One of the best cinematic experiences is when a movie truly surprises viewers by exceeding their expectations and leaves them dumbfounded by how much better the film was than they expected. This can happen with underestimated standalone films, long-awaited sequels that have built up so much anticipation that it is difficult to live up to, or blockbusters that ended up being far more creatively fulfilling than viewers have come to expect from major studios. Being a film fan can often lead to a lot of disappointment, so it’s important to highlight the instances where movies just got everything right.

Some of lackluster legacy sequel, there’s a surprising hidden gem just waiting to be discovered.

10 Jaws (1975)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Jaws truly surprised audiences in 1975 because it was not only the breakthrough movie of Hollywood icon Steven Spielberg, but also a watershed moment in motion picture history. From its iconic score to its tense and terrifying narrative, Jaws quickly became the then-highest-grossing movie of all time and kickstarted the era of the summer blockbuster. With a story that tapped into viewers' deepest, darkest fears, the idea of an unstoppable shark who terrorized beachgoers was so scary that it led to emotional responses from the audience, causing sleep disturbances, anxiety, and even a case of cinematic neurosis (via Psychiatric Times.)

Jaws surprised audiences so much because there had never been a movie as impactful before. Along with Star Wars two years later, Jaws helped change how movies were marketed as they shifted toward more high-concept style releases. In the same way that Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho made viewers afraid to go into the shower, Jaws even propagated a fear of the ocean. As a landmark horror movie and the very first summer blockbuster, Jaws has earned its iconic spot in film history.

9 Barbie (2023)

Directed by Greta Gerwig

Barbie feature films are nothing new, and since 2001, there have been no less than 52 animated movies based on the Mattel fashion doll. That’s why it was so surprising that Greta Gerwig’s live-action adaptation was not only a success at the box office but also became the highest-grossing film of the year and earned a staggering $1.446 billion worldwide (via Box Office Mojo.) This level of success and engagement from viewers not only exceeded audiences' expectations but also far sured even the most optimistic studio predictions for a children’s toy IP first introduced in 1959.

The success of Barbie was the result of pure happenstance as it aligned with the cultural phenomenon of Barbenheimer, an internet response to the sheer polar opposite nature of Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. This fan-led social media campaign bolstered the box office takings of both movies, yet it wouldn’t have been possible if Barbie wasn’t already an excellent movie in its own right. With a career-defining performance from Margot Robbie as the titular toy, Barbie was the perfect example of the right place, at the right time, with the right movie.

8 Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

Directed by Joel Crawford

The first Shrek movie was a breath of fresh air when it was released in 2001, although the franchise slowly started to run out of steam, and by Puss in Boots in 2011, much of the magic had been lost. While Puss in Boots was a perfectly acceptable kids' movie, it wasn’t profound, groundbreaking, or surprising for audiences. Considering this, the release of the long-festering sequel Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in 2022 came as a complete surprise, as it was not only a welcome return to the land of Far Far Away but also a disarmingly emotional movie.

With mature themes and the best animation in the franchise, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish was a surprisingly thoughtful exploration of morality as the feisty feline voiced by Antonio Banderas was forced to reckon with death as he burned through eight of his nine lives. As a film that was plagued by delays and lay dormant in development hell for ten years, The Last Wish showcased there was still life in the Shrek franchise and helped revitalize the series, with the release of Shrek 5 even being teased in the mid-credits scene.

7 Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Directed by George Miller

Australian filmmaker George Miller truly surprised audiences with his debut, Mad Max, in 1979, a dystopian action adventure that showcased a barren landscape and a world ravaged by drought. While this franchise continued to delve ever further into its world with richly imagined sequels during the 1980s, by the 21st century, Miller was more associated with directing the dancing penguin in Happy Feet than he was with the violent excesses of The Wasteland. That was until Miller surprised everybody in 2015 with the release of his highly anticipated sequel, Mad Max: Fury Road.

With Tom Hardy replacing Mel Gibson as Max Rockatansky, Mad Max: Fury Road leaned into its themes of survival, endurance, and feminism as Max ed forces with Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) to take on the ruthless warlord Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) in a visual spectacular showcase of pure cinematic carnage. Fury Road proved that Miller was far from out of steam as his post-apocalyptic franchise came roaring vigorously back to life. The creative surprise of Fury Road was reflected in its box office and even led to the prequel movie Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

6 21 Jump Street (2012)

Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

It was hard to see the creative vision when a film adaptation of the 1980s police procedural series 21 Jump Street was announced, as this seemed like yet another attempt to cash in on an old property that people had stopped caring about long ago. However, 21 Jump Street exceeded all expectations and was actually one of the funniest comedies of the 2010s. With a surprisingly effective comedic duo of Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as cops going undercover as high school students, everything about 21 Jump Street just worked.

