Box Office Bombs That Are Actually Worth Watching

Just because a movie bombs at the box office doesn't mean you should skip it. So many phenomenal and award-winning films didn't make back their budget right away. This number shouldn't deter you. There are so many reasons why a movie could have bombed at the box office.

Sometimes it's because of tough competition. Think about it. How many times have you planned to see a movie in theaters only to realize there are two or three excellent ones you want to watch? How do you decide which movie to watch first?

Other times, the movie is incredible enough to become a cult classic, but the marketing is lacking. There have been countless times when movies made it quietly to the big screen and few people realized it had come out. Another reason movies bomb at the box office is their massive budget. Sometimes their budget is just too big! (Check out the most expensive movies ever made.)

One of the best box office bombs is "The Iron Giant." This beautiful and touching film is considered one of the best animated movies of all time, yet it didn't make its budget back at the box office. Another prime example of this is the quirky movie "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World." So many people reference this film, yet in the beginning, it didn't get much attention. These are just a couple of examples.

To curate this list, 24/7 Tempo consulted various entertainment and movie websites like Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb. We specifically compared each film's budget to how much they grossed at the box office. We also checked their scores on Rotten Tomatoes to see how the audience felt about it.

• Director: Edgar Wright
• Cast: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans

Can you believe that "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" didn't make back its budget? This cult classic had a budget of $60 million to 85 million, yet only grossed $49.3 million at the box office. Don't let these numbers fool you. "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" won plenty of awards, including a Satellite Award for Best Film – Musical or Comedy.

So, how much did the audience enjoy this film? On Rotten Tomatoes, "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" has an audience score of 84%. It also holds an 82% on the Tomatometer.

• Director: Alfonso Cuarón
• Cast: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Chiwetel Ejiofor

Another box office failure that should get more love is "Children of Men." This serious and underrated dystopian action thriller film had a budget of $76 million. It almost made its budget back with box office gross earnings of $70.5 million.

Despite its slow start to popularity, the film won two BAFTA Awards and was nominated for three Academy Awards. On the Tomatometer, "Children of Men" has a 92% rating.

• Director: Brad Bird
• Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr., Vin Diesel, James Gammon

"The Iron Giant" was released on Aug. 6, 1999, in the United States. Although a culturally important movie now, it wasn't immediately popular. Instead, the film grossed $31.3 million at the box office against a budget of $50 million.

How much they made initially compares to its success now decades later. On Rotten Tomatoes, this film has a 90% audience score. Critics love "The Iron Giant" more as they've given the film a 96% on the Tomatometer.

• Director: Danny Boyle
• Cast: Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, Rose Byrne, Michelle Yeoh

Have you ever heard of the film "Sunshine?" Not many people have, but it's worth a watch. "Sunshine" was released on July 20, 2007. This sci-fi thriller has an incredible cast with big names, and yet the film only grossed $34 million at the box office.

While $34 million is a lot, the budget for the film was $40 million. On Rotten Tomatoes, this movie scored a 77% on the Tomatometer.

• Director: Frank Capra
• Cast: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell

Not all movies on this list are recent. "It's a Wonderful Life" is a fantastic film. It's a Christmas staple for most people during the holidays. This sweet, romantic, and light-hearted film barely made back its budget, but is now an icon.

"It's a Wonderful Life" had a budget of $3.18 million. It grossed slightly above the budget at $3.3 million. Over 70 years later, the film has an audience score of 95%.

• Director: Sam Raimi
• Cast: Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Bridget Fonda

"A Simple Plan" isn't a very well-known movie but deserves so much more recognition. This crime thriller was released on Dec. 11, 1998. The film had a budget of $17 million and almost made back its budget with box office gross earnings of $16.3 million.

Although not as well-known as other films on this list, "A Simple Plan" has an audience score of 81% with over 25,000 ratings. The Tomatometer score is higher at 90%.

• Director: Jonathan Glazer
• Cast: Scarlett Johansson

"Under The Skin" is an interesting and chilling movie. While this film stars the well-known Johansson, not a lot of people have even heard of it. This special film was released on April 4, 2014, in the United States.

"Under The Skin" lost a lot of money at the box office. Against a budget of about $13.3 million, the movie grossed $7.2 million.

