Most OVERRATED Films in the CRITERION COLLECTION 

My question to YOU - What is the single most overrated film in the Criterion Collection? (No Barry Lyndon answers allowed, sorry)

I also love Kurosawa’s later films, but Seven Samurai and a lot of his other films in that era had an incredible magic from the cast and scripts that are hard to surpass. Interesting that you seem to take points off of a film for being so influential that others then refine the ideas from it, that influence would seem to speak to it’s greatness if you ask me. I’ve long believed that Seven Samurai is a legitimate contender for greatest film of all-time, it’s all subjective but to me it checks all the boxes.

I was still recovering from the French New Wave slander and then Mulholland Drive???? My favourite film of all time???? I'm seething, lad

I kept a copy of the September 2012 issue of S&S with the results of their poll. I look at it from time to time to get some inspiration. But one thing that has always fascinated me is how the critics results are much more uniform than the directors results. And I think that ties to one key idea you mentioned in your video: we watch/love/make movies for a variety of reasons. The films that stay with me the longest are the ones with which I really connect emotionally. Directors probably rank movies highly based on which ones inspired them the most. Academics may focus more on form than content.

This is a great video thank you. I am interested to start collecting Criterion, do you have any videos on how best to do this in the UK?

That's it! That's the final straw! I. Am. Out. Of. Here!

You know what? Everything is overrated. Because people find everything overrated.

Elliot, great video and topic! I agree with all your choices (with the exception of maybe Citizen Kane). Doesn’t mean that the films are bad as you say - I actually love all those films - but one can definitely argue that they are slightly overrated. I love Seven Samurai and think it’s brilliant but I actually like Rashomon, High and Low, and Dreams from Kurosawa way more with High and Low being my favorite of his films.

I agree on the French New Wave being Overrated for sure. It feels like it’s trying too hard to be stylistic if that makes sense, like if that genre of film was a person, it would be very arrogant

Thought provoking video Elliot!! 👌👌👌👍👍👍. Next I'd suggest you make a couple of videos on Criterion titles that have DVD versions, but have never been released on Blu-ray: a video on the best ones that deserve a BR release, and another on "Not sure how this title made it to Criterion?!"

Whats the name of your podcast?

When you pulled up Breathless I went "yeah and so is Godard, and honestly so is the entire French New Wave" and you beautifully followed up with that. hilarious

Well you went for it Elliott and I must say you expressed your opions very well. You are always interesting and thought provoking. I really enjoy your channel.

hahahaha, i was listening to you talk about breathless and seven samurai and thinking, he's going to close with citizen kane, isnt he? :D i disagree with a lot of this, in particular mulholland drive, which is a favorite of mine (what do you think of fire walk with me,btw?). but it was a fun video. :) just, brace yourself for the hate :D

What’s your take on Harakiri instead of Seven Samurai

Great video, Elliott. It's nice to see that there are some movies that you don't love to bits :-) That said, on every one of these films, I can completely understand your perspective. If there is one thing that seems to be in common among all of them, except maybe "Seven Samurai," is a lack of emotional connection to the characters. In particular, for me, I remember seeing "Mulholland Drive" when it came out. I had loved "Lost Highway," and puzzled over it for a long time. Then I saw "Mulholland Drive" and remember thinking, "There is a mystery here, but I don't care enough to solve it." That said, I love all the rest of these films and have even warmed up to "Mulholland Drive" over time. But I find the films I return to the most invest more in the relationships on screen. Maybe this is why I watch more Ozu than Kurasawa. Little boring films about relationships seem to be my jam these days .

Your take on Godard is one I see often and very much understand. There are those moments where a very fast paced film with a short duration suddenly derails for 10 minutes for a conversation. It’s very hit or miss. I really liked it in Contempt. Contempt is a real outlier in that StudioCanal set.

I agree with some choices, and I really like this topic. Some filmmakers do not connect with me at all. Lynch is one of them. I'm glad you've shifted your focus for this channel to these kinds of topics, rather than just haul videos. Seems like the time you took off was good for you. Would like to see you post videos more often, but of course whatever you are comfortable with is what you should do.

I was sitting here waiting for you to say "The Red Shoes" or "Come and See", and if that was the case, we would've had words, butI actually agree whole-heartedly with your picks. Barry Lyndon is a gem, I hope some day we get a 4k release of it.

I have always felt the way you do about Wes Anderson... and I LOVED The Grand Budapest Hotel. For me, that's his masterpiece, where the style and content finally meshed brilliantly.

