The 12 Most Overappreciated Movies Ever, Per Reddit

 Movies that become popular on screen don't always have to be that great. Despite receiving widespread praise, several films perform poorly on Reddit. From Frozen to Titanic, some of the highest-grossing films have not received the Reddit endorsement.

Every fan has a long list of films that they believe are overrated; regardless of how debatable the viewpoint may be, Reddit is undoubtedly the site with the most strong opinions. Reddit users frequently ask questions regarding the greatest overrated films ever made, with r/AskReddit being a popular destination for these queries. Were the films a hit on the big screen? Yes, but were they really that great? Several Redditors concur.

12

'The Greatest Showman' (2017)

A highly acclaimed musical, The Greatest Showman was Michael Gracey's directorial debut and debuted in 2017 with stellar performers, production, and graphics. Based on the life of P.T. Barnum, the inventor of the Barnum & Bailey Circus and entertainer, the movie is a biographical drama.

Redditors quickly called attention to the oversimplification of conflict resolution in the film, despite the critical acclaim the movie received. Mcrarburger comments, "It really felt like there were like 8 conflicts in the movie and they all get solved by a song that shows up immediately after the conflict happens." Even if it's simple to enjoy the music and performances, Barnum was unrealistically portrayed in the film, which somewhat exalted him at a time when he was a horrible man. Reddit user Smiffaay put it quite succinctly: "meh."

11

'Crash' (2004)

Image via Lions Gate Films

Paul Haggis directed the 2004 film Crash, which was a personal passion project based on a true story of Haggis's being carjacked in Los Angeles. With a $6.5 million budget, the film was a commercial triumph, grossing over $98 million.

However, Redditors weren't overly pleased with the film's strong reviews and box office performance. They thought the moralizing—which one Redditor compares to "being beaten over the head with an anvil"—was a bit overdone and that the representation of racism was a touch too basic. As described by user W_Herzog_Starship, it's "a screenplay from a high schooler." These are echoes of earlier responses to the film's Oscar controversy, which arose when it defeated Brokeback Mountain.

10

'Gravity' (2013)

Image via Warner Bros.

Similar to Avatar, Gravity was hailed for its stunning graphics; after all, with a $100 million budget, you usually go all out for the special effects. After opening to great reviews and earning over $700 million at the box office, Gravity went on to win seven Oscars.

On the other hand, several Redditors disagree, with ahx3000 saying that they "couldn't stand watching it." There were a few plot gaps here and there, and the storyline was not that engaging. A few Reddit users even went so far as to call attention to some of the scientific inconsistencies in the film. HipToss79, for example, boldly said in a comment that the film "basically butchered the laws of physics." Let's talk about resisting gravity.

9

'The Irishman' (2019)

Image via Netflix

You would think that a film directed by Martin Scorsese and starring A-list actors like Joe Pesci, Al Pacino, and Robert De Niro would have perfected the action scenes and computer graphics. However, The Irishman was thought to be an overrated film because it fell short of Redditors' expectations.

The Deaging effects in the film were achieved with the use of a rather intricate three-rig camera setup, however the landing was not perfected, as Reddit user luca_the_heretic described it as "young face on stooping body." The question of how none of the creators "noticed how ridiculous [a specific scene] looked," which was the turning point for the majority of viewers, is also posed by Redditor iTz Maverick. The video in question shows Robert De Niro beating up a man; it appears to be rather manufactured, and it's clear that De Niro wasn't really kicking the victim.

8

'Pretty Woman' (1990)

Image via Touchstone Pictures

Pretty Woman, a beloved romantic comedy from the 1990s starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, was one of 1990's highest-grossing movies. The film was reimagined as a corny romantic comedy in which the wealthy businessman falls in love with the sex worker with a golden heart, despite the original plan to tell a sinister story about sex work and classes.

User jenel2583 offered a hilarious critique of the film's improbable plot and the way it all fell into place in the true Reddit spirit. He described the story as follows: "Richard Gere plays the incredibly attractive millionaire who is desperate for a date, and Julia Roberts is your typical drop-dead gorgeous streetwalker without any obvious addiction or mental health issues. Cute!" Some thought Julia Roberts was the sole reason the film received such a good rating and that it was just another Cinderella story.

7

'The Notebook' (2004)

Image via New Line Cinema

A romance fan's bible in 2004 was The Notebook. At some time, everyone wished they could borrow a page from Ryan Gosling's charming book and repeat the famous scene in the rain. Reddit concurs that, despite its widespread attention, the movie may have been a little bit overblown.

