For some terrible, unknown reason, box office figures have become the defining pillar of cinematic triumph in recent years, with meticulous breakdowns of opening weekend figures and ticket sales trajectories supplanting critical evaluation and insightful, artistic analysis. Ultimately, it’s a woefully misguided trend. Not to say that box office success has no correlation to the quality of a movie, but to focus on it solely is to dismiss the fact that there have been some abysmal films to garner massive numbers of late and, historically, plenty of great films have ended their theatrical runs as costly flops.
The movies on this list are a testament to exactly that. Ranging from pioneering masterpieces of Old Hollywood that overcame their financial failures to be enshrined in the annals of film history to some of the defining titles of cinematic greatness in the modern-day, these movies should have been lauded for their greatness from the outset, but, sadly, they were more lamented as box office busts.
10
‘The Fabelmans’ (2022)
Few directors are as familiar with box office success as Steven Spielberg. In fact, the iconic filmmaker is the highest-grossing director of all time, with his filmography surpassing $10 billion in total gross. Furthermore, he has had three films that held the mantle of the highest-grossing movie of all time: Jaws, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Jurassic Park. He is the godfather of blockbuster entertainment, a master of spectacle and scale who is defined by his powerful sense of humanity as much as he is by his innovative excellence, storytelling brilliance, and his incredible range.
There is a somber irony in the fact that The Fabelmans—a semi-autobiographical journey of childhood, family relationships, and filmmaking wonder—became such a disappointing financial performer. Against a production budget of $40 million (which doesn’t include marketing, a cost that typically matches the production expenses), The Fabelmans grossed just $45.6 million. Granted, the coming-of-age drama isn’t his best or most brilliant film, but it is his most personal, a touching reflection on how his career took flight, and there is a greatness to it that should have been experienced by far more people.
9
‘Babylon’ (2022)
Another 2022 release that staggered at the box office, Babylon is an enthralling descent into the depravity and debauchery of early Hollywood, a somber exploration of the industry’s amorality, and an enticing look at how the landscape of film production shifted with the advent of the “talkies” in the late 1920s and early ’30s. It was an audacious undertaking by Damien Chazelle, who dives into the pandemonium and eccentricity of the industry with unflinching conviction, leading to a confronting and sometimes disturbing viewing experience.
Perhaps its graphic nature was a deterrent to general audiences. After all, it proved to be a divisive picture among critics, but it has already come to be heralded by many as one of the greatest movies of the decade thus far, an enrapturing immersion into the chaos of Old Hollywood, warts and all. Sadly, this brilliance wasn’t grasped initially, a fact that is most obvious in its box office failure. Against a budget of as much as $80 million, Babylon grossed just $65.2 million, marking the first flop of Chazelle’s career and, maybe even more tragically, a devastating blow to major studio ambition in modern filmmaking.
8
‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford’ (2007)
There was once a time when Western cinema ruled the box office, defining the spectacle of cinema with its sweeping visuals, historical allure, and its commanding stories of morality and conviction amid the lawlessness of the expanding frontier. That time is long gone, and many great modern Westerns have suffered at the box office as a result. Chief among them is The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, a compelling, character-focused epic of infamy, crime, and the fragility of the bond between outlaws when they feel the world closing in around them.
The film’s budget was relatively small, stretching every cent of its $30 million production to cast a powerfully melancholic exploration of Robert Ford’s (Casey Affleck) complicated relationship with notorious outlaw Jesse James (Brad Pitt). Its slow-burning story offers a litany of gorgeous visuals and compelling performances, its tale of betrayal and distrust accentuated by delicate, poetic narration and an absorbing basis on one of history’s most intriguing figures. Sadly, despite its excellence, the film became a bona fide flop at the box office, raking in just $15 million and costing star and producer Brad Pitt a chunk of his own money in the process.
7
‘The Iron Giant’ (1999)
The Iron Giant is one of the greatest and most powerful animated movies of all time, an entrancing tale of human decency and friendship that centers on the bond between an innocent and gigantic alien robot and the boy who befriends him after he crash-lands on Earth with no memory of his past or purpose. Given its widespread critical acclaim, universal audience approval, and ability to connect with both children and adults, it is quite surprising that the animated movie concluded its cinematic run as such a dour box office performer.
However, multiple events conspired against its success, with its botched and limited marketing campaign being a knee-jerk reaction from Warner Bros. following the failure of their 1998 animated picture, Quest for Camelot. Moreover, its perceived thematic discussion about gun control and violence also deterred certain viewers. It has since become a cherished classic of animated cinema, but its meager intake of $23.3 million against a budget of $48-50 million makes it a bleak box office flop that deserved so much better.
6
‘Children of Men’ (2006)
A masterpiece of dystopian drama bolstered by Alfonso Cuaron’s astute filmmaking and a richly immersive vision of a hopeless near-future, Children of Men is heralded as being one of the finest films of the century so far by many who have seen it. The only tragedy is that too few people have seen it. Suffering from a woeful marketing strategy from Universal and an ill-fated and limited release in the midst of the 2006 holiday period, Children of Men failed to break even, earning just $70.6 million against a production budget of $76 million.
