Movies With High Rotten Tomatoes Scores That Bombed At The Box Office

Sometimes, the stars align, and the biggest motion pictures of all time also garner critical acclaim. Looking at the highest-grossing movies of 2021, for example, one can see several lauded titles, like "Spider-Man: No Way Home," "No Time to Die," and "A Quiet Place: Day One." However, it's often critically derided movies like the "Transformers" sequels or "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" that end up making a fortune at the worldwide box office.

In some cases, though, a reverse situation occurs. In these outcomes, critics pile on the praise to movies that end up cratering financially. Eventually, audiences tend to rally around these films and turn them into beloved cult classics; however, during their initial theatrical runs, these motion pictures become more famous for their financial losses than the artistic virtues that critics latch onto.

The reasons why acclaimed movies fail at the box office vary greatly from one motion picture to the next. Some were the victim of bad marketing. Others had poor release dates that ensured audiences had no time to check them out due to bigger competing films or other external factors. Still others suffered from presenting concepts that would've been a tough sell to general moviegoers in any era. Sometimes, no amount of glowing reviews can turn your motion picture into a box office sensation. Read on to discover a slew of movies that had the artistic goods but still failed financially.

There was probably never a way to make "Better Man," a biopic about the life of British musician Robbie Williams, a huge box office hit. Though he was a sensation around the globe, he's a virtual unknown in America, which already cut off one of the biggest moviegoing markets from this Michael Gracey directorial effort. Plus, "Better Man" opted to present Williams as a CG chimpanzee, an artistic choice that likely alienated long-time fans curious to actually see the singer star in a feature film. "Better Man" couldn't even hit $2 million at the domestic box office, and its worldwide haul ended up being just under $18 million, an appalling number for something that cost $110 million to make thanks to the expensive digital trickery used to render primate Robbie Williams. Its box office fate may have been inevitable, but it's a shame since "Better Man" is a terrific addition to the musician biopic canon.

The critically acclaimed "Better Man" (88% on Rotten Tomatoes) soared thanks to its willingness to be so raw about the demons that plagued Williams, not to mention the unforgettably stylized imagery used to realize the pop star's inner turmoil. What other musician biopic features the lead character engaging in a massive fight scene with his younger selves? Plus, Gracey executes the musical numbers (particularly the instantly iconic set piece for "Rock DJ") with endless imagination and zest. It's a shame audiences worldwide gave "Better Man" the coldest of cold shoulders because its gonzo brilliance excels on the big screen.

2016's "Suicide Squad" scored absolutely dreadful reviews that marked some of the worst critical reactions to any 2010s superhero movie. Five years later, its quasi-sequel/reboot "The Suicide Squad" emerged from the mind of writer/director James Gunn. This particular project was beloved by critics (90% on Rotten Tomatoes), who praised the effective pathos and gloriously dark humor scattered throughout the R-rated feature. Praise was also afforded to "The Suicide Squad's" proclivity towards bright colors, which made for an amusing contrast to all the gory carnage its script dished out. Continuing the streak of critical acclaim that greeted Gunn's "Guardians of the Galaxy" movies, "The Suicide Squad," unfortunately, also diverged from its predecessor's box office trajectory.

The original "Suicide Squad" was a critical dud that still exceeded $300 million in North America alone. "The Suicide Squad," meanwhile, grossed just $168.71 million worldwide on a $185 million budget, including just $55.8 million in North America. Simultaneously debuting on HBO Max in North America did "The Suicide Squad" no favors, but its diminished international numbers (where it was a theatrical exclusive) made it clear larger problems were afoot. Disdain for the original "Suicide Squad" and confusion over this project's status as either a sequel or a reboot were just some of the elements that held "The Suicide Squad" back financially. Glowing reviews were a welcome surprise; however, they weren't enough to save this band of DC villains from a gruesome box office death.

