20 Most Criminally Underrated Movies Since 2000

Unsung greats from the new millennium.

By Andrew Dilks /

What is it that makes a movie underrated? It's a tricky question to tackle and there's no correct answer, not least because of the huge element of subjectivity - one man's pleasure is another's pain, as the saying goes, and this applies every bit as much as it does to the world of films as anything else. Sometimes a great film bombs at the box office, failing to draw in anything like the audience it truly deserves before sinking into the obscurity of home retail after a brief run in theatres. Other films receive lukewarm reviews from the critics - or are even unjustly panned - creating bad word of mouth which puts people off shelling out to see a film which really deserves their attention. Some films even get great reviews across the board, but for one reason or another - a lack of promotion or a poorly-timed release date where the film clashes with a much bigger title - very few people end up going to see it. Whatever the reason for a film earning the unenviable label of underrated, these are movies which not only truly deserve a second chance, but should be seen by anyone who cares about great cinema. Here are 20 of the most underrated movies released since the year 2000 - if these are films you missed the first time around, then they truly deserve a place on your "To Watch" list.