What’s your favorite cult movie? Everyone has a different pick, and most people probably have different ideas of how to define a “cult” movie. There are plenty of movies out there that have devoted followings, and sometimes those followings get so big that it seems like everyone’s a member. At this point, who hasn’t seen The Big Lebowski? Is there anyone out there who hasn’t watched The Shawshank Redemption or The Rocky Horror Picture Show? The following movies are our picks for the top ten new cult movies that are actually worth watching. So when you’ve worn out your Clerks DVD or decided to cancel your regular viewing of Harold and Maude, reach for one of these films instead!
10. World’s Greatest Dad
(2009)
Unlike most movies on this list, the cult for World’s Greatest Dad is still forming, but it’s easy to see why it’s picking up a devoted following. An extremely black comedy written and directed by Bobcat Goldthwait and starring Robin Williams, it certainly doesn’t sound like a movie that’s worthy of your time. But when a movie deals with the death of a child in a way that’s both hilarious and touching, you know you’ve got something special on your hands. After his son dies in an embarrassing masturbation accident, William’s character stages the scene to look like a suicide and inadvertently turns his boy into the most popular (yet deceased) kid in school. What’s not to love?
Quote: You guys didn’t like Kyle. That’s okay. I didn’t either. I loved him. He was my son. But he was also a douchebag.
9. Primer
(2004)
We won’t bother to even attempt explaining what Primer is about. Frankly, we’re not sure we could if we tried. All you need to know is that a small team of filmmakers with a budget of around $7000 produced what is one of the most intelligent, mind-bending sci-fi movies in decades and one of the most complex time-travel films ever. Writer/director/producer Shane Carruth is a former mathematician and engineer, so to say that Primer is a thinking man’s sci-fi film is probably underselling it.
Quote: What’s worse, thinking you’re being paranoid or knowing you should be?
8. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
(2005)
Lethal Weapon writer Shane Black made his directorial debut with Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and created an instant cult classic. A comedic film noir starring Robert Downy Jr. as a petty crook turned actor turned wannabe private eye, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang marries a classic detective story plot with whip-smart dialogue, perfect casting and hilarious comic timing. As great as RDJ is as main character Harry, he nearly has the show stolen out from under him by Val Kilmer as Gay Perry, the grumpy, sarcastic homosexual detective.
Quote: This isn’t good cop, bad cop. This is fag and New Yorker. You’re in serious trouble.
7. Oldboy
(2003)
What if someone locked you up for 15 years without explaining why, and then one day just as mysteriously let you out? That’s the setup for Oldboy, the second film in directory Chan-wook Park’s thematically linked “Revenge Trilogy.” Oldboy is a shocking, brutal film that’s likely to leave you unsettled at the end, as the answers you’re eventually granted to protagonist Dae-Su Oh’s incarceration definitely won’t be what you expect. It’s debatable which scene is the most shocking: when Dae Su confronts an army of goons with a hammer, or when he eats a live octopus. A Hollywood remake has been threatened for years, but watch the film once and you’ll understand why that will probably never happen.
Quote: If they had told me it was going to be fifteen years, would it have been easier to endure?
6. The Iron Giant
(1999)
Before he joined up with animation powerhouse Pixar, Brad Bird directed one of the most beautiful, touching animated films ever, The Iron Giant. Based on a book by poet Ted Hughes, The Iron Giant takes place in the late 1950s and tells the tale of a young boy named Hogarth who befriends a giant robot from space. “You are who you choose to be” is a major theme of the film, making it much deeper than your average kids’ movie. As with most movies with something legitimate to say, it tanked at the box office. Fortunately, it found new life on home video and is now considered a modern animated classic.
Quote: I am not a gun.
5. The Boondock Saints / Overnight
(1999/2003)
Depending on who you ask, The Boondock Saints is either a balls-out action movie or an extremely straight-faced parody thereof. Either way, the story of two brothers who start killing mafia goons because they believe they’re doing God’s work struck a chord with many viewers, especially the young and the angry. The instant success of writer/director Troy Duffy apparently turned him into a world-class douchebag, a story that’s chronicled in another cult favorite, the appropriately titled documentary Overnight. Duffy didn’t work again until the recent Boondock Saints sequel, a movie that was apparently seen by only a fraction of the original film’s audience.
Quote: And shepherds we shall be, for Thee, my Lord, for Thee. Power hath descended forth from Thy hand, that our feet may swiftly carry out Thy command. So we shall flow a river forth to Thee, and teeming with souls shall it ever be.
4. Troll 2
(1990)
The oldest movie on this list, Troll 2 still qualifies as a “new” cult classic thanks to the recent following it developed online. It’s one of the most stunningly horrible movies you’ll ever see, but unlike so many films that gain a following for their terribleness, something about it is incredibly charming. It’s so insane and silly that it’s incredibly unpredictable – it has ghosts, popcorn sex, plant people and not a single troll – the cheap-looking monsters are in fact goblins. A new documentary about the popularity of Troll 2 is coming to theaters this summer. Fittingly, it’s called Best Worst Movie.