In 2024, director Jon M. Chu delivered "Wicked" to movie theaters, and the musical feature instantly became a smash hit. There were endless reasons why "Wicked" blew everyone away at the box office, including the simple fact that a good crowdpleaser musical has almost always been a recipe for financial success. For Chu, this box office outcome was a welcome contrast to how his last movie musical had gone over at the box office.

Three years before "Wicked," Chu's "In the Heights" finally debuted in theaters after a 12-month delay caused by COVID-19. "In the Heights" had no problem winning over the critics, who praised Chu's approach to realizing musical numbers and vividly colorful renderings of ordinary locales like a public swimming pool. Striking performances from stars Corey Hawkins and Anthony Ramos were also lauded, and the film scored 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.

However, those jubilant responses weren't enough to turn the relatively obscure stage musical into a big-screen phenomenon. Worldwide, "In the Heights" only grossed $45.17 million on a $55 million budget. That was a devastatingly poor result, particularly in the U.S., where it proved to be relatively frontloaded for a musical feature. The general public just wasn't as enamored with "In the Heights" as they were with Lin-Manuel Miranda's previous stage musical, "Hamilton." Plus, "Heights" premiered in June 2021, when theaters were beginning to reopen. That was a challenging time to launch a new musical movie, even an acclaimed one from the future director of "Wicked."

Since "The Dark Knight" debuted in 2008, every Christopher Nolan directorial effort has grossed at least $500 million worldwide, including original dramas like "Oppenheimer" and "Dunkirk" — with one glaring exception. 2020's "Tenet" topped out at $366.27 million worldwide and just $59.4 million domestically. Chalk these drastically lower numbers up to the film opening in September 2020. Since Los Angeles and New York City theaters were still closed, and a COVID vaccine was still months away, "Tenet's" potential North American audience was incredibly limited compared to, say, "Interstellar's" in November 2014. On a $200 million budget, "Tenet" inevitably became a massive money loser, an outcome unheard of for post-2007 Nolan features.

This result was understandable, at least, due to external COVID factors. However, what made this box office fate palpably bittersweet was that "Tenet" was well received by critics (70% on Rotten Tomatoes). It had its detractors, like all Nolan films, but folks generally vibed with Nolan's ambitious and visually imaginative approach to time-travel action movies. The film's distinctive imagery, like the sight of things like bullets whizzing back into guns, for instance, was especially praised. Meanwhile, performances from the likes of Robert Pattinson and Elizabeth Debicki were raved about across the board, and Ludwig Göransson scored high marks with his original "Tenet" compositions after taking over from Hans Zimmer as Nolan's new go-to composer. In another timeline, those positive "Tenet" reviews would've been paired with a lucrative box office run reminiscent of all other modern Nolan features.

For well over a decade, the Michael Bay "Transformers" movies shattered box office records despite scoring some of the worst reviews ever for big American blockbusters. The various sequels, especially, were derided, with "Revenge of the Fallen" and "The Last Knight" securing especially brutal reviews. Yet these productions went on to gross over $800 million worldwide like it was no problem.

2024's "Transformers One" went in the opposite direction in every respect, including in landing widespread rave reviews. The genuine heart and character-centric focus of the script were widely lauded, while Brian Tyree Henry scored universal acclaim for his richly emotional turn as a young version of Megatron. "Transformers One" simply mopped the floor with most of its live-action predecessors in raw critical reception, resulting in an 87% Rotten Tomatoes critics score.

In terms of box office gross, though, "Transformers One" was a flop, even on a slimmed-down $75 million budget. In its worldwide box office run, "Transformers One" only grossed $128.3 million, including a dismal $69.2 million overseas. That international gross was a far cry from the days when "Age of Extinction" took in just under $900 million in overseas markets alone! Alas, no matter how good the reviews were, moviegoers just weren't interested in checking out the origin story for Optimus Prime and Megatron. Intense competition from "The Wild Robot" and steadily increasing audience resentment towards the "Transformers" brand helped seal "Transformers One's" box office fate, despite its positive critical reception.

