The term 'cult' with regards to film is bandied about quite a lot, but its definition is difficult to pin down.

Some would describe a cult film as a film that had a poor release, but gained popularity in the intervening years. By this logic, something like The Shawshank Redemption would be considered a cult film. The one definition that seems to resonate with most and cause as few disagreements as possible is this - a film that has a small but fervent following and is loved deeply by that subset.

With that definition in mind, here's our 10 Cult Movies You Need To See Before You Die.

10. OFFICE SPACE (1999)

Mike Judge's Office Space has become a sacred text for anyone that's worked in a call-centre environment. His work on MTV's Beavis & Butthead infused Judge with a sensibility for tapping into Generation X's general lack of enthusiasm for just about anything. Ron Livingston, in a career-best performance, plays a slacker IT worker who's hypnotised to not care about his job or his life. Amazingly, it works out so well for him that he finds a new girlfriend, gets a huge promotion and becomes instantly happier. Filled with memorable characters such as Bill Lumbergh and Michael Bolton, Office Space is one of the funniest films about the drudgery of modern life.

9. CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (1980)

If you haven't heard or seen this film, don't worry. There's a very good reason. The film was banned and most of its prints were destroyed because Italian authorities thought it was an actual snuff film - as in, they thought people were actually killed during the making of it. Cannibal Holocaust has since become legendary in horror circles and even inspired Eli Roth's based-on The Green Inferno.

8. MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000: THE MOVIE (1996)

Before there was Twitter and snarky comments while watching stuff, there was Mystery Science Theater 3000. The premise was simple - three comedians watched crappy, public-domain films from the 1950's and commentated along with it. Naturally, you're not watching it for the film - you're watching it for the colour commentary. The film version, which ripped on This Island Earth, took the same formula from its own long-running TV series. Don't believe how funny how it was? Take a look at this clip and then come back to us.

7. HEATHERS (1988)

What's your damage, Heather? Winona Ryder starred as Veronica, a young student who falls hopelessly in love with outsider Christian Slater. What initially becomes her attempt at making friends with the popular crowd degenerates into something much more sinister and violent. Endlessly quoted and hilariously different, Heathers barely made its budget back on release and became an underground hit.

6. PINK FLAMINGOS (1972)

John Waters is a cult hero - in case you don't know who he is, he was the guy in The Simpsons who owned the tacky gift shop that Homer didn't like because he was gay. As well as an actor and writer, Waters was a director and created one of the most controversial, sickening films ever made - Pink Flamingos. When the title of Filthiest Person Alive is up for grabs, Babs Johnson - played by drag icon Divine - sets out to win it by any means necessary. What follows is a horrifying mix of comedy, violence and fecal matter. Not for the faint-hearted.

5. THE WARRIORS (1979)

Walter Hill's dramatic, 80's-gang era retelling of a classic Greek odyssey is often discussed when talking about exploitation films, specifically related to the serious gang problems New York had during the time period. Instead of casting them as villains and social excluded, Hill puts them front and centre and gives them colourful names and uniforms - The Boppers are Latin-flavoured street fighters, The Furies are baseball-wielding skeletons. Together with a blistering synth score from Barry De Vorzon, The Warriors gained a new life on VHS during the 80's. Also, keep an eye out for James Remar.

4. GALAXY QUEST (1999)

"We've gotta get out of here before that thing kills Guy!" There's something truly ironic about Galaxy Quest. A film about a cult TV show and its fandom becomes, in itself, a cult film. Tim Allen, Sam Rockwell, Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman play TV actors on a Star Trek-lite show that are sucked into a intergalactic war between aliens who've modelled their society on the TV shows and very nasty aliens. The whip-smart dialogue and its clever blend of satire and reverence for TV sci-fi meant that Galaxy Quest would undoubtedly be passed over by mainstream audiences.

3. PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE (1959)

Ed Wood is considered by many critics to be the worst film director ever and Plan 9 From Outer Space was his worst film. The plot for is nothing short of insane - aliens from outer space land on Earth to steal the corpses of humans for... who cares. Gleefully awful and legitimately makes absolutely no sense, Plan 9 From Outer Space is the benchmark for bad films. It's not the bottom of the barrel - it's the metallic core at the centre of the Earth. Tim Burton would famously recreate the film and its production in his Oscar-winning drama, Ed Wood.

2. SHOWGIRLS (1995)

It's hard to know what director Paul Verhoeven was thinking when he sat down to begin work on Showgirls. Was it an attempt to look at the seedy world of Las Vegas showgirls? Or was it an attempt to put as many half-naked TV stars in a film and have them dance to awful music? Who knows. Showgirls has taken on a life of its own since its release. Critically and commercially disastrous for everyone involved, it destroyed the careers of Elizabeth Berkley and Kyle MacLachlan. In fact, MacLachlan is only just now coming out the other side of it. Cheesy, terrible dialogue mixed with over-the-top explicitness. What's not to love?

1. THE ROOM (2003)

The Room stands alone in the history of films for being, truly, the worst film ever made. In fact, it's so awful that it has become a hit. Its fans include Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill and many more. It's regularly shown in late night screenings that attract a sold-out audience. The mysteries that surround The Room are even more funny. The film's director / writer / producer / star Tommy Wiseau reportedly coughed up $6 million for the film's budget. How? He claims he did it via selling jackets from South Korea. Others believe it was a money-laundering front. English, it would appear, is not Wiseau's first language. No one knows where he's from. Don't believe us? Take a look at this.