21 Movies That Weren't Super Successful At The Box Office, But Are Beyond Beloved Now

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28-01-2025

In a viral thread, redditor u/OkWar3191 asked, " What's a movie that bombed at the box office but was actually good?" And y'all, there are no lies detected here.
Fox Searchlight Pictures
So with that in mind, here are just a few of the most popular responses shared:
1. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
"This movie is probably the biggest example of this. It was an absolute flop at the box office. It almost killed the studio that made it. At one point, there was some debate about ownership of it because nobody wanted it, so TV networks could air it without paying anyone. That's when it started getting shown on TV constantly around Christmas, and it gained its status as one of the best Christmas movies of all time."
— u/diiejso
2. Clue (1985)
"Given its current reputation, it's hard to believe it didn't even make its budget back."
— u/MrQuizzles
3. Death to Smoochy (2002)
"It's one of my favorite dark comedies ever conceived. It didn't do well at the box office and was panned by critics despite having an extraordinary cast: Ed Norton, Robin Williams, Jon Stewart, Danny DeVito, Catherine Keener, Harvey Fierstein, Danny Woodburn, and Michael Rispoli. I think it's absolutely brilliant, and everyone delivers an incredible performance, especially Norton and Williams."
— u/LewisEFurr
4. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
"It notoriously bombed at the box office but went on to receive critical acclaim."
— u/TooSpicyforyoWifey
You can watch the original trailer for the film here:
View this video on YouTube
5. The Thing (1982)
"One of my all-time-favorite horror movies! I understand it's regularly taught in film schools, not just for the practical effects but for the paranoia that was central to the story. You never knew, even at the very end, who was genuinely human and who was an imitation."
— u/PianoManGidley
You can watch the original trailer for the film here:
6. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
"For the classic film that it is, the original didn't do well at the box office."
— u/justmoochin
7. Matilda (1996)
"Absolute 10/10 movie. Danny DeVito as the dad was a magnificent casting choice."
— u/Redqueenhypo
You can watch the original trailer for the film here:
8. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
"It did a modest box office and recouped its budget, but it didn't make much profit. It was nominated for 10 Academy Awards (including Best Picture and Best Director) and was critically acclaimed, with a great cast. Explanation for poor box office was that it was out around the same time as Elf, in November/December of 2003. It was also released after the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, which had done well that summer. People may not have had the appetite for another maritime film, especially one without the humor and fantastical escapism of Pirates. And why didn't those 10 nominations turn into awards? Because it had the misfortune to compete against The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, which won 11 awards that year. Some serious bad luck and poor timing are the reasons so many people have never heard of this masterpiece."
— u/Hamilton_Spector
9. The Princess Bride (1987)
"They didn't know how to market it. Is it a fantasy film? Is it an action film? Is it a comedy? Is it for kids? All the reasons it became a classic are the same reasons they couldn't get people into the theaters to see it."
— u/GardenGnomeOfEden
You can watch the original trailer for the film here:
10. Galaxy Quest (1999)
"The victim of poor marketing. The marketing team decided that 'a goofy comedy for kids' was the right way to sell it, when in reality, it was semiserious comedy aimed at adults that just happened to be kid friendly."
— u/eaglescout1984
You can watch the original trailer for the film here:
11. The Big Lebowski (1998)
"So, I heard it didn't do so well in theaters...but that's just, like, my opinion, man."
— u/DragonflyScared813
You can watch the original trailer for the film here:
12. Treasure Planet (2002)
"For me, it's a contender for the best animated movie ever. Up there with Iron Giant."
— u/usafa_rocks
13. Hook (1991)
"It was considered a flop at the box office and has 29% on Rotten Tomatoes, but I will always love that movie."
— u/theDeuce
You can watch the original trailer for the film here:
"It didn't do well at the box office, but I love the shit out of it. I mean, who WOULDN'T, with Sean Connery voicing Draco and Dennis Quaid as a knight?"
— u/KnockMeYourLobes
15. Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
"It's such an underrated movie, with fantastic performances from both Will Farrell and Emma Thompson. I guess it didn't totally bomb, but worldwide, it barely made back its production budget."
— u/ElijahatCarmel
16. Equilibrium (2002)
"I enjoyed it as much as The Matrix, but it's unfortunate that it just didn't make any money."
— u/sadowsentry
You can watch the original trailer for the film here:
17. Waterworld (1995)
"I fucking loved it. Don't get all the hate for it. It's Mad Max on boats."
— u/Phenomenon101
You can watch the original trailer for the film here:
View this video on YouTube
18. Children of Men (2006)
Universal / © Universal / Courtesy Everett Collection
BOX OFFICE: $70,455,770
BUDGET: $76,000,000
"It made $70,000,000 at the box office on a $76,000,000 budget, but was nominated for a bunch of awards (and won several, too) and has held up."
— u/georgey_porgey
You can watch the original trailer for the film here:
View this video on YouTube
19. Lucky Number Slevin (2006)
The Weinstein Co. LLC / The Weinstein Co. LLC / Courtesy Everett Collection
BOX OFFICE: $55,495,466
BUDGET: $27,000,000
"Beautiful sets, great writing, moment-in-time cast — it's one of my favorite movies, and nobody has ever heard of it."
— u/BergsEyeView
You can watch the original trailer for the film here:
View this video on YouTube
20. The Nice Guys (2016)
Warner Bros. / © Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection
BOX OFFICE: $62,788,218
BUDGET: $50,000,000
"It is often referred to as an unfortunate flop. I love this movie. Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe have great chemistry. I would have killed for a sequel."
— u/Ruddose
You can watch the original trailer for the film here:
View this video on YouTube
And finally:
21. The Last Duel (2021)
© 20th Century Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection
BOX OFFICE: $30,552,111
BUDGET: $100,000,000
"It failed so hard, it was kind of a meme, but that movie was great!"
— u/W8sB4D8s
You can watch the original trailer for the film here:
View this video on YouTube
You've read their picks, but now it's your turn! What's a movie that did "meh" at the box office but you truly love? Share in the comments below!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
H/T: r/AskReddit.
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