Terrible reviews and a rock-bottom Rotten Tomatoes rating are almost always the kiss of death for a movie. Bad word of mouth soon gets around, and once a movie has the stink of failure hanging around it it’s almost impossible to shake. But time has been kind to a few flops: those that were ahead of their time, that found a new audience years after release, or slowly became established cult classics.
So, here are ten movies that were either reviewed terribly or were colossal box office bombs that are held in high esteem now.
1. Jumanji (1995)
These days, Jumanji is considered a classic ’90s family movie. It’s a showcase for the much-missed Robin Williams, and the franchise has continued in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and The Next Level (with a third entry still in the works).
But back in 1995, critics were very much down on the movie’s jungle capers. Roger Ebert dismissed it with one and half stars, claiming its structure is “inspired by – or limited by – interactive video games” and that “the ultimate level for young viewers will be being able to sit all the way through the movie.” Other critics agreed, with it sitting at a dowdy 39% positive on Metacritic.
2. Flashdance (1983)
Flashdance is now cemented as a true 1980s classic, boasting a killer score by Giorgio Moroder and the all-time great songs ‘Flashdance… What A Feeling’ and ‘Maniac’, both of which are now a staple of eighties music compilations. But Flashdance was absolutely despised upon its original release.
Roger Ebert placed it on his “most hated” list, Variety summed it up as: “sociologically laughable” and most other critics agreed. Thankfully audiences saw the film for what it was: a cheesy, silly and enormously entertaining good time.
3. Hocus Pocus (1993)
In 1993 audiences and critics agreed that Disney’s supernatural comedy Hocus Pocus was an embarrassing flop. The initial theatrical release is estimated to have lost Disney around $16.5 million and critics dubbed it “dreadful,” “confusing,” and full of “hysterical shrieking.” It soon vanished both from theaters and the public consciousness.
Then The Disney Channel began airing Hocus Pocus annually in October and it gradually became a firm Halloween staple. Now it’s a major franchise for Disney, having spawned a huge range of merchandise, a sequel and an upcoming third movie.
4. Equilibrium (2002)
In 2002 Equilibrium was widely considered to be an obvious attempt to cash in on The Matrix bandwagon. It opened to poor reviews and audiences stayed away, grossing a measly $5.3 million against a $20 million budget. Director Kurt Wimmer was scathing about the reviews, saying “Why would I make a movie for someone I wouldn’t want to hang out with? Have you ever met a critic who you wanted to party with? I haven’t.”
These days audiences know there’s a lot to love about this goofy dystopian tale: it’s got a killer cast in Christian Bale, Emily Watson, and Sean Bean, the gun kata is dumb fun and the movie takes itself so seriously it loops back around to being funny.
5. Mother! (2017)
For once the critics got it right. Darren Aronofsky’s bizarre 2017 drama Mother! was lauded by the industry, receiving a standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival, with The Guardian‘s Peter Bradshaw awarding it five stars and raving about “an event-movie detonation, a phantasmagorical horror and black-comic nightmare that jams the narcosis needle right into your abdomen!”
Audiences did not agree and it scored a rare F on CinemaScore. Perhaps drawn in by the promise of a new Jennifer Lawrence movie those attending were met with two hours of terrifying biblically-themed violent chaos and many screenings saw mass walkouts. Six years on Mother! has found its place as a trippy and disturbing art movie and seems destined to grow in stature. Maybe it was mis-marketed?
6. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
It’s worth underlining that Batman v Superman wasn’t a flop. Zack Snyder’s sequel to Man of Steel made $873 million and, at the time, had the fifth biggest opening weekend of all time. But a cripplingly low 29% on the Tomatometer and loud fan dismay at Snyder’s gloomy take on the DC universe, led to a huge second-week drop-off.
Batman v Superman remains a controversial movie to this day, though its reputation has been substantially improved by Snyder’s “Ultimate Edition” director’s cut that hugely improves the story. These days Batman v Superman is much more highly thought of than at release, and we suspect that reputation will only grow in coming years. With the MCU formula now running thin, many are finally seeing this much-misunderstood movie’s many qualities.
7. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)
Looking back, it’s surreal that David Lynch’s Twin Peaks became so popular so fast. And so, after the TV show wrapped up, Lynch returned with a movie prequel expanding on the last week in the life of the doomed Laura Palmer.
It cratered in theaters, with The New York Times saying “It’s not the worst movie ever made; it just feels like it” and made a minuscule $4.2 million domestically. Just a few years later critics decided they were wrong, with Mark Kermode dubbing it a “masterpiece” in 2007. Fire Walk With Me is now commonly listed among the greatest movies of the 1990s – with the British Film Institute naming it the 4th best movie of that decade.
8. Starship Troopers (1997)
Paul Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers opened to ludicrous criticisms that it was promoting fascism, to the extent that Verhoeven and writer Ed Neumeier were openly accused of being Nazi sympathizers. Verhoeven was particularly stunned by The Washington Post calling him a neo-Nazi, as his movie is an extremely unsubtle satire.
Fortunately, whatever was in the water in 1997 that turned everyone stupid has vanished. Starship Troopers is now rightly recognized as an excellent dystopian sci-fi that skewers nationalism and jingoism. It’s now considered one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made and was way ahead of its time.
9. Speed Racer (2008)
Poor, poor Speed Racer. This ludicrously entertaining live-action anime extravaganza was released a decade too soon. Critics and audiences at the time were baffled, dubbing it “headache-inducing,” “wearying” and “computer-generated idiocy.” Boo.
Its critical and box office failure has seen it become a common fixture on streaming services, where it’s since picked up a steady and passionate following. Speed Racer has now been ranked among the “Best Hollywood Blockbusters of the 21st Century” and as an “unsung masterpiece.” Well, I’ve been singing its praises since 2008 and I’m just glad everyone else has caught up.
10. The Big Lebowski (1998)
The Coen Brothers’ classic The Big Lebowski is now such an established cultural icon it’s difficult to imagine any other way. But, on its 1998 release, it was widely considered a poor follow-up to the Coens’ lauded Fargo. The Guardian said that it was “infuriating” and “should have stayed at the bowling alley,” while Peter Howell of the Toronto Star was baffled that the Coens would follow up Fargo with this: “It’s hard to believe that this is the work of a team that won an Oscar last year.”
It’s now a stone-cold classic, inspiring legions of fans around the world. Even some of those who didn’t “get it” eventually came around, with Howell revising his opinion: “it may just be my favourite Coen Bros. film.” Far out, man.