8.Blade Runner(1982)
Ridley Scott’s sci-fi masterpiece wasn’t always heralded as one.
While editing, Scott had the film taken away from him by the studio and their interfering executives who wanted Scott to drastically change the film. The final result? A warped mess of ideas that wasn’t fixed until many years later, when Scott got the chance to re-cut the film his own way.
When “The Director’s Cut” came out in 1992, fans finally got to see what Ridley wanted to do with the film—at least for the most part, as this cut still wasn’t wholly his crystal-clear vision for the film.
Much later, in 2007, he released “The Final Cut” version of the film, which is widely considered the purest form of the film, and that’s the one that makesBlade Runnera masterpiece.
Ridley Scott’s Final Cut was included in Sight & Sound’s “greatest films of all time” list, proving how influential the film became to modern cinema.
Related:The best director’s cuts of movies
7.Blue Velvet(1986)
So many of David Lynch’s films are misunderstood at initial release, only to become masterpieces later on. EvenDune, which many still look on as a wobbly mess of a picture, managed to find cult status.
Blue Velvetis one example of Lynch’s forward-thinking, being a film that confused audiences and garnered a bad rap for its use of sexuality and violence. It caused many critics, including Roger Ebert, to hate the film.
However, in retrospect,Blue Velvetis now critically acclaimed. When critics re-watched the movie, they came to see the layers they had missed upon initial viewing, and over timeBlue Velvetbecame a prime example of visual language in mainstream cinema.
Related:The best examples of surrealism in movies
6.Citizen Kane(1941)
For as many people describeCitizen Kaneas the best film ever made, most forget that it wasn’t a hit at the time of its release.
It got some good reviews, sure, but the film was ultimately a failure—one that led RKO to take away final cut privilege from Orson Welles when he was makingThe Magnificent Ambersons.
Only in the mid-1950s didCitizen Kaneget a second chance, with RKO re-releasing the film to critical adoration.
Unfortunately, the damage brought by those initial reviews still meant that Orson Welles' demand for final cut privilege during his dry spell in Hollywood was a non-starter. Subsequently, he had many of his later movies taken away from him during the edit phase.
Today,Citizen Kaneis beyond reproach. It has influenced almost every filmmaker to come after its release, and Orson Welles is widely considered the best to have ever sat in the director’s chair.
Related:The most popular and iconic movies of the 40s
5.It’s a Wonderful Life(1946)
It’s hard to think thatIt’s a Wonderful Lifewas ever seen as a failure, being that it often tops polls of “the greatest Christmas films ever made.” However, it wasn’t initially a hit. Far from it.
The film nearly led to Frank Capra losing his relationship with movie studios, who’d lost faith in him after the film came out. But much in the vein of the film itself,It’s a Wonderful Lifeeventually fell out of copyright—and a Christmas miracle occurred.
Since it no longer cost anything to play the film, it became a staple of Christmas television. It became watched everywhere, and it garnered significant retrospective acclaim. Now, decades after its release, that acclaim remains every year as George Bailey finds his way back home.
4.The King of Comedy(1982)
Martin Scorsese’s career is permeated with several films that could be considered masterpieces. Most of them met with critical acclaim from the outset, butThe King of Comedydid not.
Though the film met with a warm critical reception upon release,The King of Comedycollapsed at the box office and wasn’t able to find an audience during its initial run.
In the ensuing years, the film eventually found a place amongst film lovers, who cited the film as a classic. Upon critical re-evaluation, it’s now considered one of Scorsese and De Niro’s smartest efforts together.
Related:Iconic actors and directors who often work together
3.Mulholland Drive(2001)
David Lynch’sMulholland Drivetopped the BBC’s poll to find the best movie made in the 21st century so far, which consulted 177 critics from all over the world.
The funny thing aboutMulholland Driveis that the film was met with both vociferous praise and scathing attacks when it released in cinemas. To many, it was just another example of David Lynch being David Lynch—a film so obfuscated by its own narrative, it was basically overactive hubris.
However, like most Lynch films, it slowly grew in reputation. As the people who loved the picture gave their copies to their friends to watch for themselves,Mulholland Driveevolved into a piece of unforgettable cinema. It’s now acclaimed by critics and audiences alike.
Related:The best David Lynch movies
2.Psycho(1960)
For the amount of critical praise and adoration thatPsychogets today, few remember that there was a time when nobody wanted to make it—so much so that Alfred Hitchcock was forced to fund it himself.
Upon release,Psychowas a box office hit as audiences lined up in droves to see the film, but critics—who didn’t have their usual luxury of prior screenings—weren’t universally impressed.
It was only after retrospective screenings and reviews that the film became one of Hitchcock’s most famous works. Today,Psychois adored and heralded as the film that changed violence in cinemas, given how the movie ratings of the time prohibited excessive gore.
1.The Tree of Life(2011)
Like David Lynch, Terrence Malick’s films aren’t appreciated at initial release and often see mixed reviews from critics and audiences.
That certainly held true forThe Tree of Life, which Malick spent decades working to create and perfect. It didn’t garner universal acclaim and was even met with both boos and cheers from a raucous Cannés crowd.
Fortunately, much likeThe Thin Red LineandThe New Worldbefore it, Terrence Malick’sThe Tree of Lifewas subject to a re-evaluation not too long afterwards—and it has led the film to critical acclaim.
Arguably the best film of Terrence Malick’s career,The Tree of Lifehas topped and ranked highly in many 21st century film polls.
Read next:Why Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” is a perfect movie
