8MM (22%)
Maybe 8MM received so much stick because the world wasn’t ready to forgive director Joel Schumacher for his previous film, Batman & Robin? If so, it’s a real rotten shame, because this controversial picture was way ahead of its time in 1999 and is actually a pretty enjoyable watch.
Starring a slightly saner than usual Nicolas Cage, Joaquin Phoenix, and the late James Gandolfini, the two-hour flick pulls you in and takes you on a torrid ride through the ugly side of life. It’s uncomfortable, violent, and not something you could (or should) watch too often, but it’s still a thinking man’s movie that deserves more recognition.
You have to wonder what the reception would be like if this film were released today. We’re living in a time when the hard R-rating is celebrated, so it’s likely a lot of the original criticism would fall away. Also, we’ve had two decades to forget about Batman & Robin. Taking all that into consideration, would 8MM be better received? Most likely.