There’s something special about a room full of film lovers – even a virtual one.
Every month we get together with some of our brilliant Patreon supporters for a live hangout and set ourselves a simple but surprisingly difficult challenge: each person had to nominate just one film they believe is criminally underrated and deserves to be seen by more people.
No blockbusters. No obvious classics. Just the films that have stuck with us, haunted us, or simply made us laugh until it hurt – and that we feel the world has largely forgotten.
The results were eclectic, passionate, and proof that the golden age of cinema left behind more treasures than most people realise.
Here’s what we came up with.
GB picks: Oh, Mr. Porter! (1937)
Kicking things off with a true gem of British cinema, GB championed this Will Hay comedy from 1937. Hay plays William Porter, an incompetent railway worker packed off to the most remote, run-down station in Ireland – where things quickly go from farcical to genuinely thrilling. Directed by Marcel Varnel, Oh, Mr. Porter! is widely considered Hay’s finest hour, blending slapstick chaos with a surprisingly sharp comic script. If you’ve never explored British comedy from this era, this is the perfect place to start. It holds up beautifully.
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Kat picks: The First Wives Club (1996)
Don’t let the pastel poster fool you, Kat’s pick has genuine bite. The First Wives Club stars Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, and Diane Keaton as three women who reunite after a friend’s death and decide to take revenge on the husbands who left them for younger women. It’s sharply written, wickedly funny, and anchored by three performances of pure comedic joy. It made a fortune on release but somehow slipped from the cultural conversation. Kat makes a compelling case that it’s long overdue for reappraisal.
Bryn picks: The Black Hole (1979)
Bryn went deep into the Disney vault for this one, and it’s a fascinating choice. Released in 1979 as (sort of) Disney’s answer to the Star Wars phenomenon, The Black Hole is a genuinely strange, dark, and ambitious film that feels unlike anything else in the studio’s catalogue. It features a sinister villain, a crew of memorable robots, and a climax that veers into something almost psychedelic. It was too dark for younger audiences and too odd for mainstream sci-fi fans, which perhaps explains why it fell through the cracks.
We did a Rewind of The Black Hole back on episode 17 of Season 2. You can listen below or wherever you usually get podcasts.
Doc picks: The Wild Geese (1978)
Doc’s nomination is a rollicking, old-school adventure that exemplifies a kind of filmmaking that simply doesn’t exist anymore. The Wild Geese stars Richard Burton, Roger Moore, and Richard Harris as ageing mercenaries hired to rescue a deposed African leader. It’s sweaty, explosive, morally complicated, and absolutely tremendous fun. Andrew V. McLaglen directs with real energy, and the chemistry between the three leads is something money can’t buy.
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AJ picks: Le Grand Bleu (1988)
AJ closed out the evening with something altogether more contemplative. Luc Besson’s Le Grand Bleu – known internationally as The Big Blue – is a visually intoxicating film about two rival free divers and their almost spiritual connection to the ocean. It was a massive hit in France on release but found a much cooler reception elsewhere, and has never quite received the wider recognition it deserves. It’s patient, meditative, and strikingly beautiful. If you’ve only ever seen Besson’s action work, this will come as a revelation.
So there you have it – five films spanning six decades, from the quiet English countryside to the depths of the ocean, from the comedy halls of 1930s Britain to the far reaches of outer space. We’d love to know which of these you’ve seen, and which is now on your watchlist.
As always, a huge thank you to our Patreon supporters for joining us and for bringing such thoughtful, enthusiastic picks to the table. These hangouts are one of our favourite things we do, and it’s entirely down to your support that we get to do them.
Want to join future Patreon hangouts and have your pick featured? Head over to our Patreon page to become a supporter.