Excellent program. "Overrated" is such a subjective term, and you do a great job of explaining why you think these films are overrated, despite the importance of some of them in the history of film (for me, however, that is a very important factor when determining if a film is overrated or not). Definitely agree with your Goddard and Anderson choices, My big disagreement with you is Mulholland Drive: I remember when I first saw it, someone asked me why I thought and my reply was "I can't tell you why, but I think I've just seen a great film." Subsequent viewings (and reading several critics' interpretations) of the film reinforced this feeling, and I find that with each viewing there is something new that bubbles to the surface.

**Elliot** ref Citizen Kane that you say is over rated. What would you say was a better O-W- title available on Blu or 4K disc?

Thank you for doing this video!! I love your hot takes and even agree with some of them. More film lovers should not be scared to share their controversial opinions.

Great content over here. Love the courage... Also, surprised Tokyo Story isn't on here.

Very interesting video as always! I personally agree with some of the takes, especially Godard and the New Wave (or at least what I’ve seen so far) and I while I will watch more films from the New Wave, so far I’ve personally only enjoyed the works of Jean Pierre Melville. The Wes Anderson take us also very understandable, Grand Budapest still rocks though. Haven’t seen much of David Lynch, so I can’t comment on that one. Though out of the bunch, it seems like the film I’d definitely would most likely enjoy the most. Citizen Kane, again, haven’t seen this, but I’ll be watching it with an open mind. Overall, very nice video as always and keep up the great work! Also, out of curiosity, are there any silent films you find particularly overrated?

Video idea: Which films do you wish had the Criterion treatment? For me Kurosawa’s Ran would be up there.

I think what a lot of the haters don't seem to understand is that you still show respect these directors and share appreciation to these works. Out of the five films you've discussed, Seven Samurai was the only film I watched. I'll consider watching the other four. Overall, your explanation for each these is professionally done! Great job!

Hey brother I always love listening to your videos you made some really good points in this one I wanted to see you citizen Kane for a long time but everyone I talk to says it's overrated and that I probably will not like it keep it up Elliot you inspire me to study more great films

Hi Elliot. Thank you so much for your video, much appreciated. It is refreshing. On the side note, I actually often wonder how honest some of the Criterion Collection buyers are about the titles they purchase. I feel there is a bit of dishonesty from some of them and it is more about showing off than anything else. It just takes to look at all the messages posted by Criterion buyers on the RU-vid Criterion channel during the sales (look at my collection of Criterion titles! look what I bought! - honestly, who cares what they purchased, we know the titles they bought are available from Criterion). Especially when it comes to 'blind buys'. Just because it is Criterion doesn't mean it is that good or they are going to enjoy the films. Anyway. You have picked some major titles. I agree 100% with you on Wes Anderson. I recently watched his French Dispatch and felt exactly as you have described it - which is the way I feel about all his films. Cold is the word. I think his movies are overrated, even if I acknowledge their technical and aesthetic value. I watched The Seven Samurai only once some years ago and did not really connect to it (same thing with The Magnificent Seven, actually). I do like Citizen Kane, Breathless and Mulholland Drive, but I understand that some may consider them as overrated (or worse). I see Citizen Kane as a great film. To be honest, I don’t understand everything Lynch does, but I enjoy his films nonetheless and don’t see them as pretentious, including Mulholland Drive. I don’t consider Breathless pretentious either, although it might be the way some feel about it. It has to be put in the context of the time. I watched it again the other day and deeply enjoyed it, for what it is but also in the light of what had been done until then and what was shot at the time in France. I agree that from the end of the 60s on Godard’s work becomes increasingly experimental and hard to watch (and some would say pretentious). I really struggled to watch Le Gai savoir last year. Thanks for all the videos!

It’s totally fine Man. I haven’t actually seen any of the films you mentioned in this video. But I have encountered other criterion films that were massively hyped up and when I watched them…. I felt not much connection with them at all. For example, one of them was Easy Rider, Seriously I was so disappointed with it and couldn’t understand it’s positive reputation. But nothing lost nothing gained, I just move on and turn to the next recommendation 🙂👍

Interesting but I disagree with you 5/5. I am not necessarily a fan of all these films but I do recognise that all 5 are either landmark films or key films for their specific director. I definitely wouldn't pick these in the category "overrated" as most of them (specifically Citizen Kane, Mulholland Dr. and Breathless) are actually often criticised for being "snobbish" and "elitist".

Whatsup with the relatively boring new backdrop in the last few videos? Are you making exciting collection changes?

Talked my children who hated old or black and white films into watching at least five minutes Seven Samurai before leaving the room; they were still there three hours later.

