In cinema, what makes a great epic? They must have a massive, sweeping scale with breathtaking landscapes, larger-than-life characters, and a journey only the brave would endure. With high production value and a profound narrative, the best epics have stood the test of time — well, except for the ones we’ve somehow forgotten about.
For every Dunkirk or 1917, there was a Black Hawk Down and The Thin Red Line. The latter epics are brilliant and even received considerable critical acclaim during their initial run, but they’ve been lost to time. And yet, as those of us who fondly remember them, they’ve actually aged like fine wine. From wild races to historic narratives, the epic films on this list may not be top of mind, but they deserve to be.
‘It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World’ (1963)
In 1963, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad World was a madcap comedy with a silly premise and an all-star cast. If you take a look at how a race for cash has influenced reality television, you’ll realize just how brilliant Stanley Kramer’s film was. The sprawling epic comedy begins when career criminal “Smiler” Grogan (Jimmy Durante) crashes his car in the desert and, before dying, tells the witnesses that he hid the stolen money 15 years ago under a “Big W” at Santa Rosita State Park. Unable to agree on how to share the loot, the motorists decide to race each other, turning the journey into a “madcap” road trip filled with hilarious, destructive mishaps.
A chaotic, cross-country race to find $350,000 in stolen money buried in a California park, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad World is a brilliant, relentless time capsule of a comedy. Through slapstick mayhem and satirical social commentary, it serves as a reminder that epics don’t always have to be dramatic; here, it’s all about the scope of the adventure. What makes this film remarkable is the groundbreaking achievement of an all-star cast; it was the Avengers of ’60s stars, with the likes of Spencer Tracy, Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Buddy Hackett, Ethel Merman, and Mickey Rooney among the cast. With a hilarious conclusion of karma, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad World is a raucous comedy that delivers non-stop laughs. If the premise sounds familiar, it’s because the film served as inspiration for my all-time personal favorite film, Rat Race.
‘Reds’ (1981)
At first inclination, you might think of Warren Beatty solely as an actor. But behind the camera, he has been responsible for some extraordinary films, namely Reds, which follows the life and career of John Reed, the journalist and writer who chronicled the October Revolution in Russia in his 1919 book Ten Days That Shook the World. Taking on the central role himself, the film focuses on his complex romantic and intellectual partnership with writer Louise Bryant (Diane Keaton) against the backdrop of WWI and the rise of the American left.
An epic of romantic and historical proportions, Reds tackles the themes of idealism versus political reality, feminism, and journalism through the rise of radical politics. Anchored by the sublime chemistry between Beatty and Keaton, the love story is often remembered as the main subject, yet it’s only a piece of the puzzle. The use of real “witness” interviews with those who actually knew the pair adds a documentary element that brings the historical fiction into an immersive realm. The film was an ambitious undertaking for Beatty, who wore multiple hats, including co-write. Yet, he defied the odds, earning 12 Oscar nominations. Beyond the primary paid, Reds boasts standout performances from Jack Nicholson as Eugene O’Neill and Maureen Stapleton as Emma Goldman, with the latter winning the Oscar.
‘The Thin Red Line’ (1998)
War films will forever be a timeless genre because they provide a dramatized depiction of the past as a visual history lesson. One excellent epic war thriller that has only gotten better is The Thin Red Line. The second film adaptation of the James Jones novel, this philosophical take by Terrence Malick tells the story of an Army Rifle company, C-for-Charlie, during the brutal Battle of Guadalcanal in World War II.
Following the company’s journey from landing to the bloody, exhausting battle to take a strategic hill, The Thin Red Line explores the soldiers’ internal struggles, the loss of innocence, and the contrast between humanity’s violence and nature’s peacefulness. A survival story at its core, Makick’s masterpiece is a visually vibrant cine-poem that captures internal monologues rather than just action, becoming a deeply artistic existential experience that forces viewers to question why humans fight and what happens after death. It’s wild to think The Thin Red Line came to fruition after a 20-year hiatus. Clearly, something savory was being ruminated over time. A brilliant contemporary war film, The Thin Red Line was overshadowed by Saving Private Ryan, another 1998 war movie release.
‘Giant’ (1956)
Epic in scope and grand in story, Giant is a sweeping epic that celebrates a multigenerational family across several decades. Directed by George Stevens, based on Edna Ferber’s novel, Giant tells the story of the Benedict dynasty, a Texas ranching family, as they transition from traditional cattle ranching to the oil boom. The story centers on the marriage of wealthy rancher Bick Benedict (Rock Hudson) and his Eastern wife, Leslie (Elizabeth Taylor), while addressing themes of racism against Mexican Americans, changing social orders, and the challenge to the patriarchal structure of Texas.
