A-listers are often remembered for their most famous roles in equally renowned films, but their careers include plenty of films, some of which can often be forgotten because of when they were released or the genre they more closely matched. However, despite being easily forgotten, said films can still be extremely satisfying to watch and revisit years after their release.
From period dramas to rom-coms, to dramas, this list spans multiple genres and decades. While some films may only include a couple of A-list actors, others have so many that it’s easy to question why they were forgotten in the first place, especially considering how intense, full of twists and generally great the films are.
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10 Working Girl (1988)
Melanie Griffith, Sigourney Weaver, Harrison Ford & More
Starring Sigourney Weaver, Harrison Ford and Melanie Griffith, 1988’s Working Girl works as a romcom and a corporate drama. The trio’s relationships are compelling, with Griffith’s Tess and Ford’s Jack having a dreamy dynamic both as business partners and romantic ones, and Weaver’s Katherine functioning as a perfect villain to vanquish, due to her dismissive attitude toward Tess and generally shark behavior when stealing her idea. Working Girl earned various Oscar and BAFTA nominations, winning four Golden Globes, but it’s still easy to forget when thinking of Weaver, Ford or Griffith’s filmographies, unfairly so.
9 The Remains of the Day (1993)
Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson & Hugh Grant
Based on the Booker Prize-winning novel of the same name by Kazuo Ishiguro, 1993’s The Remains of the Day stars Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson as the butler Stevens and housekeeper Miss Kenton of Darlington Hall respectively. Their connection is palpable throughout the drama, but Stevens refuses to acknowledge or entertain anything that might distract him from his duty as a butler. Easily among Anthony Hopkins’ best movies, The Remains of the Day is often forgotten compared to other of his most successful films, but nonetheless remains one of the most poignant.
8 Kalifornia (1993)
Brad Pitt, David Duchovny & More
Starring David Duchovny and Michelle Forbes as journalist Brian and photographer Carrie respectively, the road thriller Kalifornia focuses on their road trip to California with strangers Early Grayce (Brad Pitt) and Adele Corners (Juliette Lewis). Lauded by some critics at the time for its aesthetic qualities and criticized for its violence, the acting performances were instead widely praised despite the film’s mixed reception and box office failure. Pitt’s disturbing portrayal of Grayce is effective in conveying Brian’s serial killer message, making Kalifornia unfairly forgotten even just for its positive qualities.
7 Fallen (1998)
Denzel Washington, James Gandolfini & More
Denzel Washington played plenty of cops in his long and fruitful career, but his role as detective John Hobbes in 1998’s Fallen stands out particularly because of how peculiar the psychological thriller is. Mixing the genres of police procedural and demonic horror makes Fallen Washington’s most underrated movie, one re-evaluated in the years that have passed but that is still relatively forgotten when thinking back to his filmography, unjustly so given the thriller’s completely satisfying ending.
6 The Hours (2002)
Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep & More
Linking its three protagonists with Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, 2002’s The Hours stars Nicole Kidman as Virginia Woolf, Julianne Moore as Laura and Meryl Streep as Clarissa. The film’s structure mirrors that of Woolf’s work, telling the characters’ stories in the span of a day, revealing their real-life connections and how Mrs. Dalloway changes their lives – Woolf because she is writing it, Laura as it saves her by abandoning her family, and Clarissa by embodying Woolf’s protagonist. The Hours being a period drama partly adapting literary work may make it forgettable, but its execution makes it nonetheless great.
5 Prime (2005)
Uma Thurman & Meryl Streep
The early 2000s were a treasure trove for the Meryl Streep movies that defined her career, making 2005’s Prime easily forgotten despite the romcom starring two A-listers with her and Uma Thurman respectively playing Dr. Lisa Metzger and Rafi. While Rafi and David’s romance is at the center of Prime, it’s Lisa and Rafi’s relationship as therapist and patient that makes the comedy shine, especially in the moments when Lisa is aware of Rafi dating her son David and still tries to support her, but Rafi is completely in the dark.
4 The Last Station (2009)
Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer & More
Biographical drama The Last Station focuses on the last months of Leo Tolstoy’s life, chronicling the vicious fight over the copyright of the philosopher’s works between his wife Sofya and his disciple and strong Tolstoyan, Vladimir Chertkov. Starring various A-listers like Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer, Paul Giamatti and James McAvoy, 2009’s The Last Station brilliantly conveys Sofya and Leo’s love for one another and the struggle between Tolstoy’s more radical, later beliefs and his responsibility toward his family, making the drama too moving to be forgotten.
3 McFarland USA (2015)
Kevin Costner, Maria Bello & More
Based on a true story, the 2015 sports drama McFarland USA sees Kevin Costner play Jim White, a disgraced football coach forced to relocate with his family to McFarland, California for his new job in the local high school. While Jim struggles to form connections with his students, his idea to set up a cross-country club for professional gain eventually truly makes them a team, delivering an inspiring story about overcoming massive odds and the importance of community.
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2 Maggie’s Plan (2015)
Julianne Moore, Ethan Hawke & More
Underrated romantic dramedy Maggie’s Plan stars Greta Gerwig as the titular character, but the 2015 film also centers around Julianne Moore’s Georgette and Ethan Hawke’s John. Moore’s prolific career makes Maggie’s Plan just one of her several movies to come out in 2015, but the romantic dramedy is great in its own right. Focusing on Maggie and John’s unplanned romance breaking up his and Georgette’s marriage, the film mutates into something much messier involving their merged families, resolving itself in an unexpected but nonetheless satisfying ending.
1 American Made (2017)
Tom Cruise, Jesse Plemons & More
2017’s American Made follows the common thread of forgotten films involving A-listers being inspired by a true story. Starring Tom Cruise as the film’s protagonist Barry Seal, a real TWA pilot who turned drug smuggler for the Medellín cartel before becoming an informant for the DEA to avoid jail time, the action comedy is full of shocking twists and spectacular action. Relatively niche to be included among Tom Cruise’s best movies, American Made nonetheless delivers because of how skillfully excessive it is.