What is perhaps even more tragic than its initial failure is that, despite its celebrated brilliance, Children of Men has struggled to become a hit in the ensuing years. While it has become something of a cult classic, its harrowing story, thematic power, and the awe-inspiring execution of its action sequences deserve far more popularity than it is ever likely to receive.
5
‘Mulholland Drive’ (2001)
David Lynch is one of the most impressionable filmmakers of all time, a master of enigmatic storytelling and atmospheric might who became one of cinema’s most beloved and admired figures over the course of his career. Mulholland Drive stands as one of his more defining achievements, an ethereal and surrealist plunge into Hollywood paranoia accentuated by a lavish sense of style, several astonishing performances, and an uncanny ability to linger on the viewer’s mind long after the credits roll.
Thankfully, the 2001 picture has become a modern classic, but its defining qualities of surrealist intrigue and convoluted drama were the very things that caused it to suffer upon release. Given that many viewers still struggle to decipher what the hypnotic movie is about, it is understandable that Universal Pictures had a difficult time deciding how to market it, but its $20.3 million intake still stands as a sorry figure given the impact and influence it has had. Mulholland Drive is distinguished by its unique traits as much as it was hampered by them at the box office, but it is some comfort that these qualities have come to be accepted by the masses more and more as time has gone on.
4
‘Blade Runner 2049’ (2017)
In 1982, Blade Runner was released in theaters with little success, making just $41.8 million against a production budget of $30 million. However, in the decades following, it became an enormous cultural success, a pillar of science-fiction cinema celebrated for its glorious visual display and the intriguing depth of its story. Come 2017, it was universally heralded as one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made, a reputation that gave hope that its legacy sequel would fare far better at the box office.
Sadly, this wasn’t quite the case. While Blade Runner 2049’s box office haul of $277.9 million looks impressive on paper by comparison, it still wasn’t enough to see Warner Bros. break even against its production budget of up to $185 million, plus marketing expenses. At the time, the flop felt like a cruel blow to large-scale, cerebral sci-fi cinema, especially since the movie itself earned critical acclaim and was adored by viewers who actually saw it. Denis Villeneuve’s later success with the Dune movies quells that agony somewhat, but Blade Runner 2049 still stands as a mesmerizing spectacle of sci-fi splendor and rich mystery drama that deserved to consolidate its brilliance with a sizable profit befitting of its reception and mastery.
3
‘Citizen Kane’ (1941)
The heartbreak of Citizen Kane’s poor box office intake has largely been overshadowed by the fact that the Orson Welles classic has solidified a lasting legacy of innovative greatness and timeless perfection, but that doesn’t mean its initial financial failings are any less tragic in isolation. A groundbreaking masterpiece of cinematic artistry, Citizen Kane pioneered such commonly used techniques as deep focus cinematography, non-linear storytelling, and experimental filmmaking ideas like low-angle shots and ceilinged sets. What was its reward for this inventive genius? A box office haul that cost RKO Studios a sizable sum of money.
Despite positive reviews from many who saw it, Citizen Kane fell victim to a smear campaign orchestrated by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, who was outraged at the story’s similarities to his life and spent a fortune trying to discredit it. His vendetta led to reduced marketing for the film and theaters being pressured not to screen it. It is an interesting chapter of film history to reflect on, given Citizen Kane’s status in the modern day, but it remains an ugly and unfortunate passage of early cinema, given how it resulted in what is arguably the greatest movie ever made succumbing to financial woe.
2
‘The Shawshank Redemption’ (1994)
It ranks at #1 on IMDb’s user-voted list of the 250 best movies of all time, stands as a critically acclaimed triumph of 1990s cinema, and is heralded by the masses as being one of the most captivating and hopeful pictures ever made. However, at the end of its theatrical run in 1994, The Shawshank Redemption was a box office disaster that faltered against its competition, making an estimated total of just $16 million at cinemas compared to its $25 million production budget. Its figure has since risen to $29.3 million.
This figure was somewhat saved by its impressive success through rentals, with The Shawshank Redemption becoming the most rented title of 1995, generating widespread audience interest and launching its ascent to being the universally adored masterpiece that it is today. In fact, through rentals and subsequent re-releases, the film has even turned a profit after its dismal opening, a fact that is fantastic in isolation. It’s still sad in the grander scheme of cinema when one ponders how many brilliant movies have been lost to time after stumbling at the box office.
1
‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ (1946)
A touching story of human decency and the impact of goodwill, as well as the ultimate Christmas classic, It’s a Wonderful Life is a marvel of feel-good drama defined by Frank Capra’s gorgeous direction and James Stewart’s tender lead performance. However, upon release in 1946, it was a financial catastrophe, met with unexceptional reviews. Even worse, it effectively spelled the end of the prime of Capra’s legendary career.
In a happy accident—or a work of divine fate if you believe in such things—It’s a Wonderful Life’s copyright wasn’t renewed in 1974 due to a simple clerical issue, opening the door for television stations aplenty to air it. Thus, it became a perennial holiday favorite throughout the 1980s, running on hundreds of local stations consistently throughout the festive season and amassing a vast audience of devoted fans. Thankfully, Capra and Stewart lived long enough to see the film’s resurgent success and its resounding impact around the world, but its initial failure and dismissal remain a heartbreaking misjudgment in film history, one that very nearly cost the world one of the best movies ever made.