Box Office Bombs You Have To Watch On Amazon Prime Right Now
As every cult film aficionado knows, plenty of amazing films bombed at the box office before finding their audience. Just because a movie didn't rake in truckloads of cash during its theatrical release doesn't mean it isn't good or worth watching. Myriad factors contribute to an excellent film not performing well at the box office.
Right now there are a bevy of box office bombs are worth streaming on Amazon. Some of these flops are prestige pieces that nevertheless raked in award nominations. Others are small-budget indie gems that didn't get wide releases. Sometimes these flops are the fault of the distributors, which don't know what to do with films and essentially abandoned them in theaters. From sumptuous big-budget productions to edgy indies, there's something for everyone on Amazon Prime Video. (This article only deals with Amazon Prime in the U.S. Offerings are different in other countries.) Keep reading to discover all the box office bombs you have to watch on Amazon Prime right now.
Babylon is an ambitious Roaring '20s adventure
Damien Chazelle's "Babylon" depicts the decadence of Hollywood during the Roaring '20s. This tumultuous period ushered in new technology, leading to the advent of the talkies, and the end of an era for many silent film stars. This anarchic comedy depicts the rise and fall of Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie), a notoriously wild, fictional silent film star who struggles to maintain her popularity once talkies reveal her to be a flawed, crass human with an unusual accent rather than an iconic mystery.
The budget of "Babylon" was massive — an estimated $110 million — in part because of the impressive cast, which includes big names like Brad Pitt, Tobey Maguire, Jean Smart, and Olivia Wilde. The ostentatious Hollywood parties depicted in the film must have cost a pretty penny as well, when you consider the opulent set decorations, costumes, and the sheer number of extras necessary to depict parties so lavish they'd have given Gatsby a run for his money.
"Babylon" crashed and burned at the box office for many reasons — too many to go into here, but they resulted in the film only recouping a small percentage of its bloated production budget. Although the financial failures of "Babylon," much like the film itself, serve as a metaphor for the entertainment industry's volatile nature, the movie garnered three Oscar nods and favorable scores with audiences on Metacritic. "Babylon" remains an ambitious, messy, manic love letter to cinema and a snap-shot of pre-Hays-code Hollywood (see Looper's "Babylon" review to read our thoughts) — it's a must-see for all film fanatics.
Bombshell is timely, powerful, and riveting
"Bombshell" explores the fall of Fox News titan Roger Ailes (John Lithgow). Ailes was ousted from his leadership role after an internal investigation was launched following a sexual harassment lawsuit by Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman). The movie explores the toxic work environment at Fox News through veteran anchor Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron) and a young, ambitious associate producer named Kayla Pospisil (Margot Robbie). The two women grapple with their responsibility to come forward with their experiences of sexual harassment in the wake of Carlson's allegations.
"Bombshell" wasn't profitable despite its impressive cast and timely #MeToo storyline, suggesting moviegoers aren't hungry for entertainment about media tycoons and their abuses of power — even when the film boasts an A-list cast. The incredible performances of the strong ensemble cast led to favorable reviews from audiences and critics, as well as a bevy of awards nominations. Theron is nearly unrecognizable and excellent as Kelly, Kidman is commanding in her performance as the brilliantly strategic Carlson, and Robbie's vulnerable performance as Pospisil pulls at the heartstrings.
Although "Bombshell" takes some liberties with its true story, as many ripped-from-the-headlines films do, it is a deft exploration of the polarization of America during the 2016 presidential campaign and the role Fox News played in the sensationalization of news as entertainment. Despite its financial failures, "Bombshell" remains a poignant portrait of U.S. culture during a volatile period and is an excellent viewing choice for political junkies who love movies based on true stories.
Bones and All is a (cannibal) love story for the ages
It isn't surprising the cannibalistic love story at the center of "Bones and All" didn't draw audiences to theaters in droves. This quirky indie film from director Luca Guadagnino follows Maren (Taylor Russell), a young cannibal living a transient life under an assumed name with her father (André Holland). On her 18th birthday, Maren awakes to discover her father has abandoned her, leaving an envelope of cash, a tape, and her birth certificate.