Elliot!!! Happy Sunday!! I absolutely loved your video on overrated movies on the Criterion Collection! I do think some films are really great but are movies I also don’t see myself owning on Criterion. Yes, they still may be strong films to appreciate but they just don’t capture my taste the same as other film buffs. From my personal taste, the overrated film I’m not the biggest fan of on Criterion is the 1979 film The Tin Drum 😂 I only watched the film once and I had ALOT of squirmy feelings after my first viewing. The film was definitely well shot with fantastic direction and performances but I just deeply feel very odd about that film haha. But I do love some of the others you mentioned like Seven Samurai and Breathless! 🎥🎥

Enjoyed the video, thanks for making this - nice change from the standard issue even with some disagreement.

Apart from Breatheless, I have viewed all of these and do believe that there is some substance to your opinions. Of course, respect to all those who say otherwise. In regards to Lynch, Inland Empire (2006), is the movie of his that I most currently rate. Although long, it has all those Lynch elements that we know and love and is capably anchored by Laura Dern. That opinion should cause at least some concern.

Wow, Eliot. We are so simpatico. I can honestly say I agree with all of your selections. (Except for Seven Samurai, which I haven't watched yet.) I particularly agree with your comments on Breathless and Godard.... And The Straight Story is also my favorite Lynch film. I dare anyone to get through the ending without tearing up or crying.... Great video! And I'm sure some people who work at "Criterion Headquarters" secretly feel this way too.

LOVE IT! Obviously disagree with two of these, but I enjoy the distinction you draw between a film being good, or even a masterpiece, and still being overrated.

Since you put Godard and Anderson here, I’ll let you go with Mulholland as most people that says they love cinema just don’t understand the film as they are not able to go with the core theme (also the parts that were supposed to be extended in the TV series doesn’t help). Now a question for you, can you do a list of films that should be on the Collection and they have not do enough to get the rights and add it to the collection: e.g. many horror fans think Dawn and Day of the Dead should be there and get a box set release along Night. Oh, and I’ll add Solaris and Dr Strangelove to the overrated.

Absolutely heresy.. Seven Samurai, Breathless and Citizen Kane are the greatest movies of all-time.. yeah, its subjective... and I love those movies after taking film classes in college so context is definitely needed and helpful. Those movies greatness is not "intuitive". But you're spot on regarding Royal Tenenbaums.

I just started following you recently. I like your style. I like that you’re soft-spoken and of course I love your accent, being from the US, I love a British accent. I agree with most of your choices for overrated films. I am not a big West Anderson fan. Ive tried watching a number of his movies. I find them difficult to get through. As recently as last 2 nights I tried to watch The Grand Budapest hotel. Actually I think it was on your recommendation. I couldn’t finish it. I don’t appreciate his style. As for citizen Kane, being a lot older than you, I have found, on many occasions, when I see a movie years after I saw it the first time, I not as impressed. I personally don’t think that Citizen Kane is overrated. It is a one of a kind movie, that has been used as a stepping stone for other filmmakers to rip off over the years. I ‘ve liked all your Criterion reviews since started. I have bought more than I should have. As for my most overrated would be Valley of the Dolls. Everything about it is terrible. It should not have a place on the Criterion roster. I look forward to your future vlogs.

I prefer Lost Highway to Mulholland Dr, and Alphaville to Breathless. Brave video. You showcased some of the jewels of my collection. Seven Samurai is still my number one best film. I usually shed a few tears. One of the only Criterions, in my collection, I did not finish and have not yet returned to is Fellini’s Roma. The barrage of plotless talk was too tiresome and I never seem to be in the mood to try again.

Respect Elliot for taking on this monumental task. Taking on some heavy hitters. Seems like an emotional connection is key to leave a lasting impression on you. I will agree on Royal and Breathless. To me the most overrated is Ingmar Bergman so I am sure that would go really well with the Internet! 😂 Enjoyed the video.

Even though I disagree with most of your candidates, I admire you for putting yourself in the line of fire. My criticism isn't so much of your choices as your criteria for including them. In several instances you justify a film's inclusion based on there being better incarnations of the same theme or genre in later films. But to my mind this implies the validity of the very films you're choosing as overrated. It seems to me if these movies weren't "overrated" enough for filmmakers to want to emulate, the "more deserving" examples you prefer might never have gotten a green light. All that being said, I really enjoy your channel. Keep up the good work!

