The 10 Best Cult Movies You Must Watch Today
Those looking for cult movie recommendations, here you go! Here are the best, most gripping, and legendary movies of all time that you can watch with fellow cult movie enthusiasts. Every moviegoer has a favorite cult classic. A cult movie is a movie that has a dedicated fan base or cult following. The term “cult movie” was coined in the 1970s to describe the increasing popularity of late-night movies (usually late-night TV movies or second-run movies in theaters). Cult classics, which range in genre from action to documentary, often gain a following a few years after their initial release. So, what are the best cult movies of all time? Those looking for cult movie recommendations should definitely check out this list.
Not every movie is expected to break box office records. For example, cult movies have managed to win the hearts of viewers even if they were not successful at the box office. An unusual story that defies expectations or an offbeat sense of humor that may not appeal to everyone can keep viewers coming back for more, or the performance of a single actor or cast can affect the success of a cult classic movie. Acting performances are often the main factor fans look at when evaluating cult classic movies. From Jake Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of teenage angst in Donnie Darko to the unforgettable performances of the Pulp Fiction cast, there is a lot of star acting to be found in cult movies. Here are the 10 best cult movies of all time:
1.Fight Club
When it comes to Fight Club by David Fincher, it is an unmissable movie. Although generally classified as a psychological drama and mystery movie, it also contains action elements. The movie focuses on the story of Edward Norton, whose life takes a crazy turn after he meets a soap producer (Brad Pitt) and they join forces to establish an underground fight club. Fincher’s incredibly shot, truly gripping, and complex thriller caught the attention of many, although it was not a commercial success from the very beginning. It did not appeal to all audiences with its dark themes, including consumerism, violence, and criticism of male identity. However, these elements have led Fight Club to reach cult classic status. Full of unforgettable characters that remain iconic figures in cinema, innovative action scenes, and a jaw-dropping story, Fight Club is now a cult action movie recommended by moviegoers all over the world.
Information about Fight Club (1999)
- Director: David Fincher
- Cast: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter, Meat Loaf, Jared Leto
- Release Year: 1999
- Duration: 2 hours 19 minutes
- Country: United States
- Genre: Drama, Thriller
- Language: English
- Age Rating: R
- Available Platforms: Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies, Apple TV
- IMDb Rating: 8.8/10
- Similar Movies: Se7en (1995), American Psycho (2000), The Machinist (2004)
- Trailer: Watch the Trailer on YouTube
- IMDb Link: Fight Club on IMDb
2.American Psycho
American Psycho is considered a cult classic for its satirical take on the materialism and mindlessness of the 80s. The movie focuses on Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), a sadistic killer who hides behind his day job as an ambitious investment banker. As Bateman’s homicidal urges spiral out of control, the movie leaves viewers in awe, making it difficult to separate reality from fiction. Long after his breakout role in Empire of the Sun, Bale has come into the spotlight with his portrayal of a psychopath. His versatility allows him to lend himself to the character’s aloofness and charisma, especially in the iconic scene where Bateman gives a “music lesson” before killing someone. Ultimately, Bale’s portrayal of Bateman’s transformation from a confident psychopath to a bewildered man has captivated audiences and film critics alike.
Information about American Psycho (2000)
- Director: Mary Harron
- Cast: Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Reese Witherspoon, Chloë Sevigny
- Release Year: 2000
- Duration: 1 hour 41 minutes
- Country: United States
- Genre: Drama, Horror, Thriller
- Language: English
- Age Rating: R
- Available Platforms: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies
- IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
- Similar Movies: Se7en (1995), Fight Club (1999), Taxi Driver (1976)
- Trailer: Watch the Trailer on YouTube
- IMDb Link: American Psycho on IMDb
3.Pulp Fiction
One of the most revered cult classic movies by Quentin Tarantino, celebrated for his unique style, story choices, and extraordinary acting, is Pulp Fiction. The movie takes viewers on a wild ride through crime-ridden Los Angeles. The cast of Pulp Fiction is a testament to Tarantino’s ability to bring together top-tier talent. Travolta delivers a career-defining performance as Vincent Vega, a complex and mysterious character whose charm and flaws are equally captivating. Uma Thurman’s performance as Mia Wallace is also unforgettable, especially in her scenes with John Travolta and the intense overdose scene. Finally, there’s Jackson, whose iconic “Ezekiel 25:17” monologue is intense, powerful, and leaves a lasting impression on viewers.
