These films initially "slept" at the box office or with critics but eventually woke up to become global phenomenons or cultural staples. The Shawshank Redemption
In the film world, the phrase "sleeper wake" can refer to two distinct things: the acclaimed 2012 South African thriller and the phenomenon of "sleeper hits"—movies that "wake up" to success long after their initial release.
While the film (directed by Woody Allen) is a comedy, it serves as one of the most examples of the "Rip Van Winkle" trope in cinema for three reasons:
One of the highest rated films overall on IMDb, The Shining was a horror staple brought to us from the stories of Stephen King and... The Shining
: His attempt at solitude is disrupted when he meets the Venter family. He becomes entangled in a dangerous, psychosexual relationship with their rebellious 17-year-old daughter, Jackie (Jay Anstey), while clashing with her domineering, religious father.
Joe Bauers (Luke Wilson) The Wake: Average soldier frozen in 2005, awakened in 2505. Why it’s best: The most accidentally prescient film ever made. Joe, an ordinary man, becomes the smartest person on Earth in a future overrun by anti-intellectualism, corporate dystopia, and electrolyte-beverage politics. It’s hilarious, cringeworthy, and terrifyingly believable. A low-budget masterpiece.
These films initially "slept" at the box office or with critics but eventually woke up to become global phenomenons or cultural staples. The Shawshank Redemption
In the film world, the phrase "sleeper wake" can refer to two distinct things: the acclaimed 2012 South African thriller and the phenomenon of "sleeper hits"—movies that "wake up" to success long after their initial release.
While the film (directed by Woody Allen) is a comedy, it serves as one of the most examples of the "Rip Van Winkle" trope in cinema for three reasons:
One of the highest rated films overall on IMDb, The Shining was a horror staple brought to us from the stories of Stephen King and... The Shining
: His attempt at solitude is disrupted when he meets the Venter family. He becomes entangled in a dangerous, psychosexual relationship with their rebellious 17-year-old daughter, Jackie (Jay Anstey), while clashing with her domineering, religious father.
Joe Bauers (Luke Wilson) The Wake: Average soldier frozen in 2005, awakened in 2505. Why it’s best: The most accidentally prescient film ever made. Joe, an ordinary man, becomes the smartest person on Earth in a future overrun by anti-intellectualism, corporate dystopia, and electrolyte-beverage politics. It’s hilarious, cringeworthy, and terrifyingly believable. A low-budget masterpiece.