After movies such as Tom Cruise's long-awaited legacy sequel Top Gun: Maverick continues to exceed expectations by breaking box office records, movie fans on Reddit have begun to discuss similar movies that, whilst expectations may not have been through the roof, surprised fans and proved better than expected.
Whether it's due to a lack of marketing or simply an unknown cast/crew, there are several factors that can contribute to a movie's levels of anticipation being much lower than its actual quality. It's much more common than you'd expect, and Reddit users have crafted several great examples of this phenomenon.
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)
Reddit user minkin2 cites the global success The Story of Fire Saga as one of the most recent examples of a movie that's much better than it 'deserves' to be, claiming that the film succeeds because it "came out when feel-good movies were both a rarity and when we needed a feel-good movie."
The film, which stars Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams as two Swedish pop stars who find their way onto the Eurovision Song Contest in a shocking and entertaining underdog story and was a huge hit worldwide, with much of the music being praised for its catchiness and originality.
Happy Death Day (2017)
Although its concept is fairly simple and predictable, there's something about this film that makes it endlessly fun to watch. Happy Death Day is one of those rare horror/comedies that's actually consistently funny, which immediately makes it stand out from the competition in the genre.
Redditor consistentsorbet638 writes that Happy Death Day was "definitely better than expected," going on to note that they "even like the second one a lot." Its sequel, Happy Death Day 2 U is just as inventive and original as the first, which manages to keep its concept fresh and engaging.
The Lego Movie (2014)
One of the most widely-popular and original animated films of the past decade, The Lego Movie was just as much of a hit with critics as it was with casual audiences - which is a rarity with family films like this. It helps that the film boasts an ensemble voice cast full of talent, including names such as Chris Pratt, Will Arnett, and Elizabeth Banks.
Reddit user other-marketing-6167 writes that The Lego Movie "was hilarious," despite widespread apprehension of the project. They suggest that it was Lord & Miller's involvement that made the film so special, riding off the success of 21 Jump Street.
Palm Springs (2020)
Although the film is still great on its own merit, Palm Springs had the benefit of being released in the middle of a global pandemic - which made its time-loop romance plot all the more relatable to most audiences. The trope is incredibly popular in modern comedies, but Palm Springs is widely considered one of the coolest time-loop movies there is.
Reddit user thebornotaku admits that whilst they didn't have the highest expectations for the movie, they found Palm Springs to be "incredibly funny and one I intend to rewatch multiple times." Entertaining performances from Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti elevate the film even higher, bouncing off each other perfectly.
The Nice Guys (2016)
Starring Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe as two private eyes forced to team up for one complex and hilarious journey of secrecy and betrayal. The pair have incredible comedic chemistry, and it's thanks to their outstanding performances and line deliveries that The Nice Guys is one of the best comedy movies of the 2010s.
Even Reddit user mikegista admits that "no one saw" the success of The Nice Guys coming, despite the fact that it eventually ended up being "one the best buddy action-comedies of the last decade." Beyond its comedy aspects, The Nice Guys also features a thrilling mystery that the audience is invited to solve along with the film's protagonists.
Game Night (2018)
One of the few films on this list that continues to be overlooked when discussing last decade's funniest movies, Game Night definitely deserves its place on this list. The film tells the story of a group of friends whose weekly 'game night' gets out of control once the participants get mixed up in a deadly crime.
Reddit user dtsyk believes that Game Night was "one of the only great comedies of the past decade," going on to note how rare original studio comedies like this have become. Another Redditor, c931, writes that "Jesse Plemons was the highlight of that movie."
Paddington 2 (2017)
Even five years later, movie fans are still calling Paddington 2 one of the best family films ever made. It improves upon the original film in every conceivable way by raising the stakes, introducing plenty of fun new characters, and increasing the visual boldness that made the first film so successful.
Reddit user lechemrc writes that both of the Paddington movies are "so well done and downright wholesome," calling the pair "hard to beat for family movie night." Critics seemed to overwhelmingly agree with this opinion, leaving Paddington 2 one of the highest-rated family movies ever.
Pirates of the Caribbean (2003)
Although it's hard to imagine that a film series as widely popular as Pirates of the Caribbean could ever be considered anything less than a modern classic, the film was initially met with very little excitement or even recognition before its release in 2003.
Reddit user klockensteib writes that "the trailers looked quite hokey and I thought it was gonna be a bomb," despite the talent that was involved both in front and behind the camera. The Curse of the Black Pearl is now considered one of the greatest action/adventure films ever made, which is a testament to the quality of the film.
Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
Despite the many marketing issues that surrounded the release of Doug Liman's Edge of Tomorrow, the film ended up being a smash hit with audiences for many reasons - including an inventive storyline, thrilling action sequences, and a compelling lead dynamic between Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt.
Reddit user danielisbored believes that Edge of Tomorrow succeeds thanks to a "big name cast, great premise, [and] great pacing", in spite of the film's inability to "even settle on a name even after the movie has been released," which was one of the weakest marketing decisions in recent memory.
John Wick (2014)
Although the film featured big names like Keanu Reeves and Ian McShane, the expectations for John Wick before its release were nowhere near the levels of acclaim that the film receives today. The film was Chad Stahelski's directorial debut, and the visionary director has stuck to this franchise ever since the success of his original film.
Redditor thatpoppinfreshfit writes that in spite of the film's familiar premise, " a lot of this movie really worked well... somehow, they took a tired premise and freshened it up to the point where they were able to make a franchise out of it." The film worked so well, in fact, that it spawned an equally successful sequel, John Wick: Chapter 2.