Skip to content

Top Navigation

EW.com EW.com
    • All TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • Recaps
    • What to Watch
    • Winter TV
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Family
    • Horror
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
    • All Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
    • All Music
    • Music Reviews
    • All What to Watch
    • What to Watch Podcast Episodes
    • TV Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • All BINGE
    • EW's Binge Podcast Episodes
    • Recaps
    • Survivor
    • This is Us
    • RuPaul's Drag Race
    • Stranger Things
    • The Boys
    • The Blacklist
    • The Walking Dead
    • Better Call Saul
    • All The Awardist
    • The Awardist Podcast Episodes
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
    • All Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
    • All Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
    • All Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe

Explore EW.com

EW.com EW.com
  • Explore

    Explore

    • The 10 best songs of 2022

      The 10 best songs of 2022

      From disco-trap to deconstructed techno to Dolly-style country, we rank our favorite tracks this year. Read More
    • The 10 best movies of 2022 (and 5 worst)

      The 10 best movies of 2022 (and 5 worst)

      Let there be Mavericks, Bollywood magic, and a Cate Blanchett maestro on the loose. Read More
    • The true story of the g-strings and murders behind Welcome to Chippendales

      The true story of the g-strings and murders behind Welcome to Chippendales

      A look back at the crazy true story of Chippendales founder Somen "Steve" Banerjee and the murder and murder-for-hire plots at the center of the Hulu series. Read More
  • TV

    TV

    See All TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • Recaps
    • What to Watch
    • Winter TV
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Family
    • Horror
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
  • Movies

    Movies

    See All Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
  • Music

    Music

    See All Music
    • Music Reviews
  • What to Watch

    What to Watch

    See All What to Watch
    • What to Watch Podcast Episodes
    • TV Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
  • BINGE

    BINGE

    See All BINGE
    • EW's Binge Podcast Episodes
    • Recaps
    • Survivor
    • This is Us
    • RuPaul's Drag Race
    • Stranger Things
    • The Boys
    • The Blacklist
    • The Walking Dead
    • Better Call Saul
  • The Awardist

    The Awardist

    See All The Awardist
    • The Awardist Podcast Episodes
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
  • Books

    Books

    See All Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
  • Theater

    Theater

    See All Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
  • Events

    Events

    See All Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Gallery
  3. 15 Future Cult Favorites of 2012

15 Future Cult Favorites of 2012

''Pitch Perfect,'' ''Chronicle,'' ''Arrow,'' ''Scandal,'' more films and TV now hooking fans for the long haul

By Laura Hertzfeld and Adam B. Vary December 03, 2012 at 05:00 AM EST
Skip gallery slides
FB

1 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

MOVIES: The Cabin in the Woods

The Cabin in the Woods | You pretty much already have to be a cult horror movie fan to catch all the scary cinema references flying fast and furious in thisÂ…
Credit: Diyah Pera

You pretty much already have to be a cult horror movie fan to catch all the scary cinema references flying fast and furious in this flick, especially in its SPOILER-ific third act. But this is no winking spoof movie. Writer-producer Joss Whedon — already an ace at cultivating a passionate following — and writer-director Drew Goddard have crafted a genuinely frightening and very funny meditation on the meaning of horror movies. Mix in its trapped-in-MGM-bankruptcy-hell backstory and the standout stoner performance by Fran Kranz (from Whedon's Dollhouse), and this is a horror flick destined to spawn a loyal following of fans eager to return to its crafty, chilling Cabin. —Adam B. Vary

1 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

MOVIES: Looper

Looper | Between its circuitous storyline, vivid sci-fi landscape, and killer third act twist, writer-director Rian Johnson has crafted a film seemingly designed to inspire late-night argumentsÂ…
Credit: Alan Markfield

Between its circuitous storyline, vivid sci-fi landscape, and killer third act twist, writer-director Rian Johnson has crafted a film seemingly designed to inspire late-night arguments about everything from the metaphysics of time travel to the nuances of the Bruce Willis squint. Count us in. —Adam B. Vary

2 of 15

3 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

MOVIES: Pitch Perfect

Pitch Perfect | Sure, you could say Glee was the minute the musical went mainstream, but Pitch Perfect takes the a capella trend to a whole new level.Â…
Credit: Peter Iovino