1. People adapting and refining a classic doesn't take away from the original or make it overrated. 2. I get that this movie could be called overrated. It has memorable scenes and stuff but there's not a ton of substance. 3. The Royal Tenenbaums is still Wes Anderson's best film. It has a ton of great themes in it about family relationships, jealousy, fears, and desire. And it still manages to have a bunch of funny stuff in it. 4. I agree that Mulholland Drive might not be David Lynch's best movie but I don't hear many people who try to argue that it is. I think it's one of his most emotional ones though and I'm surprised you don't feel anything when watching it. 5. If it's hugely influential and ahead of it's time I'm not really sure how it can be overrated. Once again I don't really see how a movie can be greatness when it comes out but then after it gets older it loses what makes it special. The cinematography still looks good and that's what matters. Plus to be overrated, I feel like film snobs have to bring it up all the time and I really don't hear it brought up all that much. I'd really expect something more like bicycle Thieves to appear on a list like this, hell there's even a running joke in The Player of film snobs constantly bringing it up and saying the title wrong. But idk, I think all of these movies are pretty incredible, the only two I'm not like incredibly wowed by are Citizen Kane though I appreciate the cinematography a lot and Breathless which I enjoy moderately but it's not one of my favorites.

I always like your videos and this is one of the rare occasions when I just can’t agree with your picks. These movies have long been regarded as classics and I think they all have their rightful places in the Criterion Collection. But appreciate your opininon.

Royal Tenenbaums is my favorite W Anderson film. He had shown promise with Bottle Rocket and Rushmore, but still had to prove himself with a larger ensemble A-list cast. He was still at a phase of growth. After this film, he could do whatever he wanted and has.

weirdly enough the Criterion version of Royal Tenenbaums always seems to be at Goodwills. it feels like people bought it due to the hype then got bored with it, but it is odd that I've not only seen so many but in particular the Criterion version

The Ten MOST overrated Criterion films (and many are fun, most I LOVE, but these didn't need Criterion type production or curation)... - RoboCop - Chasing Amy - The Blob - Che - Repo Man - Tootsie - Bowling for Columbine - The War of the Worlds - Fast Times at Ridgemont High - Sound of Metal

Red River is an overrated title. I love Hawks, I love Wayne, and I love Westerns. But Red River was just okay with a great Wayne performance. But you know what, even as I say it, I kinda want to watch it again.

Hi! Do you only watch Criterion movies and boutique cult movies or you also watch movies that you like?

Great video! Mulholland Drive is (one of) the best of the 21st century imo, but isn’t Bay’s Armageddon in the Collection too? Speaking of overrated. But honestly I get it, there are a lot of great movies in the collection but they’re there for their importance to cinema rather than fun or interesting watch I guess. So overrated yeah, but not Mullholland Drive man, come on.. 😅

Nailing the topics and titles recently lad!

This is off topic but I just thought of it - Spielberg Criterion?!. He’s probably the last of the ‘big’ directors to not have any films in the collection. Scorsese, Kubrick, Kurosawa, DePalma… The closest is ‘I wanna hold your hand’ as a producer. Off the top of my head I can only think of ‘The Color Purple’ as a possible candidate… anyone else have a thought??

Love the video. Love your take. But, are you critiquing....the films as overrated themselves or, their place in the Criterion Collection? I agree with you on Seven Samurai and definitely Citizen Cane. I own them, but not because of how much I personally love them or connect with them, but because of their specific place in cinema history. So, I'd agree, that to ME personally, some of these films don't make any of my top lists, yet, I totally get why they do make many film lovers top ten-top 5 or 3.

Oh boy! I have to hand it to you, you certainly went for it in terms of controversial picks! Personally, I really love all the films you picked though I can definitely understand why you chose them. I really enjoy how DIY a lot of French New Wave films can be. Breathless in particular is one where you can pretty easily recreate much of what they did at home so I’ve always appreciated the low-budget, radically independent energy those films have though I will be the first to admit you definitely have to be in the mood for them as they don’t always make themselves easy to watch as they often intentionally lack the polish of studio films. Citizen Kane’s a bit of a tricky one because it’s name sounds so pretentious that it feels like a lot of people nowadays go into it looking to hate it. I know that’s not at all why you listed it here but just in general I’ve found it interesting that the film got so hyped up by previous generations in film schools especially that people nowadays seem to have almost a lessened reaction to it. For me, Orson Welles was actually my real gateway into classic films and I guess a more serious interest in film appreciation. Though Touch of Evil was really the film that introduced me to Welles’ style, I watched Citizen Kane relatively on in my discovery of Welles’ work and I guess somehow, nobody had mentioned to me that this movie was the greatest film of all time so I went in pretty much blind and was blown away by just how different if felt from every other movie I’d seen including Touch of Evil which had previously given me the very same reaction. I remember the name Citizen Kane gave me some hesitancy as I was initially thinking it might be this experimental art film. I guess in a way it is, but it is also quite funny which I was not at all expecting. It’s not a comedy by any stretch but the film is way more enjoyable than I think most people give it credit for. That being said, I can’t really argue that it’s not overrated to some degree as it’s “best film of all time” reputation seems to be one of the things which ends up driving people away as odd as it sounds. Regardless, this was a very fun topic and you did a great job explaining your reasoning behind your choices. In fairness, my horrible take is that I haven’t really gotten into Fellini. In fairness, I’ve only seen 8 1/2 and La Strada one time each about 5-6 years ago so they are very much in need of a rewatch but as of now those are two I recall not really getting at the time. I enjoyed the strangeness of 8 1/2 but I never picked up on what the it was trying to say at the time and have only since heard how much they were really conveying through some of those scenes.

