The 15 Most Overrated Movies of All Time

Every awards season, the movie-going public is left wondering how such-and-such film won, while the this-or-that film was snubbed. In my opinion, Hollywood (for all its wonders) has a bad habit of producing duds that somehow become classics or favorites, whether through serendipitous casting, a great marketing campaign, or some other fluke. That doesn’t necessarily mean that these are terrible movies, I just don’t think they’re worth the praise they’ve received. They certainly don’t qualify (again, to me) for the labels of “classic” or even “great.”

While many critics have recommended these movies, and even named them among the best of all time, I disagree.

After writing my article about the most underrated movies of all time, I started thinking about movies I see as overrated.

Without further ado, in chronological order…the 15 Most Overrated Movies of All Time:

Vertigo (1958)

I can already hear the boos and complaints. The 2002 Sight & Sound poll ranked Vertigo as the second-best movie of all time (behind Citizen Kane [1941]). It’s even being played at our local museum’s classic movie night this month! Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into it. I even tried a second time, but with no success.

To me, the story was just too peculiar to be enjoyable. John “Scottie” Ferguson (Jimmy Stewart) is a private investigator who develops an obsession with Madeline (Kim Novak). The film just seemed too rushed. I couldn’t even understand Madeline’s obsession with the painting Portrait of Carlotta. It’s as if she is being possessed by it, and if that is the case, the film completely left the realm of believability. I love Jimmy Stewart and Alfred Hitchcock, but this one could’ve been a lot better.

Sleeping Beauty (1959)

This film has excellent animation. It is ahead of its time. However, the rest of the film just made me scratch my head. I didn’t enjoy the moments with the three fairies who watch over Aurora (A.K.A. Sleeping Beauty). Their singing and other actions are amusing for children, but I was a lot older when I first watched it.

Maleficent (the evil fairy) is just too evil for my liking. Many Disney villains are enjoyable to watch, but Maleficent just wasn’t. I admired Maleficent (2014) much more. Also, the story just seemed too much like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).

…My wife just went on a rant on the history of Disney and how amazing this movie is (and one of the fairies reminds her of her grandma?) We’re going to ignore her this time.

Straw Dogs (1971)

Dustin Hoffman (who panned the film himself) plays David Sumner, who moves into a rural English village with his English wife. She attracts the attention of some brutes, who decide she deserves someone other than David. David and his wife then have to barricade themselves in their home to stay alive.

This film is just a collection of violence and other uncomfortable moments. It got a lot of praise from critics and fans, but I found no real redeeming quality in this film. I was not entertained.

Don’t Look Now (1973)

I thought I would like this film – the engaging story had my approval most of the way through. It is about a married couple (Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie) who travel to Venice, Italy after the sudden, accidental death of their daughter. The husband accepts a job restoring a church and this becomes a “starting over” period in his life. The wife continues to mourn over their daughter until she meets a psychic who claims to be able to communicate with the daughter.

There is a lot to like about this film, from its great casting to the beautiful settings and story, the film is a near-delight. What ruined the film for me was the ending. I won’t spoil it for you, but it just came out of nowhere. It didn’t sit right with me and I still wonder why it had to end that way.

The Road Warrior [Mad Max 2] (1981)

The sequel to Mad Max (1979) just couldn’t live up to its predecessor. It just had too many long, drawn-out sequences of road rage and mayhem. It was too bland for my taste (an odd thing to say about road rage and mayhem…but true nonetheless). The film holds a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, so that leaves me among the few who disagree with the critics.

I empathized with Max in the original movie, but here, he is a burnt-out, unlikeable loner. He reluctantly helps a group of settlers trying to escape their barren wasteland, ruled by a gang of hell-raising bikers. I guess I can say that he is trying to find humanity once again after his family was taken from him years earlier. In my opinion, he was too far gone for that, and the film offers no real resolution for him. Yet another example of Hollywood trying to capitalize on success by making an undeserved sequel.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Freddy Krueger has been one of the true faces of horror. With his burnt face and bladed glove, I’m sure he has haunted peoples’ dreams for years. However, I didn’t find him to be very convincing. No disrespect to Wes Craven (may he rest in peace) or to Robert Englund, but the film just tried way too hard.

I think the sequences that were supposed to scare people were just feeble. The film was made in 1984 (the year I was born), so I didn’t see it until years later, but I’m sure I wouldn’t have been any more convinced had I seen it when it was originally released (assuming I was old enough, of course). I honestly prefer the 2010 remake.

Brazil (1985)

I have always admired Terry Gilliam’s vision. I enjoyed many of his works, from Time Bandits (1981) to 12 Monkeys (1995) [and I will forever have Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) running through my mind]. However, Brazil was not enjoyable. The film was too hard to comprehend.

Jonathan Pryce plays Sam, a government employee assigned to rectify a government error. He eventually becomes entangled in a web of mystery and terrorism. This whole plotline just didn’t make much sense. Despite the impressive production designs typical of Gilliam’s films, this one is one to forget.

