Steven Spielberg movies are known for their unique, rare combination of mixing art and mass audience fun to great effect consistently – An achievement few directors can boast of…over the years Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, James Cameron, Martin Scorsese and Ridley Scott have done what Spielberg does best.
The American summer blockbuster owes its origins to the sharp tooted shark attack paranoia – Jaws (1975). From then to the pathbreaking animation of The Adventures of Tintin (2011), Spielberg has brought audiences of all age groups to cinemas.
Though his box office influence may have diminished off late, there is no doubting the craft. That aside, why Steven Spielberg went for a West Side Story (2021) remake still beats me.
Anyways, here is a list of five underrated Steven Spielberg movies you may have missed:
Duel (1971): Years later, in a fascinating conversation with noted Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan, Spielberg mentioned how he treated Duel like a monster movie. Instead of Godzilla, it was a menacing tanker truck. The sound effects were a deliberate attempt in giving the truck a personality.
Based on a Richard Matheson short story, the premise is sparse and simple. Old tanker truck with unseen driver tries to run over a travelling businessman’s car, moving across the Mojave Desert highway. The hide and seek, cat and mouse of this road survival drama is continuously riveting.
Despite the limited budget and a made-for-TV movie, Duel uses great suspense, clever cinematography and superb sound design (hallmark of all classic Spielberg hits) for telling impact.
This is a road survival flick screaming for a 4K quality remake by Steven Spielberg. Cinephiles can until then catch a version on YouTube.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977): There are alien movies and then there is this profound, almost subdued science fiction flick of quiet, understated beauty.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind holds a special place in Spielberg’s filmography and will always stand out in its offbeat story and screenplay for decades to come.
No alien attacks, no rousing president speeches, no destroyed cities, no screaming citizens…though the aliens do choose the United States of America for their landing spot. The length may be a concern for some, and also the special effects, but there is no denying the wonder of the unknown that Close Encounters of the Third Kind resonates with.    Â
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981): Arguably, remains one of the greatest action-adventure movies ever made.
The critical acclaim and whiplashing success of this one led to the blooming of the celebrated Indiana Jones franchise. Co-written by George ‘Star Wars’ Lucas and Philip Kaufman, this is one of Spielberg’s crowning achievements.
There is a hell lot going on in Raiders of the Lost Ark, and in the hands of any other director this might have been unconvincing chaos. This clearly was a difficult movie to make. How the breathless events are nicely spaced out, keeps us rooting for Indiana Jones and his lady love Marion.
The making of Harrison Ford’s iconic filmography began with this one, followed by the later cult sci-fi dystopian flick, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982).
Minority Report (2002): If crime was to be predicted before occurrence and potential murderers punished with induced coma, would that be fair? How is predetermination accurate? How can a person be punished for a crime they haven’t even committed on strong probability rather than proof?
It is on this premise that the first Tom Cruise-Spielberg collaboration led to a stunning, dark sci-fi action flick. Almost Hollywood noir in treatment, and meticulously researched, for a dystopian movie set in the future.
Spielberg interacted with 15 experts from varied fields over three days to ensure that Minority Report’s imagined future was grounded in reality.
The legendary John Williams’s score punctuates the aptly grim noir setting. Apart from the ever-dependable Cruise, the performances of Max von Sydow, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton add edginess to the proceedings.
The Fabelmans (2022): An autobiographical is the last thing we would have expected Spielberg to conjure in his career’s twilight.
Chronicling his adolescent years and the first strides as a filmmaker, Spielberg handles a tricky subject with utmost restraint, allowing himself to be vulnerable, without falling for self-indulgence.
Gabriel LaBelle is great casting as Sammy Fabelman. Michelle Williams is particularly dazzling as the protagonist’s mother, Paul Dano is impressive as the father. It is interesting how Spielberg doesn’t use any real family names, thus allowing leverage for cinematic liberties. Using ‘Fabelman’ is a nod to fictionalizing the personal.
As a Spielberg fan, there are mixed feelings. That the screenplay winds up with Spielberg’s meeting with the great John Ford, makes one want more, like a part two, a part three and so on.
Steven Spielberg’s sunset years
Does the sun really set on an artist? Steven Spielberg may yet surprise us with cinema magic. Until then, I hope this 9PMMovies list of his most underrated movies keeps you entertained, astounded and happy.
