Summary
- Box office returns don’t always measure a movie’s success, and some 90s flops gained cult followings later.
- Marketing and timing play a big role in a movie’s commercial success, not just the quality.
- Movies like The Big Lebowski and The Shawshank Redemption are now cherished, despite initial box office disappointment.
Each decade has a few box office flops that deserved better, and the 1990s had more than most. Some of the most iconic movies of the 1990s were initially branded as commercial failures, and it took a while before audiences came around to their charms. Movies like The Big Lebowski and The Shawshank Redemption failed to turn a profit, but this hasn’t stopped them from being appreciated decades after their release.
A movie’s box office return depends on marketing and timing as much as anything else. Money has never been a great metric to measure the success of a movie, and some of the biggest box office flops of the 1990s prove this point. In some cases, movies that were a little too strange to connect with general audiences at the time have since been recognized as trailblazers, far ahead of their time.
Related 20 Biggest Box Office Bombs Of All Time
From Pixar flops to Western catastrophes to CGI messes and franchises that never took off, these are the 20 biggest box office failures of all time.
10 The Big Lebowski (1998)
Box Office: $46.7 million
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The Big Lebowski Where to Watch
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Director Joel Coen , Ethan Coen Release Date March 6, 1998 Cast Julianne Moore , Jeff Bridges , Steve Buscemi , John Turturro , John Goodman , David Huddleston , Phillip Seymour Hoffman
The Coen brothers have always had a hit-and-miss record at the box office. They have had big hits like True Grit and No Country for Old Men, but some of their best movies have failed to impress audiences. The Big Lebowski wasn’t a complete bomb, but it definitely fell short of expectations. It also received mixed reviews when it was released, but it has since been reassessed, and it has earned a devoted cult following.
The Big Lebowski
is populated by strange characters, which allows Jeff Bridges to deliver a hilarious performance by playing it straight.
The Big Lebowski is filled with great quotes, which is part of the reason why the comedy has retained so much of its appeal over the years. Like many Coen brothers movies, the story follows a complex crime plot, but it’s seen through the lens of the Dude, an apathetic loser who just wants to go bowling and drink white Russians with his friends. The Big Lebowski is populated by strange characters, which allows Jeff Bridges to deliver a hilarious performance by playing it straight.
9 The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Box Office: $16 million
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The Shawshank Redemption Where to Watch
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Director Frank Darabont Release Date October 14, 1994 Cast Tim Robbins , Morgan Freeman , Bob Gunton , William Sadler , Clancy Brown , Gil Bellows , Mark Rolston , James Whitmore
The Shawshank Redemption had to compete with the juggernauts of Pulp Fiction and Forrest Gump when it was released in 1994, so it’s no huge surprise that audiences didn’t give it much attention. The Shawshank Redemption‘s box office failure certainly wasn’t helped by the fact that Columbia Pictures chose to leave Stephen King’s name out of the marketing drive. The Shawshank Redemption earned much more money when it was re-released following its awards-season success, but it still wasn’t enough.
The Shawshank Redemption
‘s box office failure certainly wasn’t helped by the fact that Columbia Pictures chose to leave Stephen King’s name out of the marketing drive.
Despite its shaky start, The Shawshank Redemption is now one of the most beloved movies of the 1990s. Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins provide a ray of hope in the grim portrayal of prison life. Red and Andy are easy characters to root for, especially against the sadistic prison wardens. The Shawshank Redemption‘s happy ending is a big surprise considering the genre, but it has contributed to the movie’s lasting popularity.
8 A Simple Plan (1998)
Box Office: $16.3 million
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A Simple Man
Director Sam Raimi Release Date December 11, 1998 Cast Bill Paxton , Billy Bob Thornton , Bridget Fonda , Brent Briscoe , Jack Walsh , Chelcie Ross , Becky Ann Baker , Gary Cole
With a budget of $17 million, A Simple Plan fell well short of breaking even with its meager theatrical run. Sam Raimi’s crime thriller follows three friends who find a crashed plane with $4 million in cash in rural Minnesota. Some have theorized that A Simple Plan suffered from comparisons to Fargo, which came out just two years earlier and also featured a plot with some witless thugs squabbling over money in a snow-covered landscape. A Simple Plan didn’t play in as many theaters as Fargo.
