Sometimes, it takes time for the appeal of a movie to truly click, and there are several fantastic releases that I only learned to love some time after they were released. Whether it was coming to the theater with different expectations about the film or just simply not taking in the depth of its themes on first viewing, I’m glad I took the time to appreciate these movies because they now stand as some of my absolute favorites. Whether it wasmajor franchise releasesor underappreciatedcult classics, not every movie reveals its power on the first watch.
Even some ofthe best movies ever madeweren’t appreciated upon release, as truly challenging cinema can often struggle to find an audience in its own time. While it’s easy to quickly dismiss movies you don’t connect with right away,I’ve learned over the years that it is important to be willing to change your mind and open yourself up to loving a movie you didn’t initially “get.”
10Onward (2020)
Directed by Dan Scanlon
The late 2010s saw Pixar embrace sequels in a way they hadn’t previously through releases likeFinding Dory,Cars 3,The Incredibles 2, andToy Story 4, which saw many bemoan that the studio had run out of original ideas. Among so many returning popular IPs, it was easy to forget aboutOnward,Pixar’s fantasy adventure set in a world inhabited by mythical creatures. While I sawOnwardupon release and enjoyed it, I think the back-to-back release ofSoulthe same year far overshadowed my appreciation of this unique fantasy world.
At first glance,Onwardlooks like a run-of-the-mill kids’ fantasy story, and this was a major reason I didn’t immediately recognize just how good it was. However, under the surface was a deeply personal story inspired by director Dan Scanlon’s own father’s death. While the pandemic restrictions meantOnwardunderperformed at the box office, I’m glad I could rediscover it on Disney+ and take the time to enjoy its unique blend of suburban life and high-fantasy tropes in an emotionally powerful narrative.
9Fast Five (2011)
Directed by Justin Lin
It’s easy to criticize theFast & Furiousfranchise for just how ridiculous its sequels have become over the years. What started as a street racing story grounded in realism soon turned into a de facto superhero series where Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto defied the laws of gravity through outrageous stunt work that left viewers' jaws on the floor. This embracement of sheer spectacle was a prime reason I didn’t getFast Fivewhen it was first released, although looking back, I can see it was the moment the franchise decided to go all in regarding its bombastic style.
InFast Five, the franchise abandoned its street racing premise in favor of heist action and saw Dom and his crew rob a police station vault in Rio de Janeiro. The sheer, over-the-top absurdity of witnessing two Dodge Chargers drag a massive bank vault through the streets was almost too ridiculous to believe, yet in hindsight, it marks a high point in the series. I didn’t getFast Fivewhen it was released because I still viewed the series in terms of its origin, although now I see thisrepresents a new beginning for Dom and his found family.
8Babylon (2022)
Directed by Damien Chazelle
I first discovered Damien Chazelle after seeingWhiplashin the theater, and, as a lover of musical theater,La La Landtruly blew me away. With this in mind, I was excited to see what Chazelle would do next and was left disappointed by his Neil Armstrong biopic,First Man, and was ecstatic to hear he was returning to music forBabylon. This three-plus-hour epic looked set to be Chazelle’s magnum opus, and asa homage to Hollywood’s transition from silent movies into sound, it looked like a highly ambitious swing for the fences.
Then, when I finally sawBabylon, I was left feeling conflicted, and I wasn’t the only one, as it bombed at the box office. With a convoluted and overly artful style,Babylonwas alienating upon first viewing and did not have the immediate hit factor of a movie likeLa La Land. Instead, this was a challenging piece of cinema that only fully revealed itself to me upon repeated viewings.Babylonwas not a mainstream movie, and despite the star power of Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt, it needed to be viewed through the lens of non-linear, almost avant-garde-style cinema.
7Beau Is Afraid (2023)
Directed by Ari Aster
Through recent movies likeHereditaryandMidsommar, director Ari Aster has revealed himself as one of the most interesting filmmakers working today. While audiences have come to expect a certain type of eerie storytelling from him, nothing could have prepared me forthe epic odyssey ofBeau Is Afraid. This surreal saga starring Joaquin Phoenix was a powerful film, although I must admit I don’t think I fully got it when it was released and needed some time to mull over what I had witnessed before it all truly clicked.
As a psychological horror about a paranoia-ridden man embarking on a quest to get home for his mother’s funeral, Phoenix’s performance as a passive, neurotic mess paired with its challenging 179-minute runtime meant it was a hard movie to take in all at once.Beau Is Afraidwas a great movie, but it was also severely anxiety-inducing, and the emotions that Aster forced me to feel caught me off guard. As a Kafkaesque nightmare that brought to mind works by David Lynch and Charlie Kaufman, I just wasn’t expectingBeau Is Afraidto be so relentlessly overwhelming.
6Synecdoche, New York (2008)
Directed by Charlie Kaufman
I remember first watchingSynecdoche, New Yorknot long after it was released and being totally unsure of what to make of it. As a teenage film fan, I was immersing myself in classic cinema at the time and had already gained an appreciation of Kaufman’s writing through movies likeBeing John MalkovichandEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. While those movies were deeply creative and thematically rich, it was not as easy to immediately connect with this sprawling saga of a theater director played byPhilip Seymour Hoffman attempting to stage an elaborate production of his entire life.
