Movies 6 Recent Movies Destined To Become Cult Classics

[skillzdadirecta]

Courtesy of Cracked

 

6. CRAWL

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Crawl Is The Kind Of Tight, Tense Horror Movie Nobody Is Watching Right Now. If I could describe the horror output of 2019 with one motion, it would be me checking the time on my phone and hoping that no one in the theater shouts at me for it. The two most notable scary movies of 2019 were ambitious, overlong slogs (It Chapter 2 and Midsommar), and the rest seemed like fairly typical Conjuring spinoffs. (Did you know that we're on our third Annabelle movie? That doll prints money, y'all.)

So when Crawl -- a film about a father, a daughter, and a dang ol' good boy dog getting trapped in a flooded house filled with alligators -- came out, I was as happy as an alligator trapped in a flooded house filled with people.

 

5. TRIPLE THREAT

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Triple Threat Is Full Of The "Real" Stunt-Driven Action We Claim We Want. Everyone poo-poo's CGI action because "It's clearly not real people, so it doesn't have any sense of danger or stakes." And then something like Endgame comes out and we give it billions of dollars because we're all full of shit. Meanwhile, a movie like Triple Threat comes along -- one with actual trained martial artists/actors fighting each other in a way that doesn't have to rely on effects or a shaky camera. But no one has any faith in it doing well, so it gets released for a single day in the U.S. before turning into a thumbnail buried in a streaming platform sub-menu.

 

4. THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING

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The Kid Who Would Be King Is Great, But Was Doomed By Its Genre. When it comes to retellings of English myths on the big screen, we can't seem to get audiences of any kind to care. Guy Ritchie filled his King Arthur with a duel between 2019's Most Instagrammable Dude Charlie Hunnam and 2003's Most People-Magazine-able Dude Jude Law, and the box office results made it seem like some kind of Producers-style money-losing scam. You see the same result for every Robin Hood reboot they crank out. (Did you know they made one in 2018?)

 

3. HIGH LIFE

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High Life Got Lost Among Other Bleak, High-Concept Sci-Fi Movies. If you're a fan of science fiction movies that ask questions about humanity, the last few years have been great for you. We have Interstellar, the one-two punch of Alex Garland's Ex Machina and Annihilation, Ad Astra, Arrival, and a many more. So it's to be expected that some of the lesser ones might fall through the cracks. Sadly, a really good one seemed to fly under people's radars: Claire Denis' High Life, a film about condemned criminals who are sent in a spaceship toward a black hole and experimented on along the way. It's not exactly a laugh riot.

 

2. HER SMELL

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Her Smell Got Buried By A Series Of Mega-Hits In The Same Genre. The last year or so has seen a flood of movies in the "sad/troubled musician" vein, ranging from biopics (Judy, Bohemian Rhapsody) to emotional powerhouses (A Star Is Born). And they usually have a hook, whether they're about real musicians or they're a grand experiment that tests logic itself. (Casting Lady Gaga as a dramatic lead, directed by also-star Bradley Cooper, all sounds like box office disaster Mad Libs, but they pulled it off.) However, this means that movies that don't really have a hook but are still really good get ignored by the public. And Her Smell was one of them.

 

1. DOLEMITE IS MY NAME

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Dolemite Is My Name Deserves To Be Seen; Will People Find It Buried On Netflix? Netflix is weird, in that we only know if their shows or movies is successful if they tell us or keep making more of them. So we'll probably never know how many people watched Dolemite Is My Name, a movie that should've gotten a wide release. All we can really go off of is other movies that lovingly embrace, um, inconsistent filmmakers. Like Ed Wood, which flopped at the box office and later found an audience on cable.

 

I've only seen one of these, Dolemite, but I plan on checking out the others.

[johnny]

High Life to me qualifies to me as a hidden indie gem not a possible cult classic. 

[TheLeon]

It might be easy to oversell Crawl, but it is a really fun execution of a simple, kinda b-movie premise (girl vs. gators). 

 

High Life - I hope it finds its audience, but man I did not enjoy this one at all. 

[ort]

The Kid Who Would Be King?

 

I mean, it was an above average fun kids movie, but do kids movies become cult classics? Not typically. And why this one? It's not really culty or anything... I don't get it.

[silentbob]

I’m surprised that UPGRADE wasn’t on this list. That movie should be on their as well or replace something on that list (I’ve seen non of them but own TKWWBK)

[Mercury33]

1 hour ago, ort said:

The Kid Who Would Be King?

 

I mean, it was an above average fun kids movie, but do kids movies become cult classics? Not typically. And why this one? It's not really culty or anything... I don't get it.

