The Best Cult Classic Films Of All Time
Cult films are categorized as such for a multitude of reasons. Sometimes they are so bad they're good, showcasing a comedic duo or an intriguing storyline that makes them a worthwhile watch. Other times, they're so strange and unique that their mysteriousness is magnetic, pulling viewers into a web of intrigue and leaving them there, desperately trying to make sense of what they just witnessed. More commonly, these films become cult classics years after their initial release, gaining a following that fluctuates somewhere between devoutly loyal and viciously hostile.
Here are the best cult classic films of all time:
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) dethrones heels in a song-and-dance number in the 1975 film "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."Getty Images
- Repo Man (1984)A repossessor, played by Emilio Estevez, has a mission to retrieve a strange car owned by a mysterious man.Repo Man stars Emilio Estevez, Harry Dean Stanton, and Jon Cryer.
- El Topo (1970)a western adventure darkly comic and rather surreal film by Alejandro Jodorowsky.
- The Beyond (1981)An obsessed plumber accidentally kills his wife, and his daughter is terrorized by a supernatural force when he tries to use a powerful supernatural object to bring her back to life.The Beyond was directed by Lucio Fulci.
- Repulsion (1965)A young woman in fear of being invaded by a strange man slowly loses her mind.Repulsion was directed by Roman Polanski.
- The Shining (1980)A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter, where patriarch Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) has agreed to act as the caretaker.He slowly descends into madness, and his son, Danny (Danny Lloyd), has creepy visions and mysterious powers.
- The Thing (1982)A group of scientific researchers in Antarctica unknowingly brings back an alien creature that could threaten humanity.The Thing was directed by John Carpenter.
- Videodrome (1983)A television executive becomes drawn into the strange world of videotape piracy.Videodrome was directed by David Cronenberg.
- The Evil Dead (1981)A group of college students headed to a remote cabin for a fun weekend discovers a Book of the Dead, which traps them in a hellish time loop.The Evil Dead was directed by Sam Raimi.
- A Clockwork Orange (1962)A teenage delinquent is sentenced to a behavior modification program to correct his violent tendencies.The film was directed by Stanley Kubrick.
- Brazil (1985)A young man tries to navigate his way through a dystopian society with the help of a woman he meets by chance.Brazil was directed by Terry Gilliam.
- The Thin Red Line (1998)Soldiers fight in World War II.The Thin Red Line was directed by Terrence Malick.
- Mulholland Drive (2001)A young actress hopes to achieve success in Hollywood, but a dark, sinister force threatens her ambitions.Mulholland Drive was directed by David Lynch.
- 12 Monkeys (1995)In a future world, a prisoner is sent back in time to gather information about a deadly plague.12 Monkeys was directed by Terry Gilliam.
- Dune (2021)A young man is entrusted with the most valuable asset and most powerful resource in the universe.Dune was directed by Denis Villeneuve.
- The Wicker Man (1973)A devout Christian discovers a group of pagans living on an island who pledge to sacrifice him.The Wicker Man was directed by Robin Hardy.
- The Usual Suspects (1995)A group of criminals is brought together for what they think is a routine job, but things take a dark turn when they discover that one of them is an undercover cop.The Usual Suspects was directed by Bryan Singer.
- The Master (2012)A charismatic intellectual manipulates people to join his cause.The Master was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.
- Idiocracy (2006)A man is transported to the future to help combat a deadly disease that is threatening to wipe out humanity.Idiocracy was directed by Mike Judge.
- The Fifth Element (1997)A taxi driver becomes entangled in a bizarre series of events that result from a magical stone with supernatural powers.The Fifth Element was directed by Luc Besson.