For every billion-dollar blockbuster and awards-season darling, there are dozens of excellent films that slip through the cracks. These are the movies that didn’t get the marketing budgets, the endless think pieces, or the box office glory—but they absolutely deserve your attention. From a hilarious franchise reboot to a devastating queer love story, here are six underrated Hollywood gems from recent releases.
1. The Naked Gun (Paramount+)
Why it’s underrated: This reboot could have been a disaster. Instead, it was the funniest movie of 2025—and almost no one talked about it.
The film: Directed by Akiva Schaffer, this revival of the beloved Leslie Nielsen franchise stars Liam Neeson as the bumbling Detective Frank Drebin Jr., with Pamela Anderson as his love interest. The script is absolutely stuffed to the gills with jokes—sight gags, verbal puns, absurd physical comedy, and rapid-fire one-liners. Neeson, known for his intense action roles, proves he has hidden comedic chops, playing the role with complete deadpan sincerity. It is silly, ridiculous, and exactly what a modern Naked Gun movie should be.
Where to watch: Streaming on Paramount+.
2. The Ballad of Wallis Island (Prime Video)
Why it’s underrated: This charming British comedy-drama got lost in the streaming shuffle, but it’s one of the most heartwarming films of the past year.
The film: Tim Key plays an eccentric two-time lottery winner (imagine the odds!) who uses his windfall to reunite his favorite folk duo years after a personal and professional breakup. Tom Basden and Carey Mulligan star as the former bandmates, forced to confront old resentments and unresolved feelings on a remote island. The film is funny, tender, and surprisingly moving—a quiet meditation on friendship, second chances, and the music that defines our lives.
Where to watch: Streaming on Prime Video.
3. Twinless (Select Theaters / VOD)
Why it’s underrated: This dark comedy from writer-director James Sweeney earned rave reviews at festivals but struggled to find a wide audience. It deserves to be discovered.
The film: Dylan O’Brien gives a career-best performance as Roman, a hypermasculine man reeling from the death of his twin brother, Rocky. When Roman meets Dennis (played by Sweeney himself) at a support group, the two connect over their shared trauma. But what begins as an unlikely friendship turns into something far more unexpected and twisted. The film is funny, sad, shocking, vulnerable, and refreshingly original—a shapeshifting gem that begins as a pitch-black buddy comedy before darkening into an unsettling drama about separation grief.
Where to watch: Available on select streaming platforms and VOD.
4. Kiss of the Spider Woman (Hulu)
Why it’s underrated: This vibrant movie musical bombed at the box office, but it was one of the best cinematic musicals of 2025 and deserves a second life on streaming.
The film: Writer/director Bill Condon adapts both the 1976 novel by Manuel Puig and the 1992 stage musical. Set in Argentina in 1983 during the Dirty War, the film follows Molina (a career-best performance by Tonatiuh), a queer prisoner who escapes her grim reality by telling her cellmate Valentin (Diego Luna) about her favorite film starring her favorite actress, Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez). The film is all at once a queer romance, a searing anti-fascist political commentary, and a glitzy homage to 1950s Hollywood musicals. The blend of tones and genres is intentional and masterful, creating something truly unique.
Why you should watch: This film features passionate, politically charged work from Diego Luna (akin to his role in Andor), and Jennifer Lopez delivers what critics called a career-best performance.
Where to watch: Streaming on Hulu.
5. The History of Sound (MUBI)
Why it’s underrated: This quietly devastating queer love story, starring Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor, premiered at festivals to rave reviews but flew under the radar for most audiences.
The film: Based on a short story by Ben Shattuck, the film follows Lionel and David, two music students who fall in love in 1917 New England, only to be pulled apart by World War I. Years later, they reconnect and embark on a journey through Maine to collect folk songs from their fellow countrymen. It is a slow-burning, achingly beautiful film about first love and the way it echoes across a lifetime.
Where to watch: Streaming on MUBI.
6. The Blue Trail (In Select Theaters)
Why it’s underrated: This Brazilian film was largely overlooked despite being one of the most original and moving films of the year. It offers a rare and hopeful take on old age that is both clever and profound.
The film: In the near future, the government commits anyone over 80 to isolation in a remote colony to increase productivity. When the age limit is unexpectedly lowered, 77-year-old Tereza (a brilliant Denise Weinberg) refuses to be taken away and escapes into the Amazon, beginning a journey of self-discovery. Director Gabriel Mascaro gives us an elderly protagonist whose narrative is not about death, illness, or the past—it is an unusual twist on the coming-of-age film. Tereza is the driving force of the film, a woman still very much capable of desire, renewal, and hope for the future.
Where to watch: In select theaters and on streaming platforms.
Stay tuned to VvipTimes for more movie recommendations, streaming guides, and underrated hidden gems.
