15. 3:10 to Yuma (2007)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (394,530 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (224 reviews)
> Worldwide box office, adj. for inflation: $94.8 million (10.3 million tickets)
> Est. production budget, adj. for inflation: $63.9 million
Russell Crowe and Christian Bale were both huge stars by the time they appeared in this propulsive Western, the second of two film adaptations of an Elmore Leonard short story. In it, a small-town rancher (Bale) is confronted with various obstacles as he escorts a dangerous criminal (Crowe) to justice aboard a train. The film opened at No. 1 at the domestic box office but ultimately underperformed during its theatrical run.
14. True Romance (1993)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (192,545 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (54 reviews)
> Worldwide box office, adj. for inflation: $28 million (3.1 million tickets)
> Est. production budget, adj. for inflation: $27.7 million
From a Quentin Tarantino script comes this action dramedy, in which a comic book nerd (Christian Slater) hits the road with his new girl (Patricia Arquette) and a fortune in stolen cocaine. Director Tony Scott injects a stylish sheen and kinetic pace, as the story builds to its ultra-violent conclusion. Initially a box office disappointment, the film is now a beloved cult smash with lasting cultural cachet.
13. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2005)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (203,542 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (182 reviews)
> Worldwide box office, adj. for inflation: $24 million (2.6 million tickets)
> Est. production budget, adj. for inflation: $21.4 million
“Lethal Weapon” scribe Shane Black made his directorial debut with this crackerjack crime comedy. Loosely based on a Brett Halliday novel, it finds a former thief turned spontaneous actor (Robert Downey Jr.) investigating a deadly conspiracy. Times (UK) critic Wendy Ide called it a “sarky, sniping film noir homage that assassinates the character of every LA archetype you could imagine.”
12. Gattaca (1997)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (208,849 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (64 reviews)
> Worldwide box office, adj. for inflation: $25 million (2.7 million tickets)
> Est. production budget, adj. for inflation: $71.8 million
This sci-fi mystery welcomes viewers to a dystopian future world, where one’s genetics determine one’s station in life. It opened at No. 5 at the domestic box office, trailing behind movies such as “The Devil’s Advocate” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer.” Core themes of space travel and DNA testing play out against a noirish backdrop, cultivating a unique aesthetic and lasting prescience.
11. Serenity (2005)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (313,280 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (187 reviews)
> Worldwide box office, adj. for inflation: $57.6 million (6.3 million tickets)
> Est. production budget, adj. for inflation: $55.7 million
This space-based adventure culls influence from classic Westerns and picks up where the short-lived TV series “Firefly” left off. Follow a group of rebels as they evade capture from an all-powerful Alliance. Had the film performed better at the domestic box office, a franchise would have surely followed.
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