20 Notable Films That Underperformed at the Box Office

Matthew Vaughn’s “Argylle” has marked itself as the initial major box office disappointment of 2024. Despite being an action-comedy supported by Apple and distributed by Universal Pictures, its domestic opening only brought in $17 million. With a star-studded cast featuring Henry Cavill, John Cena, Dua Lipa, Samuel L. Jackson, and others, the film’s inability to reach even $100 million worldwide from its $200 million production budget is concerning. Negative reviews (the film holds a 32% rating from 255 reviews) further hindered its appeal to audiences. “Argylle” adds to a long list of Hollywood letdowns, highlighting the fact that not all acclaimed films translate into box office success.

Martin Scorsese’s criticism of the industry’s fixation on box office figures, particularly the emphasis on opening weekend grosses, resonates strongly. He once expressed disdain, stating, “The emphasis is now on numbers… As a filmmaker… I always find it really insulting.” Other notable figures like Edgar Wright and Christopher Nolan have echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing the limited perspective of evaluating a film’s worth solely based on its box office performance.

Indeed, many highly acclaimed films of this century initially struggled at the box office. Titles like “Children of Men,” “The Master,” and “Under the Skin” illustrate that a movie’s quality often transcends its financial success. Below, we present a selection of remarkable films that, despite their greatness, failed to meet expectations at the box office:

1. Killers of the Flower Moon
   • Despite strong performances and a $200 million budget, Martin Scorsese’s epic only grossed $67 million domestically and $156 million worldwide, making it a challenging venture for traditional studios.
2. Beau Is Afraid
   • Ari Aster’s visionary odyssey, with a $35 million budget, fell short at the box office, earning only $11 million worldwide.
3. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
   • Despite rave reviews, this adaptation of Judy Blume’s beloved novel struggled, grossing only $21 million worldwide against a $30 million budget.
4. Dumb Money
   • Despite a star-studded cast, the SAG-AFTRA strike hindered the film’s promotion, resulting in disappointing earnings of $13 million domestically and $20 million worldwide.
5. Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant
   • Despite critical acclaim, this war movie fell short, earning just $21 million worldwide against a production budget north of $50 million.
6. Tár
   • Cate Blanchett’s acclaimed performance couldn’t salvage this film’s disappointing $6 million domestic box office against a $30 million budget.
7. The Fabelmans
   • Steven Spielberg’s autobiographical drama, despite earning seven Oscar nominations, only matched its $40 million production budget with $42 million worldwide.
8. Babylon
   • Despite buzz surrounding its debauchery, this extravagant film barely made a dent, grossing just $15 million domestically against a budget of over $80 million.
9. Women Talking
   • Despite critical acclaim, this powerful drama struggled, earning just $5 million domestically against a significant eight-figure budget.
10. She Said
    • Despite tense storytelling, this film about the Harvey Weinstein abuse story failed to resonate with audiences, earning only $5.8 million domestically.

These examples underscore the gap between critical acclaim and box office success, highlighting the complexities of evaluating a film’s worth beyond its financial performance.