35+ Cult Classic Movies That Rarely Get The Credit They Deserve

Some movies never stop being loved, even when they seem to disappear from the conversation. That is exactly what makes cult classic movies so fun to revisit, because the best ones often have loyal fans long after everyone else has moved on.

This roundup pulls together a long list of overlooked favorites, from animated adventures to offbeat comedies and fantasy films that still have devoted followings. Reddit user darkweirdvalley sparked the discussion by asking which movie people love that nobody seems to talk about anymore, and thousands of fans jumped in with their picks.

The result is a nostalgic watch list full of hidden gems, and a reminder that some great films never really leave their audience behind.

1. The Birdcage (1996)

The Birdcage is comedy royalty in my mind. I mean, Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Diane Wiest, Gene Hackman, Calista Flockhart, Christine Baranski, and Hank Azaria!

Everyone played their roles to perfection, either over the top yet endearing, or as the straight man who facilitated the comedy.

ThatsMyOnionJerk,MGM/UA Distribution Co.

2. The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980)

dlg1977,Ster-Kinekor, 20th Century Fox

3. Death Becomes Her (1992)

Death becomes her.My all-time favorite movie, amazing cast and plot, but I have never found a single soul who would praise it with me :/Willing_subtle,Universal Pictures

4. A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

A Fish Called Wanda. I don't know anyone in real life, under the age of 40, who knows this movie! It's one of the funniest movies ever. My favorite Kevin Kline movie, hands down!Cup-Mundane,MGM/UA Communications Co., United International Pictures

5. Constantine (2005)

Constantine with Keanu Reeves and Rachel Weisz. I love that movie, but no one ever seems to know what I’m talking about.effervescent_galaxy,Warner Bros. Pictures

6. Batteries Not Included (1987)

It's a cute little '80s movie about some alien robots who took up residence in this old apartment complex. When the residents are threatened with eviction so the place can be torn down, the robots help the tenants, and the tenants help the robot aliens. Anyway, I enjoyed it.moldylemming,Universal Pictures

7. Pleasantville (1998)

lmusic008,New Line Cinema

8. Short Circuit (1987)

Short Circuit—literally everyone I talk to has never watched it or heard of it. It's sad too because I love that movie so much.Perfectpolygons,Tri-Star Pictures

9. The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)

"Does your dog bite?""No"(dog snarls and bites him)"I thought you said your dog doesn't bite?""That is not my dog"bdbr,Amjo Productions

10. Grosse Point Blank (1997)

Grosse Point Blank. A hitman goes to a high school reunion.ellejaysea,Buena Vista Pictures

11. Secondhand Lions (2003)

revanherovillain,New Line Cinema

12. Flight Of The Navigator (1986)

discostud1515,Buena Vista Pictures, PSO Productions

13. Ladyhawk (1985)

A great 1980s sword and sorcery movie.

OVS2

14. Stardust (2007)

Who would've thought Tristan would turn out to be such a great Daredevil?Cat-aclism,Paramount Pictures Studios

15. Secret Garden (1993)

Funny story with this one. I studied the book at school, so I had read it a lot. That year, for my birthday, the movie came out around the same time. I have a fractured family structure, so none of them really talk to each other. For some reason, nearly every family member decided that they wanted to take me to a screening of the film. So, I saw the film nearly seven times in the matter of two weeks. My grandma was one of the last; I didn’t have the heart to tell her I had already seen it six times. We were sitting and watching, and unintentionally, I was saying the lines word for word. My grandma noticed and asked, “Have you seen this already?” I responded, “No, it’s just very accurate to the book,” to which she replied, “Wow, you must have read the book many times.”pseudologiann,Warner Bros

16. Enemy Mine (1985)

The end scene still gets to me.ReadontheCrapper,20th Century Fox

17. So I Married An Ax Murderer (1993)

abarthvader,TriStar Pictures

18. Drop Dead Fred (1991)

Drop Dead Fred: "That's not how the pigeons do it!!" "Cobwebs" I absolutely fell in love with Rik Mayall from the very first time I saw that movie!!

Dragonfruit_Silver

It also fits the chaos of Hollywood’s biggest stars who wanted the Earth to swallow them whole, mid-moment.

