A sleeper hit or sleeper film (often simply called a "sleeper") refers to an underestimated film that gains unexpected success or recognition. This generally refers to box office success, such as that achieved by the low budget The Blair Witch Project. A film might also gain sleeper status through critical or industry recognition, as was the case with Babe, an unassuming children's movie that surprisingly garnered seven Academy Award nominations. A sleeper film can also be one that is not initially successful, but over time surprises people by becoming so. For example, There's Something About Mary had a predictable release, but gained notoriety through word of mouth, and grew to top the weekend box office on its 8th week of release.

Unexpectedly successful video games, books, or albums can also be described as sleeper hits.

Since they aren't expected to do tremendously well, sleeper films often lack the sort of pre-release advertising given to the big budget films that are expected to become blockbusters. So the sleeper hit instead relies on positive word of mouth and publicity generated by awards, such as the Academy Awards or Golden Globes. As a sleeper film generates positive reviews it will often receive a boost from news media publicity. It might also receive publicity through controversy, such as Fahrenheit 9/11. Many popular cult films have become sleepers due to their base of loyal yet underestimated fans, such as the cult classic Highlander.

Studios will catch on quickly to a sleeper's potential, and belatedly increase its advertising budget accordingly. Usually a movie's status as a sleeper hit is well known by the time it reaches home video, so its home video sales are expected to be high. Sometimes, however, a movie doesn't reach sleeper status until it reaches home video, such as Austin Powers.

A sleeper hit does not necessarily have to make a lot of revenue, it just needs to achieve a high degree of success relative to expectations. However, the term is generally not used to refer to large budget movies, even those that defy their expectations, such as 1997's Titanic. The term is fairly subjective, so many movies are informally referred to as sleepers. Ironically, sometimes an unreleased movie is advertised as a sleeper.

Examples of sleeper films include:

• The Blair Witch Project
• Babe
• My Big Fat Greek Wedding
• Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
• American Pie
• There's Something About Mary
• El Mariachi
• Speed
• Monster's Ball
• The Matrix
• Highlander
• Barbershop
• Super Troopers
• Memento
• The Crying Game
• Fahrenheit 9/11

See also

• Sleeper for other uses of the word.

External link

• Movies that took the longest time to reach #1 at the weekend box office