With superhero movies like Top Gun: Maverick garnering most of the box office take and movie discussion in the United States, it's never been trendier for film aficionados to go against the grain and adore movies that are far outside this modern mold.
The hipster enjoyment of the eclectic and under-appreciated has had a place in film discussion since "being hip" first became a thing. According to thousands of voters on Ranker, the following movies are the ones most commonly beloved by this demographic.
Note: Ranker lists are live and continue to accrue votes, so some rankings may have changed after this publishing.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is perhaps the most faithful comic book movie ever made. Not only does it respect its source material, but it integrates comic book (and video game) language into the movie itself, with on-screen text sound effects and point systems.
That alone would help it stand out as odd but charming, two qualities that a lot of hipster-beloved movies have. But Wright's unique filmmaking style, with its almost-musical timing, quick cutting, and tongue-in-cheek references, is seemingly designed to cater to a specific group. While general audiences can and do enjoy his filmmaking, those who really pay attention to director credits and styles enjoy it at another level.
Juno
Another great Michael Cera movie, Juno, sees the actor play a ing character, Paulie, to Elliot Page's title role as Juno, a teenager who gets pregnant by fellow teen Paulie and has to then decide what she will do next while knowing that her life has changed forever regardless.
It's hard to believe Juno turned 15 in 2022, as the story feels as fresh (and important) today as it did in 2007. Jason Reitman's direction and the main cast's performances drive the movie, but the writing by debut screenwriter Diablo Cody is what really stole the show when released. Cody brought a unique voice to the film industry that funneled Reitman's direction such that even in his filmography Juno stands apart.
The Breakfast Club
Don't you forget about this classic! The Breakfast Club is one in a line of John Hughes-penned classics from the 1980s, but what makes it special is how different the five main detention-sentenced students are from one another, representing five completely different 1980s high school cliques.
Even though the dynamics of American high schools have changed tremendously in the past 37 years, the core theme – finding commonality with people who, on the surface, seem nothing like you – holds up entirely. Breakfast Club captures the teenage experience of trying to find oneself in some way, no matter what their school culture is like, but, as adults realize, that search doesn't completely end after high school.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
A film clearly indebted to The Breakfast Club, Harry Potter that allowed Emma Watson to show off her acting chops as well.
Also Ranker's favorite movie about millennials, Wallflower sees Charlie learning to come out of his shell thanks to the of two older misfit siblings who enter his life and show him a kind of emotional connection he's been afraid to form in his life. The irony, of course, is that the story shows the perks of not being a wallflower, but the title does encapsulate his starting point.
Little Miss Sunshine
This quirky 2006 ensemble dramedy follows an extended family that embarks on a road trip to get 9-year-old Olive to the "Little Miss Sunshine" beauty pageant. What starts as a simple journey brings the entire family together in ways they never could have imagined.
Any aspiring screenwriter would be jealous of Little Miss Sunshine writer Michael Arndt's journey; his first film script, Little Miss Sunshine won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, and only a few years later Arndt received a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination for scripting Toy Story 3. He definitely struck gold with this one.
Fight Club
One of the best box office bombs ever, Fight Club did something few movies today can: it originated several quotes that immediately entered and have remained in pop culture, the most notable being: "The first rule of fight club is: you do not talk about fight club."
As has been observed many times, so many college dorm rooms had this movie's poster on the wall that it became a cultural cliché in and of itself; this ubiquity in turn gave the movie a kind of over-exposure that pushes away new viewers. But as one of the last great films of the 1990s, Fight Club more than earns its spot as a favorite among millennials.
Edward Scissorhands
If feeling like an outcast in high school because of one's interest was hard, imagine being an outcast from society because your hands were literally scissors. That's the premise of Tim Burton's first post-Edward Scissorhands, which also marks the first of eight collaborations between Burton and Johnny Depp.
It's definitely an odd movie, which fits with Burton's oeuvre, but its charm comes in the discrepancy between the threat Edward seems to be and the harmless, loving, and lovable person he actually is. It's a beautiful story that advocates tolerance and love toward those society sees as different but does so in its own Gothic way.
Moonrise Kingdom
Maybe having a movie focused around an outcast makes it more likely to be appreciated by hipsters, because Moonrise Kingdom is yet another film about an outsider. In this case, the main focus is on an orphan Boy Scout who runs away with a girl, each of the preteens considering the other their soul mate.
Wes Anderson is another filmmaker whose eccentricities are no small part of what makes him such a popular director in the first place, and Moonrise Kingdom shows it off just like the rest of his films. The film relies on its child actors more heavily than most other Anderson films, and that, added to the set design and cinematography, allows it to evoke an almost-irresistible sense of nostalgia.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
If movies with short titles are easier to , then Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind more than makes up for its long title with how unique and memorable of a premise it has. Starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, the film follows a man who hires a company to erase his memories of his ex-girlfriend.
The sci-fi setup allows for a nonlinear emotional whirlwind about love, loss, and the importance of memory to one's sense of self. It's surreal, but only at points where it explores the subconscious and its relationship with the main character's memories. There are no high-speed chases or world-threatening stakes, but its implications haunt in a way no special effects work ever could.
Pulp Fiction
Still widely considered Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece, Pulp Fiction is massively nonlinear but at the same time is able to orient viewers to the general flow of the story thanks to Tarantino's ability to make his characters stand out from one another and engage in sometimes-outrageous, often-comedic antics.
Any and every American cinephile has to have either seen this movie or, on the off-chance they haven't, been told many times that it's a must-see movie. Its praise is deserved based on the movie's influence on cinema alone, as Tarantino's frenetic style it reaffirmed how important a writer-director's vision is when crafting a film. But Pulp Fiction is memorable on its own , as well, without looking at its influence. It's definitely unforgettable.