Quote: Do you see this writing…? Do you know what it means…? Hospitality. And you can’t piss on hospitality!
3. Let the Right One In
(2008)
Could Let the Right One In be the best vampire movie of all time? Some critics think so, although it certainly wasn’t the biggest vampire flick of 2008 (that would be Twilight). The plot of the film is simple: a young, troubled boy meets a strange girl who only comes out at night. It’s touching, funny, genuine and terrifying – a difficult task for any movie. This gorgeous Swedish film is being remade for American audiences, but watch the original and you’ll see why Let the Right One In is one of the most acclaimed horror films in decades.
Quote: I’m twelve. But I’ve been twelve for a long time.
2. Donnie Darko
(2001)
The second movie on this list about time travel, Donnie Darko is probably the biggest “disaffected teen” cult movie since Heathers. The hallucinogenic story of young Donnie Darko has become a favorite of emo kids anywhere, thanks to its brooding central figure and the world-altering importance he carries. If you haven’t seen it, don’t be afraid of the movie because of its self-important fans – it’s actually a pretty good movie by a talented filmmaker. Unfortunately, writer/director Richard Kelly may have let the success of Donnie Darko go to his head; his next movie was the bewildering catastrophe Southland Tales, a film that’s developed its own cult following, primarily because of how bad it is.
Quote: Do you believe in time travel?
1. Office Space
(1999)
How could any movie other than Office Space take the number one slot? Sure, it’s over ten years old at this point and so popular it hardly feels like a “cult” film anymore – it’s a cult film that broke through to a mainstream audience. The success of Office Space is entirely due to fans who convinced their friends to watch it, who in turn told their friends and so on. In that regard, it’s the perfect example of a cult movie. A box-office flop, Office Space found a second life on the then-new format of DVD, growing and growing in popularity as the years went by. This simple story of a fed-up office worker has sold millions of copies, inspired a real-life line of red Swingline staplers, and been named one of Entertainment Weekly’s best comedies of the last 25 years. Not bad for a film that barely made $10 million dollars in theaters.
Quote: And I said, I don’t care if they lay me off either, because I told, I told Bill that if they move my desk one more time, then, then I’m, I’m quitting, I’m going to quit. And, and I told Don too, because they’ve moved my desk four times already this year, and I used to be over by the window, and I could see the squirrels, and they were married, but then, they switched from the Swingline to the Boston stapler, but I kept my Swingline stapler because it didn’t bind up as much, and I kept the staples for the Swingline stapler and it’s not okay because if they take my stapler then I’ll set the building on fire…

















i think this is a good compilation of some rock-solid newer cult films, and some AOK cult film prospects, but i feel you’re definitely missing some important ones, such as Shaun of the Dead, Eagle vs. Shark, and Happyness.
And Troll 2 is a farce.
No cult movie list is complete without Groundhog Day, Rocky Horror Picture Show and Little Shop of Horrors (IMHO).
I agree with Matt, Shaun of the Dead an Eagle vs. Shark should be on this list.
Come on, how could you have possibly missed The Big Lebowski????
hot fuzz, big lebowski, eagle vs shark, repo! the genetic opera
all thats missing
hot fuzz and the big lebowski were both mainstream Hollywood movies, NOT cult followings. As was Fight Club. Bruce Campbell movies are a bit too old for the “last 10 years”, but still great movies.
Shaun of the Dead should have been on there. I’m surprised no one mentioned Doomsday, Leon (the professional), or Amelie. All three were made in the last 10 or so years and have huge cult followings. And if you’re going to name older movies, might as well mention SLC Punk. That’s about as cult as it gets.
You idiots, it says top 10 NEW cult films. Big Lebowski, Rocky Horror, etc. are not new.
Some of the other titles in the list might not be new movies, but maybe they just recently became cult classics.
After looking through this list i decided to watch World’s Greatest Dad. It fucking sucked…the lines weren’t “hilarious” nor was the movie touching. the whole thing fell flat and it was all rather boring… and i’m pretty sure that wasn’t robin’s dick in the end. LAME
2 words:
Super Troopers
“…and I could see the squirrels, and they were MERRY, but then…”
What about Fight Club?
worst list ever.
What about the room?
[...] Picks) On May 21, 2010, In Daily List, by jeremyz Last month, we ran our picks for the Top Ten New Cult Movies. Some of you agreed with our choices. Many of you disagreed. Either way, you folks had a lot to [...]
Great list! But.. I just don´t know about # 4″Trolls”.
I watched Primer on netflix instant stream. I have never been so blown away by a movie that I watched it a second time right after it finished. This movie is confusing and well above my head, but thats what makes it so enjoyable. I give it a 8/10.
I like Donny Darko because it’s funny, but dear god, if I hear another person talk about how deep it is I’m gonna hurl. The time travel parts don’t make any sense, and they aren’t supposed to. It’s part of the humor.
these are all on netflix, under cult classics.
[...] In the last little while, I’ve stumbled upon a few movie review sites that claim to have the 20 best movies of the last decade and the 10 best cult movies. [...]
Way to spoil the entire plot of World’s Greatest Dad.