As an affectionate satire of the 1980s and teen movie tropes, 21 Jump Street leaned into its identity as a throwback to an earlier era of storytelling and managed to become an effective metacommentary in the process. With Johnny Depp even returning to reprise his role from the original TV series, 21 Jump Street was a success both for those watching it through a nostalgic lens and those coming to the series for the first time. With a successful sequel titled 22 Jump Street, the only disappointing thing about this series was there weren’t more installments.

5 John Wick (2014)

Directed by Chad Stahelski

Following the release of Taken with Liam Neeson in 2008, it felt like every older male movie star was required to lead their own revenge-based action movie franchise. With this in mind, the release of the Keanu Reeves vehicle John Wick looked like it could be just one more in a long list of disposable action movies. However, John Wick turned out to be a surprising blend of action, noir, and martial arts tropes, all wrapped in an intriguing criminal underworld of assassins with deeply entrenched rituals and rules.

What began with the story of a former hitman mourning the death of his wife soon turned into a violent quest for revenge after a group of Russian gangsters murdered the one thing helping John cope with his loss, a beagle puppy. This set in motion a series of events that led to the development of the entire John Wick franchise, a sprawling world populated by skilled martial artists and deadly assassins portrayed by legends like Mark Dacascos and Donnie Yen. As one of the best action franchises of all time, John Wick was truly a welcome surprise.

4 Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

Directed by Matthew Vaughn

On first look, Kingsman: The Secret Service seemed like it was going to be yet another spy spoof that took lighthearted aim at franchises like James Bond. While this was an idea that had been effectively done in series like Rowan Atkinson’s Johnny English, it seemed like spy comedy pastiches already felt cliched by the time the first Austin Powers was released in 1997. However, Kingsman surprised audiences with genuinely engaging action sequences and an over-the-top sense of violence that made the stakes feel high in a way they generally don’t in comedy movies.

The most surprising thing about Kingsman: The Secret Service was how genuinely fun it was, and although it owed a lot to Bond, it also carved out its own identity. The movie was so successful that it led to the development of an entire Kingsman extended universe, complete with a sequel, prequel, spin-off, and a television show in the works. What started as a lighthearted parody of spy franchises ended up being so compelling it turned into a major franchise in its own right.

3 The Social Network (2010)

Directed by David Fincher

News about the development of a Mark Zuckerberg biopic would have led to groans from audiences when it was first announced, as it felt inevitable that this tech success story would endeavor to deify the Facebook founder with the same level of enigmatic zeal Steve Jobs received. However, rather than showcase the merits of Zuckerberg’s billionaire journey, The Social Network defied expectations by being a rich character study filled with betrayal, ambition, and moral complexity. From screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and director David Fincher, The Social Network felt like a timely encapsulation of the ruthless nature of modern times.

The Social Network was not a typical biopic, as even its tagline, “You don't get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies,” hinted at the dark undercurrents of its story. With a career-defining performance from Jesse Eisenberg, the characterization of Zuckerberg showcased a deeply flawed human who was both a visionary and a ruthless narcissist. By taking the story of Facebook’s creation and blending it with the dark sensibilities of the Se7en director Fincher and the sharp dialogue of The West Wing creator Sorkin, The Social Network became a biopic like no other.

2 Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (2003)

Directed by Gore Verbinski

As a Disney movie based on a theme park attraction, it would have been easy to dismiss Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl as a quick cash grab designed to bring more people to Disney World. However, the appeal of this swashbuckling franchise was truly undeniable, as the first film blew audiences away with its spectacular visuals, incredible performances, and truly iconic musical score. Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow was truly a revelation, and even his sternest critics had to it that he had found the role of his lifetime.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl represented the very best of what a family-friendly summer blockbuster could achieve and did so in such an engaging and entertaining way it’s not surprising it became one of the biggest franchises of all time. With a richly imagined world with enticing fantasy elements, all the characters in Pirates felt fully developed, and Depp, along with Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, made for an engaging all-star trio.

1 Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Directed by Joseph Kosinski

Viewers have learned to be wary of legacy sequels because often, at best, they lean into audiences' nostalgia for the movies of their youth, or at worst, they hurt the legacy of the original. There have been so many disappointing releases, like Zoolander 2 or Space Jam: A New Legacy, that most know it's wise to arrive at the theater with low expectations. That’s why the release of Top Gun: Maverick was such a revelation, as this Tom Cruise sequel, coming more than 35 years after the original, not only succeeded but was arguably even better than its predecessor.

Top Gun: Maverick was a wildly entertaining film that perfectly achieved everything viewers could have wanted from a long-festering legacy sequel. With Cruise back as Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell and an emotional story that cast Miles Teller as Rooster, the son of Maverick’s late best friend Goose, Top Gun: Maverick managed to pay homage to the legacy of the original while showcasing its relevance in modern times. With a sequel in development, audiences can only hope that Top Gun can keep its quality high and enter the elite club of trilogies without a single poor entry.

Sources: Psychiatric Times, Box Office Mojo