Yes. They absolutely do. Goonies, The Sandlot, Rookie of the Year, Labryinth, Dark Crystal, Princess Bride. Just off the top of my head. 

[johnny]

2 hours ago, silentbob said:

I’m surprised that UPGRADE wasn’t on this list. That movie should be on their as well or replace something on that list (I’ve seen non of them but own TKWWBK)

That’s because these movies are 2019 releases 

[TwinIon]

What are the most recent examples of films that have become cult classics? Is it just movies that didn't do well but are now widely held in great esteem? 

[skillzdadirecta]

2 hours ago, silentbob said:

I’m surprised that UPGRADE wasn’t on this list. That movie should be on their as well or replace something on that list (I’ve seen non of them but own TKWWBK)

 

Just now, johnny said:

That’s because these movies are 2019 theatrical releases 

Upgrade is a GREAT movie and will DEFINITELY be a cult classic in the future. But I think this list is for movies that came out this year. Maybe it was one last years list?

[skillzdadirecta]

1 minute ago, TwinIon said:

What are the most recent examples of films that have become cult classics? Is it just movies that didn't do well but are now widely held in great esteem? 

Movies that weren't widely seen when they were released and may or may not have flopped but are now widely regarded as great films and have passionate fanbases. Two I can think off the top of my head are the recent Dredd Reboot and The Raid: Redemption.  Oh I think Bone Tomahawk would probably qualify too as a recent cult classic. I'm sure there are others I'm not thinking of.

[skillzdadirecta]

2 hours ago, ort said:

The Kid Who Would Be King?

 

I mean, it was an above average fun kids movie, but do kids movies become cult classics? Not typically. And why this one? It's not really culty or anything... I don't get it.

Attack The Block became a cult classic and this was directed by the same guy so yes. And kid movies absolutely become cult classics... why not? The Never Ending Story is a cult classic kid's movie from my childhood that I can remember. I'm sure there are others.

[johnny]

1 minute ago, TwinIon said:

What are the most recent examples of films that have become cult classics? Is it just movies that didn't do well but are now widely held in great esteem? 

Scott Pilgrim vs the World 

I know that’s 2010 but I can’t think of anything recent recent that I would definitely call one 

[Emblazon]

I love this thread. I’m going to have to check out TKWEBK and High Life for sure. 
 

 

[EternallDarkness]

Crawl is fun, but I don't know that I'd say it qualifies as a cult classic. 

[silentbob]

2 hours ago, skillzdadirecta said:

 

Upgrade is a GREAT movie and will DEFINITELY be a cult classic in the future. But I think this list is for movies that came out this year. Maybe it was one last years list?

That is what I thought too, but High life was listed as a 2018 release when I did IMDB. The only reason why I thought they were wrong and needed Upgrade included. 

[ort]

4 hours ago, Mercury33 said:

Yes. They absolutely do. Goonies, The Sandlot, Rookie of the Year, Labryinth, Dark Crystal, Princess Bride. Just off the top of my head. 

 

Well, if the definition of a cult movie is that it wasn't well received at the time, I don't think any of those qualify. They were all very popular right from the start. Those are just popular movies.

 

I think of cult movies as oddball movies that most people don't know about that have a devoted fanbase. I'm having a hard time coming up with examples of those that are kids movies.

 

I liked Kid Who Would Be King. My kids loved it, but I don't think it's going to become a cult classic. (But people should check it out for sure.)

[skillzdadirecta]

2 hours ago, EternallDarkness said:

Crawl is fun, but I don't know that I'd say it qualifies as a cult classic. 

Well not yet... The thread is about movies that WILL potentially be considered cult classics.

[skillzdadirecta]

2 minutes ago, ort said:

 

Well, if the definition of a cult movie is that it wasn't well received at the time, I don't think any of those qualify. They were all very popular right from the start. Those are just popular movies.

 

I think of cult movies as oddball movies that most people don't know about that have a devoted fanbase. I'm having a hard time coming up with examples of those that are kids movies.

 

The Goonies was well received, yes and it was commercially successful... I think The Princess Bride flopped and found its audience on home video.  In fact...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Princess_Bride_(film)

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The film was first released in the United States on September 25, 1987, and was well-received by critics at the time, but was only a modest box office success. Over time, particularly with the introduction of the Internet, the film has become a cult classic.