A Simple Plan
benefits from strong performances all round, but Billy Bob Thornton’s is the most surprising.
A Simple Plan can’t really be compared to Fargo beyond a few superficial similarities. While the Coen brothers movie is a deadpan comedy, A Simple Plan is much more emotionally earnest and morally complex. The friends find that their trust is pushed to the limit as the heat from the police cranks up, and they quickly shift from collective solidarity to cowardly self-interest. A Simple Plan benefits from strong performances all round, but Billy Bob Thornton’s is the most surprising.
7 Dazed & Confused (1993)
Box Office: $8.2 million
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Dazed and Confused Where to Watch
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Director Richard Linklater Release Date September 24, 1993 Cast Jason London , Wiley Wiggins , Matthew McConaughey , Rory Cochrane , Joey Lauren Adams , Milla Jovovich
Richard Linklater’s cult-classic hangout movie shows what can be achieved by creating an enjoyable atmosphere, but Dazed and Confused was a box office bomb when it was released. Linklater wanted the movie to be released to coincide with the end of the school year, in keeping with the setting, but it was delayed until September. This misstep, coupled with Grammercy Pictures’ insistence on marketing it as a stoner comedy, made the movie a flop.
Dazed and Confused
is hugely nostalgic for anyone who went to high school in the 1970s, but its relatable portrayal of youth gives it cross-generational appeal.
Dazed and Confused is now considered one of Richard Linklater’s best movies. Its loose structure gives it an immersive feeling, as does its period-appropriate fashion and slang. Dazed and Confused is hugely nostalgic for anyone who went to high school in the 1970s, but its relatable portrayal of youth gives it cross-generational appeal. The relatively unknown cast was a drawback at the time, but some of the movie’s stars have since become huge names.
6 Ed Wood (1994)
Box Office: $13.8 million
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Ed Wood Where to Watch
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Director Tim Burton Release Date October 7, 1994 Cast Johhny Depp , Sarah Jessica Parker , George “The Animal” Steele , Patricia Arquette , Martin Landau , Bill Murray
During the height of 1990s Tim Burton strangeness, the director teamed up with Johnny Depp for a surprisingly traditional Hollywood biopic of the man who has been dubbed the worst director of all time. Ed Wood was a tough sell to audiences, mostly because by 1994 the movie’s subject was no longer a big name. The black-and-white style also didn’t help to draw an audience, and Ed Wood failed to recoup its budget.
Ed Wood
was a tough sell to audiences, mostly because by 1994 the movie’s subject was no longer a big name.
The reasons for Ed Wood‘s box office failure are directly related to the reasons why it’s such an underrated gem. Burton’s exploration of a passionate but critically panned filmmaker gives him a chance to reckon with his own place within the industry from an unusual angle. Ed Wood is a niche prospect for anyone lacking in-depth knowledge of B-movies, but its story of perseverance and optimism is universal. Three decades later, it remains one of Tim Burton’s best movies.
5 The Insider (1999)
Box Office: $60.3 million
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The Insider
Director Michael Mann Release Date November 5, 1999 Cast Russell Crowe , Al Pacino , Christopher Plummer , Diane Venora , Philip Baker Hall , Lindsay Crouse , Debi Mazar , Stephen Tobolowsky
The Insider was nominated for seven Academy Awards, but it was a box office failure. The plot focuses on the real-life story of a 60 Minutes segment which featured an interview with a tobacco industry whistleblower. Although the plot is as tense as any of Michael Mann’s other movies, the premise was a hard sell. The Insider‘s $90 million budget was excessive to begin with, and its paltry box office total made it look even more unusual.
Mann finds the most fascinating aspect of the story and brings it to the forefront. The premise isn’t immediately gripping, but the outcome certainly is.