After that first viewing, I foundSynecdoche, New Yorkclever and moving, but the true depth of its exploration of identity went over my head. This was a film about a man reckoning with his mortality, legacy, anxieties, and deepest fears, and it takes some extra life experience to truly take in everything Kaufman was trying to say with this film. Now, I recognize it as a high point in Kaufman’s career, and I wouldn’t argue with famed film criticRoger Ebert’sdecision to rank it as the best film of the decade.
5The Irishman (2019)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
The Irishmanwas a long-standing passion project from Martin Scorsese that he first considered making as far back as the 1980s and really came to fruition after he discovered the non-fiction workI Heard You Paint Houses, which explored the true crime story of Frank Sheeran and Jimmy Hoffa. With a stacked cast that included Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and a rare late-career role from Joe Pesci, it was impossible not to feel likeThe Irishmanhad the potential to match classic Scorsese gangster movieslikeMean Streets,Goodfellas, andCasino.
The result was a challenging 209-minute movie whose de-aging technology distracted from its narrative power. I remember there was so much hype surroundingThe Irishman’sappearance on Netflix in 2019 that it felt like the production details of the movie were in danger of taking over from the actual quality of the film. It’s only now that the dust has settled that I can look back onThe Irishmanand appreciate it as one of Scorsese’s finest films and the thoughtful culmination of his work in the gangster genre.
4Hulk (2003)
Directed by Ang Lee
Ang Lee’sHulkis a truly strange movie that’s hard to categorize within the history of the superhero genre. Released years before the superhero boom of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and with a far more nuanced narrative than the tongue-in-cheek heroics of Sam Raimi’sSpider-Manmovies, I just didn’t know what to make ofHulkwhen it was released. As an introspective character study on the trauma of Bruce Banner,Hulk’sserious approach had more in common with a Shakespearean tragedy than it did with the action-packedX-Menmovies of that era.
The slow and introspective style ofHulkwas not what I was expecting when it was released, although revisiting it today, I absolutely love it.Hulkrepresents the path not taken within superhero cinema, and its psychological depth and willingness to trade action for more mindful pacing must be admired. The success of later introspective superhero movies likeLoganhints that there is a place for these types of films within the modern movie landscape; it was just that Lee was ahead of the curve and already experimenting with the form before audiences were ready for it.
3The Last Duel (2021)
Directed by Ridley Scott
In a career filled with several hit movies, it’s a real shame that Ridley Scott’sThe Last Duelwasn’t one of them and was so underappreciated at the time of its release. I must admit that the marketing of this film had convinced me it would be a generic medieval action movie, and I was shocked to discover a thoughtful and layered drama about power, gender, and justice. With incredible performances from Matt Damon, Jodie Comer, Adam Driver, and Ben Affleck,The Last Duelwas a victim of the Covid-19 pandemic and sadly underperformed at the box office.
While I was not expecting much fromThe Last Duel, what I found was a fascinating exploration of feminism and power depicted through a multiviewRashomon-style structure. With an unconventional and demanding structure that told the same story from three different perspectives,The Last Duelrequired patience and close attention to appreciate its urgent themes of violence against women. Whilemany may have dismissedThe Last Duelupon release, if you revisit it, you’ll be pleased to discover one of Scott’s best movies in recent years.
2The Hateful Eight (2015)
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino is a director who is very careful about his legacy, and the release of a new movie always feels like a cinematic event. From the classic status ofPulp Fictionto the non-stop kung fu action ofKill Bill,the cinematic universe of Tarantino is always a genre-bending glimpse into the best aspects of film history. It was with this mindset that I first sawThe Hateful Eightand was left disappointed by its more slow-paced, almost theatrical presentation of criminals stuck together in a snowy layover.
As the follow-up to the Wild West revengeDjango Unchained, it took some time to fully appreciate the slow burn, dialogue-driven nature ofThe Hateful Eight. As a mostly single-room mystery, those expecting fast-paced action were blind to the expert writing and phenomenal performances on display. Now that I’ve had some time to digest what Tarantino was doing withThe Hateful Eight, I absolutely love it, and the fact that it won the late film composer Ennio Morricone his sole Academy Award was just the cherry on top.
1Prometheus (2012)
Ridley Scott risked serious alienating longtime fans when he opted to return to theAlienfranchise for the prequel story,Prometheus. This was one of the most beloved properties of all time, and by exploring the origins of the Xenomorph as well as the backstory of Weyland Corporation, there was a worried feeling he could be tarnishing his own legacy if the movie was disappointing. The results were divisive, and I remember being left feeling likePrometheusbrought up far more questions than it answered when it was first released.
However,Prometheushas grown on me over the years, and now I view it as a vital addition to the lore of the franchise. Through Michael Fassbender’s astounding performance as the android David, I’m actually now more interested in seeing the franchise continue to expand on the mythos laid out inPrometheusand its sequel,Alien: Covenant, than I am in seeing Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley return to the series. It took a few years for me to truly appreciatePrometheus, but now I see it as a worthy and interesting addition to the franchise.
