These Popular Movies Are Vastly Overrated

Over the course of cinematic history, there have been several films that are supposedly “the best.” They brought in top dollar at the box office and millions of people from all over the world have seen them. While many of these movies have a star-studded cast, great visual effects, or a toe-tapping soundtrack, they may just be overrated.

Silver Linings Playbook

The Weinstein Company/MovieStillsDB

If the star power of Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, and Robert De Niro weren’t a part of Silver Linings Playbook, it probably wouldn’t have been as popular.

While this film received eight Oscar nominations, the story was unremarkable. The film centered on a bipolar man trying to get his life back on track with the help of a young widow.

Pulp Fiction

Miramax Films/MovieStillsDB

Pulp Fiction was packed with action, catchy songs, and a famous cast including John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Uma Thurman, and more. It became a cult classic.

However, there wasn’t really a set plot. Pulp Fiction was basically a film about nothing with nothing of substance happening over the course of about two hours.

The Blind Side

Warner Bros. Pictures/MovieStillsDB

The Blind Side was loosely based on a true story about a young, impoverished teen being taken in by a wealthy family before making it to the NFL.

The movie has been heavily criticized for the dramatization of Michael Oher’s life, which leans too heavy on melodrama. Oher stated that he isn’t a fan.

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory

Warner Bros./MovieStillsDB

One of the main pulls for 2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was that it was a Tim Burton production with Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka.

While the visual effects were quite advanced at the time, critics thought that Depp’s performance didn’t come close to Gene Wilder’s portrayal in the original film.

American Hustle

Columbia Pictures/MovieStillsDB

Nominated for a whopping 10 Academy Awards in 2014, American Hustle had a famous cast including Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, and Christian Bale.

The costumes were phenomenal, but the plot was thought to be convoluted. There wasn’t much character development, which left the audience without anyone to root for.

A Star Is Born

Warner Bros. Pictures/MovieStillsDB

The 2018 flick, A Star is Born, was already the fourth version of the film starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper.

While Lady Gaga showed off her voice, her and Cooper’s overall acting performances were lackluster. The plot was very predictable, which made the film drag on longer than needed. Discover The Best TV Shows Everyone Should Binge-Watch on Hareal.

Forrest Gump

Paramount Pictures/MovieStillsDB

Forrest Gump isn’t necessarily a bad film, but many critics and movie fans didn’t think it had what it took to earn the coveted Best Picture Academy Award.

It centered on a man traveling through iconic moments in history, but some didn’t think it should’ve beat out films such as The Shawshank Redemption or Pulp Fiction.

Twilight Saga

Summit Entertainment/MovieStillsDB

Anyone who was a teen or tween during the 2000s will remember the Twilight saga craze. Fans went gaga over these teen vampire films.

While these movies brought it a large chunk of change at the box office, the acting was nowhere near perfection. The chemistry between the two love interests was almost invisible.

Dances With Wolves

Tig Productions/MovieStillsDB

Kevin Costner produced, directed, and starred in the 1990 film Dances With Wolves, which was nominated for 12 Academy Awards.

While there is a strong plot, great acting performances, and a nuanced theme, there are some underlying issues. Some critics thought that the flaw with Dances With Wolves was that it was told through the lens of a white male.

Avatar

Twentieth Century Fox/MovieStillsDB

At the time of its release, Avatar became the highest-grossing movie in history. People wanted to see it in the theater because of the stunning visual effects.

While there were a few famous faces in the cast such as Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver, the original story wasn’t as exceptional as it should have been.

Titanic

Paramount Pictures/MovieStillsDB

Typically, movies are under two hours, but 1997’s Titanic comes in at just about three and a half hours.

While most critics thought the visual effects, cast, and old-fashioned melodrama made the film a hit, others believed the story and dialogue were weak. Richard Corliss of Time magazine thought it lacked critical and interesting emotional elements.

The Notebook

New Line Cinema/MovieStillsDB

The Notebook is usually considered to be one of the most quintessential romantic dramas of the 21st century. It’s the story of two people falling in love and what they did to stay together for the rest of their lives.

Critics and audiences agreed that the story was very unrealistic and that the two love interests didn’t have much in common.

Hereditary

PalmStar Media/MovieStillsDB

Released in 2018, Hereditary is a horror film starring Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, and Gabriel Byrne. It follows a family who are haunted by a mysterious presence after the daughter loses her life.

While critics thought the performances were spot on, some had trouble accepting the unusual plot.

Traffic

Compulsion Inc./MovieStillsDB

Traffic was critically acclaimed when it was released at the turn of the 21st century. It follows several different characters as they worked on a trade between the United States and Mexico.

The characters and storylines were meant to make people think, but they ended up falling flat. Audiences felt as though they were waiting for something significant to happen while watching.

The King’s Speech

The Weinstein Company/MovieStillsDB

The King’s Speech was a historical drama that followed King George VI and his struggles with his speech impediment and inheriting the crown from his brother.

While actors such as Helena Bonham Carter and Colin Firth gave great performances, the overall film was unremarkable. Critics thought it was preposterous that it beat out films such as Black Swan and The Social Network for the Best Picture Oscar.

Lost In Translation

Focus Features/MovieStillsDB

Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray are two of Hollywood’s most prolific actors and they starred alongside each other in 2003’s Lost in Translation.

The movie was supposed to be heartfelt and carry a meaningful message, but the convoluted plot prevented the actors from giving their best performances. Critics thought it lacked key emotional elements.

Drive

FilmDistrict/MovieStillsDB

Ryan Gosling starred as a Hollywood stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway driver in 2011’s Drive. While the premise is original and action-packed, things started to go south with the directing.

Director Nicolas Winding Refn got a little carried away with creating an art-house vibe, which caused the film to lack substance.

Slumdog Millionaire

Fox Searchlight Pictures/MovieStillsDB

Slumdog Millionaire is a classic rags to riches story that was heavily favored by the Academy Awards.

The film was criticized for relying too much on melodrama and cliché, especially with its negative portrayal of India. Slumdog Millionaire ended up receiving 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

La La Land

Summit Entertainment/MovieStillsDB

The premise of La La Land involves a couple singing and dancing their way through a new relationship in Los Angeles.

It’s supposed to pay tribute to the musicals of yesteryear, but critics thought it didn’t live up to the potential of other movie musicals. Most agreed that Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling weren’t quite up to par when it came to their musical abilities.

GoldenEye

MGM

While it is difficult to dislike a film revolving around 007, it doesn’t make GoldenEye any less of an overrated film. Pierce Brosnan’s Bond character seemingly tries and fails to relate to a younger crowd, even though he is a middle-aged man.

On top of that, his misogynistic approach to speaking to and about women leaves little to be admired.

Shakespeare In Love

Miramax Films/MovieStillsDB

When Shakespeare in Love won the Academy Award for Best Picture, many were confused as to why this happened.

The film is a fictional story about a young William Shakespeare while he’s writing Romeo and Juliet. The two love interests lacked much-needed chemistry, which caused the film to lose audience engagement.