The cult classic is a beloved staple of the film world. Every film lover has a favorite movie that never got the attention and accolades it deserved, beloved by a small but dedicated group of like-minded audience . Though many "cult films" have since transcended into mainstream popularity (Fight Club, Donnie Darko), there is still an almost infinite amount of truly underground or unfairly ignored films, many of which hail from international markets.
Whether a language barrier, poor timing, bad distribution, or just plain bad luck, some foreign offerings never got the chance to cross over stateside. These are ten international cult films that never became the classics in North America that they should have.
The Guard (2011) - Ireland
John Michael McDonaugh's brother Brendan Gleason as a lazy and heavy drinking guard with Don Cheadle's younger and more uptight partner as they uncover a murder.
Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1989) - Spain
Pedro AlmodovarNC-17 rating for the film's scenes of graphic sexuality.
The controversy was ultimately detrimental to the film's crossover in America, as it led to more distracting babble than actual analysis of Almodovar's film, which is both funny and tender in ways only he could produce. The film's wit and performance from Antonio Banderas could have ushered the film to cult classic status here, but unfortunately, it didn't pan out that way.
Angst (1983) - Austria
A film that is much more notorious in Europe, and only really discussed now by filmmakers who have taken influence from it, Angst is the precursor to more well-known cult classics like Henry: Portrait of A Serial Killer and Irreversible. The film is certainly not for the squeamish as its unhinged camera follows a deviant man as he breaks into a home and commits heinous acts of murder. It is singular stuff, and definitely bizarre and unsettling, but that low-budget slasher niche has found a large following in America with films like Martyrs and Climax becoming cult classics in their own right for their theatre of cruelty.
Ichi The Killer (2001) - Japan
Typically cult films gain their status for the very reason that they don't initially find an audience--the idea of subversion. More often than not, a select group are drawn to a film for its idiosyncrasies and originality. That can be applied no more perfectly to a film than Ichi the Killer.
While director Takashi Miike did find previous Western cult success with Audition, his 2001 gore extravaganza Yakuza thriller gained the shocking notoriety of that film, but not nearly the same amount of critical or audience attention. That's a shame because it is bonkers in ways that no other single film is.
Wild Tales (2014) - Argentina
It is downright baffling this wasn't the foreign crossover of the year given its Hollywood filmmaking techniques, Western accessibility, comedic performances, and international acclaim the film received everywhere but North America. The anthology film is divided into six unrelated vignettes about normal people snapping into fits of rage and/or physical violence. Particularly iconic is the final segment set a wedding between two people seemingly deep in love. It is raucous and fits right in with the cult homes of Tarantino and P.T. Anderson.
The Great Beauty (2013) - Italy
While there can be no doubt that The Great Beauty has received an enormous amount of love from the film festival world and the racket of professional critics, the film has yet to be recognized by the American film community for the masterpiece that it is.
The film's lush and haunting cinematography carries the film through its slowly-paced existential crisis narrative. The film's opening scene alone signifies the mastery of craft at work. With the films of Jim Jarmusch and Noah Baumbach finding devoted followers, this film should have been the cult hit of 2013.
The City Of Lost Children (1995) -
Directed by Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, The City of Lost Children did not see the lasting impact of their earlier film, Delicatessen. That's peculiar because this film not only cast Ron Perlman in the lead role, but its visual style seems right at home with fans of Tim Burton's more whimsical work. It's a fairy tale for adults, mixing childlike wonderment with ghoulish imagery. Genius.
An Elephant Sitting Still (2018) - China
While a very recent contribution, An Elephant Sitting Still has missed that window of time when it could have been an immediate success. Before the advent of streaming, the film would contain very little crossover potential due to its mammoth runtime of four hours and its extremely nihilistic philosophy. But misery always sells, and the recent success of long films like The Irishman opens up a possible route for this extremely impressive film to find its Western audience home at some point. It deserves it, for it is one of the best dissections of life's relentlessness ever put to film and an almost impossibly impressive debut, and swan song, for its creator.
Withnail & I (1987) - Britain
Quite possibly the biggest comedy cult classic in the U.K., Bruce Robinson's ode to male friendship at the end of the 1960s is one of the best scripts ever written. True, the screenplay is heavily built around colloquialisms and slang, but there's a rhythm to the dialogue that's almost Shakesperean, and thus can be enjoyed by an American audience. Richard E. Grant's turn as Withnail is one of cinema's best slacker characters, and the film's entire aesthetic is unique to it and it alone. A brilliant movie that is long overdue for an American re-examination.
Attack The Block (2011) - Britain
With the rise of John Boyega in Hollywood, there was hope that the 2011 action sci-fi caper Attack the Block would get it's due stateside like the works of Edgar Wright did. However, that did not come to fruition and the film remains somewhat forgotten by American cult film enthusiasts, which is a mystery. The film's quick pace and extremely affecting creature effects are aided by a slam-dunk cast of young British actors, led by John Boyega's hardened Moses. Funny and thrilling, there is literally no reason this film isn't a huge underground phenomenon.