Sure, you could say Glee was the minute the musical went mainstream, but Pitch Perfect takes the a capella trend to a whole new level. The fun soundtrack and Rebel Wilson's over-the-top performance alone makes this a candidate for sleepovers and girls nights for years to come. The sing-off slam battle is reason enough for repeat viewings. No diggity, no doubt. —Laura Hertzfeld

3 of 15

Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

4 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

MOVIES: Moonrise Kingdom

Moonrise Kingdom | Wes Anderson is the king of quirky cult and his newest addition is no exception. Anderson's acute attention to style and detail have inspired noÂ…
Credit: Niko Tavernise

Wes Anderson is the king of quirky cult and his newest addition is no exception. Anderson's acute attention to style and detail have inspired no end of Halloween costumes (knit hat and orange jumpsuits from The Life Aquatic) and soundtracks that are inseparable from his scenes (''Oh Yoko'' in Rushmore). Moonrise Kingdom can even make khakis cool (ahem, Ed Norton) and obsessed fans have already drawn similarities between the Anderson's fictional New Penzance and the real Penzance on the southwest coast of England. Fancy a trip? —Laura Hertzfeld

4 of 15

Advertisement

5 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

MOVIES: Chronicle

Chronicle | Already, geek cognoscenti are using this movie as a way of testing your superhero cred: ''Yeah, of course you saw Avengers and Dark Knight RisesÂ…
Credit: Alan Markfield

Already, geek cognoscenti are using this movie as a way of testing your superhero cred: ''Yeah, of course you saw Avengers and Dark Knight Rises, but what did you think of Chronicle, man?'' Director Josh Trank's low-budget, found-footage style re-imagined what a superhero movie could look and feel like and launched actor Dane DeHaan's career as an up-and-coming potential star. Now let's just hope Hollywood doesn't eff up any potential sequels. —Adam B. Vary

5 of 15

6 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

MOVIES: Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas | The book is a venerable tome, so it's no surprise the movie clocks in at 2 hours and 43 minutes. The story is really sixÂ…
Credit: Reiner Bajo

The book is a venerable tome, so it's no surprise the movie clocks in at 2 hours and 43 minutes. The story is really six stories, intertwining across time and space — and in the film, the same actors play different characters spanning centuries. The transformations of Halle Berry and Tom Hanks, coupled with several plot lines that leave you thinking about them days later, leave potential for the movie to inspire a similar following to David Mitchell's best-selling novel. —Laura Hertzfeld

6 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

7 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

MOVIES: John Carter

John Carter | It's not as bad as you've heard. Really, we promise! Based on a series of 100-year-old novels, the film was meant to be the firstÂ…
Credit: Disney

It's not as bad as you've heard. Really, we promise! Based on a series of 100-year-old novels, the film was meant to be the first in a trilogy and a huge star vehicle for Taylor Kitsch. Unfortunately, detrimental marketing made it a colossal box-office flop, likely preventing any sequels and effectively crushing Kitsch's star cred (in 2012 at least), but all that adversity make for a great breeding ground for fan fiction and ardent defenses from true fans. —Laura Hertzfeld

7 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement

8 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

MOVIES: The Master

The Master | Yes, we appreciate the irony of placing a movie about a cult on a list of cult movies. But all you need to do isÂ…
Credit: Phil Bray

Yes, we appreciate the irony of placing a movie about a cult on a list of cult movies. But all you need to do is listen for five minutes to a fan talk about Paul Thomas Anderson's sorta-kinda-not-really-but-yes-really exploration of the beginnings of Scientology to realize that this film inspires a fervor rarely expressed by any filmgoer. —Adam B. Vary

8 of 15

Advertisement

9 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

MOVIES: Sleepwalk With Me

Sleepwalk With Me | You can't find a more passionate group of fans than NPR listeners and in particular This American Life listeners. Host Ira Glass has become anÂ…
Credit: Adam Beckman

You can't find a more passionate group of fans than NPR listeners and in particular This American Life listeners. Host Ira Glass has become an icon of hipster cool — his glasses even had their own meme for a while — and author Mike Birbiglia's autobiographical story Sleepwalk with Me was part of the storytelling show in an episode back in 2008. The movie, which follows Birbiglia's struggles in life and love due to his sleepwalking disorder, also earned its indie cred with critical acclaim at Sundance and SXSW. —Laura Hertzfeld

