Redditors recently got together on r/movies, the largest film subreddit, to discuss which cult films they consider to be the most overrated. These movies have legions of devoted fans, but the Redditor users just didn’t get the hype.
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They took shots at everything from Rocky Horror to Napoleon Dynamite, arguing that these films don’t actually live up to their reputations. Some of their opinions are bound to be controversial, as they took swings at some of the most beloved films out there.
10 ‘The Big Lebowski’ (1998)
Image via Gramercy Pictures
This Coen brothers comedy centers on Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), a perpetually stoned slacker who becomes embroiled in a bizarre case of mistaken identity. When two thugs rough him up and demand money owed by another man named Jeffrey Lebowski (David Huddleston), The Dude sets out with his two bowling buddies to rectify the situation, setting off a series of increasingly convoluted and comical events.
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“[My choice for most overrated cult movie] is The Big Lebowski,” said Redditor SafePlenty2590. “Not because it’s not a good movie; on the contrary, I really enjoyed it. But while I find it entertaining, it still surprises me how popular and fiercely defended it is to this day, with some even claiming it’s the best Cohen brothers movie ever.”
9 ‘Johnny Mnemonic’ (1995)
Johnny Mnemonic is a cyberpunk sci-fi set in a dystopian future where information is the most coveted currency. Keanu Reeves is Johnny, a data courier with a dangerous job—he stores sensitive information in a cybernetic implant in his brain. When he becomes the carrier of a massive data package that exceeds his capacity, he finds himself in a race against time as his brain’s storage limit approaches, risking his life in the process.
“Johnny Mnemonic is my favorite Keanu Reeves movie, but it is not a great film. But it is super cheesy, and I love cheese,” said user yeahwellokay. “[It’s] kinda like a shitty Blade Runner that knows it’s shitty,” added Redditor Rum_Hamtaro.
8 ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ (1975)
Image via 20th Century Studios
This campy comedy-horror musical follows the newly engaged couple Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon) as they stumble upon the mansion of mad scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry). The Rocky Horror Picture Show is famous for its zany plot, terrific musical numbers, and interactive screenings, where audiences dress up and often shout lines at the screen.
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“I want to love [Rocky Horror]. The whole culture around it and the dress-up midnight showings seem so fun, but I just don’t enjoy it at all. And I love Tim Curry. This all makes me sad,” said user _laoc00n. “I think Rocky Horror, like so many other things, has the disadvantage now of no longer being shocking. In its day it was exciting and sexy and challenged social norms, but nowadays it’s pretty tame,” added Redditor madjohnvane.
7 ‘High Fidelity’ (2000)
This romantic comedy stars John Cusack as Rob Gordon, a thirty-something record store owner who, after a series of failed romantic relationships, decides to revisit his top five most significant breakups. He reflects on his past and seeks to understand where his love life went wrong.
“I watched it recently for the first time and absolutely hated the main character and the entire plot. The message in the movie was so backwards and twisted. I despised it from start to finish! I am still mad about it months later,” said Redditor spiritofthewild. “The series was 10x better. Too bad it was canceled,” added user Itsallafeverdream.
6 ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ (2004)
Jon Heder stars in this offbeat comedy as a socially awkward high school kid in small-town Idaho. He befriends fellow outcasts Deb (Tina Majorino) and Pedro (Efren Ramirez) and resolves to win Pedro the class presidency. To the initiated, the humor is fantastically deadpan, though not all Redditors appreciated it.
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“For the life of me, I just can’t understand why it’s so beloved. I was more annoyed than entertained by it,” said user JBMac007. “The whole thing was just vaguely awkward to me. It didn’t make me laugh at all. I just felt uncomfortable,” agreed Redditor Crayshack.
5 ‘The Boondock Saints’ (1999)
In this crime thriller, brothers Connor (Sean Patrick Flanery) and Murphy MacManus (Norman Reedus) become self-appointed vigilantes in the crime-ridden streets of Boston. After a violent encounter with Russian mobsters, they believe they have received a divine calling to rid the city of its criminal elements. With the help of their friend Rocco (David Della Rocco) and a colorful FBI agent (Willem Dafoe), the brothers embark on a relentless mission to bring down the city’s underworld.
“I remember when I was in high school having a few friends who constantly raved about it. Finally watched it in college and I thought it was awful,” said user augustus624. “I wouldn’t say it’s awful but it’s like a much lamer, douchebro version of a Tarantino movie. It’s also pretty reparative; go on a killing spree then cops investigate to show what happened, repeat,” added Redditor youngatbeingold.
4 ‘Donnie Darko’ (2001)
Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a troubled teenager haunted by bizarre visions of a monstrous rabbit named Frank. After narrowly escaping death when a jet engine crashes into his bedroom, Donnie becomes entangled in a surreal and increasingly disturbing series of events involving time travel, parallel universes, and existential dilemmas.
“Still baffles me that I and many others still have a deep appreciation and love for this movie,” said user Drench_X. “It’s a movie designed specifically for 17-year-olds who think they’re a lot smarter and artsier and edgier than they actually are. It’s not a good movie,” said Redditor LazerMcBlazer.
3 ‘Pink Flamingos’ (1972)
John Waters has directed several off-kilter cult movies, the weirdest of them all possibly being Pink Flamingos. It revolves around Divine (Divine), an underground icon known as the “Filthiest Person Alive,” who lives in a Baltimore trailer with her family. The film is raw and low-budget, with an unapologetic embrace of shock value. “It’s just weird to be weird. Never got it,” said user Cajun_Lawyer.
“Pink Flamingos is almost disappointing in how the plot of the movie is so explicit how he’s trying to shock,” agreed user Fargo_Collinge. “I’m sure the weirdness and shock value at the time was enough to carry the films and they helped pave the way for more of that, but mostly [Waters’ movies are] all just a total mess,” said Redditor Top-Yak1532.
2 ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ (1993)
Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The Nightmare Before Christmas is Henry Selick’s stop-motion masterpiece set in Halloween Town, a whimsical yet eerie realm ruled by Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, who has grown weary of the same old Halloween routine. When he stumbles upon Christmas Town, his fascination with the holiday leads him to kidnap Santa Claus and attempt to bring a spooky twist to Christmas.
“Nightmare Before Christmas is an ok movie but I have friends that make it their personality,” said user mushroombaskethead. “It makes absolutely no sense and I’m completely lost on what people find good about it. When they rescued the Santa with great effort, and then Santa just f—ing flies by touching his nose I completely lost it,” added Redditor BrokenWineGlass.
1 ‘Fight Club’ (1999)
Films don’t get more cult-y than Fight Club, David Fincher’s audacious exploration of modern masculinity and consumer culture. An unnamed insomniac office drone (Edward Norton) forms a fight club with soap salesman Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), but it soon escalates into so much more. The film’s stature has continued to increase over the years, and it is now widely viewed as a ’90s classic.
However, not all Redditors were convinced. “The community that grew up around it generally does not get the point of the movie. It’s like a jumbled Falling Down,” said user ascagnel. “The book is amazing [but] the tone [of the movie] is all wrong and the characters from the book are lost to two colossal superstars known for their good looks and charisma. It’s an ok movie but a terrible adaption,” said user nbhoward.
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This post was modified on 2023-10-05 01:03:30