15 Underrated Movies Buried on HBO Max

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There are plenty of films hiding in the library that slipped past big box office headlines. Some introduced new voices behind the camera while others gave familiar stars roles that showed a different side of their work. If you are browsing and want something off the beaten path, these titles deliver distinctive stories, strong casts, and memorable craft.

Each pick below includes a quick snapshot of what it is about along with key details like directors, writers, and notable technical credits. You will find a mix of genres and eras here, from animated gems and neo noir puzzles to cult thrillers and intimate sci fi. Use this as a guide the next time you open the app and want options beyond the usual carousel.

‘The Iron Giant’ (1999)

Brad Bird directs this animated feature about a boy in a Cold War town who discovers a towering robot that fell from the sky. The film adapts elements from Ted Hughes’s novel and features voice performances by Eli Marienthal, Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr., and Vin Diesel. Michael Kamen composed the score and the production combined traditional animation with computer generated imagery for the Giant.

The movie was produced by Warner Bros Feature Animation and released widely in theaters with later restorations that added scenes Bird had storyboarded during production. Its design draws on mid century Americana and science fiction artwork, with animation leads integrating large scale mechanical motion into hand drawn sequences.

‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford’ (2007)

Andrew Dominik adapts Ron Hansen’s novel to trace the final months of outlaw Jesse James and the shifting loyalty of Robert Ford. The cast includes Brad Pitt as James and Casey Affleck as Ford, with Sam Shepard, Sam Rockwell, and Paul Schneider in supporting roles. Deakins shot the film using specialized lenses that created period tinted vignettes in select scenes.

The production filmed across Canadian locations standing in for late nineteenth century Missouri and Kansas. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis supplied the score, and the film’s release garnered attention for its cinematography and period detail including wardrobe built from historical patterns and custom aged fabrics.

‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ (2005)

Shane Black writes and directs this crime comedy that pairs a small time thief with a private investigator during a Hollywood mystery. The film stars Robert Downey Jr and Val Kilmer, with Michelle Monaghan and Corbin Bernsen in key roles. Narrative devices include a self aware voiceover and nonlinear reveals that echo mid century detective fiction.

Principal photography took place in Los Angeles using practical locations like studio backlots and hillside neighborhoods. John Ottman handled editing and music, and the production used stunt rigging and second unit driving work to stage chases through narrow streets and night shoots with stylized lighting.

‘A Scanner Darkly’ (2006)

Richard Linklater adapts Philip K Dick’s novel about identity and surveillance in a near future Southern California. The cast features Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Robert Downey Jr, and Woody Harrelson. The project used digital rotoscope animation, applying artistic layers over live action footage to create a shifting, dreamlike look.

The workflow began with principal photography on high definition video followed by months of frame by frame interpolation by a team of animators. Costume and production design emphasized ordinary suburban spaces and consumer tech to contrast with the hallucinatory animation pass that distorts faces and environments.

‘Midnight Special’ (2016)

Jeff Nichols writes and directs this chase driven science fiction story about a father protecting his son who exhibits unusual abilities. Michael Shannon leads the cast with Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, and Jaeden Martell. The film blends road movie structure with minimal exposition and uses practical lighting for nocturnal sequences.

Shot across Louisiana, New Mexico, and Florida, the production relied on in camera effects where possible, adding restrained visual effects to extend light phenomena and energy bursts. David Wingo composed the score, and the editorial approach keeps scenes tight to vehicles and motel rooms to maintain momentum.

‘The Fountain’ (2006)

Darren Aronofsky presents interwoven timelines about love, mortality, and scientific discovery that span a conquistador quest, a contemporary medical researcher, and a far future traveler. Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz appear across the strands in roles that mirror themes and visual motifs. The film’s macro photography created nebula like imagery using chemical reactions in a tank.

The score by Clint Mansell features the Kronos Quartet and Mogwai, and the production minimized computer generated shots by capturing practical organic textures for cosmic backdrops. Sets combined modern laboratories and Mayan inspired architecture with repeated shapes and color palettes to link eras.

‘The Hidden’ (1987)

This New Line thriller pairs an LAPD detective with an FBI agent as they track a body hopping criminal. Kyle MacLachlan and Michael Nouri star, and the story mixes police procedural elements with science fiction concepts involving an extraterrestrial fugitive. Practical stunt work and period car chases drive the action through Los Angeles streets.

The movie uses creature effects for transformation scenes created with animatronics and prosthetics. The soundtrack leans on late eighties rock and electronic cues, and the narrative structure alternates between crime scenes and pursuit sequences that show the antagonist taking over new hosts.

‘Dark City’ (1998)

Alex Proyas directs this noir infused science fiction tale about a man who wakes with no memory in a city that changes every night. Rufus Sewell leads the cast with Jennifer Connelly, Kiefer Sutherland, and William Hurt. Production design emphasizes expressionist architecture and perpetual night lit by sodium lamps and practical fixtures.

Miniatures and visual effects extend the cityscape with moving building facades and shifting streets. Trevor Jones composed the score, and the film’s editing uses abrupt transitions to simulate manipulated time, with a director’s cut released later that alters narration and restores scenes for continuity.