Those Criterion discs are seriously expensive and too arty to risk blind buys. I only own a few.

I wouldn't call these movies "overrated". Based on your arguments, at least 60% of the criterion collection would be overrated. In México we have a word we use which is "quemado", Something that is known to everyone and everyone talks about it, and can sometimes blind us from other things that can be equally as great or better. But overrated is something that is highly rated or regarded and does not deserve the title. Some of the movies you mention here are vital to film history and are landmarks of the art, and you can't call history overrated. I think I get what you're trying to communicate with this video, I just don't think overrated is the right word for the likes of Seven samurai, Breathless, or Citizen Kane.

Hope you don’t get any hate for this. Feel like you have solid reasoning behind all of your comments. I agree for the most part, I even agree with you on Godard, although for me Breathless just remains effortlessly cool. I really enjoy the American remake of Breathless as well. I love Kane but it’s totally overrated you’re 100% on that one. I’ve felt the same way you do about Seven Samurai since I first saw it, only difference is that 3 and a half hours was a slog for me to get through. I haven’t seen a ton by Kurosawa but Rashomon is absolutely better in every way than Seven Samurai.

As someone who would put Seven Samurai in my Top 5, I actually completely understand. King Lear became my favorite Shakespeare play in college and around that time I discovered Ran, and I was completely blown away. It is just a slight bit below Samurai for me, and I get that exhaustion that comes from Samurai's influence and from a standpoint in scope and full directorial potential his later films are technically superior. I also agree with Tenenbaums as well, his more recent work has certainly held up as more emotionally enjoyable.

YES! My favorite director of all time is Wes Anderson and I have never resonated with The Royal Tenenbaums. The characters seem pretty one dimensional and the story is lackluster (to me at least). Even the likes of Darjeeling Limited and Bottle Rocket interest and enthralled me more than Tenenbaums. I don’t quite agree with you on Mulholland Drive but isn’t the divisiveness of cinema what makes it great? Amazing video as always!

I agree with most of your hot takes, at least in one way or another :). Here is the thing. take Seven Samurai, for instance, I agree that it is not my favorite Kurosawa film, although I still disagree with you regarding with one(s) I prefer. I prefer Ikiru most of all, but many of his other works in the early days compared to Seven Samurai but that doesn't mean that it is overrated. I still have to "get" the french new wave movement or I just won't but either way, I am having trouble seeing Breathless for the masterwork it supposedly is. I am generally not a fan of Wes Anderson, I do believe the first movie of his that I watched was The Royal Tenenbaums, way back when it came out, I didn't like then and most of his movies are not my cup of tea, I do like The Grand Budapest Hotel but if I'm honest, I prefer his animated movies the most, especially The Fantastic Mr Fox but Isle of dogs as well. Regarding Mulholland Dive, I really like that movie and I think it deserves its song of praises but like with Seven Samurai, it is not my favorite of Lynch. I think I love Lost Highway more. Where I find that I most agree with you is regarding Citizen Kane. I think it might be the most overrated movie of all time, if not only the most overrated in the Criterion Collection. Technically I fully admit that it took huge strides, no problem, but, and this is huge but, the story is not good in my opinion (duh). I prefer Touch of Evil.

I enjoyed this video Elliot and you give great explanations for your take so I can't really be mad at you for any of them...with that being said I mostly disagree with these picks. I haven't actually seen Seven Samurai so maybe I would agree on that one.The first time I watched Breathless I didn't care for it but I watched it a few more times and really connected and i actually really like his later period like 'Weekend'--- i think he actually has a lot more to say. For Anderson I would say: Bottle Rocket, Darjeeling or Moonrise are all over rated. Lynch is one of my favorite directors and so I can't agree with you on "Mulholland Dr." I can't wait for 'Lost Highway'. Citizen Kane is a maybe for me--Its important and I enjoy it but maybe its a bit overrated. If i had to pick one that everyone seems to love its 'Night of The Hunter'. I liked a lot of what I saw in it but overall it feel apart for me. Such a great opportunity to carry through a critique on religion but in the end the mother hen character is just as religious and the way she scares him off makes no sense. Also the child actors were unconvincing. Imagine if Hitch would have directed--hot damn!

funnily enough, the royal tenenbaums is the wes anderson film that i connect with the most, always makes me emotional

