As dozens of movies come out every year in theaters, it's natural for us to miss out on a few good flicks. With the rise of streaming over the last decade, it has brought even more content in front of us, and most movies go under the radar unless they're in the running for big awards or fall under the banner of Marvel, Star Wars, or one of the other major movie franchises.
Over the next few months, we'll go through five underrated movies for each of the past 15 years. This'll include horror movies that never quite caught on with wide audiences, action movies that got lost in the shuffle, comedies that brought laughs but not money, and romantic films that didn't win audiences hearts right away. The five movies of 2011 include two action movies, two quickly forgotten comedies, and a sports movie that is a truly awesome viewing experience.
1. Cedar Rapids ($8 million box office/86% on Rotten Tomatoes)
Small-scale comedies have always struggled in the box office, but it's gotten even worse over the last two decades. Unfortunately for the movie Cedar Rapids, it never found a wide audience even though it's a genuinely funny movie with a lot of heart.
The movie follows Tim Lippe (Ed Helms) as he attends a work conference but also features a great cast including John C. Reilly, Anne Heche, Sigourney Weaver, and numerous other great actors and comedians.
Although the movie features numerous tropes we typically find in comedies, it also highlights a unique presence, is one of the few major comedies located in a small-town, and features numerous jokes that'll make you laugh even after repeated viewings.
The movie came out in the midst of Helm's run on The Office and his appearance in The Hangover two years prior, but failed to find an audience upon initial release. With only an $8 million box office, it was considered a disappointment financially, but that shouldn't overshadow what is truly a funny movie that everyone can enjoy.
2. Hanna ($65.3 million box office/71% on Rotten Tomatoes)
Saoirse Ronan is well known for his roles in dramatic period films, but her role in the 2011 movie Hanna showcased her dynamic acting ability in this underrated action film. Ronan plays the titular character, a teenager who has been trained by her father (Eric Bana) to be an assassin.
Hanna includes standout performances from the two leads but also from Cate Blanchett (Marissa) as a CIA operative on the hunt for Hanna and Erik. The cat-and-mouse between the three characters includes numerous stellar set pieces and allows director Joe Wright to utilize unique and brutal kills that are a ton of fun.
The family also touches on numerous aspects of familiar responsibility as Hanna realizes that Erik isn't her real father, but the man who stopped her from being killed after a CIA operation. Even though the movie doubled it's budget in theaters, the movie isn't frequently talked about and likely wouldn't be considered one of Ronan's best roles.
Saying that, it's a fun action movie that doesn't make it's two hour runtime feel bloated or overlong. It's also a chance to see Bana and Blanchett seemingly have the time of their lives playing trained killers which will always be a treat for viewers.
3. Paul ($98 million box office/70% on Rotten Tomatoes)
After the success of Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, the duo of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost were on a hot streak that eventually lead into their third movie together, Paul. The two are traveling to San Diego Comic-Con when they encounter the titular character, an alien who is voiced by Seth Rogen.
The cast is a true powerhouse as Pegg and Frost are joined by Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Jane Lynch, Jesse Plemons, and Blythe Danner amongst others. Additionally, Sigourney Weaver plays the literal "Big Guy" who is trying to track Paul down throughout the film.
While paying homage to E.T., the movie also takes a much funnier and lighthearted approach to the alien arrival flick. The jokes still hold up to this day and Pegg and Frost both shine in their respective roles. Although the movie is one of the few comedies surrounding an alien arrival, it doesn't get mentioned frequently in the conversation of the best sci-fi comedies of recent history.
Although the film did relatively well at the box office and received good reviews, it has slipped into the underrated category simply due to the lack of appreciation since it's initial release. One could argue that Paul is the worst of the four mainstream movies Pegg and Frost have done together, but that's simply due to the quality of those films, rather than a representation of this movie itself.
4. Warrior ($23.3 million box office/84% on Rotten Tomatoes)
When it comes to movies about mixed martial arts, recent output has included a bunch of direct-to-videos with unknown actors, a bad comedy featuring Kevin James, the even worse Never Back Down, and the underrated Warrior.
Warrior is arguably the only good movie about MMA, and it features powerhouse performances from Tom Hardy, Nick Nolte, and Joel Edgerton. The film follows Tommy (Hardy) and Brendan (Edgerton) as brothers who enter an MMA tournament to try and win a $5 million prize. Tommy wants to win money for the wife of his fallen Marine comrade while Brendan is fighting to keep his house and support his family after losing his job as a teacher.
Nolte plays their formally abusive and alcoholic father who severed his relationship with Tommy due to the years of abuse on his wife and Tommy's mother. The movie does a stellar job managing the relationship between both brothers and their father, while also showing that forgiveness isn't something that is always immediate or promised.
The tournament eventually leads into the brothers facing against each other in the final. The final 15-20 minutes of the film are spectacular as the brothers go back-and-forth to try and win the money for their respective causes. Director Gavin O'Connor could have gone either direction with the winner and it would have still felt right just based on the circumstances each brother had to overcome throughout the movie.
Although the movie received strong reviews upon release, it failed to make an impact at the box office and ended up losing money. It's unfortunate because this is some of Edgerton and Hardy's best work and is truly one of the best sports movies we've got in recent history. As the world of MMA has continued to grow over the last decade though, it'd be interesting to see how a movie like this would do in theaters nowadays, especially with Hardy's box office power.
5. The Mechanic ($76.3 million box office/54% on Rotten Tomatoes)
Featuring Jason Statham and Ben Foster, The Mechanic is a fun action ride that gives both leads a chance to shine through great action sequences and engaging kills throughout the movie. Although it may be outshined by numerous similar movies, it's still a worthwhile film that keeps you engaged during it's hour-and-a-half runtime.
The movie follows Arthur Bishop (Statham) and Steve McKenna (Foster) as they navigate the tricky relationship of mentor and mentee respectively. Statham always shines in these types of movies but Foster plays his role as an angry and vengeful son well too. Their chemistry throughout the film helps ensure it's an enjoyable ride for viewers.
The Mechanic also features a strong performance from the always-underrated Tony Goldwyn who plays the main villain, Dean. Even before finding out some of his more heinous actions, he's the type of character we love to hate and would love to punch in the face.
It's easy to see how some people would dislike the ending due to Arthur surviving even though he killed Steve's dad, and it led to the disappointing sequel that led to the first film being viewed in a more negative light. Even with that, the film is a fun experience for fans of Statham's work, but also gives Foster a chance to showcase his skills throughout the movie as well.