers
James Schamus, John Turman, Michael France
Bruce Banner, a genetics researcher with a tragic past, suffers an accident that causes him to transform into a raging green monster when he gets angry.
2 ‘Pearl Harbor’ (2001)
Directed by Michael Bay
Kate Beckinsale and Ben Affleck in Pearl Harbor (2001)
Image via Touchstone Pictures
Pearl Harborserved as Michael Bay’s attempt at making a war epic, as the success of Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line had bolstered the popularity of World War II thrillers. While Bay has never been a filmmaker known for his subtly, Pearl Harbor attempts to show the true heroism of the “Greatest Generation” by tracking a group of main characters throughout their experiences in the world.
Pearl Harbor is intentionally cheesy at points, as Bay is also trying to make a commercial blockbuster that appeals to the same audience that went out in droves to see Bad Boys, The Rock, and Armageddon. Between the amazing score by Hans Zimmer, the incredible bombing sequence, strong performances by Josh Hartnett and Ben Affleck, and the Oscar winning sound design, there’s too much greatness within Pearl Harbor to dismiss it as a complete failure.
Release Date
May 25, 2001
Runtime
183 minutes
Director
Writers
Randall Wallace
Producers
Jennifer Klein, Jerry Bruckheimer, K.C. Hodenfield, Kenny Bates, Pat Sandston
A tale of war and romance mixed in with history. The story follows two lifelong friends and a beautiful nurse who are caught up in the horror of an infamous Sunday morning in 1941.
1 ‘Southland Tales’ (2007)
Directed by Richard Kelly
Justin Timberlake in Southland Tales with water running down his face
Image via Universal Studios
Southland Talesis among the most ambitious science fiction films ever made, and has proven to be far more prescient that anyone could have ever expected following the disastrous first screening at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006, which delayed the theatrical rollout by over a year.
Southland Tales managed to analyze almost every critical talking point of its era, as it deconstructed electoral corruption, the rise of the surveillance state, the rise of radicalized protestors, the advent of genetic marketing, and the overreliance on celebrities to be spokespeople for public opinion. Between the chaotic sense of humor and one of the strangest performances of Dwayne Johnson’s entire career, Southland Tales is a cult classic that deserves to be reconsidered as being a legitimate masterpiece. It’s odd, and a bit frightening, that the themes of Southland Tales continue to grow more relevant.
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