 

The Sandlot

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sandlot

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The Sandlot (released in some countries as The Sandlot Kids) is a 1993 American coming-of-age comedy film co-written, directed, and narrated by David Mickey Evans which tells the story of a group of young baseball players during the summer of 1962. It stars Tom Guiry, Mike Vitar, Karen Allen, Denis Leary, and James Earl Jones. The filming locations were in Midvale, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, Utah. It grossed $33 million worldwide and has become a cult film

 

Labrynith

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labyrinth_(1986_film)

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The New York Times reported that Labyrinth had a budget of $25 million. The film was a box office disappointment, grossing $12.9 million during its U.S. theatrical run. It was the last feature film Henson directed, and the poor reception contributed to a difficult period of Henson's career, according to his son Brian Henson. It was met with a mixed critical response upon its release, but it has since gained a large cult following. 

 

Dark Crystal

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Crystal

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The Dark Crystal was produced by Gary Kurtz, while the screenplay was written by David Odell, with whom Henson previously worked as a staff writer for The Muppet Show. The film score was composed by Trevor Jones. The film received mixed to positive reviews from mainstream critics; while being criticized for its darker, more dramatic tone in contrast to Henson's previous works, it was praised for its narrative, aesthetic, special effects and characters, and later garnered a cult following.

 

Hmmm it seems even The Goonies is considered a cult film...

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Goonies

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Produced by Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, Warner Bros. released the film theatrically on June 7, 1985 in the United States. The film grossed $124 million worldwide on a budget of $19 million and has since become a cult film.

 

So yeah... all of these are considered cult classics and @Mercury33 was correct.

 

[Mercury33]

😎

[EternallDarkness]

3 hours ago, skillzdadirecta said:

Well not yet... The thread is about movies that WILL potentially be considered cult classics.

 

I get that. I just don't get that vibe from Crawl

[Emblazon]

Let us not forget The Secret of Nihm. 

[skillzdadirecta]

9 minutes ago, Emblazon said:

Let us not forget The Secret of Nihm. 

 

Definitely... there's a lot of cult kids movies from the 80's. Flight of The Navigator, Explorers, D.A.R.R.Y.L.

 

 

[Emblazon]

5 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

 

Definitely... there's a lot of cult kids movies from the 80's. Flight of The Navigator, Explorers, D.A.R.R.Y.L.

 

 

Two of my very favorites are RAD and Thrashin’. 

[silentbob]

A hell yeah for Rad!

[Mercury33]

Last Unicorn!

[sexy_shapiro]

Midsommar is literally the cult movie of the year.

[Guest]

I’ve always taken the title cult classic to be linked with the fandom surrounding the film more than anything else. I think some of the examples given seem to encapsulate that fervor in the fan base well.

[sexy_shapiro]

My post was meant as a joke, but honestly I can see Midsommar becoming a cult favorite in the future partially because those who love it REALLY love it and also because horror movies seem to be prime material for that sort of devoted following.

[johnny]

@skillzdadirecta you watch Her Smell yet? Just watched it and wow. This movie is claustrophobic and noxious and I mean that in a really good way. 

[legend]

I'm not even sure we get one cult-classic movie per year, let alone 6.

 

Every time I see the cover art for "The Kid Who Would be King" I barf a little in my mouth. Not sure I can get myself to try it even on this recommendation.

[Amazatron]

The Fanatic, I mean Travolta under the genius direction of Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst...

[ort]

I was an actual kid when all of those movies came out and I don't remember them being flops. We all saw them and loved them at the time.

 

Maybe we just disagree on what a cult movie is. If you go out on the street and ask 1,000 random people if they've heard of something... a cult movie would have to be known by less than 1% of them to qualify. In my opinion anyway.

 

Last Unicorn and Explorers would qualify.

 

[Spawn_of_Apathy]

Cats. 
 

I will likely never see it, but it will have die hard fans, and I bet it will live on gaining a few here and there every year. 

[skillzdadirecta]

4 hours ago, ort said:

I was an actual kid when all of those movies came out and I don't remember them being flops. We all saw them and loved them at the time.

 

Maybe we just disagree on what a cult movie is. If you go out on the street and ask 1,000 random people if they've heard of something... a cult movie would have to be known by less than 1% of them to qualify. In my opinion anyway.

 

Last Unicorn and Explorers would qualify.

 

I was an actual kid when all of those movies came out too... I saw NONE of those movies in the theater except for The Goonies. All of these classics were discovered by a lot of folks on Home video or on cable which was catching on at the time. Either way, they are all considered cult classics regardless of how WE define them.

[eggydoo]

What is definition of cult classic?  I always thought cult movies were movies where weirdos show up at the theater to watch a movie like Rocky Horror and 

Spoiler

Star Wars