Letterboxd has become the most interactive film community on the internet and the ratings are not always fair when it comes to certain movies. Two recent horror films that came out in July/August, Orphan: First Kill, are both currently rated 4.0 and 3.0 respectively, which reflects a different average taste between Letterboxd .
However, no one knows about how subjective taste is better than the Reddit community, and s share their picks of movies that are much better than what their Letterboxd ratings imply.
Upstream Color (2013) - 3.6/5
Shane Carruth's debut film Primer was already a hugely divisive movie due to its complicated narrative told in different correlated timelines, then Carruth returns almost 10 years later with an ever weirder story. While Primer had the time travel factor in its favor, Upstream Color converges several sci-fi themes in a sensorial story about a man and a woman gradually turning into one being, or at least that's one way of seeing things.
OptigisaV4 states, "Upstream Color is extremely underrated, the score is way too low for such a masterpiece." The film's experimental storytelling choices can easily draw viewers away from the movie, but for many, it ends up being a precious, unforgettable experience.
Saw (2004) - 3.6/5
Saw's plot revolves around the kidnappings of seemingly innocent people forced to engage in a series of sadistic games, and the police's attempt to find the man behind it.
james5829 says Saw is "easily a 5-star film." Given its ultraviolent nature, even though the first movie is arguably the mildest of the franchise, Saw isn't for everyone. It was also James Wan's breakout movie before he improved as a filmmaker and found his filmmaking identity, so the film can feel a bit amateur at times, while some people argue how that's actually what makes the first Saw so good.
Jackie (2016) - 3.5/5
Spencer, the movie is concerned with delving deep into the emotions and ideas going on in Jackie's head in a turning point of her life, while many went to watch it expecting a heavily political film, or a story somehow centered in the death of John F. Kennedy.
MatchaPaca claims, "The writing, direction, performances are all spot on and I found the film as a whole to be incredibly captivating and moving." It's typical of Larraín to meander through a seemingly simple story, taking directions difficult to predict and mixing facts with idealizations. It's certainly not everyone's cup of tea but, for some, it's an underrated gem.
Hugo (2011) - 3.5/5
Martin Scorsese's filmography is considered impeccable by many, thus Hugo's low average rating comes as surprise, especially when taking into consideration how the movie pretty much is a love letter from Scorsese to the cinema. Using the underdog Hugo as a bridge to addressing some of his own inspirations, Scorsese presents a magical world unfolding in the confines of a train station.
Mutted_Drawer_112 jokes, "I even got a lot of people angry because it was my number 2 in a ranked list of Scorsese, but it's just my favorite kids movie ever." While Hugo clearly deviates from Scorsese's traditional films, it doesn't make it any less appealing, and the visuals remain spectacular to this day.
Gremlins 2 (1990) - 3.4/5
The Predator franchise did, the Gremlins producers went for the ambitious approach to bring the story to the city, where the disaster would easily spiral out of control in the urban scenario.
However, while the sequel is set in New York City, the Gremlins barely leave the confines of a corporate building, which left some people displeased especially when taking the much more cartoonish approach of the film into . Gremlins 2 being one of the most noticeable examples.
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986) - 3.3/5
Even though it's one of the most popular franchises of all time, all Scream have their ups and downs with at least one film unanimously praised. Throughout 12 movies, the sixth of Jason's franchise stands out as the one fans celebrate the most, and it represents the moment the creators finally embraced the figure of Jason as an unstoppable supernatural entity instead of an ordinary serial killer.
frederick_tussock calls Part VI a "masterpiece." Offering some of the greatest deaths of the franchise, including a policeman being literally folded in half, the characters are finally engaging and serious on the mission of stopping Jason for good.
Cosmopolis (2012) - 2.9/5
With David Cronenberg shies away from scary stories and his body horror tendencies, opting for a puzzling narrative that leaves room for different interpretations. Robert Pattinson plays a renowned billionaire who just wants to get a haircut, but his seemingly ordinary odyssey on his limo escalates into an event of chaotic proportions as the world around him seems to fall apart.
A deleted claims, "Cosmopolis has a 2.9 score, which I think should be several notches higher." The intricate narrative filled with weird monologues and an array of troubled characters is different from anything fans could expect from a Cronenberg movie, which ends up surprising lots of people negatively.
Shrek Forever After (2010) - 2.8/5
Shrek Forever After deconstructs everything the franchise has built in the past three movies and pieces the story together from a different perspective, but not everyone felt like it did justice to the characters. dried_up_lemon, on the other hand, doesn't "know why it has a 2.7" on Letterboxd.
After being tricked by the vengeful Rumpelstiltskin, Shrek is sent to an alternate reality where he never existed, which makes reuniting with his companions a tricky, but not impossible task. Just like the previous films of the franchise, Shrek 4 dissects conventional fairy tale tropes in a hilarious fashion, and although it remains a moving story about friendship and love, not every fan was satisfied with the plot holes the fourth movie apparently creates.
The Dead Don't Die (2019) - 2.7/5
Jim Jarmusch is famous for his "plotless" movies about people hanging out and stories focusing on the overlooked portions of society, thus a feature film about zombies came as a surprise to everyone. People anticipated that the movie would be weird but given the cast packed with legendary stars, the audience believed it would be somewhat accessible to the wider public. The result: a low audience score and a bad reception from critics.
The Dead Don't Die at 4 stars." The easy way to enjoy the film is not taking it as a conventional zombie story or even just another modern satire, because the moments the movie really shines is when it challenges its well-established narrative structure into becoming a messy, self-aware filmmaking exercise. It's evident how each cast member was having fun in this project, and sometimes that's all that matters.
