From John Carpenter’s The Thing, which is now a classic horror movie, to Fight Club, a movie whose protagonist is absolutely unhinged, many iconic and classic movies fail to find appreciation when they’re initially released. It’s not uncommon for movies to be ahead of their time, which will never find the following upon release that they will in the future.

Being mostly known for the release of reboots, remakes, sequels, prequels, spinoffs and legacy sequels, the 2020s haven’t been as cinematically fulfilling in the eyes of many, especially because the majority of mainstream movies seem formulaic, risk-averse, and unoriginal. However, many unique films have failed to find an audience or make a mark at the same time.

So, the question remains – have movies become less original and memorable, or do the unique movies just have a smaller reach today? It’s not true that great movies haven’t been made in the last five years, but there seems to be a dearth of appreciation for them. I’m convinced many underappreciated 2020s movies will become cult classics.

Bottoms (2023)

Both of Emma Seligman’s movies starring Rachel Sennot as the protagonist deserve to become cult classics, and as Shiva Baby has already become one, I am even more confident that Bottoms will follow suit. Despite the fun premise of Fight Club for teenage girls, the movie underperformed and was a box-office flop, although critics did and continue to praise it.

The funniest scenes from Bottoms remind us of the dying genre of teen comedies like Clueless and Mean Girls, which aren’t afraid to be refreshingly nasty with their sense of humor, even asking us to suspend disbelief for the meaner gags, while still being progressive. Like every other good movie in the genre, Bottoms will likely become a cult classic.

Nimona (2023)

Animated movies that aren’t Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks or Studio Ghibli often struggle to find traction. Although movies like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – whose popularity was likely due to the тιтular character’s popularity – and KPop Demon Hunters – now the second-most watched Netflix movie in history – are exceptions, many great animated movies only become cult classics years later.

With beautifully energetic animation that adds an eccentricity to the punk-rock тιтular character’s ability to shapeshift, Nimona is a unique fantasy movie that features a medieval social order in a world with futuristic technology. A heartbreaking tale of friendship and loss, it’ll surely stand the test of time and find more appreciation through the years because of its message, too.

In The Heights (2021)

As a 2025 Best Picture Oscar nominee, Wicked‘s cultural impact can hardly be exaggerated. Similarly, we all witnessed how big a cultural phenomenon Hamilton has become over the years. So, the fact that a musical written by Hamilton writer Lin-Manuel Miranda and directed by Wicked director Jon M. Chu flew under people’s radars and continues to do so is disappointing.

However, the sheer amount of energy and pᴀssion that the cast of In the Heights brings to the movie guarantees it will eventually become a cult classic. The songs are catchy, the story has a universal appeal because of the relatable emotional beats, the visuals are electrifying, and the movie’s world will pull you in before the second track ends.

I Saw The TV Glow (2024)

It is difficult to choose between Jane Schoenbrun’s two feature films, as both have immense cult potential, but I Saw the TV Glow is perhaps the one more likely to become big enough to be called a cult classic. We’re All Going to the World’s Fair is arguably too extreme to find major appeal, despite its effective exploration of dysphoria.

I Saw the TV Glow follows kids bonding over a favorite TV show and explores the darkness in the characters’ lives. From the nightmarish depiction of suburbia to the exploration of the impact of community on teens affected by dysphoria and social isolation, I Saw the TV Glow is a horror movie that sticks with you after the credits roll.

It’s What’s Inside (2024)

Coherence (2013) is a cult classic today, and the similarities that It’s What’s Inside shares with it lead me to believe the latter will also be a cult classic someday. The movie follows a group of friends celebrating together at a party before one of them gets married. A man they haven’t seen since his high-school expulsion is also there.

To make things thrilling, the man suggests they try an experimental procedure he’s developing, where people can switch their bodies. They play a game where they try to guess whose mind is in whose body, and only he knows the answers. The spooky cinematography, dramatic tension from the revelation of secrets, and the final twist make it a compelling thriller.

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)

The most creative slasher movies in history have all garnered cult followings to some degree, so I hope the 2020s slashers that switched up the formula will also receive the same treatment. Among them is Halina Reijn’s Bodies Bodies Bodies, which explores the deep-seated paranoia experienced by a group of Gen Z partygoers after one of them is seemingly killed.

Gradually losing faith in each other, the members start trying to figure out who the killer is and inadvertently attack each other over their suspicions. A slasher that doubles as a whodunnit, Bodies Bodies Bodies is a masterclass in claustrophobic, anxiety-inducing filmmaking that portrays Gen Z’s mannerisms, collective philosophies, and individualism so accurately, it’s bound to become a cult classic.

Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) (2020)

Some iconic comic book characters don’t deserve to be reclaimed because of their extremely villainous behavior, and Harley Quinn is surely one of them. However, this sympathetic portrayal of the character, which is far removed from the classic comic book version of it, is so campy, hip, loud, vibrant, and sᴀssy that it’s impossible not to love it.

Following a host of side characters alongside the тιтular protagonist, all of whose interpretations are also quite liberal in comparison to the comics, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) parodies the genre while leaning into its most entertaining aspects and is a funny and feminist twist that’s already garnered a significant cult following.

Beau Is Afraid (2023)

Beau is Afraid has cult classic written all over it. A trippy horror movie that meanders through jumpscares, terrifying situations, shocking setpieces, and is nearly impossible to understand, featuring Joaquin Phoenix delivering one of the best A24 movie performances ever, is bound to become a cult movie in the future.

The confusing narrative, made further confounding by the non-linearity, the nearly incoherent tone of most of the dialogue, and Phoenix’s impressionable performance as a haunted protagonist, are all elements that lovers of highbrow and unconventional horror movies will find enthralling. Despite its underperformance, Beau is Afraid already has enough fans who will surely popularize it even more in the future.

Lisa Frankenstein (2024)

Jennifer’s Body is a horror movie that got a lot of flak when released, but is loved by many today. The latest movie written by Diablo Cody, Lisa Frankenstein, is likely going to have the same fate as well. It’s a quirky movie that follows a woman and her ritualistically revived corpse of a boyfriend, who has supernatural gifts.

The body humor of the awkward corpse, learning how to behave like a human, and the unique chemistry the central couple shares make Lisa Frankenstein spectacularly entertaining. As a feminist take on the genre, much like Jennifer’s Body, it has a timeless and dark sense of humor, which makes it a campy classic deserving of more attention, admiration, and adoration.

Babylon (2022)

I wonder how future film historians will react when they learn Babylon was a flop. A collective mistake on our part as viewers who allowed it to flop, as this masterpiece about the Golden Age of Hollywood is the likeliest to become a cult classic in the future, as people are already realizing its merits and wishing it performed better.

Following real and fictional figures from the 1920s, when Hollywood was transitioning to sound cinema, Babylon is a stylized retelling of the most influential moments of that period, which captures the grandeur and the larger-than-life ambitions of the film industry’s figureheads at the time. It is a love letter to cinema that celebrates its glory and criticizes its darkest moments.