By There were a lot of pretty good films that came out in 2011. Pretty good is a distinction that most films don’t really want – no one sets out to make a film that people will shrug and hesitantly admit to enjoying. Yet, many movies fall under this description, and it’s easy for them to all get lumped together.
Sometimes, one of those pretty good films rises above the pack, making us realize that it wasn’t just pretty good – it was actually quite awesome. That’s where most of our votes for Most Underrated Film of 2011 fell. While the general consensus was that they were pretty good, we found them to be more than the typical fare. Our winner just happens to be the better-than-pretty-goodest of them all.
Ah, Source Code. A lovely diversion into the realm of science fiction and brain candy, much in the spirit of Inception without all of the “Do I know what’s going on right now?” questions; it’s the blockbuster version of Groundhog Day. Perfectly paced in its action and exposition, Source Code moves organically between philosophical undertones, explosions, and romance.
“Wait,” you say. “Source Code has a 91% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. How can it be underrated?” Sadly, here in 2012, no one talks about Source Code anymore. It’s as if the film didn’t even happen. Sometimes, being underrated isn’t really about the ratings at all. It’s about a film’s legacy, and Source Code risks blending in with all of those pretty good movies of 2011. And it’s not. It simply isn’t. It was one of the year’s best, even if it doesn’t top even a single list.
Duncan Jones, we will be watching your every move; you’ve proven that you’re more than worthy of our attention.
Votes Breakdown
Source Code – 2
Paul – 1
Hanna – 1
Thor – 1
Super – 1
Like Crazy – 1
Rango – 1
Bellflower – 1
Take Me Home Tonight – 1
The Interrupters – 1
Hoodwinked 2 – 1