Nobody can predict which movies are going to be hits. While there are always factors that help a film’s chances (such as being part of a pre-established franchise such as the MCU), other successes seemingly come out of nowhere, such as the recent massive financial and award-winning haul forOppenheimer. Studios try their best to green-light movies they think provide the best chance of positive box office results, but sometimes it does not go to plan.
While films may fail at the box office, that does not stop them from being successful. There are countless tales of movies flopping in theaters before finding an adoring fan base in the years that follow. Cult classic movies tend to attract some of the most hardcore fans, especially in the horror genre, and they regularly shout about their favorite film’s qualities online. It can be just as impossible to predict which films will attract this kind of audience,but the following films seem ripe to become modern cult classic movies that will still be discussed decades from now.
25’Cocaine Bear' (2023)
Director: Elizabeth Banks
When a black bear in the wilderness stumbles upon a massive amount of cocaine and indulges in the drug, it goes on a bad trip filled with mayhem and murder. As an assortment of characters descends into the forest, from wandering schoolkids to criminals trying to retrieve the drugs, they all find themselves at the mercy of the rampaging bear. The film clearly finds inspiration from the classic absurd exploitation horror movies from decades prior, yet instead with a genuine budget to hold up its absurd premise.
Already achieving cult status courtesy of its title,Cocaine Bearlives up toits ridiculous premise courtesy of a commitment to the silliness that such material provides. Those attuned to cult film news will most likely have already seenCocaine Bear, but it looks set to become a favorite of the midnight crowd for years to come. The film features the perfect mixture of violence, silly characters, and absurd premise to make it the perfect cult classic movie.
Cocaine Bear
24’Gunpowder Milkshake' (2021)
Director: Navot Papushado
Presented as a gender-swapped take onJohn Wick,Gunpowder MilkshakestarsKaren Gillanas Sam, an assassin who finds herself caring for an eight-year-old girl after a job gone wrong. She now finds herself protecting this child from her former employers who want her dead. Reuniting with her mother Scarlet (Lena Headey) and a trio of experienced killers (Angela Bassett,Michelle Yeoh, andCarla Gugino) the women prepare to fight an army of goons to protect the child.
WhileGunpowder Milkshakedelivers the thrilling action fans expect,its main appeal is to see its stacked cast of leading ladies kick butt. Bassett and Yeoh recently delivered Oscar-worthy performances inBlack Panther: Wakanda ForeverandEverything Everywhere All At Once, and it is a delight to see them both savagely take down bad guys. Even with a premise that is far from original, the action is genuinely top-notch enough to make it an exceptional and thrilling watch for action fans.
Gunpowder Milkshake
23’Bodies Bodies' Bodies' (2022)
Director: Halina Reijn
With a hurricane headed their way, a group of wealthy teens decide to take refuge in one of their mansions, where they plan to throw a party while the storm rages outside. As hidden secrets come to light and threaten to tear apart the friends, dead bodies begin piling up, causing the group to suspect that a killer lurks among them. It doesn’t take long before they are at each other’s throats, accusing one another of the murders as the tensions only continue to rise throughout the night.
Pitched as a takedown of Gen-Z culture in a horror-comedy setting,Bodies Bodies Bodiesworks due to a committed cast and a clever screenplay. While the group of mostly unlikable characters can be grating due to their selfish nature, that is the point, asthe film aims its blood-covered knife at topics such as privilege, class, and our reliance on technology. It’s easily one of the most unique and hilarious takes on a modern slasher/whodunit, one that is sure to gain a large following in the years to come.
Bodies Bodies Bodies
22’Malignant' (2021)
Director: James Wan
James Wanis the modern king of horror, thanks to iconic franchises such asSawandThe Conjuring. His 2021 film,Malignant, follows Madison (Annabelle Wallis), who begins to be plagued by nightmares that show her murders as they are being committed. As Madison sets out to unmask the culprit, she discovers the killer is closer than she thinks. The beauty ofMalignantcomes from its premise and twist, setting itself up to be a played-straight horror akin to Wan’s other work, before completely going off the deep end in its final act.
Malignantis a throwback to the horror movies of the ’70s and ’80s, where subtlety was thrown out the window and larger-than-life villains sliced through their victims like paper. It plays against the perceived notions of modern horror in being able to create a goofy and fun experience that is completely aware of just how wild it is.It is a perfect midnight movie and is destined to join the leagues of new cult classic movies courtesy of its insane final act.
Watch on Max
21’The Forest of Love' (2019)
Director: Sion Sono
When a group of young men decide to make an amateur movie together, they cross paths with charismatic conman Joe Murata (Kippei Shiina) and are drawn into his web of deceit and abuse. As Joe takes control of their lives and their movie, a pair of women are also pulled into their destructive orbit, while a serial killer lurks in the background. The film doesn’t shy away from deeply disturbing themes and plot points, making for an experience that is as engaging as it is emotionally painful.
