A French word, auteur translates in English to “author”, with the coining of the term being generally attributed to François Truffaut during the French New Wave. He and his contemporaries like Jean-Luc Godard and Agnes Varda saw specific visions into fruition by writing the scripts to each film they directed. Filmmakers across the world followed suit, with many notable names fitting the bill today. Some of the biggest movies of their respective years were made by auteurs: takePulp Fiction(1994), for instance. But even filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino have released under-the-radar projects throughout their respective careers. These are twenty great examples of underrated , ranked.
20Panic Room - David Fincher
Panic Room
There may not be an actress to ever walk the earth who’s starred in more high-quality thrillers than Jodie Foster. Perhaps the most underrated of the bunch isPanic Room(2002), directed by David Fincher. This is also the most overlooked feature under that filmmaker’s belt, with others includingThe Game(1997) and evenZodiac(2007) to an extent. Those both fit into the aforementioned genre.
One of the greatest thriller directors ever, David Fincher knows how to push audiences to the edge of their seats. He leads Foster to greatness inPanic Roomas the latter’s protagonist moves into a new home with her daughter (played by Kristen Stewart), only forthe abode to be invadedon their first night. This is where the titular room comes into play, as the ladies stow away and engage with the intruders in a battle of wits. It’s a thrilling journey, and it deserves far more love.
Rent on YouTube and Amazon Prime
19Wild at Heart - David Lynch
Though it boasts a cult following today,Wild at Heart(1990) by David Lynch still doesn’t get the appreciation it deserves. Upon release, it definitely didn’t: at the worldwide box office, this romantic crime drama accrued just $14 million against a $10 million budget. But what’s worse is that it also garnered middling reviews from critics: on consensus website Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 65% approval rating. No telling what pundits were thinking.
Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern play Sailor Ripley and Lula Fortune, lovers who go on the run when the latter’s mother hires crooks to kill Sailor. And while the leads share a tangible chemistry while exchanging well-written dialogue, Willem Dafoe perhaps steals the show. John Lurie and Jack Nance provide entertaining supporting efforts, with other performers including Diane Ladd and Harry Dean Stanton. They all renderWild at Heartan underrated gem of Lynchian proportions.
18Thief - Michael Mann
Among the most respected American filmmakers of his generation is Michael Mann, who’s madesome well-known filmsthroughout his career:Heat(1995) andCollateral(2004), for instance. And while the former’s script was actually penned by Stuart Beattie, the latter was written by Mann. He creates the screenplays to the majority of his movies, such as the one at hand.
Marking Mann’s directorial debut,Thief(1981) features James Caan in the titular role. A career criminal, Frank uses his safecracking skills to execute one last heist before leaving the underworld for good. It’s a well-made film through and through, and critics mostly agreed. But this atmospheric neo-noir stint came up a trifle short in ticket sales, and its name value has remained somewhat stagnant overall. Here’s hoping it picks up popularity with a cult status.
Streaming on Showtime
17Lone Star - John Sayles
A neo-Western from John Sayles with an intriguing premise and a star-studded cast — with flawless execution re: the finished product, it’s no wonder why critics resonated so fondly withLone Star(1996). Audiences were actually intrigued enough to attend their local movie theaters, but only to an extent. The movie made $13 million, while its budget was just $3 million. Decent numbers overall.
But for some reason,Lone Starnever gets the true love it deserves as one of the best westerns of modern Hollywood. Its plot is enough to keep audiences involved as Chris Cooper plays Sam Deeds, a sheriff who’sinvestigating the mysterious deathof his predecessor. And with other performers such as Matthew McConaughey, Kris Kistofferson, Elizabeth Peña, and Frances McDormand, you can rest assured there’s more to this neo-Western than just high-quality screenwriting. The cast should renderLone Stara timeless piece of ’90s cinema.
Streaming on YouTube
16Hush - Mike Flanagan
A slasher film from legendary horror director Mike Flanagan — who writes and edits all of his films, in true auteur style — this marks one of a few entries on the list that actually received acclaim upon release from critics. But as far as horror movies of the twenty-first century go,Hush(2016) should be considered one of the greats. Unfortunately, that’s hardly ever the case.
Its story follows Emma, a deaf-mute novelist who moves into a new home in the woods to gain both solitude and inspiration. When a masked killer begins stalking her, moments of legitimate terror are facilitated by brilliant screenwriting and careful sound design. A deaf-mute final girl is an intriguing premise by itself, andHushwas executed to perfection. True horror hounds know of its greatness. But in the end, this masked killer story fell a bit beneath the public radar.
