There’s nothing better than a heated argument about which movies are worth all the fuss—and which are riding the peak of an over-hyped wave. In the world of cinema, where accolades and critical acclaim can sometimes stand in the way of good sense, it is long overdue that we step back and ask ourselves: Did these movies earn their spot in the pages of cinema history, or were we all swept up in the spectacle? Let’s take a walk through five of the most overrated films of the 21st century, where the box office gross and Oscar glory are not necessarily the measure of greatness.
1. La La Land (2016)
Damien Chazelle’s musical romantic comedy about two romantic dreamers in Los Angeles was a critical darling, receiving a record-tie fourteen Academy Award nominations and winning six, including Best Director and Best Actress for Emma Stone. The film’s charm and Nostalgia for classic Hollywood musicals took the hearts of both critics and masses.
But after all the hype was over, everyone wondered if La La Land was worth being put in the same league as the greatest films ever. While Chazelle’s writing and Stone’s performance are top-notch, the songs in the movie are merely run-of-the-mill, and Ryan Gosling’s singing is, at the very best, mediocre. The film’s sweep of awards is more indicative of Hollywood narcissism than of the film itself. The infamous Oscar night faux pas during which La La Land was mistakenly declared Best Picture over Moonlight only cemented its place in the history books of grossly overhyped films.
2. Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
Mel Gibson’s war drama about World War II tells the story of Desmond Doss, a war medic who was a pacifist and saved 75 men at Okinawa without ever firing a rifle. Gibson’s handling of the battle scenes is certainly unflinching, delivering some of the most visceral war sequences in recent memory. But the film’s insistence upon emphasizing Doss’s devout Christian beliefs too often overshadows the heroism at its heart, so the movie itself becomes too much religious propaganda and not quite enough mature war epic.
The miscasting of Vince Vaughn as a tough sergeant and the failure of the film to find the right tone only work to weaken its effect. Even with its technical achievements, Hacksaw Ridge is ultimately undone by too heavy-handed a message and uneven pacing.
3. Cold Mountain (2003)
Starring based on Charles Frazier’s highly acclaimed novel, Cold Mountain opened with all the Oscar-bait credentials: an esteemed director in Anthony Minghella, an A-list cast, and a grand Civil War epic. Cold Mountain was nominated for seven Academy Awards and won one for Renée Zellweger’s supporting role.
Despite cinematography that is lovely and production values that are at their best, the movie itself is cold, emotionally distant, and at nearly two and a half hours, plods. Its relentless bleakness and lack of genuine emotional investment make it a slog to endure. Zellweger’s performance, Oscar-winning as it is, is as exhausting as the film’s endless misery. Cold Mountain is the quintessential example of an awards-season movie that checks every box but fails to deliver on a fundamental level.
4. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Wes Anderson’s eighth film overall is a visually stunning, quirky caper drawn from the works of Stefan Zweig. With a massive ensemble cast and Anderson’s signature aesthetic, the film was a critical favorite, earning nine Oscar nominations and four wins. But beneath the pastel colors and gentle set design is a movie that traverses familiar territory.
The Grand Budapest Hotel does not lead Anderson into new territory; instead, it appears to be a rehashing of his previous work, this time tempting quirk and kookiness over true innovation. Its critical and awards acclaim, the movie gained seems disproportionate to what it delivers, placing it in the list of most overhyped of Anderson’s movies.
5. The Blind Side (2009)
This heart-warming sports drama is a true account of Michael Oher’s life and his adoptive family, the Tuohys, with Sandra Bullock playing the role. The film was an enormous box office success, grossing over $300 million and earning nominations for Best Picture and Best Actress Oscars, and Bullock the statuette. But The Blind Side is the epitome of a movie that wanted to make people—white people in particular—feel good about themselves. It’s an overly self-indulgent white savior narrative of a white savior rescuing a black child from poverty rings familiar and disruptive, and Bullock’s acting, while hailed, is ham-fisted and grating. Hollywood’s insatiable appetite for self-saluting fare says more about the box office success of the movie than about its actual artistic merit.
When it comes to films, hype and hardware do not necessarily make it great. These films might have swept awards season and box office rankings, but time has uncovered their deficiencies and revealed the disparity between praise and true accomplishment. Sometimes the most heralded films are the ones that need a second, more sober consideration.