‘Shoot ’Em Up’ (2007)

Michael Davis stages a stylized action thriller anchored by Clive Owen and Monica Bellucci with Paul Giamatti as the antagonist. The plot follows a mysterious drifter who becomes the protector of a newborn amid a series of elaborate gunfights. The production storyboarded set pieces extensively to map stunt timing and wire gags.

Second unit teams coordinated practical squib effects, breakaway props, and air rams for midair spins across warehouse and urban locations. The soundtrack layers hard rock tracks with percussive cues to keep rhythm with rapid cutting, and the cinematography favors handheld movement for kinetic close quarters sequences.

‘The Long Kiss Goodnight’ (1996)

Shane Black wrote the screenplay for this action thriller directed by Renny Harlin about a schoolteacher with amnesia whose past resurfaces. Geena Davis and Samuel L Jackson headline the cast. The story integrates holiday season settings with espionage beats and road movie detours across small towns and industrial sites.

The shoot used Canadian locations for American settings, with pyrotechnic teams executing large practical explosions and bridge set pieces. Editing keeps dialogue driven scenes interspersed with vehicle chases and close combat, while Alan Silvestri’s score supports shifting tones from mystery to full scale action.

‘House of Wax’ (1953)

This early color horror feature stars Vincent Price as a sculptor who opens a wax museum with disturbingly lifelike exhibits. The production used WarnerColor and stereo sound processes and included one of the era’s most widely exhibited 3D presentations. Set construction reproduced Victorian interiors with elaborate wax figure displays.

Director André De Toth worked with cinematographers to frame depth gags and foreground props that enhanced the stereoscopic effect. The film’s box office success helped popularize 3D screenings in the early fifties, and its makeup effects and wax melting sequences required controlled heat rigs and careful lighting.

‘The Right Stuff’ (1983)

Philip Kaufman adapts Tom Wolfe’s account of test pilots and the Mercury program, covering the period from high altitude breaking of speed records to the first American orbital flights. The ensemble cast includes Sam Shepard, Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, Scott Glenn, and Barbara Hershey. Production recreated cockpit interiors and pressure suits with reference to period specifications.

Aerial photography combined real aircraft with models and mounted cameras for in flight shots. The effects team built miniature sets for rocket launches and capsule reentries with practical flame elements. Bill Conti composed the score that accompanies both quiet hangar scenes and large scale launch sequences.

‘Thir13en Ghosts’ (2001)

This supernatural horror film follows a family who inherits a glass walled house that functions as a machine powered by captured spirits. The cast features Tony Shalhoub, Embeth Davidtz, Matthew Lillard, and Shannon Elizabeth. Production design created transparent corridors etched with protective inscriptions and mechanical components.

Makeup and costume departments crafted distinct looks for each ghost, combining prosthetics, body suits, and contact lenses. The shoot relied on extensive practical sets that required careful blocking to manage reflections and lighting within glass spaces, with visual effects enhancing spectral overlays and trap mechanisms.

‘Constantine’ (2005)

Francis Lawrence directs this comic book adaptation centered on an occult investigator navigating a war between celestial and infernal forces. Keanu Reeves stars with Rachel Weisz, Tilda Swinton, Djimon Hounsou, and Peter Stormare. The screenplay draws from DC’s Hellblazer imprint and incorporates exorcism sequences and urban myth imagery.

Production employed a mix of practical creature effects and digital work for demonic environments and wings. Cinematography uses high contrast night photography and stylized color grading, and sound design layers whispered voices and low frequency rumbles to underline scenes involving portals and possession.

‘The Majestic’ (2001)

Frank Darabont directs this drama about a Hollywood screenwriter who loses his memory and is taken in by a small town that believes he is a missing war hero. Jim Carrey leads the cast with Laurie Holden, Martin Landau, and Bob Balaban. The film recreates early fifties coastal California settings and a single screen movie theater as a central location.

The art department restored period signage and interiors using vintage fixtures and seating, and wardrobe relied on muted palettes and military uniforms from the era. Carter Burwell composed the score, and the production schedule emphasized golden hour exteriors to match the nostalgic visual tone.

‘The Nice Guys’ (2016)

Shane Black directs this buddy detective story set in Los Angeles during the late seventies, written with Anthony Bagarozzi. Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling star with Angourie Rice and Margaret Qualley in supporting roles. Filming used real neighborhoods and backlot builds to recreate period billboards, cars, and architecture.

Stunt teams coordinated foot chases and practical fight scenes with minimal digital augmentation. Music supervision assembled a soundtrack of period tracks to match club interiors and party sequences, and the costume department sourced wide lapel suits and patterned shirts consistent with the setting.

‘Michael Clayton’ (2007)

Tony Gilroy’s legal thriller follows a law firm fixer dealing with a corporate catastrophe and its fallout. George Clooney plays the title role alongside Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson, and Sydney Pollack. The film tracks boardrooms, farmland, and New York offices with a restrained visual style and measured pacing.

The production shot on location in Manhattan and upstate areas using available light for many interiors. James Newton Howard composed the music with minimalist cues. Editing structures the narrative around a key explosion and subsequent unraveling, and the script incorporates details about class action litigation and corporate strategy.

Share the hidden gems you have found on the service in the comments so other readers can build their own watchlists.

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