20. Evolution (2001)

Evolution, by the late Ivan Reitman, featuring David Duchovny and Julianne Moore.BuddyJim30,DreamWorks Pictures, Columbia Pictures

21. The Great Mouse Detective (1986)

flash17k,Buena Vista Distribution

21. Robots (2005)

Aside from one instance on Reddit, I’ve never heard a single person talk about the 2005 movie Robots. It’s got adult jokes that kids won’t catch, a lot of humor, and Robin Williams.FamineArcher,20th Century Fox

22. Mystery Men (1999)

I like reminding people that “All Star” is from that movie originally, and not Shrek.HOLDERofFOOD,Universal Pictures

23. Mouse Hunt (1997)

Nathan Lane, Lee Evans, and Christopher Walken in one of his best roles.One of my childhood favorites.blurplethenurple,DreamWorks Pictures

25. Fly Away Home (1996)

Fly Away Home. I was obsessed with it, and it is never mentioned. Was it a fever dream???Toezap,Sony Pictures Releasing

25. Balto (1995)

Balto! Which I could have sworn was massively popular!! When people started talking about The Swan Princess again randomly, I assumed Balto would be next, as they were two of my favorites as a kid. Yet when I mentioned it to my friends and others, no one recalled it. Also, please let me mention The 10th Kingdom, which is technically a series! Ah, such an elf.Unclassy-Teaspoon,Universal Pictures

28. Thank You For Smoking (2005)

Thank You for Smoking. The irony of the whole film is that nobody actually smokes a cigarette as well. I always loved that small detail.Although there are deleted scenes of them smoking, thankfully they decided to keep them out of the theatrical release.EBZ766,Room 9 Entertainment, ContentFilm

29. 9 (2009)

“9,” directed by Shane Acker and produced by Tim Burton.

I thought it was amazing, but the only time I bring it up, 90% of people have never heard of it, and the other 10% hate it.

It sucks, but I’m convinced I’m the only fan of that movie. It was so different and dark. The cast was amazing; it was a fantastic adult animated tale.

It just sucks that no one is ever able to fanboy over it with me.

Demiscio8

28. The Court Jester (1955)

The Court Jester. I've never met anyone outside of my family who has even heard of it. It's really old, so I understand why, but it's a shame more people haven't seen it.

GormenghastCastle responded:

OH MY GOD! Every time I see a movie post like this, I open it to check for The Court Jester, and you're the first person I've seen mention it! And it's so high too (at least as of commenting this). Finally, my persistence pays off!ConcealingWillow,Paramount Pictures

29. The Last Unicorn (1982)

That movie was my childhood, and when I got to meet the author of the book it was based on, I cried.

Dundunduuunnnnnnn

30. Strange Brew (1983)

Strange Brew. Bob and Doug Mackenzie's crowning achievement.cjcmd,MGM/UA Entertainment Co

31. The Borrowers (1997)

mamabol,PolyGram Filmed Entertainment

32. The Cutting Edge (1992)

Sea-Horror-814,Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

35. Down Periscope (1996)

I showed my kids that movie (12 and 15 at the time), and during that scene when the cook farts during silent operation, my daughter legitimately pissed herself laughing, and my son was in pain from laughing so hard.I think I’m going to put it on again this weekend.

WildManOnLSD

34. Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005)

Zathura 100%! If you haven't seen it, it's like Jumanji but in space; it's made by the same creator. If you have seen it, tell me I'm not alone.BradTheFnafGamer,Sony Pictures Releasing

35. Treasure Planet (2002)

This is my favorite movie of all time, and it definitely defined a large part of my childhood. The art sparked my interest in drawing (usually bad OCs, but it was fun); the aesthetic and story inspired my imagination to run wild; the awesome soundtrack fueled those fantasies (hello, maladaptive daydreaming); it got me to read Treasure Island; and it started an interest in sci-fi, fantasy, and, oddly, naval history...the latter bringing me closer to my dad, who's really into naval history. Treasure Planet meant so freakin' much to me that it's almost embarrassing when I look back on it (I was shamefully obsessed). It also had a hell of a cult following online. Yet 90% of the time I mention it to someone, I get a blank look. That whole era of animated films is vastly underappreciated.

Humble-Grumble

36. Hoodwinked (2005)

It gives me anti-fairytale Shrek vibes. Little me loved that movie, especially the grandma.levEL-1boi,The Weinstein Company

37. Death To Smoochie (2002)

I just cannot understand why this movie isn't universally loved. Robin Williams and Edward Norton play completely against type in such a hilarious way. Catherine Keener is excellent. Danny DeVito and Harvey Fierstein are perfectly cast and perfectly hilarious.I just don't f*****g get it! 42% on Rotten Tomatoes! What the f**k? WHAT THE F**K?This movie's lack of success proves to me that I do not understand the world. I do not understand art. This movie is brilliant and hilarious, and I do not understand why more people don't see this.

McMurphyo

38. Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)

Drop Dead Gorgeous. MOST SMARTS.LaFemmeCinema,New Line Cinema

Drop Dead Fred, Enemy Mine, Secret Garden… So many great movies.

So, do you agree with the list? We are definitely updating our “must-watch” list.

So many great movies we’ve forgotten all about, and they definitely don’t deserve it. We hope you’ve found inspiration for a movie night too.

Want more oddball charm like these? See 54 incredible collections from different people.