While on a journey to find her mother, Janelle (Chloë Sevigny), Maren discovers there are other people like her when she meets the unsettling Sully (Mark Rylance). The disturbing story takes a sweet turn when Maren makes a love connection with Lee (Timothée Chalamet), a young cannibal running from his troubled family life. Guadagnino acknowledged "Bones and All" probably never would have been made if it wasn't for Chalamet's box office clout, suggesting Guadagnino knew it may have a limited target audience from the start.
The cinematography is beautiful and beguiling despite the dark themes, and the acting is top-notch. One can't help but empathize with Lee and Maren, who reveal connection is an innate human need despite their unnatural desires. Although the film didn't recoup its estimated production budget of $16 million in ticket sales, it garnered excellent scores from critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes and favorable scores on Metacritic. "Bones and All" is a tragic love story that just might eat your heart (you can read our Looper review for more), and it's absolutely worth streaming on Amazon Prime tonight.
Cyrano shows Peter Dinklage's range
Joe Wright's "Cyrano" is the latest film adaptation of this classic tragedy of unrequited love, but with a twist. This iteration is a musical written by Erica Schmidt and based on her stage play which also starred Dinklage as Cyrano. Rather than having a large nose as he does in the source material, Schmidt's Cyrano de Bergerac has dwarfism. One could argue, Cyrano's poor self-confidence and fear of rejection stop him from openly professing his love to Roxanne (Haley Bennett), rather than helping Christian (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) win Roxanne's heart with love letters.
Despite getting an Oscar nod and being praised by critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, "Cyrano" did abysmally at the box office, only pulling in a fraction of its estimated $30 million budget. The sumptuous sets and gorgeous costumes evidence how huge the budget was for this film. Musicals and period films typically need big budgets making them a financial gamble. Unsurprisingly "Cyrano" didn't earn back its bloated budget, with such limited interest in musicals from modern audiences.
This iteration of Cyrano de Bergerac's love story is worth a watch, especially if you enjoy period films and musicals. Setting the story in 18th-century France is an interesting change of venue for the usually 17th-century story and works very nicely. Dinklage is an excellent actor, and this role shows his range, proving he can do comedy and drama and has a really nice singing voice to boot. (Read our Looper review for more.) Don't let the box office numbers fool you — "Cyrano" is worth your time.
Everybody Wants Some!! is a spiritual sister to Dazed and Confused
Richard Linklater's secretly made a sequel to his cult classic "Dazed and Confused" — kind of. The film got a little-known spiritual sister named "Everybody Wants Some!!" in 2016. Once again, Linklater created a nostalgic time capsule, taking us back to college life in the early '80s. The film follows freshman baseball star, Jake (Blake Jenner) through the eventful days he spends bonding with his rowdy teammates before classes start.
"Everybody Wants Some!!" might be a bit more raunchy than Linklater's debut film, but it's an homage to saucy college comedies from the '80s, such as "Revenge of the Nerds." Much like its older sister, this film boasts a killer soundtrack that is a perfect snapshot of a time when disco was dying off and hip hop was about to take off.
Linklater struck out at the box office with this film, proving the box office isn't necessarily where his singular talent shines. This indie-gem barely recouped half of its production budget, but critics and audiences loved "Everybody Wants Some!!" The ensemble cast has great chemistry — with Zoey Deutch and Tyler Hoechlin among the crowd — but Glen Powell steals every scene he graces. "Everybody Wants Some!!" didn't become the cultural touchstone "Dazed and Confused" was, but that doesn't mean this hilarious romp isn't worth streaming.
Freeway has one of Reese Witherspoon's best roles
If you haven't seen this mid-'90s retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood," you're not alone. This twisted modern fairy tale follows Vanessa Lutz (Reese Witherspoon) as she hitchhikes to her grandma's house in Bakersfield after her sex worker mom, Ramona (Amanda Plummer), and drug addict stepdad, Larry (Michael T. Weiss) are taken into police custody for solicitation and possession. When Vanessa's social worker is sent to retrieve her, Vanessa goes on the lamb to avoid another stint in foster care.
