15 People Share the Unexpected Movies They Wound Up Loving
Sometimes a movie wins you over before you’ve even decided whether you like it. Maybe someone else picked it, the trailer looked terrible, or you only put it on because there was nothing better to watch. Then two hours later, you’re wondering why you resisted in the first place. A Reddit thread asking people about movies they didn’t expect to love brought out plenty of converts, including viewers who reluctantly went along with their partners, dismissed something based on its genre, or simply stumbled across a movie by accident. A few didn’t just enjoy what they watched. They bought the DVD, went back to the theater, or turned it into a regular rewatch.
Edge of Tomorrow
One viewer avoided Edge of Tomorrow for years because they expected another movie built around making Tom Cruise look cool. When they finally watched it alone late one night, they found it clever, fun, and immediately worth sharing with their wife. Plenty of others in the thread agreed about its rewatchability.
Spy
Melissa McCarthy wasn’t usually one Redditor’s favorite, which kept expectations for Spy fairly low. Instead, they found the movie hilarious and particularly enjoyed watching Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, and Jude Law lean into the comedy.
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
Scrolling past Tucker and Dale vs. Evil on Netflix, one viewer assumed it was cheap horror they could safely ignore. Actually watching it changed that opinion completely, and they now consider it one of their favorite comedies.
About Time
What looked like a fairly standard romantic comedy with a time-travel gimmick caught multiple viewers off guard. One expected something along the lines of Love Actually and came away blown away; another admitted the ending left them a teary-eyed mess.
The Devil Wears Prada
One Redditor happened to catch The Devil Wears Prada on TV years ago without expecting much from it. They’ve now watched it around five times, while another commenter argued that the movie deserves more credit as a coming-of-age story than its old “chick flick” reputation suggests.
Easy A
Being forced to read The Scarlet Letter in high school didn’t exactly make one viewer excited for a movie inspired by it. They expected Easy A to be just as boring. Instead, they loved it enough to eventually buy the Blu-ray and call it their favorite rom-com.
A League of Their Own
One commenter initially dismissed A League of Their Own based entirely on its premise. A recent theatrical rewatch completely changed their mind, particularly when it came to Geena Davis’ performance. Now, they consider it one of the best sports movies they’ve seen.
Paddington 2
Paddington 2 apparently has a talent for converting skeptics. One commenter praised how gentle and positive it is, along with Hugh Grant’s villainous performance, while another joked about finally understanding why the movie has such devoted fans.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Even being a Dungeons & Dragons fan didn’t convince one viewer that the movie adaptation would work. They were surprised by how charming and funny it turned out to be and have already watched it multiple times. Another commenter in the thread claimed five rewatches.
The Fall Guy
One moviegoer walked into The Fall Guy expecting a generic action movie. It apparently exceeded expectations by quite a bit: rather than simply enjoying it, they returned to the theater multiple times to watch it again.
Galaxy Quest
A Redditor with little interest in Tim Allen only watched Galaxy Quest because a friend unexpectedly lent them the movie. They planned to get it over with quickly and return it. Instead, they liked it enough to go out and buy their own copy the very next day.
Amadeus
One teenager only saw Amadeus because a German teacher offered extra credit for watching it and writing a report. The assignment didn’t save their grade, but the movie did become an all-time favorite that they still watch decades later. Fair trade?
The Fifth Element
One viewer discovered The Fifth Element almost completely by accident on a VHS containing several movies. They expected to fast-forward through it within minutes but quickly got hooked. They eventually owned it on VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray and still regretted missing it in theaters.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World wasn’t even supposed to be the evening’s entertainment for one Redditor. Their roommate put it on while they were cleaning the house. A planned quick break turned into sitting down and watching the entire movie instead.
Better Man
A Robbie Williams musical biopic starring a CGI chimp was a particularly tough sell for one commenter who wasn’t even a fan of Williams. Word of mouth finally convinced them to try Better Man. They ended up seeing it again in theaters and ranking it among their favorite movies of 2024.