Summary
Each decade has a few box office flops that deserved better, and the 1990s had more than most. Some of the mosticonic movies of the 1990swere initially branded as commercial failures, and it took a while before audiences came around to their charms. Movies likeThe Big LebowskiandThe Shawshank Redemptionfailed to turn a profit, but this hasn’t stopped them from being appreciated decades after their release.
A movie’s box office return depends on marketing and timing as much as anything else. Money has never been a great metric to measure the success of a movie, and some of the biggest box office flops of the 1990s prove this point. In some cases, movies that were a little too strange to connect with general audiences at the time have since been recognized as trailblazers, far ahead of their time.
25 Biggest Box Office Bombs Of All Time
From Pixar flops to Western catastrophes to CGI messes and franchises that never took off, these are the 20 biggest box office failures of all time.
The Coen brothers have always had a hit-and-miss record at the box office. They have had big hits likeTrue GritandNo Country for Old Men,but some of their best movies have failed to impress audiences.The Big Lebowskiwasn’t a complete bomb, but it definitely fell short of expectations.It also received mixed reviews when it was released, but it has since been reassessed, and it has earned a devoted cult following.
The Big Lebowskiis populated by strange characters, which allows Jeff Bridges to deliver a hilarious performance by playing it straight.
The Big Lebowskiis filled with great quotes, which is part of the reason why the comedy has retained so much of its appeal over the years. Like many Coen brothers movies, the story follows a complex crime plot, but it’s seen through the lens of the Dude, an apathetic loser who just wants to go bowling and drink white Russians with his friends.The Big Lebowskiis populated by strange characters, which allows Jeff Bridges to deliver a hilarious performance by playing it straight.
The Shawshank Redemptionhad to compete with the juggernauts ofPulp FictionandForrest Gumpwhen it was released in 1994, so it’s no huge surprise that audiences didn’t give it much attention.The Shawshank Redemption’s box office failure certainly wasn’t helped by the fact that Columbia Pictures chose to leave Stephen King’s name out of the marketing drive.The Shawshank Redemptionearned much more money when it was re-released following its awards-season success, but it still wasn’t enough.
The Shawshank Redemption’s box office failure certainly wasn’t helped by the fact that Columbia Pictures chose to leave Stephen King’s name out of the marketing drive.
Despite its shaky start,The Shawshank Redemptionis now one of the most beloved movies of the 1990s.Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins provide a ray of hope in the grim portrayal of prison life. Red and Andy are easy characters to root for, especially against the sadistic prison wardens.The Shawshank Redemption’s happy endingis a big surprise considering the genre, but it has contributed to the movie’s lasting popularity.
With a budget of $17 million,A Simple Planfell well short of breaking even with its meager theatrical run. Sam Raimi’s crime thriller follows three friends who find a crashed plane with $4 million in cash in rural Minnesota.Some have theorized thatA Simple Plansuffered from comparisons toFargo,which came out just two years earlier and also featured a plot with some witless thugs squabbling over money in a snow-covered landscape.A Simple Plandidn’t play in as many theaters asFargo.
A Simple Planbenefits from strong performances all round, but Billy Bob Thornton’s is the most surprising.
A Simple Plancan’t really be compared toFargobeyond a few superficial similarities. While the Coen brothers movie is a deadpan comedy,A Simple Planis much more emotionally earnest and morally complex. The friends find that their trust is pushed to the limit as the heat from the police cranks up, and they quickly shift from collective solidarity to cowardly self-interest.A Simple Planbenefits from strong performances all round, but Billy Bob Thornton’s is the most surprising.
Richard Linklater’s cult-classic hangout movie shows what can be achieved by creating an enjoyable atmosphere, butDazed and Confusedwas a box office bomb when it was released.Linklater wanted the movie to be released to coincide with the end of the school year,in keeping with the setting, but it was delayed until September. This misstep, coupled with Grammercy Pictures' insistence on marketing it as a stoner comedy, made the movie a flop.
Dazed and Confusedis hugely nostalgic for anyone who went to high school in the 1970s, but its relatable portrayal of youth gives it cross-generational appeal.
Dazed and Confusedis now considered one ofRichard Linklater’s best movies. Its loose structure gives it an immersive feeling, as does its period-appropriate fashion and slang.Dazed and Confusedis hugely nostalgic for anyone who went to high school in the 1970s, but its relatable portrayal of youth gives it cross-generational appeal. The relatively unknown cast was a drawback at the time, but some of the movie’s stars have since become huge names.
During the height of 1990s Tim Burton strangeness, the director teamed up with Johnny Depp for a surprisingly traditional Hollywood biopic of the man who has been dubbed the worst director of all time.Ed Woodwas a tough sell to audiences, mostly because by 1994 the movie’s subject was no longer a big name. The black-and-white style also didn’t help to draw an audience, andEd Woodfailed to recoup its budget.
