As he celebrates his 50th birthday, here’s five underrated Leonardo DiCaprio movies…
Trying to list underrated or overlooked films for one of this generation’s most beloved actors proved harder than you’d think. Leonardo DiCaprio is a famous actor, but he’s also insanely calculated with his choices. He tries to make each of these roles memorable, leading to him getting dubbed an “Oscar Gold Digger” by some. The man wants to work in something he’ll receive high praise for, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
While he’s selective and most of DiCaprio’s work is well-received, there’s a handful of projects from the actor that’s either flown under the radar for too long or doesn’t get the proper shine it deserves…
For this list, we’ve selected five Leonardo DiCaprio movies that critics and fans often overlook. Don’t forget to share your favorite DiCaprio performance, and let’s get into celebrating one of the best working today.
Honorable Mention:
Gangs of New York
This is Martin Scorsese at one of his boldest and takes DiCaprio along for the ride in this often forgotten period drama. While not the best either man has to offer, DiCaprio proves he can make delicious magic out of Scorsese’s work.
The Basketball Diaries
This hard-hitting drug film is one of the earliest times we saw Leonardo DiCaprio’s talents. The Basketball Diaries comes only two years after DiCaprio’s breakout in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape but packed twice the punch as his big mainstream debut. Following the life story of author Jim Carroll, the film pulls no punches and comes off as one of the most realistic portrayals of addiction put on screen.
The Basketball Diaries is grounded ideally by DiCaprio, showing his ability to hold together a film even at a young age. While the film struggles as an overall experience, it’s a powerful showcase of a young actor being asked to display powerful emotions. His scenes with Ernie Hudson are some of the most memorable, and the iconic door scene shows an early glimmer at this actor’s skills. When The Basketball Diaries gets a bit too cheesy and full of itself, we see the earliest example of DiCaprio saving a movie from sinking.
Marvin’s Room
You’re bound to be an absolute star when you can be barely in your twenties and hang with Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton, and Robert De Niro at their strongest. Leonardo DiCaprio keeps up with that powerful trio and makes Marvin’s Room even better by being a part of it. Following his leading man work in The Basketball Diaries, Marvin’s Room shows he can hang with a group and still serve himself and the project.
Probably one of the most overlooked films on this list, Marvin’s Room is worth revisiting. We see DiCaprio play the rebellious Hank, who grows closer to his family and learns to work with others. It’s another strong arc for the actor to showcase his abilities and his work with Streep is insanely memorable. Honestly, this was the most enjoyable to revisit while making this list, proving that you can find hidden gems and re-discover a favorite actor’s best work.
The Beach
The Beach is one of the more polarizing films included here, but it’s too scandalous and strange a movie not to enjoy. I’ll say Danny Boyle and Leonardo DiCaprio are one of the most underrated director and actor combo. DiCaprio works best when the film is batshit crazy cause he plays a stellar crazy man. As the titular beach and its sexy madness consume him, we see one of the best actors do some mesmerizing work.
Also, give me any film where Leonardo DiCaprio & Tilda Swinton try to out-act each other the whole time, and I know I’m in for a thrill ride. The Beach is something you need to see once, mainly because it’s a seemingly forgotten movie from an era where they don’t like movies like them anymore. DiCaprio is coming into his own as an actor here, and he once again saves a film from flying off the rails.
Shutter Island
Everyone knows about the longtime partnership between Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese. Few director/actor combos have had this much of a success rate in history. Both artists always deliver, especially when they’re together, and the criminally underrated Shutter Island is another example of their chemistry. Neither performer dives into the horror or thriller genre too often, and it’s a damn shame as this proves they’re suited for it.
As I mentioned in The Beach, DiCaprio is fantastic at playing crazy, and this film is the actor at one of his craziest. Scorsese also shines exceptionally well here, grasping the style, tone, and shocks needed for a project like this. As a lifelong horror fan, I’ve wanted to see DiCaprio venture into the genre – outside of his debut role in Critters 3. Shutter Island is a delight, something people often overlook when mentioning the genius duo that is DiCaprio and Scorsese. Much like Marvin’s Room, this comes with a heavy recommendation for a watch.
J. Edgar
While it’s strange to call a film, DiCaprio received a Golden Globe nomination for overlooked, yet no one seems to remember J. Edgar. The actor tackled another biopic, playing the infamous FBI honcho to near perfection. He adds excellent physicality to the role, showing he’s the type of transformative actor that was all the rage in 2011. DiCaprio proved he could hang with Daniel Day-Lewis and Heath Ledger, who did iconic transformations just years before.
As someone who usually doesn’t praise Clint Eastwood films, there was a real ambition here. Maybe it’s the Dustin Lance Black script or the Eastwood direction, but DiCaprio turned what could’ve been a bland biopic into something more. The actor showed he could tick off any trendy box an actor needs but still offer up his usual fully-realized performances.
What is your favorite underrated Leonardo DiCaprio movie? Let us know what you think by reaching out on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
EJ Moreno