Information about Pulp Fiction (1994)
- Director: Quentin Tarantino
- Cast: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Harvey Keitel
- Release Year: 1994
- Duration: 2 hours 34 minutes
- Country: United States
- Genre: Crime, Drama
- Language: English
- Age Rating: R
- Available Platforms: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies, Apple TV
- IMDb Rating: 8.9/10
- Similar Movies: Reservoir Dogs (1992), Goodfellas (1990), The Big Lebowski (1998)
- Trailer: Watch the Trailer on YouTube
- IMDb Link: Pulp Fiction on IMDb
4.Donnie Darko
Donnie Darko is perhaps one of the most popular movies about misfits and outcasts. This cult horror movie follows a teenager named Donnie, who frequently sees the ghost of a man dressed in a rabbit costume named Frank. Without a doubt, Gyllenhaal’s best performance is in Donnie Darko; in fact, Donnie is considered his most notable role. His vulnerability during therapy sessions and his portrayal of a teenager struggling with unexplained illnesses are particularly impressive. While no award-winning body recognized his performance, fans of the movie were endlessly in awe of Gyllenhaal’s characterization and the movie’s multifaceted interpretation.
Information about Donnie Darko (2001)
- Director: Richard Kelly
- Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mary McDonnell, Patrick Swayze, Drew Barrymore
- Release Year: 2001
- Duration: 1 hour 53 minutes
- Country: United States
- Genre: Sci-Fi, Mystery, Thriller
- Language: English
- Age Rating: R
- Available Platforms: Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies, Apple TV, HBO Max
- IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
- Similar Movies: The Butterfly Effect (2004), Requiem for a Dream (2000), A Clockwork Orange (1971)
- Trailer: Watch the Trailer on YouTube
- IMDb Link: Donnie Darko on IMDb
5.Blade Runner
Starring Harrison Ford in a remarkable role that helped shape his career, Ridley Scott’s captivating sci-fi cyberthriller Blade Runner follows a police unit tasked with tracking down and eliminating four replicants who have stolen a spaceship and returned to Earth to find their maker. Scott’s groundbreaking 1980s movie has achieved cult status over the years thanks to its philosophical exploration of existential themes, three-dimensional characters, and incredible world-building. Furthermore, the groundbreaking special effects and unconventional action sequences have also played a major role in making this a must-see in the genre.
Information about Blade Runner
- Title: Blade Runner
- Director: Ridley Scott
- Cast: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos
- Release Year: 1982
- Duration: 117 minutes
- Country: United States, United Kingdom
- Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller
- Available Platforms: Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max
- IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
- Language: English
- Age Rating: R
- Similar Movies: Blade Runner 2049 (2017), The Matrix (1999), Minority Report (2002)
- Trailer: Watch the Trailer on YouTube
- IMDb Link: Blade Runner on IMDb
6.Mad Max
George Miller’s 1979 movie introduced audiences to the iconic universe of Mad Max. The story is set in a dystopian, self-destructive near-future Australia, where civilization is facing civil unrest due to an oil shortage. A police officer (Mel Gibson) sets out to stop a violent motorcycle gang. Mad Max’s innovative, high-speed sequences feel intense, realistic, and gritty, while the car chases still resonate with audiences today. All of these fantastical elements, along with the realistic effects, made the low-budget George Miller movie a huge success and a cult classic.
Information about Mad Max (1979)
- Director: George Miller
- Cast: Mel Gibson, Joanne Samuel, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Steve Bisley, Tim Burns
- Release Year: 1979
- Duration: 1 hour 28 minutes
- Country: Australia
- Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
- Language: English
- Age Rating: R
- Available Platforms: Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies, Apple TV
- IMDb Rating: 6.9/10
- Similar Movies: The Road Warrior (1981), Escape from New York (1981), The Terminator (1984)
- Trailer: Watch the Trailer on YouTube
- IMDb Link: Mad Max on IMDb
7.From Dusk Till Dawn
From Dusk Till Dawn is a polished and entertaining movie that is aware of its own absurdity and exploits it to an extraordinary degree. This vampire movie follows a criminal duo who, after kidnapping a father and his two children, travel to Mexico and decide to hide out in a Mexican bar for safekeeping. The group soon discovers that the bar is full of vampires and joins the other patrons in a fight for their lives as they must wait for the sun to rise. While its chaotic and absurd plots have made it difficult to cross over into the mainstream, many of From Dusk Till Dawn‘s facets have made it a cult classic among hardcore horror fans of the 90s and early 2000s.