Vanessa meets Bob Wolverton (Kiefer Sutherland) during her journey and opens up to him about her harrowing life experiences before discovering he is the "I-5 Killer," who is known for preying upon women along the concrete corridor north of Los Angeles. This modern fable provides thought-provoking social commentary on how our criminal justice system often protects rich white men like Bob Wolverton by assuming their innocence while disenfranchising poor, uneducated girls like Vanessa who have spent their childhood in the foster care and juvenile detention systems. Vanessa never had a chance of being seen as a victim.
Despite only pulling in a fraction of its shoestring budget, "Freeway" got the coveted two thumbs-up rating from Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert and is "certified fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes. Witherspoon and Sutherland are phenomenal in their roles as wolf and girl. Bokeem Woodbine and Brooke Shields add excellent supporting roles to this indie gem. If you love satirical black comedies and haven't seen writer-director Matthew Bright's "Freeway" yet, you've gotta stream it this weekend on Amazon Prime.
Heathers is a dark, funny teen masterpiece
"Heathers" follows Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder), a teenage genius who thinks she sold her soul for a seat at the popular table with the original mean girls: Heather Chandler (Kim Walker), Heather McNamara (Lisanne Falk), and Heather Duke (Shannen Doherty). When bad boy Jason Dean (Christian Slater) moves to town, Veronica's teen angst is directed toward her friend group, and with JD's influence, murders staged as suicides sweep the high school.
"Heathers" might be one of the greatest teen movies ever made, and according to the director, Michael Lehmann, the movie is unlikely to be remade for a lot of reasons — in part because of the controversial topics "Heathers" explores with such dark humor and glee. "Heathers" sharp dialogue, idiosyncratic slang, and excellent cast is the perfect recipe for a memorable movie that has stood the test of time.
Although "Heathers" was a dud at the box office and only brought in a third of its budget, it has since become a certifiable cult classic and gone on to delight fans in a new incarnation as a musical. The movie only lasted about a week before being pulled from theaters but that doesn't mean it isn't worth watching. "Heathers" garnered a 95% "fresh" score with critics on Rotten Tomatoes and is sure to delight if you stream it on Amazon Prime. If you love this pitch-black comedy as much as we think you will, check out the untold truth of "Heathers" on Looper after watching the movie.
Our Friend is great, but bring tissues
"Our Friend," is based on the true story of Nicole (Dakota Johnson) and Matt Teague (Casey Affleck) and their best friend, Dane Faucheux (Jason Segel), who dropped everything and temporarily moved to Fairhope, Alabama, to help care for Nicole and their daughters, Molly (Isabella Kai Rice) and Evie (Violet McGraw), throughout Nicole's painfully long struggle with ovarian cancer. Although we begin the film knowing Nicole doesn't survive her ordeal, we are still drawn into the tragic true story.
The film is based upon Matt's award-winning Esquire article "The Friend," which Matt wrote as a tribute to Dane's strength of character and endless devotion to the Teague family. The poor turnout in theaters to see "Our Friend" seems like a reflection of Matt's observation in Esquire that people don't want to know what dying is really like. "We don't tell each other the truth about dying," he wrote. "Not real dying. Real dying, regular and mundane dying, is so hard and so ugly that it becomes the worst thing of all: It's grotesque. It's undignified."
This tear-jerker absolutely bombed at the box office, recouping about 10% of the production budget, despite garnering excellent scores from critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. "Our Friend" is an inspiring, brutally honest, heartrending tribute to found family and the fragility of life. Segel's performance is endearingly heartbreaking and funny in turn. Affleck's performance is a vulnerable triumph, and Johnson turns in a career-best performance in "Our Friend." Don't forget the tissues, you'll need them.