9 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

10 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

MOVIES: The Three Stooges

The Three Stooges | Hear us out on this one. You may think this film a flop, but it grossed pretty much the same amount as Moonrise Kingdom andÂ…
Credit: Peter Iovino

Hear us out on this one. You may think this film a flop, but it grossed pretty much the same amount as Moonrise Kingdom and Cabin in the Woods — not a fortune, but not a pittance either. The Stooges' cartoonishly violent slapstick has delighted fans for decades, and this modern day retelling could very well hook a new generation. To quote from EW critic and avowed Stooge superfan Owen Gleiberman's ''A-'' review: ''There's that other level of Three Stooges fandom: the major-league mania, the kind that powers the Farrelly Brothers' startlingly fun and ingenious act of nuthouse homage/re-creation.'' —Adam B. Vary

10 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

11 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

TV: Smash

See Pitch Perfect entry, add a dose of terrible scarves, Broadway street cred, and an ex- American Idol finalist. Theater geeks are always rooting forÂ…
Credit: Will Hart/NBC

See Pitch Perfect entry, add a dose of terrible scarves, Broadway street cred, and an ex-American Idol finalist. Theater geeks are always rooting for the underdog, and Smash is no exception. The love triangle may be trite, the acting is at times atrocious, but, damn, is there singing and dancing! —Laura Hertzfeld

11 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement

12 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

TV: Girls

Girls | ''I didn't get into Girls watching week by week so I left after 3 episodes but after binge watching it, I am surprised to sayÂ…
Credit: HBO

One of the most divisive new series of the year when it premiered, Lena Dunham's literate, surprising, and often quite naked chronicle of the tribulations of twentysomething New Yorkers already engenders a scary level of loyalty in its fanbase. Seriously, just try to speak ill of, say, the wedding episode, and see how far you get. —Adam B. Vary

12 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

13 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

TV: Revolution

We're not so foolish as to call this show the ''next Lost ,'' but between the sword fights, global blackout mythology, solid ratings, and presenceÂ…
Credit: Brownie Harris/NBC

We're not so foolish as to call this show the ''next Lost,'' but between the sword fights, global blackout mythology, solid ratings, and presence of Elizabeth Mitchell, it's awfully close. —Adam B. Vary

13 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

14 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

TV: Arrow

Premieres: Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 8 p.m. on The CW Stars: Stephen Amell, Katie Cassidy, Colin Donnell, David Ramsey What to expect: After the destructionÂ…
Credit: Kharen Hill/The CW

Stephen Amell's abs. Any questions? —Adam B. Vary

14 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement

15 of 15

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

TV: Scandal

Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) is a ball-busting, take no prisoners fixer. She's Michael Clayton with just a tiny hint of Ally McBeal when it comesÂ…
Credit: Richard Foreman/ABC

Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) is a ball-busting, take no prisoners fixer. She's Michael Clayton with just a tiny hint of Ally McBeal when it comes to a certain Republican president (Tony Goldwyn). There's enough ongoing secrets to feel like you're deciphering Alias-style intricacies, but procedural enough to catch up easily. Cult hit? Let's just hope it gets a season 3. —Laura Hertzfeld

15 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Laura Hertzfeld and Adam B. Vary

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 15 MOVIES: The Cabin in the Woods
    2 of 15 MOVIES: Looper
    3 of 15 MOVIES: Pitch Perfect
    4 of 15 MOVIES: Moonrise Kingdom
    5 of 15 MOVIES: Chronicle
    6 of 15 MOVIES: Cloud Atlas
    7 of 15 MOVIES: John Carter
    8 of 15 MOVIES: The Master
    9 of 15 MOVIES: Sleepwalk With Me
    10 of 15 MOVIES: The Three Stooges
    11 of 15 TV: Smash
    12 of 15 TV: Girls
    13 of 15 TV: Revolution
    14 of 15 TV: Arrow
    15 of 15 TV: Scandal

    Share & More

    Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message
    EW.com

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Meredith© Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright EW.com. All rights reserved. Printed from https://ew.com

    View image

    15 Future Cult Favorites of 2012
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.