You’re a moron.
The Room, google it, absolutely, THAT is the greatest bad movie ever made, not a dull second, best movie ever, that movie is my life now, I don’t know where I end and The Room begins
Yeah, this list is “Meh” at best.
I was digging it a little, but by “Office Space,” I’d lost all respect for it. That wasn’t a bad movie at all, but for it to be referred to as a cult movie is just an insult to the loads of other movies that fit the description much more accurately. I mean, hell, if “Office Space” is a newish cult classic, then so is “Amelie” or “Pan’s Labyrinth.” Meh, I say.
I’m sorry, but The Big Lebowski should be topping this list. Even if it has breached into the mainstream, it still has a massive cult following (myself and my entire family included).
There are Lebowskifests throughout the year in different parts of the US, where true Dudes get a chance to dress up, drink white russians and bowl. If that’s not a surefire indication of a cult film, I don’t know what is…
otherwise, a fairly good list.
Also throw Mulholland Drive in there. Now THAT was a messed up movie.
I like how everyone is complaining about how movies like The Big Lebowski and RHPS didn’t make the list, but if you look at the very beginning of the page, there is an intro that talks about both of those. Hmmm… Not to mention this might be here to broaden your cult-classics-horizon. Maybe?
Donnie Darko, Troll 2, and Office Space have had cult followings since the 90s.
Donnie Darko is a GREAT movie. And I’m not a damn emu. The time travel makes sense if you try to squeeze some deeper thought into that little squirrel brain of yours. And he is hallucinating!!! So some of the scenarios are not going to make sense. go watch wedding crashers and shut the front door, douche.
Can’t believe that Dodgeball isn’t on this list.
The term ‘mainstream’ seems quite stringent here – Office Space is a favourite of mine but surely it’s not a cult film?
I thought you’d be going for stuff like Humpday, City of God, maybe even Requiem for a Dream. Ones that few have seen, yet are loved upon viewing.
I like the list. It named a couple movies I have not seen that look allright. I did see Let The Right One In and it really sucked out loud! I mean it was really good.
donnie darko, the iron giant and oldboy have been cult a long, long time.
let the right one in is nice… the vampire girl is actually a boy (or maybe an hermaphrodite) lol
Office Space is no longer a cult film. Maybe about 5 years ago before everyone’s seen it, yeah, it was a cult film.
Kids In The Hall Present: Brian Candy needs to be on this list!!! It is the funniest movie i have ever seen!!! Its super smart and super funny and it’s just about a cure for depression that was not fully tested before its release, brilliant movie everyone needs to see!!!!!
how about GRINDHOUSE, DAWN OF THE DEAD????this movies is CULT FILM too man.
what about Paul Blart Mall Cop? This list sucks.
ok, half of this list i haven’t even heard of…so i don’t understand how they’re such “cult hits”. you were right on with donnie darko, the boondock saints and office space, but as for the others… i don’t see it.
i agree with the previous user, shaun of the dead should have made the list.
and eternal sunshine of the spotless mind should have too.
Duh duh duh duhdanah duhdunah……..Star Wars YO!!!
Yeah, Episodes 1-3 were not at all on par with what “fans” expected.
But dammit….You still couldn’t deny the power of the force, no matter how dissapointing the last one was. Episode 3 was pretty good.
What about Sunshine? what about D9?
not a bad list, i actually liked it
If we’re talking about NEW cult classics, there are definitely some potentials that you left out…What about Zombieland? Superbad? Kill Bill? I think that this is a good list, but could definitely be longer….
Repo: The Genetic Opera should be on this list somewhere.
In the Office Space quote the squirrels are merry not married. whew. I’m done.
In the intro where he mentions older ones he should mention Army of Darkness.
Quote: “I CALL THIS MY BOOMSTICK!”
Thanks, a few on here I’d never heard of and will make for some good movie watching while I work.
I’ll toss in some favorites that may or may not be considered cult films but should be watched.
In the Realms of the Unreal-the story of Henry Darger
Ryan-Story of a canadian animator
and these films I like:
Science of Sleep
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
This is not a list of cult films, new or old, this is merely a list of films that not a lot of people have seen…. often with good reason because they were just bad. A true cult film, if not the definition of one is a film that was unappreciated by the audience to whom it was shown and gained popularity/recognition later for being either ahead of its time or establishing a new genre hence, Star Wars, ET, bladerunner, dark star, people under the stairs, RHPS,etc.. are all cult films. There is only one Cult Film on the list – Primer, that’s it.
THE ROOM. Also, people should stop listing movies with A-list stars that everyone’s seen and have made a ton of money. Anyway, The Room’s the best. Should be #1.
you forgot Dead Man, Road Warrior, Waking Life, Dune, but most of all you forgot Battle Royal
This list is bunk man, same as a lot of the comments. The Iron Giant isn’t cult its nostalgic. The true cult films on here are primer and old boy. Office space made money in theaters. Darko and boondocks are just cliche’s.
By the way saying lebowski is not a cult film is a crime punishable by death. just go to a lebowski fest.
WHERE IS ROCKY HORROR!!??