Wow, how could you... lol. This was really a refreshing video. Of course the taste in cinema is very personel(is that a word? ) from Sweden, my english arent that good. Its interesting to take part of your thoughts. I enjoyed this video a lot. Also I recently decided to collect more Criterion, so your videos are helpful. I think Solaris is a bit overrated🤫

Mulholland Drive.........why Elliott?.....why'd you have to do it?? Like a dagger in my heart. Good video as always 👍

It’s your experience in finding underrated films so that you can rule out gate blocker overrated films and secondly with age we want to refresh some mind buttons and files. I agree with all of your 4 picks except Citizen Kane. After 5 years you will feel same about Vertigo

I agree on Citizen Kane and Seven Samurai, I don’t have problem with you picking Royal Tenenbaums and Breathless but I do like these two movies. David Lynch is my favourite director and if I had to pick one of his movies that is overrated is Eraserhead. We just have to remember that overrated doesn’t mean bad. Great video.👍

3 AMAZING dark comedy films that absolutely need to be in the CC: The King of Comedy (1983), The Heartbreak Kid (1972), and In The Company of Men (1997).

Love your honesty and opinions!

You’re brave to do this. 🤣 If I did I’d be railing against so many of their modern inclusions. I fully agree on Mullholland Drive which is one of the absolute worst things I’ve ever seen. Then again I don’t like Lynch at all and am not a Wes Anderson person. I think the issue with the old standards is that they were picked up by the emerging critical culture and mentioned to death without keeping the spirit of the films alive. Seven Samurai isn’t my favorite Kurosawa film either and like Rashomon it’s a bit harder to get a fresh view on it whereas lesser discussed Kurosawa classics are easier to look at with a fresher perspective. My favorites are just before this period like Ikiru, Drunken Angel, Stray Dog or just after like the bemused cynicism of Yojimbo. Breathless is iconic and timeless due to its breezy and cynical “screw it” attitude. That’s what immediately spoke to me and what I felt Godard was after as sort of the flip side of the coin to Truffaut’s emotionally devastating 400 Blows. Plus to look at Jean Seberg with the iconic pixie haircut once makes you swoon for life… I knew you would probably mention Kane. Kane is the one that everyone has to discover for themselves. What people often miss nowadays is the energy and progressive can-do attitude that so defined the 1930’s theater and radio-much of which drives Kane itself. That combined with the never ending levels of fascination Welles had that are felt in the film itself-creates a sort of cross between a never ending magic trick and the most inspirational film ever made for us cinema nerds. And then you see Ambersons and weep for life.

My problem with The Royal Tenenbaums is that I really dislike all the characters. The kids are so twee and spoiled and even a bit icky and I don’t really care what happens to them. Breathless feels disjointed and trendy and I honestly don’t like it when I’m distracted by editing or art direction to the point I’m not really following the story. Mulholland Drive and Citizen Kane are two of my favorite movies but I appreciate a different opinion.

At least you are honest enough to admit you might not connect with Lynch. Kudos. As for me, Blue Velvet, Lost Highway and Mulholland Drive were all movies that had a DEEP impact on me, each viewed at different times of my life. No single director comes close in that respect for me personally

I completely agree with all of your picks. The only one I might have to (slighlty) push back on is Mulholland Dr. but that's ok, Lynch isn't for everyone, in fact he's not for most people.

I actually agreed with all of your choices except for breathless. I had to bite my tongue on that one. Though, like anything I get why it’s not for everyone. Aside from (in my opinion) being THE most influential film of all time, sparking both the French and American New Wave, I just adore 1960s Paris. The fashion, the cars, the music, and the filmmaking!! I think Le Mepris and Masculin Feminin are my favourite Godard films though, so I’d agree that Breathless was overrated if people said it was his best (I actually love the remake way more, Richard Gere and Valerie Kaprisky 😍💘 now that’s an underrated film)

the beauty of art is the different reactions people have to it. There's very little objectivity involved, it's primarily a subjective experience. So it's only natural that movies some people find to be the best ever made will be considered overrated or even disliked by others. Of the films you listed, I've not seen Citizen Kane or Breathless but I have watched the others. I enjoy but don't love Seven Samurai. The Royal Tenenbaums is the only Wes Anderson film I've seen that really did anything for me and I love it. And Lynch's Mulholland Dr. is one of the greatest films I've ever watched. The experience of watching Mulholland Dr. (or Lynch in general) and taking it all in is just so much fun. And then talking with friends about what it all means and comparing our own interpretations is a blast.

