Most Underrated Films of 2024
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Most Underrated Films of 2024
2024 was a very good year for movies and most of the best films of the year were recognized as such. But not all. This list highlights the movies that were either very good or downright great, but were for one reason or another either underseen or misunderstood by audiences or critics. Here are the most underrated films of 2024.
5. The Imaginary
The Imaginary is Studio Ponoc’s third feature and their best one so far. A story about the power and importance of imagination, the movie also deals with grief and loss in a very potent way. The art style mixes 2D and 3D technologies in such a unique way, making for a truly dazzling viewing experience. The score is also beautiful and the voice acting is top-notch. The story may become too ambitious and complicated for its own sake, but it’s consistently engaging and, well, imaginative. Above all else, this is a very touching tale, one that made me cry more than a couple of times. It’s such a wonderful flick that sadly never got the attention that it deserved.
4. Transformers One
Another very underrated animated flick this year is Transformers One. I was never a fan of this franchise before, but this movie almost made me a fan how good it was. I loved being in this intriguing world that is also populated with interesting characters. The origin story of Megatron and Optimus Prime and how they became their signature versions was a familiar tale, but one that was executed with a lot of emotion, intensity and spectacle. The animation is solid, the action scenes are a spectacle and the ending is epic and so much fun.
3. The Room Next Door
The Room Next Door is one of the most underrated Almodovar movies. It has inferior dialogue, one implausible plot point and slower than usual pacing for him, but it also has an interesting premise well executed, strong acting performances from its talented leads and a particularly moving ending. It’s one of the darkest Almodovar films in the basic concept alone, but it still has his signature warmth, humanity and serenity that elevated it significantly. Many people criticized this movie heavily and reduced its ratings on sites like Letterboxd significantly, but I find it to be very strong and so well made, so it deserves its place on this list.
2. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
I am a big Planet of the Apes fan, so naturally I was always going to appreciate Kingdom, but I loved this one even more than I thought I would. It is one very long movie that never felt exhausting due to strong pacing, an intriguing storyline and superb world building. The movie’s heavy dialogue and strong characterization worked in tandem with impressive action set pieces to create a blockbuster that is appealing to everybody. It’s not quite as strong as the original film and the prequel trilogy, but it came awfully close and I am now looking forward to the sequels that will undoubtedly be great as well. I don’t quite know what led to the muted reception to this film, but I personally love it, so it gets on this list.
1. Alien: Romulus
And the number one most underrated film of 2024 has to be Alien: Romulus. This was a true return to form for the franchise and a film that deserved much stronger box office and reviews for everything that it did oh so right. This was the perfect mixture of the franchise’s signature SF and horror elements – the xenomorph biology got some interesting new revelations while the contrast between android and human perception is so well explored. The movie is genuinely creepy and even disturbing toward the end. The originality on display is remarkable – that gravity sequence is so obvious when you think about it, but this is the first time that they came up with it, so extra props goes to writer-director Alvarez, who instantly reinvented the franchise with his excellent script and directing capabilities. It’s the best blockbuster of the year.
Honorable Mentions:
The Piano Lesson – The Piano Lesson is flawed for sure, but I loved its strong dialogue and I appreciated its phenomenal ensemble. It’s an underrated drama.
Hundreds of Beavers – This is not an underrated movie as everybody who’s seen it loved it, but it’s underseen for sure. It’s a true gem of classical filmmaking and a real comedy gem.
Thelma – Speaking of comedies, Thelma is a lovely flick that stars June Squibb at the top of her game. This movie was so delightful and sadly very rarely seen.
