20 Movies That Are Flawed Masterpieces

13. Sunshine (2007)

Written by Alex Garland of recent Ex Machina fame, and directed by Danny Boyle, Sunshine has all the makings of a sci-fi masterpiece. At least, it does for the first two thirds of the movie, until - all of a sudden, out of nowhere - it goes completely off the rails, switching from intelligent sci-fi thriller to terrible slasher movie in a few mere seconds. It's a jarring turn of events, and one that has plagued fans of the film ever since its first release.

But look past that rather ill-judged third act (which is what most people tend to remember) and Sunshine certainly feels like something akin to a flawed masterpiece; everything from its high-concept visuals and scientific approach to the central premise ("What would happen if the sun started to die?") feels weighty and ambitious. It's a dense and complicated film.

Then there are the performances - subtle, realistic - which, coupled with the production design (2001: A Space Odyssey, eat your heart out), renders Boyle's film as a modern sci-fi classic. Despite its failings, Sunshine shoots for the stars - and mostly hits.