10 Underrated Films by John Cleese You Have to See

John Cleese’s legend is secure thanks to ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’, ‘Life of Brian’, and the pitch-perfect chaos of ‘Fawlty Towers’. But outside those towering landmarks, he’s dotted the cinematic landscape with sly cameos, character parts, and star turns that don’t always get their due. Tucked among broad farces and cult curios, you’ll find crisp character work, adventurous tonal swings, and the precise verbal engineering that made his comedy endure.

This list shines a light on ten Cleese films that deserve a fresh look. Some were overshadowed by bigger hits, others suffered from mismatched expectations, and a few simply slipped through the cracks. Revisited today, they reveal a performer who can sharpen a scene with a single eyebrow, or carry an entire premise on clockwork timing and elegantly weaponized language.

‘Clockwise’ (1986)

A headmaster obsessed with punctuality spirals into a perfect storm of minor setbacks and major embarrassments, and Cleese turns that spiral into a ballet. The comedy is wonderfully mechanical—every missed train, wrong turn, and strained smile tightening the screws—with Cleese’s gift for escalating dignity erosion on full display.

What makes ‘Clockwise’ feel underrated is its restraint. Instead of wild sketch energy, it offers a patient, meticulously structured ordeal that rewards close attention to rhythm. Watch how Cleese plays silence, micro-pauses, and breath: the jokes aren’t just written; they’re engineered.

‘Fierce Creatures’ (1997)

Market forces collide with animal lovers when a ruthless conglomerate takes over a small zoo, and Cleese plays a corporate fixer who starts to grow a spine. Reuniting much of the ‘A Fish Called Wanda’ ensemble led audiences to expect a carbon copy; instead, this delivers a gentler, weirder workplace satire.

Its reputation never matched its charms, but the film’s character interplay is sneakily rich. Cleese calibrates self-importance and vulnerability with needle-fine control, and the ensemble’s running bits—especially the escalating exhibit gimmicks—land with cumulative warmth.

‘Splitting Heirs’ (1993)

An inheritance farce with daggers, ‘Splitting Heirs’ pairs Cleese with Eric Idle for a tangle of mistaken identities, aristocratic rot, and lethal politeness. Cleese leans into frostbitten menace, showing how his hauteur can be as funny threatening as it is flustered.

It’s a satisfying showcase for his precision as a character actor rather than a sketch comedian. The film’s tonal mix—drawing-room wit, cartoon violence, and posh absurdity—feels like a cousin to classic Ealing capers, and Cleese threads it all with immaculate diction-as-weaponry.

‘Rat Race’ (2001)

As a gleefully amoral billionaire orchestrating an outrageous cross-country contest, Cleese weaponizes impeccable manners for maximum mischief. His scenes are small but sparkling, puncturing propriety with twinkly-eyed cruelty that turns decorum into a running joke.

The movie’s reputation as broad ensemble chaos hides how deftly Cleese anchors the premise. He supplies the arch, game-show-from-hell tone that keeps the set pieces feeling like one grand social experiment, and his delighted reaction shots are half the fun.

‘Silverado’ (1985)

In this modern-classic western, Cleese rides in as a prim, rulebook sheriff—an offbeat casting choice that pays off beautifully. He’s hilariously upright without ever winking, letting the surrounding dust and danger do the clowning for him.

The role is brief, but it’s a masterclass in tonal counterpoint. By playing completely straight, Cleese reframes the frontier as a place where etiquette might be more lethal than a six-shooter, and that odd tension makes his scenes linger.

‘The Swan Princess’ (1994)

Voicing the pompous, lovably cowardly frog Jean-Bob, Cleese turns every line into a tiny aria of vanity. Animation suits his musicality; you can hear the eyebrow-raises, feel the shrug through the microphone, and imagine the posture.

The film sits outside the loudest animation canons, but Cleese’s performance is an evergreen delight for families and comedy nerds alike. It’s proof that his precision translates perfectly to voice work, where timing and timbre are the whole game.

‘Time Bandits’ (1981)

As a suspiciously cheerful Robin Hood, Cleese strolls through Terry Gilliam’s fantasia like a docent guiding tourists through larceny. The cameo is brief, but he chisels a character from mere minutes, turning saintly legend into PR-savvy bureaucrat.

The film is celebrated in cult circles, yet Cleese’s contribution often gets overlooked amid the spectacle. His courteous cruelty—handshakes that hurt, smiles that sell—distills the movie’s satire of authority into a single, devastating joke.

‘Erik the Viking’ (1989)

Cleese’s cameo as the terrifyingly calm Halfdan is a study in stillness. While the movie plays with Norse myth and goofy bravado, he undercuts everything by barely moving, letting crisp articulation do the pillaging.

It’s an underrated example of how he can steal a scene without theatrics. The humor blooms from contrast: berserkers rushing about while Cleese makes dignity feel like a weapon sharper than any axe.

‘3 Men and a Little Lady’ (1990)

Dropping into a rom-com sequel, Cleese plays a headteacher whose gentility keeps colliding with farce. He’s the square peg in a round hole, turning social grace into slapstick simply by refusing to lose his poise.

What’s overlooked here is the craftsmanship of his reactions—micro-beats that stretch a simple misunderstanding into a full-blown set piece. He doesn’t dominate the film; he seasons it, and the flavor is distinctly Cleese.

‘Spud’ (2010)

Set in a South African boarding school, ‘Spud’ gives Cleese a plum role as a jaded, volatile English teacher nicknamed “The Guv.” He moves from withering sarcasm to halting tenderness with the ease of someone who knows exactly where the laugh ends and the lump in the throat begins.

Because the film was less widely seen, many missed how gracefully he plays the mentor archetype. It’s a late-career reminder that Cleese can ground sentiment without schmaltz, using dryness as a bridge to genuine feeling.

Share your favorite overlooked Cleese performance in the comments—what would you add to this list?