The historical epic "Gladiator" was one of Ridley Scott's biggest movies back in 2000, and teaming up with Matt Damon for 2015's "The Martian" produced another one of Scott's most lucrative features. Unfortunately, combining Damon, Scott, and a period piece setting for 2021's "The Last Duel" didn't result in a box office extravaganza for the ages. This costly feature (which raked up a $100 million budget) barely cracked $30 million worldwide and did especially dismal business in the U.S., where it only grossed $10.8 million. One of Scott's lowest-grossing movies ever globally, "The Last Duel" was a major failure thanks to factors like opening in a crowded October 2021 theatrical landscape and its bleak subject matter warding away moviegoers.

It's a pity that "The Last Duel" was drastically outgrossed by significantly weaker Scott movies like "Gladiator II," because this historical epic was raved about by critics, and for good reason. Told with a sweeping scope and a fascinating narrative structure divided up into thirds, "The Last Duel" is a gripping tale of corrupt men and women just trying to exist under horrific conditions. Critics praised Scott's visual eye as well as the fully committed slimeball performances from the likes of Ben Affleck and Adam Driver. Regarded as one of Scott's better post-2000 movies, "The Last Duel's" glowing reviews scored it an 85% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but couldn't help it get anywhere near the director's most glorious box office high points.

Today, "The Iron Giant" is considered one of the best American animated movies ever made, a triumph of pathos-driven storytelling and one of director Brad Bird's greatest accomplishments. Warner Bros. Pictures has referenced the film constantly in its last decade of blockbuster movies, with "Iron Giant's" titular robot showing up in projects like "Ready Player One" and "Space Jam: A New Legacy." Years before all that, though, "The Iron Giant" was a historically tragic box office bomb. Despite glowing reviews (it has an incredible 96% on Rotten Tomatoes), Warner Bros. just didn't know how to market the film in 1999. Plus, the '90s were harsh to non-Disney animated films that weren't either Nickelodeon show adaptations or DreamWorks SKG Releases. Getting people to care about non-Mouse House animated features, especially ones rooted in sci-fi and action movie history, was a challenge.

Costing $50 million to make, "The Iron Giant" only grossed $23.5 million domestically and $31.7 million worldwide. In sharp contrast to later Bird movies like "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille," "The Iron Giant" lost millions for its financiers. The only upside to its box office failure was that "Giant's" fanbase rallied around the film and never forgot about it. Since then, the film has endured as an underdog cult classic whose unique qualities (which made it a PR nightmare in 1999) make it stand out in the history of American animated cinema. If anything reflects how box office numbers aren't the end of a movie's journey, it's "The Iron Giant."

Looking at Timothée Chalamet's best performances, it becomes clear this modern movie star hasn't just cultivated his esteemed reputation with major studio fare like "Dune" and "Wonka." He's also reaffirmed his artist bona fides by taking on more challenging works like "Bones and All." It's no wonder Luca Guadagnino instantly knew Timothée Chalamet was his cannibal for the 2022 feature about two young cannibals navigating America in the late '80s. This performance saw Chalamet deftly playing a supporting role to the film's protagonist, Maren Yearly, played exceptionally by Taylor Russell. Combining such richly human performances with fearlessly gnarly depictions of cannibalism ensured "Bones and All" scored some of the best reviews of Guadagnino's esteemed career. Critics were especially fond of Russell's work as well as the deeply lived-in imagery brought to life through 35mm film, resulting in an 82% Rotten Tomatoes critics rating.

Despite strong reviews and Chalamet's star power, "Bones and All" cratered at the box office when it hit theaters over Thanksgiving 2022. This film's worldwide gross only totaled $15.2 million, despite a budget reportedly in the $20 million range. Perhaps the graphic subject matter alienated the rising star's die-hard fanbase, or maybe audiences just weren't in the mood for something so bleak in 2022's final months. Competition from other November 2022 films like "The Menu" didn't help either. Whatever the reason, it clearly hasn't derailed Chalamet's movie star momentum in the years that have followed.