15Inside Llewyn Davis - Joel and Ethan Coen
Inside Llewyn Davis
Written anddirected by Joel and Ethan Coen, this is one of the greatest movies of its decade. Considering its paucity of popularity, it’s hardly ever considered as such in public circles. And even as far as industry pundits go:Inside Llewyn Davis(2013) was well-acclaimed. But it should’ve been held in an even brighter light, cited as one of the best pictures under the directing duo’s belt.
Starring Oscar Isaac as the titular musician, it chronicles his experiences in a dying realm of the industry: the New York City folk scene during the early 1960s. A tangible tone is established in the film’s opening scene that renders this an essential piece of cinema regarding folk music. And frankly, it should be held in the absolute highest of regards, no matter the plot.Inside Llewyn Daviscaptures a grand mystique of the human condition unlike few films from anyone involved, and it should more frequently be cited among their greatest works.
14Bone Tomahawk - S. Craig Zahler
Bone Tomahawk
Among the more niche subgenres to be found in film is the horror western. Only veteran film fans are able to rattle off examples thereof off the top of their heads.Ravenous(1999) andThe Burrowers(2007) fit the bill, with more recent examples includingThe Wind(2018) andNope(2022). All solid projects. But by far and away,the greatest horror westernof them all isBone Tomahawk(2015), written and directed by S. Craig Zahler.
With unlimited talent among its cast — Scream Kings such as Kurt Russell and Patrick Wilson lead the likes of Matthew Fox and Richard Jenkins — this is perhaps the scariest western ever made. In particular, one scene will leave you shaking in your boots. And upon release, critics unanimously gaveBone Tomahawkthe love it deserves. It’s just a shame you’ve never seen it.
Streaming on Tubi, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel
13Basquiat - Julian Schnabel
Though you may not know his name, you should recognize a few stints under the directorial belt of Julian Schnabel. There’sThe Diving Bell and the Butterfly(2007), along withAt Eternity’s Gate(2018). He only directedDiving Bell. But withEternity’s Gate, he wrote the screenplay while sitting in the editing room to complete the final product. Pretty impressive. Those are fairly acclaimed, both receiving at least one nomination at the Academy Awards. That should’ve been the case for the film at hand.
His directorial debut,Basquiat(1996) stars Jeffrey Wright as the titular real-life figure, American painter Jean-Michel Basquiat. Portraying Andy Warhol is David Bowie, whilethe star-studded castconsists of other well-known names like Benicio Del Toro, Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Parker Posey, and Courtney Love. This overlooked biopic deserves more respect for their efforts alone.
12Clockers - Spike Lee
The great Spike Lee has many underrated pictures under his belt, fromMo' Better Blues(1990) andSummer of Sam(1999) toBamboozled(2000) and25th Hour(2002). Perhaps his most overlooked movie,Clockers(1996) follows a drug dealer named Strike (portrayed wonderfully by Mekhi Phifer) who gets his brother Viktor (played by frequent Spike Lee collaborator Isaiah Washington) mixed up in a murder plot.
Harvey Keitel and John Torturro play detectives who investigate the homicide, while other performers include Delroy Lindo, Keith David, and Regina Taylor. Director Spike Lee even makes one of his trademark appearances. Given that name value,Clockersdeserved better than to come up short at the worldwide box office. With flawless execution across the board of storytelling, it should be regarded as one of Lee’s all-time greatest works.
Stream on Showtime
11Flirting With Disaster - David O. Russell
Though a controversial figure, David O. Russell has made many masterful movies, likeThe Fighter(2010),Silver Linings Playbook(2012), andAmerican Hustle(2013). But before his movies began picking up traction at the box office and at various award ceremonies, Russell’s films flew unfortunately beneath the radar. And none remains more underrated than his directorial debut,Flirting With Disaster(1996).
Following Mel and Nancy Coplin, it chroniclesthe declining health of their marriageas they search for Mel’s biological parents while raising a newborn of their own. The quirky lead characters are portrayed by Ben Stiller and Patricia Arquette, with Téa Leoni showing up as a social worker who helps Mel track down his family. Each thespian shares an indelible rapport with the next, and they all perform brilliantly.Flirting With Disastershould be more widely regarded among the best films from each of those names.