Having rewatched Seven Samurai last week, I believe it’s strength comes from its accessibility to the average person. It’s a very simple action-adventure story that anyone from any culture can understand, and it has a relatively uplifting ending despite some of the characters perishing in the battle with the bandits. Unfortunately, the ease of watching that movie is hindered by the long runtime, as well as the deteriorated condition of the film print itself. The movie that is often considered the second-greatest Japanese film of all time, Godzilla, is much shorter and in much better condition than Seven Samurai, despite both being produced by Toho Studios in 1954.

The most overrated title is Stalker. I have seen at least 2 SCI-FI / Post apocalyptic lists put it at top of their list. I drove all the way to my local Barnes and Noble during a 50% sale to buy it. Upon watching it, I was interested at the beginning (Escaping the city scenes), but then got progressively angry and bored. The movie ended, and I felt like I misspent my money on a bad title instead of something greater that I overlooked at the store. Agreed, on Citizen Kane. I like the film, but I can see how if you took away all the great cinema techniques, it would be a very boring film. Now Seven Samurai, is what I disagree on. Good video regardless.

Good for you! Takes guts to put out a like this. My short take: wrong about The Seven Samurai (my favorite film of all time) but absolutely right about all the rest. Fellini, anyone?

Lynch's case is special. Because he does not make only cinema but also painting and artistic installations. He has several strings to his bow. But my thesis is that he does not make a thing beside another, but one through another. There are indeed two Lynch, one in a vein that I would call "traditional" or conventional, respecting narrative codes, the other that I would name "surrealist", and which upsets the traditional codes of the narration. The most representative works are Lost Highway and Mulholland Drive.

Hello, Elliot! First off, I enjoy watching your video show on films on blu rays. I also wish to give you my thumbs up on these ‘Over-Rated’ Films. Here’s my response: Films should be judged by its stand on the history of filmmaking, its stand on when it was first released, and its stand as of now. Another criteria is, the film shall remain not dated. My favourite Kurosawa’s films are Rashomon, Throne of Blood, and Dersu Uzala. Among his film category, Seven Samurai is probably voted as his best film. J L Godard in some circles he’s god! His Breathless was a classic when it was released and shall remain so. I also liked his Alphaville and Le Mempris, but not for repeated watch. I agree the Royal Tannbaum is over-rated, like many of Wes Anderson’s films. Most are good to look at but one hardly remembers the storyline after watching it. His good ones are Isle of Dogs and Grand Hotel Budapest. His last one French Dispatch is dreadful. David Lynch is an artist cum painter. Personally I think his Mulholland Drive was one of his best films. One should look at his films as pieces of artworks, which are subject to interpretation. Finally, you hit the jackpot with Citizen Kane! It is The Most Over-Rated Film in History, if you ask me. The Third Man is a better film, it doesn’t look dated, and not directed by Orson Wells.

Was expecting or hoping for tarkowsky's andrej rublov

I agree whole-heartedly with your pleasingly iconoclastic choices although I was a little saddened at the inclusion of Mulholland Drive as I have spent many happy hours in its monumentally sublime company but as they say, one man's meat is another man's poison (o: Love your videos.

I agree on Kurosawa. I prefer both his later color period (Dreams is one of my favorite movies of all time), as well as his noir films to his samurai stuff.

Completely agree re: Citizen Kane. I watched this years ago, and went in with an abundance of excitement and reverence, and left feeling... Let down? Underwhelmed? Thankfully it's all subjective, but for me, I'm totally in agreement with you on this one.

Agree with Breathless, Royal Tennenbaums & Mulholland Drive. I havn't seen Seven Samurai in years. You are wrong regarding Citizen Kane. You need to see the PBS series on William Randolph Hearst or read a good biography. At the tail end of the Depression, Welles was documenting the excesses of American commerce and experimenting with cinematic techniques within a thinly disguised biographic movie, plain genius!

I predict either BFI Sight & Sound will pick Vertigo again or Tokyo Story or 2001 will top the list.

I agree with you about Mulholland Drive being overrated Naomi Watts and the other actress are super hot 🔥 but the film was so weird I didn't get it though I probably need to watch it a second time one of these days

I mostly agree with all your selections, with only squabble being Mulholland Drive. Matter of fact with Seven Samurai I tried watching it for first time ever on The Criterion Channel about a year ago and had to quit half way through as it gradually became too predictable (maybe because I knew beforehand it was blueprint for a later fav of mine, The Magnificent Seven). I thought Hidden Fortress was better for my taste. Very much agree on Royal Tenenbaums; I watched it and overall enjoyed it but definitely won't buy the disc, found it sorta depressing, dour. My fav Wes Andersons are Moonrise Kingdom and like you Grand Budapest Hotel. As to your big question: My single most overrated Criterion film so far is La Dolce Vita. All the buildup was for the famous water fountain scene with busty Anita Ekberg, whom I found overrated as an actress. I much enjoyed though Fellini's other huge film, 8 1/2 and think it does live to its hype.