Ed Woodwas a tough sell to audiences, mostly because by 1994 the movie’s subject was no longer a big name.
The reasons forEd Wood’s box office failure are directly related to the reasons why it’s such an underrated gem. Burton’s exploration of a passionate but critically panned filmmaker gives him a chance to reckon with his own place within the industry from an unusual angle.Ed Woodis a niche prospect for anyone lacking in-depth knowledge of B-movies, but its story of perseverance and optimism is universal. Three decades later, it remains one ofTim Burton’s best movies.
The Insiderwas nominated for seven Academy Awards, but it was a box office failure. The plot focuses on the real-life story of a60 Minutessegment which featured an interview with a tobacco industry whistleblower. Although the plot is as tense as any of Michael Mann’s other movies, the premise was a hard sell.The Insider’s $90 million budget was excessiveto begin with, and its paltry box office total made it look even more unusual.
Mann finds the most fascinating aspect of the story and brings it to the forefront. The premise isn’t immediately gripping, but the outcome certainly is.
The Insider’s big budget may have set it up for financial failure, but it meant that Mann could assemble a superb cast, which includes Al Pacino, Russell Crowe and Christopher Plummer. Pacino’s relationship with Crowe is particularly captivating, as the two men question how far they can trust one another and how important the truth really is when it endangers them both. Mann finds the most fascinating aspect of the story and brings it to the forefront. The premise isn’t immediately gripping, but the outcome certainly is.
Quentin Tarantino wrote the script forTrue Romance,but he sold the rights so that he could afford to fund his debut featureReservoir Dogs.Tarantino’s movies have been consistent moneymakers for years, butTrue Romancebarely earned back its $12.5 million budget.True Romancemay have suffered from a title which doesn’t fit with its genre, and also the fact that it had to compete withThe Fugitiveat the box office.
Tony Scott does an excellent job of directingTrue Romance,but the script is unmistakably Tarantino’s work.
Tony Scott does an excellent job of directingTrue Romance,but the script is unmistakably Tarantino’s work. The dialogue crackles with wit, and the criminal plot escalates in the same riotous way thatPulp FictionandJackie Browndo. Tarantino and Scott’s successes have allowedTrue Romanceto be reassessed following its release. It has now gotten the respect and admiration it deserves.
Before becoming one of Pixar’s go-to directors, Brad Bird delivered a 2D masterpiece with 1999’sThe Iron Giant.Warner Bros. didn’t back the movie in the way that they could have done, having suffered a couple of massive financial losses from other animated movies. The studio neglected to secure fast food and cereal tie-ins for the promotion ofThe Iron Giant,which were two huge tactics for marketing children’s movies during the 1990s.
The movie’s historical context makes it an enjoyable watch for older audiences, and its authentic emotional storytelling is also a treat for all ages.
The Iron Giantwasn’t initially seen by many people, but those who did take a gamble on the movie soon fell in love with it. Brad Bird’s movie tells the story of a young boy who befriends an enormous alien robot during the height of the Cold War. The movie’s historical context makes it an enjoyable watch for older audiences, and its authentic emotional storytelling is also a treat for all ages.
Wes Anderson has developed a cult following over the years, and most of his movies turn a healthy profit. His debut feature,Bottle Rocket,was a commercial failure, however. With a $5 million budget and a limited release,Bottle Rocketwasn’t expected to move mountains, but it still fell short of expectations.This financial failure was so damaging that Owen Wilson considered quitting the movie industry altogether and joining the Marines.
Bottle Rocketdoesn’t display the full eccentric flair that is typical of Anderson’s style, but it’s still a charming crime caper bristling with wit.
Fortunately, Anderson’s career rebounded. His next two movies,RushmoreandThe Royal Tenenbaums, established him as a director to watch.Bottle Rocketdoesn’t display the full eccentric flair that is typical of Anderson’s style, but it’s still a charming crime caper bristling with wit. Even thoughBottle Rockethad a poor box office showing, it was always popular with critics, and it has finally gotten the attention it deserves.
Fight Clubbroke the $100 million barrier at the box office, but given its $65 million budget and its marketing costs, this still constituted a failure. The marketing contributed to the movie’s disappointing financial return, as 20th Century Fox ignored David Fincher’s advice.The advertising tried to sellFight Clubas an action movie, rather than a dark comedy or a psychological thriller.
Brad Pitt’s energetic performance as Tyler Durden is a big reason whyFight Clubretains so much of its allure, and the character has come to symbolize a particular anarchic philosophy.
Fight Clubdid eventually find its audience, and its anti-establishment message cut through. Brad Pitt’s energetic performance as Tyler Durden is a big reason whyFight Clubretains so much of its allure, and the character has come to symbolize a particular anarchic philosophy. Another important factor is thatFight Club’s brilliant twistdoesn’t ruin the movie, and it makes it even more enjoyable to watch multiple times.
