Tim Curry's '90s Thriller With Sean Connery Is One Of The Best Submarine Movies Ever Made

The late Tim Curry became a camp icon with his debut screen role as Dr. Frankenfurter in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," kick-starting a career in several beloved comedies like "Clue," and family movies like "Muppets Treasure Island." Because of his screen persona as a larger-than-life comic actor, one of his best films may be forgotten by fans.

"The Hunt for Red October" is widely regarded as one of the best submarine movies ever made but is largely remembered for other members of its ensemble. From Sean Connery's Russian captain to Alec Baldwin's sole performance as Jack Ryan, the hero of Tom Clancy's best-selling military novels, "The Hunt for Red October" features some of the most famous performances in the naval action genre, which may overshadow the ingenious, against type casting of Curry as onboard medic Dr. Yevgeni Petrov.

Curry played one of the most restrained roles, the most prominent crew member serving Connery's Marko Ramius, who he doesn't realize is commanding the ship to U.S. shores so he can defect there. His scenes with Connery are some of the strongest dramatic moments in the movie, with the naivety towards his superior's plans played with as much pathos as dry comedy. 

He's no simplistic comedic buffoon though, and the film refuses to characterize him in that light; his sense of duty, even if he is allied with the movie's villains, is richer than you'd initially assume.

Over on Letterboxd, "The Hunt for Red October" continues to resonate with new generations, with a strong 3.8/5 average rating at the time of writing. It's easily Curry's highest-rated dramatic vehicle, with the second-place "Times Square" — about two runaway teens trying to make it in the Big Apple -– rated at 3.6/5. However, three movies in Curry's filmography sport higher average ratings.

Speaking to the average user age of the app, predominantly Gen-Z and Millennial-aged cinephiles, the 2009 straight-to-DVD animated movie "Barbie and the Three Musketeers" shares the 3.8/5 user rating of "Red October." Barbie (Kelly Sheridan) leads the Musketeers in this gender-flipped spin on the classic story, with Curry voicing villain Philippe, who plots to get rid of his cousin Prince Louis (Mark Hildreth).

Better known are his top two ranked movies, which many would agree are the actor's most beloved works. In second place with a 3.9/5 average is 1985's "Clue," the board game adaptation where he plays butler Wadsworth in one of his most high-energy comic performances. At the top is, of course, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," with an impressive 4.1/5 average — an encouraging sign that this 1970s cult sensation has as large a following as ever. 

Even if "The Hunt For Red October" isn't Curry's highest-rated or widely-known venture, fans of the actor owe it to themselves — and Curry's legacy — to see what he can do in this space.