Created by cult filmmakerSion Sono,The Forest of Loveis a captivating and twisty tale anchored by Shiina’s delightfully slimy performance as the evil Murata. Each movie Sono directs becomes a cult film, andThe Forest of Loveseems destined to become another future cult classic in his library. For those seeking a more expansive experience,The Forest of Love: Deep Cutis an extended limited series that stretches the already hefty original story out for an additional 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Watch on Netflix
20’Little Monsters' (2019)
Director: Abe Forsythe
Falling on hard times, slacker Dave (Alexander England) spends his days taking his nephew to and from school. Upon meeting his nephew’s kind teacher, Miss Caroline (Lupita Nyong’o), Dave quickly jumps at the chance to be a chaperone on the class trip as a way to get close to her. His plans for romance are interrupted, however, as a horde of zombies invades the school excursion. With the class now trapped inside of a gift shop, they are forced to find a way to escape the zombie outbreak, while at the same time making sure all the children are safe.
The zombie comedy is perhaps the most crowded sub-genre in horror, butLittle Monsterssets itself apart thanks to its grade school setting and surprisingly wholesome story beats. Nyong’o is delightful as Miss Caroline, and creates a heroine worthy of a place among the best zombie slayers in cinema. The film also features a surprisingly effective supporting performance fromJosh Gad, playing an alcoholic children’s entertainer who crumbles under the pressure in what is easily one of his best roles.
Little Monsters
19’Mandy' (2018)
Director: Panos Cosmatos
Lumberjack Red’s (Nicolas Cage) peaceful life in the wilderness is destroyed after a strange group of cultists arrive and murder his beloved wife, Mandy (Andrea Riseborough). Swearing revenge, Red arms himself with an assortment of deadly weapons as he hunts down those responsible in this dark revenge tale that feels ripped from an ’80s acid trip. It takes a lot to shock and mystify audiences in the modern era where most people have been desensitized to violence in movies, butMandyfinds a way to go above and beyond in a gripping and powerful way.
Cage is the king of cult cinema, with a range of film classics under his belt.Mandyserves as one of the best movies in his latter years, as he showcases real vulnerability in the scenes where he grieves the death of Mandy. There are sequences present inMandythat easilyleave a near-permanent impact on the audience with just how jaw-dropping and masterfully crafted they are. Already beloved by the cult crowd,Mandy’s hypnotic visuals andNicolas Cage’s committed performanceensure the film will be talked about for decades to come.
18’Spontaneous' (2020)
Director: Brian Duffield
When students in their high school begin to spontaneously combust in a shower of gore, teenagers Mara (Katherine Langford) and Dylan (Charlie Plummer) realize every moment could be their last. Not wanting to die with regrets, the pair begin a blossoming romance as their classmates continue to die around them. With such a nonsensical premise, it would be remiss to think that the film wouldn’t be able to have genuinely heartfelt and emotional moments, yet the film shocks and surprises with just how effective it can get.
Spontaneousis a mishmash of genres, combining elements of black comedy, coming-of-age, horror, and romance.Langford and Plummer are delightful as the lovebirds and share great chemistryin thishighly underrated teen moviethat deserves a place among the classics in the genre. Hopefully, future audiences will recognize and fall in love with this confronting yet charming tale, as it deserves to blow up like a combusting teenager.
Spontaneous
17’Good Boys' (2019)
Director: Gene Stupnitsky
Pitched as an elementary school version ofSuperbad,Good Boysfollows a trio of 12-year-olds as they prepare for their first-ever “kissing party.” Of course, things get hilariously out of hand as the boys find themselves on a wild journey full of stolen drones, sex dolls, and drugs. Especially forthose who are looking for a return to form when it comes to raunchy, R-rated coming-of-age films,Good Boysis certainly able to scratch that niche itch that was seemingly everywhere in the 2000s.
Infamous even before its release due to its subject matter and young cast,Good Boysseemingly came and went with little fanfare. Despite solid reviews, the film has rarely been discussed since release, butGood Boysis too entertaining to stay forgotten for long and is sure to join the ranks of new cult classic movies in the near future.
16’Suspiria' (2018)
Director: Luca Guadagnino
A remake ofDario Argento’s horror classic,Suspiriatakes the story in a different direction as it becomes an epic saga set in 1970s Germany. When American Susie Bannion (Dakota Johnson) travels to Berlin to study at a prestigious dancing academy, she discovers the all-girls school is run by a coven of witches.Suspiriawas always going to be facing an uphill battle as a remake of one of the most legendary and influential horror films of all time, yet the remake was able to create something new and enticing out of the original premise.
Directed byLuca Guadagnino(Call Me By Your Name,Bones and All),Suspiriawas a failure at the box office and polarized both fans and critics. However, the best horror movies of recent memory have seemingly always found themselves to be divided and polarizing, withSuspiria’s high points being some of the highest of horror movies in recent memory. No one can argue the harsh beauty of the film, however, and its status as one of the most beautiful-looking horror movies in years has helped it find an audience since its release.