05:50 "I think some people will have clicked off by this point, but let's continue, I want to enrage more people." Hahahaha, best words in the entire video.

I appreciate what you're doing and its your opinion I personally rate 2001 higher in Kubrick's filmography again just my opinion, I don't agree with your general statement on the French New Wave, I didnt click off, as everyone is entitled to their opinion. Wes Anderson is a unique film maker, I agree The Royal Tenebaums is not his best. I also think you might be maturing more in your film tastes.

I respect differences in opinion, and I could see your point of view on most of the picks…but Mulholland Drive? If anything, to me, the film is underrated due to some people dismissing it as pretentious.

It's all subjective, so you're obviously entitled to your opinion. "Citizen Kane" used to be overrated just about unanimously, but lately I've run across your opinion among critics much more frequently than ever before. Personally, I've never connected to it emotionally, but appreciate the innovation and visionary talent that it took to make a such an excellent film, particularly in the period in which it was made. IMO, "overrated" is the most misunderstood term out there. Let me give some context. Watch ANY YT review of a popular film nowadays, I guarantee that at least once the term "great" will be stated. If one considers "greatness" to be the ultimate achievement in filmmaking, it's obvious that a relatively few films are truly "great," and to suggest that a movie is great simply because one finds it very entertaining is ridiculous. Ergo, by definition, it's more likely than not "overrated." It doesn't mean it's bad, unentertaining, not worthy of admiration, nor even unimportant. Just not the ultimate that cinema has to offer! Gutsy video!

I do and I don’t agree with Seven Samurai. I actually finally saw it for the first time just two years ago. Now, personally, I did love it, but also agree that Kurosawa has made quite a few better movies. But at the same time, I would never call it overrated because of reasons you actually stated in this video. It was enormously influential as a film, even within Kurosawa’s own filmography. If a single movie influenced and inspired so many others in film history, can it really be called overrated, no matter what our individual opinions of it may be?

Seven Samurai is a masterpiece, it isn’t the best Japanese film but it is a masterpiece. MullHolland Drive; is a flawless masterpiece. It isn’t even my favourite Lynch probably ranking 5th, that’s only because some of his films feel more personal to me. I don’t understand how MullHolland Drive can’t leave you emotionally blown away.

I do wonder if "Seven Samurai" owes much of its impact to its original but timeless story, rather than the finished film per se. It is a great film... but one that has been successfully remade twice (namely, "Magnificent Seven" and "Battle Beyond the Stars"), both of which have proved worthwhile in the long-run. Which means that its directing isn't entirely irreplaceable, and I confess often I would rather just watch one of those later two (or one of Kurosawa's other b&w samurai films). I would concur that "Ran" is absolutely breathtakingly epic, and is the zenith of his ouvre (and was the first one I thought of when you began to opine that there were stronger works.). Thank you for the well argued video essay.

I couldn’t agree with you more with Royal Tenenbaums, it’s a film I just couldn’t get into, as with most of Wes Anderson’s filmography (except Grand Budapest Hotel, thats Anderson’s masterpiece). You’re right about Seven Samurai not being Kurosawa’s best (that honor belongs to Ran) but I wouldn’t call it overrated.

Totally agree about Citizen Kane. It is the most groundbreaking film ever, but the subject matter just isn’t interesting enough for me to want to rewatch it. However, I disagree with you on Seven Samurai. The way Kurosawa illustrates the layout of the village defense & battle plan in such meticulous detail makes it seem like this was a real event that he lived through firsthand & it really immerses me in the plot. The way it ends with 3 samurai alive & 4 dead gives the story so much weight & the soundtrack is so epic. Also the cinematography is just gorgeous especially in those rain scenes toward the end. My only criticism of the movie is that 2 of the Samurai don’t really have unique standout personalities & don’t get much screen time so to me they’re kind of like Hawkeye & Black Widow in The Avengers. 😂 The characters I actually care about are Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, & Thor. The other 2 are just afterthoughts lol

I was shocked that you mentioned Seven Samurai, but after you explained why, I am ok with your choice.

Thought provoking video. I do agree with you about Jean-Luc Godard and the french New Wave ( Jean Pierre Melville - although I'm not sure he is thought of as being in the new wave would be the exception if he was) . Also I have some sympathy with your criticism of 'The Royal Tenenbaums' but I can't agree with you , but only because I think 'The Darjeeling Limited' is even worse. If you really wanted to set the cat amongst the pigeons you could have picked from several Quentin Tarantino movies - I love his movies that have been set in a time frame after the 1960's but anything set before that have been , imo, embarrasingly bad and had he made them at the start of career he would have sunk without trace.