The weekend is the best time to binge-watchmovieson streaming, and there are plenty of great sleeper hits to while away the hours. Streamers like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have revolutionized the way audiences interact with their favorite films, and nearly every piece of media ever made is available at one’s fingertips.
This has made picking the right movie to watch nearly impossible, especially for a viewer who has already seen a lot of films. Sleeper hits are a great way to discover some hidden gems, and they are typically movies that performed exceptionally well despite expectations that they would fail.
Often surging at the box office thanks to word of mouth,sleeper hits don’t have huge marketing campaigns, but still get audiences to turn up. Some movies are simply too good to be ignored, and they typically remain popular even when they go on streaming. No matter the genre, a sleeper hit is almost always a fun time.
3Smile (2022) - Netflix
Netflix carries a ton of great horrormovies, butSmilestands out in a crowded field. The 2022 hit was originally supposed to be a streaming exclusive, but landed in theaters where it performed quite well. Its creepy high-concept horror plot is enough to keep anyone on the edge of their seat, andit has plenty of ghoulish surprises.
It was even popular enough to spawn a sequel in 2024, and it is already burgeoning into a very successful franchise.The Smile monster hearkens back to earlier horror icons, but there is also a touch of modern elevated horror in the character, because of its deeper symbolic meaning. Fair warning though,Smileisn’t for the faint of heart.
2Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (2022) - Amazon Prime Video
Nobody expectedPuss In Boots: The Last Wishto do much business, and theShrekfranchise spinoff seemed like yet another movie dumped into theaters with little fanfare. However,the heartfelt animated film slowly picked up steam, spurred on by amazing reviews.Antonio Banderas returned to voice the title character, who has evolved since his last film appearance.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wishonly had a $12 million opening weekend before it went on to gross over $400 million, according toBox Office Mojo.
Though it’s a perfect movie to watch with family members of all ages,The Last Wishis also quite compelling in its deeper narrative about mortality. A movie about a talking cat with a sword might not seem like the tear-jerker of the year, butbe sure to bring tissues.
1My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) - HBO Max
My Big Fat Greek Weddingwas the quintessential sleeper hit of the early 2000s, andit became one of the top-grossing movies of 2002 by word of mouth alone. The rom-com was penned by star Nia Vardalos, and it’s the kind of comfort movie that isn’t made anymore. The culture clash plot is simplistic, but it’s the details that shine.
It’s a familiar viewing experience that celebrates the joy of cinema, without getting too bogged down in anything serious.Box Office Mojonotes that it grossed $368 million on a $5 million budget, which equates to nearly $700 million today. Money aside,My Big Fat Greek Weddingis just one of thosemoviesthat’s fun each and every time.