Information about From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
- Director: Robert Rodriguez
- Cast: George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Juliette Lewis, Harvey Keitel, Danny Trejo
- Release Year: 1996
- Duration: 1 hour 48 minutes
- Country: United States
- Genre: Action, Horror, Thriller
- Language: English
- Age Rating: R
- Available Platforms: Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies, Apple TV
- IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
- Similar Movies: From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (1999), The Descent (2005), The Lost Boys (1987)
- Trailer: Watch the Trailer on YouTube
- IMDb Link: From Dusk Till Dawn on IMDb
8.Shaun of the Dead
Zombies became one of the most successful and profitable concepts in the horror world in the 2000s and 2010s. The apocalypse is constantly depicted in zombie movies. One of the greatest cult classics that kicked off this era of creative contemporary zombie storytelling was director Edgar Wright’s British horror comedy masterpiece Shaun of the Dead. The movie tells the story of two unassuming slackers who are thrust into a zombie apocalypse and find themselves running around the city to gather their family members to take shelter in a bar, waiting for the zombie apocalypse to end. Shaun of the Dead is one of the most legendary and beloved cult classic horror comedies of all time.
Information about Shaun of the Dead (2004)
- Director: Edgar Wright
- Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran
- Release Year: 2004
- Duration: 1 hour 39 minutes
- Country: United Kingdom
- Genre: Comedy, Horror
- Language: English
- Age Rating: R
- Available Platforms: Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies, Apple TV
- IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
- Similar Movies: Hot Fuzz (2007), Zombieland (2009), The World’s End (2013)
- Trailer: Watch the Trailer on YouTube
- IMDb Link: Shaun of the Dead on IMDb
9.Jennifer’s Body
“Hell is a young girl.” Jennifer’s Body didn’t really catch on with many when it was first released. Written by Diablo Cody, the movie stars Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, JK Simmons, Amy Sedaris, and Adam Brody. Jennifer’s Body tells the story of two best friends who become the devil after a demonic group turns one of them into a demon. Despite being released in 2009, Jennifer’s Body has gained new horror cult status.
Information about Jennifer’s Body (2009)
- Director: Karyn Kusama
- Cast: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, Adam Brody, J.K. Simmons
- Release Year: 2009
- Duration: 1 hour 42 minutes
- Country: United States
- Genre: Horror, Comedy, Thriller
- Language: English
- Age Rating: R
- Available Platforms: Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies, Apple TV
- IMDb Rating: 5.4/10
- Similar Movies: Heathers (1988), Mean Girls (2004), The Craft (1996)
- Trailer: Watch the Trailer on YouTube
- IMDb Link: Jennifer’s Body on IMDb
10.The Evil Dead
While The Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness are both great cult movies, the one that truly deserves a place on this list is the original Evil Dead. Created on a shoestring budget by Sam Raimi and his childhood friend Bruce Campbell, this terrifying movie has become a classic among fans of the genre. Today, the movie is considered one of the most successful cult films ever made.
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Information about The Evil Dead (1981)
- Director: Sam Raimi
- Cast: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, Betsy Baker, Teresa Sutherland
- Release Year: 1981
- Duration: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Country: United States
- Genre: Horror, Thriller
- Language: English
- Age Rating: R
- Available Platforms: Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies, Apple TV
- IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
- Similar Movies: Evil Dead II (1987), The Cabin in the Woods (2011), Hereditary (2018)
- Trailer: Watch the Trailer on YouTube
- IMDb Link: The Evil Dead on IMDb
In the world of cinema, movies that make millions of dollars are mostly talked about, but cult movies that are not popular or appreciated by critics, yet have a loyal and dedicated fan base over time, have also gained an important place in cinema. If you are looking for the best cult movies, not just the most popular ones, you should definitely check out the list here.
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