Clocking in at 3 hours and 21 minutes, Giant is just as the title says. Putting the focus on the family ranch, Reata, as the world changes around it, Stevens’ ability to keep the story moving without boring us is a testament to the exceptional performances from the legendary cast. Alongside Hudson and Taylor, James Dean, in his final role, delights as Jett Rink, a marginalized cowboy who becomes an oil tycoon. Visually, the vast splendor of Texas was on full display, the expansive landscape becoming a character in and of itself.
‘Sorcerer’ (1977)
William Friedkin has an extraordinary resume, but one title that seems to be overlooked is his 1977 epic action thriller, Sorcerer. An adaptation of Georges Arnaud‘s 1950 novel The Wages of Fear, the intense film follows international fugitives— Kassem (Amidou), Victor Manzon (Bruno Cremer), Jackie Scanlon (Roy Scheider), and Nilo (Francisco Rabal)— trapped in a remote South American village who take a high-stakes, suicidal job, transporting unstable dynamite across 200 miles of treacherous jungle in two broken-down trucks, called Sorcerer and Lazaro, to stop an oil well fire.
A gritty, existential journey and a masterclass in tension, Sorcerer is a heavy examination of desperation, fate, and survival that drops you directly into the jungle for a high-stakes, high-octane thrill ride. Through his ability to craft a dreary, dreadful atmosphere, Friedkin captures the mental and physical strain of the quartet of outcasts. Add in a haunting, electronic score and the tactile, tangible, practical effects, and the dreamscape grows more and more into a nightmare. A major reason Sorcerer fell behind at the box office was being up against a little movie called Star Wars. Nevertheless, Sorcerer is a lost gem of the ’70s.
‘Black Hawk Down’ (2001)
One of the first big blockbusters of the new millennium was the Ridley Scott-directed, Jerry Bruckheimer-produced war film, Black Hawk Down. Based on the book by journalist Mark Bowden, Black Hawk Down depicts the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu. Elite U.S. Rangers and Delta Force operators are sent to kidnap Somali militia leaders, but a routine mission turns into a desperate 15-hour rescue operation when two helicopters are shot down, leaving soldiers surrounded.
Championing camaraderie, military professionalism, the chaos of urban combat, and the harsh realities of foreign intervention, Black Hawk Down was meant to be the start of a blockbuster revolution, but the war films that followed stole its thunder. Scott captures the terror of war through an intense, vérité-style cinematic approach. With a realistic soundscape and relentless visuals that vividly capture the 1993 event, Black Hawk Down became an immersive viewing experience. Perhaps the biggest reason Black Hawk Down gets dismissed is the America-centric vantage, disregarding the roles of allied Pakistani and Malaysian UN forces, while dehumanizing the Somali populace and presenting a one-sided perspective of a nuanced conflict.
‘The New World’ (2005)
Let’s just start by saying, this is not the Disney-fied version of the Pocahontas story, but rather Terrence Malick’s masterful retelling of the founding of Jamestown, Virginia. The romantic, historical epic tells the classic tale of Captain John Smith (Colin Farrell) falling in love with Pocahontas (Q’Orianka Kilcher), their relationship amidst rising tensions between the Algonquian nation and the settlers, and Pocahontas’s later life, including her marriage to John Rolfe (Christian Bale).
A rich exploration of love, loss, and the clash between nature and civilization, The New World’s poetic approach allowed for a sensory journey through the glorious setting where the story unfolds. Thanks to Emmanuel Lubezki’s breathtaking cinematography, you can’t help but be enamored by the beauty of the film. Since we know the gist of the story, Makick lets the landscape be the primary character, allowing a meditative, impressionistic narrative to shine through. While it could be easy to just focus on the romance, The New World presents the original sin of American history without sanitizing the truth.
‘The Last of the Mohicans’ (1992)
Hollywood has made extraordinary strides in how Native Americans are depicted on film. Though not yet perfected, the ’90s had two major films telling stories about Native American characters. First was the revisionist Western epic, Dances with Wolves. Second was the epic war drama The Last of the Mohicans. Where the former faltered, the latter picked up and improved upon the flaws. Directed by Michael Mann, The Last of the Mohicans brought James Fenimore Cooper’s classic novel to life. The adventure-drama set during the 1757 French and Indian War tells the story of Nathaniel “Hawkeye” Poe (Daniel Day-Lewis), a white man adopted by the last members of a dying Mohican tribe, who protects the daughters of a British colonel from a treacherous Huron scout and the ravages of war.
A visceral film, well-choreographed and authentically detailed, The Last of the Mohicans seamlessly unites romance, adventure, and tragic history. By ensuring authenticity, the film feels more immersive and raw, keeping you engaged. Of course, the performances elevate the films. Madeleine Stowe as Cora Munro and Wes Studi as Magua are great, but Day-Lewis is brilliant. Utilizing his method-acting, the actor transforms into the character through 18th-century posture, demeanor, and physical appearance, resulting in a truly transcendent performance. Perhaps a factor as to why this epic has been forgotten is Day-Lewis’ body of work that followed. Like the film, he continues to age like fine wine.