The two had no chemistry, according to Reddit user lovebugblues, who called the movie a "terrible movie with no actual romance." While some might describe it as love, Redditors referred to it as a film with a toxic and dysfunctional relationship between the leads that was bound to end badly.

6

'Grease' (1978) 

Image via Paramount

One of the most well-known romantic comedy musicals of the 1970s, Grease even broke records for its time as the highest grossing musical. John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John's summertime romance was a memorable soundtrack to an enduring love tale.

However, Reddit users contend that it is still one of the more overrated movies today, even in spite of its great reviews and financial success. The user PokemonMaster619 on Reddit expresses their "honestly don’t care about Grease as a movie or even a story, per se," supporting the view that the film did not age well. It's just your typical high school love tale." A different Reddit user notes that the characters, who are ostensibly teens, were played by 30-year-olds, pointing out that "it's not the best movie or musical of all time, the songs are stupid and cheesy" (which does hold since Olivia Newton-John was thirty-years-old when she played Sandy Olsson and Stockard Channing was thirty-three when she played Betty Rizzo).

5

'Titanic' (1997)

Image via 20th Century Fox

When Titanic was released in 1997, it became the pinnacle of tragedy and romance and became another box office blockbuster for director James Cameron. Before James Cameron's Avatar surpassed it in 2010, the film's enormous commercial success made it the first to break the $1 billion mark. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ship's sinking, a 3D version of the Titanic was also released in 2012, which raised the movie's overall price.

However, that doesn't deter Reddit users, who thought the movie was way overrated. It's not worth all the excitement, according to one Redditor who says, "It's good, but there are a lot of better movies." Redditors thought the plot was flimsy, despite the amazing graphics that captured the audience's attention in typical James Cameron style. And viewers do believe there was enough room for Jack on the floorboard, if the memes are any indication.

4

'Bird Box' (2018)

Image via Netflix

In the post-apocalyptic horror movie Bird Box, survivors are forced to hide from the horrific beings they encounter, as doing so instantly results in their death. This is due to an unknown force. A mom and her children seek safety amidst the mayhem, going through horrifying experiences along the way.

Within the first week after its release, Bird Box became a Netflix sensation, garnering 45 million viewers and becoming one of the most watched films on the service. Many memes and challenges were made in its honor, although user BalrogSlayer00 felt that the internet's infatuation with the movie "was bad."

3

'The Hunger Games' (2012) 

Image via Lionsgate

The Hunger Games, the 2012 dystopian blockbuster that launched a vast franchise, was based on Suzanne Collins' 2008 novel of the same name. It takes place in a future in which delegates from different districts are made to participate in a nationally broadcast competition that is effectively a game to the death.

Lady_Warhead notes in a thread about the most overrated films ever made that the movie "never really explored the depth [...] that was in the books, it very much turned from a subpar exploration of extreme capitalist exploits and mental illness to a love triangle with a little bit of violence and maybe Katniss being sad on occasion."

2

'Frozen' (2013)

Image via Disney

Frozen, the highest-grossing movie of 2013, was a huge hit and established a high standard for subsequent animated Disney productions. The soundtrack had become a winter classic, and the movie was widely seen and aggressively promoted.

However, Redditors were unable to... let it go. Despite being the highest-grossing movie, RockednRolled, a Reddit user, notes that the movie "doesn’t even come close to the OG Disney animated movies." Despite being a kid-friendly movie, some users, such as awesome_van, deemed the plot "completely nonsensical" and so forced that it didn't deserve a sequel. They even went so far as to say that all in all, "Frozen is a mess."

1

'Avatar' (2009)

One of the technologically most advanced films ever made, Avatar demonstrated to the world the possibilities of 3D filmmaking. James Cameron paved the way for a plethora of subsequent 3D films. Nothing less than a masterpiece would be expected given the enormous $237 million budget.

The movie is visually stunning, with most scenes appearing unreal in 3D, but Reddit doesn't feel the storyline is strong enough. Aside from the amazing graphics, the story falls short of the same caliber. The plot was deemed "quite cliché" by Reddit user DramaticChoice4, who also observed that "people watch it mostly for the visuals." Taking things a step further, another Redditor describes how "it's a mediocre film aside from the incredible CGI and art direction (not all of it, though), and the action wasn't good and the characterization and world building was pathetic."