Not every film performs well at the box office or wins over critics. Some movies, whether praised or overlooked, slip under the radar upon release. It’s a pity how artists are so often misunderstood. But over time, a few gain recognition through strong word of mouth and eventually achieve cult status.
In this list, we highlight 10 underrated classics about artists that you absolutely need to watch.
10. House of Horrors (1946)
Let’s start with Jean Yarbrough’s ‘House of Horrors.’ The film follows a struggling sculptor named Marcel De Lange. While attempting suicide, he encounters a disfigured madman known as ‘The Creeper’ who saves him. They become friends, and he uses the unhinged guy to kill his critics.
Made on a low budget, Universal Pictures had planned to create a series based on the movie, but the actor who played De Lange, Rondo Hatton, died before the movie was even released. Since then, the movie has developed a reputation as a cult classic among die-hard horror movie fans.
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9. Mill of the Stone Women (1960)
Fans of Euro-horror cult classics often associate them with Giorgio Ferroni’s Italian Gothic horror film, ‘Mill of the Stone Women.’ As the first Italian horror movie to be shot in color, the film is celebrated for its visually striking and eerie atmosphere. No wonder it has attracted a dedicated international audience.
The story follows a journalist who is writing a story about a mad sculptor and falls in love with his daughter, only to discover that the artist turns women into stone statues for his macabre museum.
8. Art School Confidential (2006)
Terry Zwigoff’s comedy-drama ‘Art School Confidential’ skewers the pretensions of art school life through the eyes of a hopeful student. The film follows the protagonist from his childhood attempts at illustration to the pursuit of his true passion at art school.
As he discovers how the art world really works, he realizes that he must adapt his vision to the realities he faces. It remains a hidden gem for anyone who has experienced creative academia.
7. Utamaro and His Five Women (1946)
Based on the novel of the same title by Kanji Kunieda, the film is a fictionalized account of the life of the famous printmaker Kitagawa Utamaro. Even after nearly eight decades since its release, it still boasts a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score.
The film is a beautifully crafted and lesser-seen portrayal of the artist’s relationships and creative drive.
6. Blood Bath (1966)
Jack Hill and Stephanie Rothman’s horror film ‘Blood Bath‘ is an underrated gem in the drive-in exploitation world. The story follows a mad painter of macabre art who transforms into a vampire-like figure by night.
The family curse trope changes the man. He also comes to believe that he has found his reincarnated mistress in an avant-garde ballerina.
In case you missed it: Top 15 Cult Classic Films That Were Box-Office Disasters
5. The Draughtsman’s Contract (1982)
With a near-perfect 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes, Peter Greenaway’s erotic-drama mystery, ‘The Draughtsman’s Contract‘, has become a timeless favorite for viewers who enjoy movies with intellectual style and artistic precision. The film follows a young artist named Mr. Neville, who gets commissioned by the wife of a wealthy landowner, Mrs. Herbert, to create a series of drawings for her estate while her husband is away.
Soon, Neville and Herbert develop a sexual relationship, but when Mr. Herbert is found dead, Neville is blamed. Critics have heaped praise on the movie, with one describing it as a “tantalizing puzzle, wrapped in eroticism and presented with the utmost elegance.”
4. Le Mystère Picasso (1956)
This is a groundbreaking documentary capturing Pablo Picasso creating paintings on camera in real time. Henri-Georges Clouzot’s film is more experimental than traditional. In it, we witness Picasso producing 20 drawings and paintings. He begins with inks that bleed through the paper, filmed in real time from the backside of the easel.
The film starts with simple black-and-white marker drawings and gradually progresses to full-scale collages and oil paintings. It remains a cult touchstone for its hypnotic portrayal of the artist’s creative process.
3. Caravaggio (1986)
Derek Jarman’s British historical drama ‘Caravaggio‘ is a fictionalized portrayal of the life of Baroque painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio.
The film explores the celebrated 17th-century artist through his brilliant, often provocative paintings and his entanglements with the underworld. It is highly regarded in arthouse circles.
2. A Bucket of Blood (1959)
Roger Corman’s film ‘A Bucket of Blood‘ is a true cult staple, blending dark humor with gory thrills. It’s a comic satire about a dimwitted, impressionable young busboy at a Bohemian café.
Things get tricky when he is mistakenly acclaimed as a brilliant sculptor after he accidentally kills his landlady’s cat and covers it in clay to hide the evidence. When pressured to produce similar works, he spirals into becoming a serial murderer.
1. Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
Brian De Palma’s comedy-rock horror ‘Phantom of the Paradise‘ is a wild, underrated cult classic blending music, art, and madness. Despite mixed reviews, it has become a favorite over the years. The film follows naïve singer-songwriter Winslow Leach, who gets tricked by music producer Swan into sacrificing his life’s work.
In revenge, Winslow adopts a menacing persona and terrorizes Swan’s concert hall, insisting his music be performed by his adored singer, Phoenix (Jessica Harper). The plot draws inspiration from the Faust legend, Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray,’ and Gaston Leroux’s ‘The Phantom of the Opera.’
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