• Director: Ridley Scott
• Cast: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos

"Blade Runner" grossed $41.8 million against a budget of $30 million but, interestingly, "Blade Runner" wasn't immediately popular in the U.S. This came much later. Now, you don't have to watch the movie to have heard of the name.

Rotten Tomatoes ratings are also strong. The film has an audience score of 91% and a Tomatometer score of 89%.

• Director: Darren Aronofsky
• Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, Michelle Pfeiffer

Jennifer Lawrence was killing it in the 2010s. She starred in so many films during this decade. Although most people know her from her role in the Hunger Games series, she also starred in "Mother!" This unique movie is a tough watch, but well worth it if you like psychological horror.

"Mother!" only grossed about $44.5 million at the box office. Although it earned above budget, it was hardly talked about, garnering mixed reviews. On the Tomatometer, "Mother!" has a score of 68%.

• Directors: John Musker and Ron Clements
• Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Brian Murray, David Hyde Pierce, Martin Short

"Treasure Planet" is a favorite movie for many people. This fun comedy-adventure animated film features pirates, space, and lovable characters, but this Disney movie didn't do well at the box office.

The film had an expensive budget of $140 million and grossed a little under $110 million. Two decades later "Treasure Planet" has a cult following.

• Director: George Miller
• Cast: Idris Elba, Tilda Swinton

"Three Thousand Years of Longing" is a more recent film, released on Aug. 26, 2022, in the United States. It didn't get a lot of attention, only grossing about a third of its budget.

This fantasy-romance drama grossed $20.3 million with a budget of $60 million. Before it was released in theaters, the movie was shown at the 75th Cannes Film Festival where it received a six-minute standing ovation.

• Director: Martin Scorsese
• Cast: Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz

Also on our list is "Hugo," released on Nov. 23, 2011, in the United States. This fun adventure-drama film was shot in 3D. Technically, this movie wasn't entirely a box office bomb. The movie still made back its super expensive budget, but its popularity came much later.

"Hugo" ran with a budget of around $150 to $170 million and grossed $185.8 million at the box office. This incredible movie was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects.

• Director: Ari Aster
• Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Patti LuPone, Nathan Lane, Amy Ryan

It's hard to keep your eyes away from this energetic movie, and although it was incredible, "Beau Is Afraid" failed at the box office, grossing a measly $11.5 million against a budget of $35 million.

"Beau Is Afraid" deserves more fans. The movie was nominated for countless awards including a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has an audience score of 71%.

• Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
• Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Katherine Waterston

Joaquin Phoenix also starred in "Inherent Vice," another box office bomb that deserves more love. "Inherent Vice" was released on Dec. 12, 2014, in the United States. This unique mystery-comedy is vibrant and complicated. It's hard to keep up with the plot, but even harder to stop watching.

"Inherent Vice" only grossed $14.7 million but had a budget of $20 million. Phoenix did an excellent job in his role, receiving a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

• Director: P. J. Hogan
• Cast: Jason Isaacs, Jeremy Sumpter, Richard Briers, Rachel Hurd-Wood

A fan favorite for many children in the 2000s was "Peter Pan," released on Dec. 25, 2003. The movie was based on the novel, "Peter and Wendy."

Although popular with children, the movie only made $122 million against a budget of $130 million. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an audience score of 77% with over 250,000 reviews.

• Directors: The Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer
• Cast: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving

If you're a fan of epic science fiction movies, check out "Cloud Atlas." It isn't an extremely popular movie but is fun to watch. "Cloud Atlas" was released on Oct. 26, 2012, in the United States.

The budget for this film was about $100 million to $146 million. It grossed $130.5 million at the box office. On Rotten Tomatoes, "Cloud Atlas" has an audience score of 66%.

• Director: Kelly Fremon Craig
• Cast: Rachel McAdams, Abby Ryder Fortson, Elle Graham, Benny Safdie

Last but not least is the film "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret." This movie is based on Judy Blume's novel of the same name and was released on April 28, 2023, in the United States.

"Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" only grossed $21.5 million at the box office with a budget of $30 million. While a box office bomb, the reviews are excellent. On Rotten Tomatoes, "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" holds an audience score of 95%. (Check out our list of 30 movies every American should watch at least once.)