What If the Most Underrated Movie Never Reaches a Screen?

What’s the most underrated movie you’ve ever watched?

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WordPress Daily Writing Prompt  ·  22 October 2026

Today’s prompt asks me to name the most underrated movie I have ever watched. My honest answer begins with a confession and leads me somewhere unexpected: the most underrated film I know has never appeared on a cinema screen.

When I came across the question, “What’s the most underrated movie you’ve ever watched?”, I had to smile. It is an interesting prompt, but I may not be the right person to answer it!

The truth is that I am not much of a movie watcher. I find it difficult to sit through a film lasting more than an hour. Just when the story is unfolding and the characters are developing, my attention begins to wander.

But this made me wonder: Is the problem really the length of a film, or is it something else?

1. Why Do Books Hold My Attention Better Than Films?

I can spend a long time with a good book, return to a favourite sentence, pause to reflect, and continue when I feel ready.

A film follows its own rhythm. The scenes unfold, the music rises, and the story moves forward. Of course, we can pause a film, but reading naturally gives us more freedom to stop, think, and imagine.

Perhaps I enjoy reading because it allows me to become part of the storytelling. I do not simply follow the characters; I picture their faces, imagine their surroundings, and give the story a life of its own.

That may explain why a book can hold my attention long after a film has lost it.

2. Have We Always Needed Stories to Unfold Slowly?

Our ancestors enjoyed stories long before cinema existed. Many traditional performances invited audiences to spend hours listening, watching, and participating in a shared experience.

In Tamil Nadu, Therukoothu brings stories to life through song, dance, costumes, and dialogue. Performances often take place at night and may continue until dawn.

Villu Paattu, or bow-song storytelling, uses a bow-shaped instrument as part of a musical performance that brings folk tales, legends, and local histories to life.

Kerala has its own remarkable tradition in Koodiyattam, an ancient form of Sanskrit theatre. Some performances unfold over many days, allowing actors to explore a character’s emotions through remarkably detailed expressions and gestures.

These traditions remind me that a good story does not always need to hurry. Sometimes, the experience lies in taking time to absorb it.

For readers interested in these traditions: Therukoothu, Villu Paattu, and Koodiyattam.

3. Can a Pause Make a Story More Meaningful?

One of the things I appreciate about reading is the freedom to pause. A sentence may remind me of an experience, a person, or a lesson I have learned. I can stop and let the thought settle before moving on.

The Japanese concept of ma offers a related insight. It describes the space or interval between things and can also refer to the pauses that give traditional performances their rhythm.

I find this idea beautiful. Sometimes, what happens between two moments is as meaningful as what happens within them.

A story that gives us room to think may stay with us longer than one that rushes to its conclusion.

4. Am I Simply Resisting a Different Way of Telling Stories?

There is another possibility I should consider: perhaps I am not giving films a fair chance.

In Plato’s Phaedrus, Socrates questions whether writing might weaken memory and give people the appearance of wisdom without true understanding. His concern reminds me that people have long debated how new ways of communicating affect the way we think and learn.

Today, we have films, television, and short videos. Each medium tells stories differently, and each has its own strengths.

I would not claim that reading is better than cinema for everyone. Perhaps there are films with the depth, silence, and emotional richness I enjoy in books. I may simply not have discovered the right ones yet.

5. What Is the Most Underrated Movie I Have Ever Watched?

Here is my honest answer.

The most underrated movie I have ever watched has never been released. It plays only when I read.

I imagine the faces, choose the setting, hear the voices, and decide when each scene ends. The characters come alive in my mind, and the story unfolds at my own pace.

No cinema will screen this film. No critic will review it. Yet it can move me, challenge my thinking, and leave me with lessons that remain long after I close the book.

It also reminds me of a story from the Bible.

In 2 Samuel 12, the prophet Nathan tells King David about a rich man who takes a poor man’s only lamb. David becomes angry at the injustice. Then Nathan reveals that the story is about David himself.

The story makes David recognise a truth he had failed to see. That is the power of storytelling: sometimes, we understand ourselves more clearly when we first see our lives reflected in someone else’s story.

Perhaps the most meaningful stories are not always the ones we watch on a screen. They are the ones that help us see life, and ourselves, differently.

Now I am curious: What movie would you recommend to someone like me, who usually checks the time before the first hour is over? Is there one so meaningful that I might forget the clock altogether?

John Britto Kurusumuthu

Rise & Inspire · riseandinspire.co.in

In response to the WordPress Daily Writing Prompt, 22 October 2026: “What’s the most underrated movie you’ve ever watched?”

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