One of the most infuriating bugbears people have with the modern-day internet discourse is the flagrant misuse of the word “underrated,” a term that in no way applies to 1993’s The Fugitive.
After all, Andrew Davis’ propulsive big screen remake of the classic TV series is widely and entirely deservedly lauded as one of the greatest action thrillers that’s ever been made. Not only that, but it thundered towards a stellar haul of $368 million at the box office, before landing Tommy Lee Jones an Academy Award win for Best Supporting Actor.
Not only that, but it landed an additional six nominations at that year’s ceremony including a nod for Best Picture, so it’s hardly some kind of hidden gem that you’d be lucky to stumble upon on any given day. Naturally, then, a Reddit thread that labeled a certifiable all-timer as “criminally underrated” led to an outpouring of generational fury.
There are countless movies and TV shows out there that deserve to be branded as unsung and unheralded treasures that demand to be uncovered, but a universally-acclaimed Best Picture nominee that boasts several iconic scenes, an Oscar-winning performance, and a monolithic status among its chosen genre definitely isn’t one them.
The Fugitive still holds up as well as it ever did, too, even though it’s celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. It got a spin-off starring Robert Downey Jr. and Wesley Snipes, as well as a short-form remake on doomed streaming service Quibi, so it wasn’t as if it came and went from the zeitgeist in an instant. We’d actively encourage everyone to watch it, but just don’t call it underrated.