Total Recall (1990)

Despite my love for Arnold Schwarzenegger films, Total Recall was too far-fetched. Even for an action movie, I found it to be boring. It has the makings of an entertaining piece of film noir, but it just didn’t pan out.

The story also seemed too silly for the genre. A guy winning a trip to Mars (now a society), only to find that he may have a past there? It just didn’t work well.

Clueless (1995)

Okay, I can just feel the daggers being thrown at me from my wife right about now. I just could not get into Clueless. To me, it’s a teen movie that offers no meaning or a reason for existing. I was uncomfortable by the constant talk about sex, where the main characters are barely old enough to drive.

This is a modern-day remake of Jane Austen’s Emma. I would honestly rather watch any movie depicting her works directly than sit through this again. And I’m a 90’s child, too.

Cheree takes a deep breath to begin her argument…and decides Disney is the battle she’s choosing today.

The English Patient (1996)

Why? Just why did this film had to be made? I just couldn’t sit through it at all. I tried to do it twice, many years apart, but with no success. The story is just too long and drawn out. It was not engaging in the slightest. I sympathize with Elaine Benes on Seinfeld for having to sit through this movie multiple times.

There are several great names in this film. Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche (her Oscar-winning role), Kristen Scott Thomas, Willem Dafoe, and Colin Firth make up the cast. I like these actors in many of their other films, but I just skip over this title whenever I read their filmographies. I’m not saying the actors are horrible in this film, just that it’s not one of their best. This film won the Best Picture Oscar – one of those awards wins I still question to this day. I thought Fargo was the more deserving choice that year.

The Game (1997)

This is another film with great talent, but no great product. Director David Fincher has directed a line of great, praise-worthy films (notably Se7en [1995], Fight Club [1999], and The Social Network [2010]). I can’t even begin to list all the great things Michael Douglas and Sean Penn have done. The film had me shaking my head the whole time.

The story was too ludicrous. Michael Douglas plays Nicholas, a man who has distanced himself from his family and friends. He is still haunted by the memory of seeing his father commit suicide. His younger brother Conrad (Penn) offers him a chance to play a “game.” Conrad promises it will change Nicholas’ life for the better. Nicholas rejects it but comes to find that his life is spiraling out of control. The only question is: is this real, or a part of the “game?” This whole mix of paranoia and unpleasant events was not fun to see, not to mention a far-fetched ending.

In & Out (1997)

This was one of the most unpleasant experiences of my life while watching a comedy (my wife just gasped like a Southern debutante clutching her pearls). It was not funny at all (I think she’s looking for something to smack me with…help me). I felt that a lot of great talent was wasted in this film. Kevin Kline, Tom Selleck, Matt Dillon, and director Frank Oz have all done better things in their careers.

The film follows a respected English teacher named Howard Brackett (Kline), who watches the Academy Awards in hopes of a former student, Cameron (Dillon), winning. Cameron wins and even thanks Howard in his speech, only to mention that Howard is gay. This revelation shocks Howard, as well as everyone in his community. The rest of the film ends up being about Howard renewing his heterosexuality, and even questioning it. There were just so many awkward moments in this film for me to recommend it.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Talk about one of the most disappointing movies of all time. The Blair Witch Project was not scary at all and has no level of realism. It just didn’t satisfy me at all.

The film is about three students who make a documentary about the legend of the “Blair Witch.” They hike in the woods of Burkittsville, Maryland, but end up getting lost. The film is entirely seen through the cameras the students use for the documentary. This is an interesting premise, but I wanted and expected more out of it, especially in the finale.

Spider-Man 3 (2007)

While this film is not widely regarded as a classic, I’m including it here because it was a big disappointment for me. Many people I know have praised this chapter in the Spider-Man trilogy, but I can’t bring myself to agree.

For one thing, I thought the performances all around were stale. It seemed like those who were involved in the other two films didn’t care anymore. On top of that, the plot was a huge mess with so many villains and other personal conflicts. It was too much to process in one movie.

The Master (2012)

Finally, we have The Master. This was written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, one of my favorite living directors. His masterpiece Magnolia (1999) is one of my all-time favorites. However, The Master just made me shake my head, and even long after I watched it. There was a lot to like in this film, but it just didn’t add up at all.

Joaquin Phoenix plays Freddie Quell, a WWII veteran trying to find his place in the world after the war ends. He is taken in by Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who is the leader of a movement called “The Cause.” Dodd claims “The Cause” will help Freddie find his true place in the world. So many great names are in this film, but the story and its pacing just weren’t enjoyable or acceptable.

So there you have it – the movies I consider to be the most overrated. I’m sure some of my readers (like my wife) love some of these films, so I would love to hear what you have to say. What films do you think are overrated? Did I miss any?

Happy watching!

P.S. I promise my wife and I have a very loving, non-abusive relationship. I swear!