Kurt Russell Once Revealed His 3 Most Underrated Movies

Kurt Russell sure has an illustrious career. We’ve seen him play a living planet, Wyatt Earp, Santa Claus, and (depending on whether you stand with MacReady or Childs in “The Thing”) the killer of a shape-shifting alien. This guy has done it all and more, which makes it understandable that there are so many favorites to choose from. Ask the man himself, though, and there’s a trio of Kurt Russell gems that he thinks were massively overlooked.

The big three were selected during an interview with FilmInk when the actor was promoting “The Hateful Eight.” After the eight-year gap between his then-fresh new collaboration with Quentin Tarantino, the duo’s first pairing was just starting to get some love, as well. “I’m beginning to have people come up to me, now, and say, ‘I just saw ‘Death Proof’; that was great,'” recalled Russell. The film, which was part of the “Grindhouse” double feature with Robert Rodriguez’s “Planet Terror,” saw him take on the role of homicidal wheelman Stuntman Mike.

While there’s no doubt that it certainly has an audience, regardless of it not being one of the best movies from Tarantino, the other two films Russell highlighted are far more overlooked and interesting picks for the actor. While one certainly had its time in theaters, the other is a cult favorite from a genre that now dominates the box office and that fans are desperate to see a sequel to. And despite their terrific collaborations over the years, neither one has John Carpenter’s name anywhere on it.

If it’s an intense thriller you’re in the mood for, Kurt Russell has the perfect pick from his repertoire, and while the movie was initially a hit, much like his character, it got lost on the highway in the years that followed. “‘Breakdown’ was very successful. I can’t say that it wasn’t. It was very successful when it came out, but that’s a movie that I’m really proud of. It’s a really good movie to watch, and it doesn’t get talked about that much anymore.” Directed by Jonathan Mostow, the film sees Russell as a husband slowly unraveling when his wife goes missing after they break down during a trip to San Diego. It’s a great turn from Russell, and as a man who spent most of his career playing it cool, he’s anything but in this one.

Finally, there was the family entry that saw him don a cape and a costume as a superdad in “Sky High,” which focused on a super school. “I always thought it was hysterical. I love when people see it, and they all say the same thing – that it’s really funny. Now, that movie did well, but it wasn’t a monster hit or anything,” Russell said. Hit or not, it’s still loved by many and the “Sky High” director still wants to make a sequel. With the superhero genre hitting a risky phase of late, maybe it’s a good time for us to go back to something that worked and check in with the Commander while we’re there.