"Widows" should've been the start of an exciting new era of mainstream Steve McQueen movies. After proving his chops on challenging indies like "Hunger," "Shame," and the best picture Oscar winner "12 Years a Slave," McQueen turned his sights on "Widows," which he wrote with Gillian Flynn. This production saw McQueen keep his filmmaking skills fully intact, applying them to a crackling crime thriller with enough propulsive pacing and captivating filmmaking to make Michael Mann proud. Plus, McQueen assembled an ensemble cast rich with dynamite performances, including Daniel Kaluuya crafting an all-time great villain and Elizabeth Debicki utterly shattering the audience's collective heart with her deeply vulnerable work. "Widows" was masterful cinema that critics greeted with the same kind of glowing reviews that McQueen's previous films received, resulting in a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

However, "Widows" flopped at the box office, bringing in a tragically low $75.98 million worldwide on a $40 million budget. That included a $42.4 million domestic total that came in noticeably beneath the North American gross of "12 Years a Slave," despite the latter film dealing in much more harrowing material. Competition from other adult dramas (including fellow 20th Century Fox title "Bohemian Rhapsody") in November 2018 limited the box office potential of "Widows," and a generic, stuffy marketing campaign didn't help matters either. "Widows" should've been a crowd-pleasing box office triumph that took McQueen's career to new levels of notoriety. At least he delivered an all-time great film that's still gaining fans years after its underwhelming box office run wrapped up.

A groundbreaking production in terms of practical visual effects, "The Thing" is considered by some to be the best sci-fi horror movie of all time. All across pop culture, you can see evidence of its enduring high stature, from positive references in "Stranger Things" Season 4 to filmmakers like James Gunn talking about how much the feature has influenced their work. The critical reception to "The Thing" was uniformly euphoric, too (85% on Rotten Tomatoes), especially for the way director John Carpenter weaves so much tension out of minimal locations and characters. However, the initial audience response was a lot chillier, causing the film to absolutely bomb at the box office when it hit theaters in 1982. In a summer where "E.T." was king, "The Thing" had to settle for being a mere pauper.

There are endless reasons why John Carpenter's "The Thing" flopped at the box office, including the fact that its grisly take on human beings destroying each other was simply not what audiences wanted at the time. There was also a lot of discussion back in 1982 about the film being excessively gory and grotesque, which ultimately repelled many people who might have otherwise given it a shot. Opening while "Poltergeist" still had a firm grip on the horror moviegoing community also couldn't have helped. "The Thing" had no chance of profitability back in the day, but much like the titular unkillable alien creature, its positive reputation has endured, relentlessly.

Perhaps every movie by The Lonely Island is destined to bomb before thriving in the long term based on strong reviews. In 2007, "Hot Rod" hit theaters, and audiences gave it a shrug, leading to underwhelming box office numbers that preceded "Rod" gaining new life on home video. Nine years later, this cycle happened again; "Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping" tanked when it opened in early June 2016, yet Andy Samberg's comedy stuck around over the decade since thanks in part to tremendously positive reviews. These upbeat marks point to the deluge of catchy and cleverly written songs packed into the feature, as well as how "Popstar" delivered a comedic music mockumentary that didn't just feel like a "This is Spinal Tap" retread. The film's avalanche of hysterical supporting performances from the likes of Sarah Silverman, Tim Meadows, and others has also been frequently praised.

Still, none of that was able to move the needle on "Popstar's" theatrical box office. Maybe it faced way too many big movies, like "Captain America: Civil War" and "Central Intelligence," when it debuted. Also likely to blame is the fact that mockumentaries have a mixed box office track record. For every "Borat," there's a "Surf's Up" that comes in beneath expectations. But even though the box office receipts weren't there, the movie never stopped never stopping. "Popstar's" outstanding reviews (79% on Rotten Tomatoes) paved the way for the legendary cult status it enjoys today. It's "Hot Rod" all over again, in other words.