Flop, failure, fiasco. When we speak in these terms of films that have done badly, very badly, at the box office, we risk misleading the reader. Because sometimes, reading the economic results, one is led to think that these also correspond to an indication of quality. A simple psychological mechanism whereby if a title climbs the ranking of the most viewed of the year then it will have some merit. If it fails to make a profit, not draw viewers into the theater, then something is missing.
Nothing more wrong. Film buffs who love to dig into hidden gems know that rare, divisive, complicated yet highly stimulating works are sometimes found at the bottom of the box office charts. Sometimes flops can cash well, but be too expensive compared to the profit they brought. Remember, to make a profit a film must add to the simple cost of production at least the equivalent amount to cover promotion and distribution.
Since everyone deserves a second chance, we have searched among the flops from the beginning of the millennium to today for 10 beautiful films not to be forgotten. The numbers speak for themselves: they have not been seen by a sufficient number of people. Were you among those? Let us know and let’s start immediately with the famous:
The children of men
It is often quoted The children of men as one of the best films of our century, one of the most important examples of contemporary science fiction. But how many have actually seen it? And how many at the cinema? Alfonso Cuarón’s work has some crazy sequences, including one of the best sequence shots in the car ever. All of this costs. $76 million to be exact. He only collected about seventy of them. He got a new life on home video thanks to word of mouth, but not enough to change his fortunes. And yet, if they could go back in time, many of the people who saw it would flood theaters in its first week of release.
Steve Jobs
Is it possible to make a film by seizing the opportunity of a famous death, do it well and even with innovative ideas? Steve Jobs is by Danny Boyle, but the affirmative answer to these questions comes from Aaron Sorkin’s inspired screenplay. Form is substance: the Apple founder filmed shortly before the presentation of three key products of the company. A life told through apexes, objects, and torments. Costing 30 million dollars, it could have easily collected double, if not more, thanks to the names involved, the public’s affection for the entrepreneur and the acting numbers of Michael Fassbender and Kate Winslet. A stumbling block was the competitor Jobs, released shortly before. Soon the interest in his life waned. Everyone had read the biography, why watch the movie? He only grossed $34 million.
The assassination of Jesse James at the hands of the coward Robert Ford
Andrew Dominik’s film has reawakened enthusiasm for a reinterpretation of western myths with today’s authorial sensibility. The film is beautiful, Roger Deakins’ cinematography is out of this world, yet even Brad Pitt couldn’t bring people to the theater. To be honest next to him there were stars of the caliber of Casey Affleck, Sam Rockwell, Jeremy Renner, Sam Shepard. The production alone cost $30 million. The collection is scary: 15 million.
West Side Story + The Fabelmans
Steven Spielberg arrived in theaters with two beautiful films that the public has not seen. West Side Story it had the excuse of being a remake, a musical, and of coming out in a still difficult pandemic moment. the Fabelmans no. Difficult to investigate the reasons for the flop. They are probably multiple (a title that is not simple, a wrong promotional campaign, the limited scope of the story), but the latter came out particularly dented from last season. To make matters worse, the defeat at the Oscars. Not bad, watch it anyway together with West Side Story. You will have it all to yourself not one, but two cinematic jewels.
Mother!
Darren Aronofsky is already a divisive director in his own right. Plus with Mother! He built a film made to divide both critics and audiences in two. Extreme, messy, experimental, insane, it’s no surprise her failure. He was also booed severely in Venice. Scenes of anger and dismay that have never been seen again (for now). Costing 30 million dollars, it was a 44 million fiasco. Only 17 in the USA, 26 in the rest of the world. The towing of Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem was much less than hoped for. However, it is worth trying to pass under this chopper. The emotions will be many: hate or love. Surely not indifference.
Warriors
Two brothers. A mixed martial arts tournament. Both are forced to win. In Warriors Tom Hardy makes it clear what he can do as an actor. Joel Edgerton follows him as he can. Nick Nolte stands out above all. Frank Grillo coaches with a touching charisma. Muscle tears, virile, in a big, thick and beautiful film. It was a flop of those who regret so much. It grossed only $9 million worldwide. He didn’t even cover his meager 25 million in production costs with the total. He had what it takes to get into the hearts of viewers and, perhaps, influence the genre by bringing more pain and feelings.
Fair of Illusions – Nightmare Alley
Blame the pandemic or the disinterest of paying spectators? The fair of illusions by Guillermo Del Toro is a crazy noir, one of the best films of the director. Costing 60 million dollars, it grossed 37 before ending up on Disney Plus. A tremendous and unfair flop, so much so that even Martin Scorsese defended the film by writing an open letter. He said to give yourself a gift and go see the film. He remained unheard.
The Last Duel
It was 2021 and while the world was trying to live with Covid, Ridley Scott was shooting two films on the big screen. One good and one bad. Neither of them made particular sparks, the year was quite difficult for the box office. Only that the ugly one (House of Gucci) fared much better than the good one: The Last Duel. Get ready for the numbers, which hurt. With a budget of over 100 million dollars, it grossed just over 30 million. Ridley Scott got a little nervous by blaming the flop on millennials.
Blade Runner 2049
The Impossible Movie. The one from which no director emerges unscathed. Only fools can claim to do well a sequel to Blade Runner. Or very good directors. Denis Villeneuve belongs to the second category. So his Blade Runner 2049 is kind of weird, not revolutionary, not exciting like the first one, but perfect, well-kept, respectful, innovative in his own way. The discourse on identity, on automatons and humans that innervate the fabric of cyberpunk cities has progressed well.
The public’s response was clear: we don’t trust them. Don’t touch the classics. Breakeven was estimated at around $400 million. He managed to scrape together only 267.
Form defect
Paul Thomas Anderson is certainly not a stratospheric box-office director. However, the feeling is that no one, outside the narrow circle of enthusiasts, has seen his beauty Form defect. The numbers prove us right: 14 million takings worldwide. Very bad for a movie starring Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Reese Witherspoon, Benicio del Toro, Jena Malone, Katherine Waterston and of course Maya Rudolph.
It is worth buying it on home video and dedicating an evening to it. To this and the other films we have mentioned. To enjoy great cinema. And to be able to tell friends: “I saw it, and you?”.
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