Box Office Bombs That Are Actually Worth Watching

Sometimes, movies have an incredibly low budget and become hits that draw in millions in revenue during the theatrical run. Other movies have huge budgets and tank at the theaters, leading to major financial losses. They’re known as box-office bombs.

By definition, a box-office bomb is a movie where the production, marketing, and distribution costs exceed the revenue. A movie can be successful at the theaters and still be a bomb if it costs more to make than it earned.

There’s a lot more to a movie’s budget than the salaries that the actors, directors, writers, and producers receive. There are the costs for filming and audio equipment, the sets and location permits, music and editing, and special effects. Marketing expenses, travel costs, and other aspects of preproduction, production, and postproduction all come into play.

• Preproduction is the preparation and planning. It’s the stage where locations are scouted, permits are acquired, travel arrangements are made, and the cast and crew are hired. Writers come up with the scripts and timelines are set.
• Production is the actual filming process.
• Postproduction is when all the filmed scenes are organized and edited, music is selected, and everything is viewed and either sent back for additional edits or approved for delivery.

When those costs exceed what the movie makes in theaters around the world, production companies have to try to make up the difference through DVD sales, merchandise, rentals, and streaming purchases.

Join us as we look at the box-office bombs that are actually worth watching. These movies didn’t do well financially, but they’re excellent and should be on your must-watch list. (While we’re talking about movie revenues, check out the highest-grossing comedies of all time.)

To determine the box office bombs that are worth watching, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on production budget, box office, and audience reception. Movies that lost at least $5 million at the global box office were ranked based on an index score consisting of average ratings on IMDb and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, as of March 2024, weighting all ratings equally. We considered only movies made between 1980 and 2010 on a budget of at least $50 million, adjusted for inflation, with between 10,000 and 250,000 user reviews on IMDb. Global box office data is from the film industry site The Numbers and was adjusted for inflation using historical ticket prices from the National Association of Theatre Owners. Cast credits are from IMDb.

50. Dune (1984)

• IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (139,035 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 66% (71,004 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 49% (55 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$47.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: David Lynch

49. Riding in Cars with Boys (2001)

• IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (29,464 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 66% (95,536 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 49% (109 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$27.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Penny Marshall

48. Blast from the Past (1999)

• IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (62,313 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 56% (214,708 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 58% (81 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$15.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Hugh Wilson

47. K-19: The Widowmaker (2002)

• IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (64,418 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 52% (45,812 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 61% (170 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$38.4 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow

46. Heaven’s Gate (1980)

• IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (15,600 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 54% (5,464 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 59% (46 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$138.0 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Michael Cimino

45. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)

• IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (39,782 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 65% (37,136 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 50% (36 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$19.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Clint Eastwood

44. Anna and the King (1999)

• IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (37,763 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 64% (75,173 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 51% (101 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$64.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Andy Tennant

43. A Civil Action (1998)

• IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (29,803 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 55% (21,478 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 62% (71 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$6.4 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Steven Zaillian

42. The Shipping News (2001)

• IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (32,514 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 61% (20,735 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 55% (132 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$17.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Lasse Hallström

41. Solaris (2002)

• IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (80,786 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 59% (47,946 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 66% (210 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$50.6 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Steven Soderbergh

40. Bandits (2001)

• IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (66,926 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 58% (58,849 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 64% (139 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$5.6 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Barry Levinson

39. For Love of the Game (1999)

• IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (33,630 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (43,576 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 46% (94 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$7.0 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Sam Raimi

38. White Squall (1996)

• IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (24,309 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 65% (18,577 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 58% (36 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$57.6 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Ridley Scott

37. The Hunting Party (2007)

• IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (25,111 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 67% (39,945 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 55% (94 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$43.0 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Richard Shepard

36. Heist (2001)

• IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (34,785 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 60% (19,384 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 66% (129 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$9.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: David Mamet

35. Oliver Twist (2005)

• IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (33,703 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 63% (23,320 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 60% (143 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$54.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Roman Polanski

34. Return to Oz (1985)

• IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (25,968 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (62,131 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 54% (35 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$42.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Walter Murch