The Boondock Saints is delicious schlock
"The Boondock Saints" struck out with critics, but audiences loved the vigilante justice film about two Irish brothers who clean up the streets of Boston as a holy mission. When fraternal twin brothers Conner (Sean Patrick Flanery) and Murphy (Norman Reedus) grow weary of organized crime in their city, they hunt down Boston's infamous gangsters. The brothers become folk heroes in their community, and an eccentric FBI agent, Paul Smecker (Willem Dafoe), is sent to stop their cleansing of Boston.
"The Boondock Saints" did abysmally at the box office. Some believe the film struggled to get a distributor because writer-director Troy Duffy had beef with Harvey Weinstein, who could have blacklisted the project. More likely, the Columbine shooting happening mere weeks before the ultra-violent film's release resulted in a limited theatrical release and poor turnout in theaters. Blockbuster Video was instrumental in helping "The Boondock Saints" achieve cult status when the rental chain negotiated an exclusive rental rights deal.
The movie was so popular with audiences that it received a belated sequel. There's even been talk of "Boondock Saints" threequel, which hasn't materialized. Despite being critically panned as a "Pulp Fiction" knockoff and its struggles to even get made, "The Boondock Saints" is totally worth your time. If you're looking for a gleefully violent '90s throwback, put on "The Boondock Saints" and kick up your Doc Martens; 91% of Rotten Tomatoes audience members think you will enjoy it.
Three Thousand Years of Longing is George Miller at his strangest
"Three Thousand Years of Longing" follows an academic, Alithea (Tilda Swinton), who has a strange encounter during a trip to Istanbul for a conference. After a blown glass bottle is given to Alithea as a gift, she encounters the Djinn (Idris Elba), who requests she make three wishes to secure his permanent freedom from the bottle that was his prison. Because she studies mythology and folklore, Alithea is wary of making these wishes, knowing the myriad of ways wish fulfillment often backfires on the wisher. While trying to earn her trust, the Djinn shares his life story with Alithea.
Writer-director George Miller's "Three Thousand Years of Longing" flamed out at the box office, recouping less than half of the $60 million budget, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth your time. Going toe to toe with "Top Gun: Maverick" didn't help this unique film's box office chances either.
The scenes depicting the Djinn's history are gorgeous, transporting viewers into an incredibly realized mythic past. While much of the film is the Djinn and Alithea sitting in a hotel room talking, it is an engaging exploration of folklore and is Miller's love letter to storytelling. (Read our Looper review to see more of our thoughts on it.) "Three Thousand Years of Longing" also got solid scores with critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes and is a must-see for any mythology aficionado.
Vertigo is widely considered Alfred Hitchcock's best film
"Vertigo" follows John "Scottie" Ferguson (James Stewart), a San Francisco police officer who retires after being injured on the job and developing a debilitating fear of heights. While feeling adrift, Scottie reluctantly agrees to follow the wife of an acquaintance from college and is pulled into a strange mystery centered on a historical figure from San Francisco and a woman, Madeleine Elster (Kim Novak), who appears to have been possessed by the deceased woman's spirit.
Although Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo" was regarded as a box office failure when it premiered in 1958, it has since been advanced to lofty heights few films reach. "Vertigo" is widely regarded as Hitchcock's darkest (and weirdest) film, centered on obsession and deceit. This off-putting storyline is part of the reason it flopped in theaters, rather than resonating with audiences. In 2012, "Vertigo" ousted "Citizen Kane" from the top spot on Sight and Sound's list of the greatest films of all time.
"Vertigo" has a 92% critic score and 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and won "universal acclaim" among critics and audiences on Metacritic. Robert Burks' cinematography, with San Francisco and the California coast as a backdrop, is marvelous, and the supporting roles are consummately performed. Although "Vertigo" is melodramatic at times and might be a tad dated, it was absolutely ahead of its time and deserves a viewing if you consider yourself a film buff or a thriller aficionado. Don't forget to watch "Vertigo" on Amazon Prime before seeing the upcoming reboot starring Robert Downey Jr.