By Eesha Talasila

With the release of Disney Plus, hundreds of Disney movies are available to us within seconds, if you’re willing to pay for it of course. In lieu of this streaming service being released, I thought that the best thing to do would be to rank and recommended my top 5 underrated DCOMS to the students here at HB, beginning with number 5, Descendants. 

5. Descendants (2015)

This movie follows the lives of four kids whose parents are villains seen before in the world of Disney. This movie may not be known and loved by those of us who appreciate early 2000s movies, however, I would say it was one of the last good DCOMs. The songs are catchy and the storyline was good and made sense, however this movie has flaws such as being overdramatic in some moments. Overall, the movie is good, but it is a better fit for kids ages 10-12.

4. Teen Beach Movie (2013)

Teen Beach Movie follows the story of Mack and Brady, a couple who end up getting trapped in Brady’s favorite retro movie, Wet Side Story. This movie is a great watch for summertime, with the loads of color and great music. The 60s influenced music is not only catchy, but also actually good. However, the movie isn’t one I would watch multiple times and it’s not very memorable compared to the DCOM classics. 

3. Girl vs. Monster (2012)

This movie is about a 16 year old girl named Skylar who learns that her parents are ghost hunters. She realizes that they have been kidnapped and she spends the movie figuring out how to save them. This movie is a great watch for Halloween. The songs have a Halloween vibe, but a couple can be listened to year round. This movie may not be one of the best, but it is definitely worth watching. It teaches a valuable lesson of facing your fears in a not-so-cringey way.

2. The Cheetah Girls: One World (2008)

This movie follows the Cheetah Girls on an adventure to India. They find work there and explore who they are as a group in a whole new environment. Now, I may be a little biased since I am Indian, but I really liked how the movie incorporated Indian culture and American culture in a non-ignorant way. The movie had some great fusion songs come out of it, and the storyline and dancing was really memorable. I would definitely watch this one again! 

1. Let It Shine (2012)

This movie is about a boy named Cyrus, who is trying to prove himself as a talented rapper. Along the way, he is also trying to win the heart of his childhood crush. First of all, I’m not really sure if this movie is extremely underrated, but I think it should definitely be as recognized as High School Musical. This movie has some of the best songs in a DCOM. The storyline was really interesting and it is something that actually had true substance. The movie has many elements that people can actually relate to. The main character gaining confidence was by far the best part of the movie. This movie is something I would recommend to anyone, even if they don’t usually like Disney movies.