33. The Ghost and the Darkness (1996)

• IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (63,216 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (53,626 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 50% (50 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$34.1 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Stephen Hopkins

32. The Last Castle (2001)

• IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (76,522 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (45,903 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 52% (115 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$64.0 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Rod Lurie

31. Ride with the Devil (1999)

• IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (13,493 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 66% (7,456 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 64% (66 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$62.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Ang Lee

30. We Are Marshall (2006)

• IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (62,550 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (202,817 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 48% (126 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$30.0 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: McG

29. The Cotton Club (1984)

• IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (17,418 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 55% (7,251 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 77% (30 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$60.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola

28. Meet Joe Black (1998)

• IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (226,877 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (240,602 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 45% (49 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$78.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Martin Brest

27. Ali (2001)

• IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (101,040 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 65% (107,316 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 68% (156 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$34.6 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Michael Mann

26. The Rundown (2003)

• IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (104,212 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 66% (185,957 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 69% (153 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$6.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Peter Berg

25. Don Juan DeMarco (1994)

• IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (49,676 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 68% (63,870 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 69% (36 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$6.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Jeremy Leven

24. The Pledge (2001)

• IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (56,138 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 59% (22,119 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 78% (125 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$25.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Sean Penn

23. What Dreams May Come (1998)

• IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (105,666 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (167,549 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 53% (68 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$16.6 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Vincent Ward

22. The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)

• IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (76,551 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70% (62,368 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 70% (56 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$65.4 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Renny Harlin

21. The Doors (1991)

• IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (94,198 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (60,671 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 57% (61 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$12.1 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Oliver Stone

20. Bringing Out the Dead (1999)

• IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (66,537 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70% (38,833 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 72% (109 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$27.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Martin Scorsese

19. Primary Colors (1998)

• IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (28,358 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 64% (19,975 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (79 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$50.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Mike Nichols

18. The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

• IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (79,069 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (43,248 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 60% (45 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$56.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Joel & Ethan Coen

17. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)

• IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (186,833 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (210,311 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 56% (225 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$22.4 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Wes Anderson

16. Lolita (1997)

• IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (55,291 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (22,608 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 68% (25 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$107.5 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Adrian Lyne

15. Dragonslayer (1981)

• IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (17,298 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 62% (24,470 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 85% (33 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$39.5 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Matthew Robbins

14. Innerspace (1987)

• IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (57,017 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 65% (35,513 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (44 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$16.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Joe Dante

13. Flash Gordon (1980)

• IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (53,790 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (46,761 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (48 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$26.6 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Mike Hodges

12. Man on the Moon (1999)

• IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (132,505 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (94,249 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 63% (120 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$8.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Milos Forman

11. Nixon (1995)

• IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (31,516 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (12,652 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 75% (63 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$21.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Oliver Stone

10. Sunshine (2007)

• IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (241,344 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (168,447 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 77% (171 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$10.6 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Danny Boyle

9. Kundun (1997)

• IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (28,826 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (11,819 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 75% (61 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$44.5 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Martin Scorsese

8. Mr. Nobody (2009)

• IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (224,143 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (25,903 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 68% (31 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$56.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Jaco Van Dormael

7. Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

• IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (130,965 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (136,551 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 74% (62 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$34.1 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: John Carpenter

6. One True Thing (1998)

• IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (11,814 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (9,637 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (61 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$6.4 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Carl Franklin

5. Thirteen Days (2000)

• IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (59,734 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (30,172 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (124 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$22.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Roger Donaldson

4. Gettysburg (1993)

• IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (29,699 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (29,388 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 77% (22 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$31.6 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Ron Maxwell

3. The Abyss (1989)

• IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (170,400 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (110,092 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (46 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$36.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: James Cameron

2. The Insider (1999)

• IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (172,879 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (59,252 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (137 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$14.0 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Michael Mann

1. The Right Stuff (1983)

• IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (62,253 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (22,982 votes)
• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (51 reviews)
• Box office loss: -$16.0 million (inflation-adjusted)
• Directed by: Philip Kaufman