"I Thought It Was The Greatest Film Anybody Ever Made" – Six Truly Excellent Films That Flopped Hard At The Box Office, And Five Trash Films That Made Serious Cash

"Steamy as a greasy spoon and almost as erotic."

Films aren't all about making money, although for the studios they kinda are. So to a certain degree, a films success can be judged on their box office performance. However, often we see films that are considered great having a poor box office takings and vice versa.

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So, here are six great films that flopped and five terrible ones that somehow smashed the box office:

1. The Shawshank Redemption

Columbia Pictures

Despite being at the top of countless "best movies ever" lists, the now classic film was considered a box office flop when it was released. Tim Robbins, who played Andy Dufresne, believed it was the title that kept viewers away: 

"Well, it’s the title, no one can remember the title. And that makes sense, too, because, for years after that film came out, people would come up to me and say, ‘You know, I really liked you in that film Scrimshaw Reduction or Shimmy, Shimmy, Shake, or Shankshaw.’"

2. It's a Wonderful Life

RKO Radio Pictures

We now all recognise It's a Wonderful Life as a festive staple, and a classic in its own right. The esteem that the film is held now would have come to no surprise to director Frank Capra said of the film, "I thought it was the greatest film I ever made. Better yet, I thought it was the greatest film anybody ever made.” 

While many may agree with that statement to a certain degree now, at the time, the response was far less enthusiastic. When it was initially released, viewers didn't flood to the cinemas to see it, and it was unable to break even. Even critics weren't too keen, with one claiming that Frank Capra took "an easy, simple-minded path that doesn’t give much credit to the intelligence of the audience”.

3. Killers of the Flower Moon

Apple Original Films / Apple TV Plus

Martin Scorcese's historical drama was incredibly well received, and was nominated for 10 Academy Awards. Yet, it fell well short of breaking even after its $200m budget and additional marketing costs. There are a few reasons for its financial disappointment, one being its daunting 206 minute run time which may well have put certain potential viewers off a trip to the cinema to see it. 

Another, of course, is its release coinciding with another historical drama, Oppenheimer, which garnered far more excitement and publicity in the run up to its release, with the help if the Barbie marketing team of course. 

4. Tár

Universal Pictures

Gaining six Academy Award nominations, it's no doubt that this psychological drama was considered an artistic success, even if its financial results don't necessarily match up with that. The film created vast online debate about cancel culture, feminism, and narcissism, which may have had a negative impact on ticket sales. The film also had a long run-time, and didn't necessarily have the 'blockbuster' draw which many box office successes use to their advantage. 

5. Citizen Kane

RKO Radio Pictures

Widely considered as one of the greatest films of all time, Citizen Kane was lauded when it came out, picking up a string of Academy Award nominations and garnering widespread praise. With such positive reviews, its poor box office performance (failing to break even), may come as a surprise, but there was one key factor in its financial failure, and that was the media mogul William Randolph Hearst. 

Hearst had a vendetta against Orson Welles, and was aware that the film he was producing was based on himself, and thus conducted a smear campaign against Welles and the film itself. Hearst used his power and influence to ensure the film's financial failure, and even used his friendship with FBI director Herbert Hoover to get a file opened on Welles. 

6. The Fabelmans

Universal Pictures

Spielberg's semi-autobiographical film earned high praise, with descriptions such as: "a stunning critical insight into his own work and how and why artists cauterise childhood pain and rewrite their youth." It also received seven Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress. 

Despite the glowing reviews and big-shot director, The Fabelmans failed to turn good reviews into a strong box office performance. 

Just to highlight how box office success is really no indicated of how good a film is, here are five frankly awful films that were actually box office successes:

Paramount Pictures

7. Fifty Shades Darker

Universal Pictures

Even though the film had less hype surrounding it than its equally disappointing predecessor, it managed to become a huge success at the box office. Benefitting from an impressive rollout internationally, including $159m in China, the poorly reviewed erotic film became a bonafide box office hit. 

When it came to a critical response, however, the movie got spanked by reviewers, with one calling it "steamy as a greasy spoon and almost as erotic."

8. The Last Airbender

Paramount Pictures

Okay, so maybe this film didn't make huge waves at the box office, but considering its critical and fan response, it's remarkable that it even managed to make its money back. Almost immediately upon its release, fans and critics alike were calling it one of the worst films ever. 

Despite the negative reviews, the movie managed to recoup it's production and marketing costs, earning an impressive $319m at the worldwide box office. Perhaps the draw of an established fanbase, and even the curiosity of such negative reviews provided enough interest to prevent this awful film from being a box office flop. 

9. A Good Day to Die Hard

20th Century Studios

The fifth instalment in the Die Hard franchise clearly benefited from an established fanbase in order to draw viewers into the cinema. If the film had to rely on reviews and general reception, it's incredibly unlikely that it would have reached anywhere near its impressive $304m worldwide box office take. 

Critics and fan reviews were fairly dire, with one critic saying, "I don't think it knows where it's going. I'm not even sure it cares." And yet, one can only assume due to the franchise label, the film was a financial success, with it performing incredibly well upon it's international rollout.   

10. Grown Ups 2

Sony Pictures Releasing

At a time when Adam Sandler was failing at the box office, the Grown Ups movies were somehow his cash cow. Perhaps it was the pull of older audience members wanting to be childish again, with posters of the old yearbook photos of the film's "grown-ups" helping to entice them. Whatever the reason was, it certainly wasn't the reviews, which were universally awful. 

In fact, the movie was so bad that it garnered eight "Razzie" (worst film/performances of the year) nominations, which was more than the perennial contender for "worst movie ever" – Movie 43. 

11. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)

Paramount Pictures

Like with Die Hard, the established fandom of the Turtles probably helped turn Michael Bay's poorly received CGI version into a financial success. The wildly successful international rollout helped push its box office takings to almost half a billion dollars, which, if you consider the reviews and reception, is an incredibly impressive result. Reviews commented on the lack of invention in the plot, and one called it a "lazy summer popcorn-flick."

What other films did surprising well or poorly at the box office? Let us know in the comments below!