The Insider‘s big budget may have set it up for financial failure, but it meant that Mann could assemble a superb cast, which includes Al Pacino, Russell Crowe and Christopher Plummer. Pacino’s relationship with Crowe is particularly captivating, as the two men question how far they can trust one another and how important the truth really is when it endangers them both. Mann finds the most fascinating aspect of the story and brings it to the forefront. The premise isn’t immediately gripping, but the outcome certainly is.
4 True Romance (1993)
Box Office: $12.6 million
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True Romance Where to Watch
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Director Tony Scott Release Date September 10, 1993 Cast Christopher Walken , Dennis Hopper , Brad Pitt , Christian Slater , Gary Oldman , Val Kilmer , Samuel L. Jackson , Patricia Arquette
Quentin Tarantino wrote the script for True Romance, but he sold the rights so that he could afford to fund his debut feature Reservoir Dogs. Tarantino’s movies have been consistent moneymakers for years, but True Romance barely earned back its $12.5 million budget. True Romance may have suffered from a title which doesn’t fit with its genre, and also the fact that it had to compete with The Fugitive at the box office.
Tony Scott does an excellent job of directing
True Romance,
but the script is unmistakably Tarantino’s work.
Tony Scott does an excellent job of directing True Romance, but the script is unmistakably Tarantino’s work. The dialogue crackles with wit, and the criminal plot escalates in the same riotous way that Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown do. Tarantino and Scott’s successes have allowed True Romance to be reassessed following its release. It has now gotten the respect and admiration it deserves.
3 The Iron Giant (1999)
Box Office: $31.3 million
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The Iron Giant Where to Watch
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Director Brad Bird Release Date August 6, 1999 Cast Vin Diesel , Christopher McDonald , Harry Connick Jr , Jennifer Aniston , Eli Marienthal
Before becoming one of Pixar’s go-to directors, Brad Bird delivered a 2D masterpiece with 1999’s The Iron Giant. Warner Bros. didn’t back the movie in the way that they could have done, having suffered a couple of massive financial losses from other animated movies. The studio neglected to secure fast food and cereal tie-ins for the promotion of The Iron Giant, which were two huge tactics for marketing children’s movies during the 1990s.
The movie’s historical context makes it an enjoyable watch for older audiences, and its authentic emotional storytelling is also a treat for all ages.
The Iron Giant wasn’t initially seen by many people, but those who did take a gamble on the movie soon fell in love with it. Brad Bird’s movie tells the story of a young boy who befriends an enormous alien robot during the height of the Cold War. The movie’s historical context makes it an enjoyable watch for older audiences, and its authentic emotional storytelling is also a treat for all ages.
2 Bottle Rocket (1996)
Box Office: $560,000
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Director Wes Anderson Release Date February 21, 1996 Cast Luke Wilson , Owen Wilson , Robert Musgrave , Lumi Cavazos , James Caan
Wes Anderson has developed a cult following over the years, and most of his movies turn a healthy profit. His debut feature, Bottle Rocket, was a commercial failure, however. With a $5 million budget and a limited release, Bottle Rocket wasn’t expected to move mountains, but it still fell short of expectations. This financial failure was so damaging that Owen Wilson considered quitting the movie industry altogether and joining the Marines.
Bottle Rocket
doesn’t display the full eccentric flair that is typical of Anderson’s style, but it’s still a charming crime caper bristling with wit.
Fortunately, Anderson’s career rebounded. His next two movies, Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums, established him as a director to watch. Bottle Rocket doesn’t display the full eccentric flair that is typical of Anderson’s style, but it’s still a charming crime caper bristling with wit. Even though Bottle Rocket had a poor box office showing, it was always popular with critics, and it has finally gotten the attention it deserves.
1 Fight Club (1999)
Box Office: $100.9 million
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Fight Club Where to Watch
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Director David Fincher Release Date October 15, 1999 Cast Brad Pitt , Meat Loaf , Edward Norton , Jared Leto , Helena Bonham Carter
Fight Club broke the $100 million barrier at the box office, but given its $65 million budget and its marketing costs, this still constituted a failure. The marketing contributed to the movie’s disappointing financial return, as 20th Century Fox ignored David Fincher’s advice. The advertising tried to sell Fight Club as an action movie, rather than a dark comedy or a psychological thriller.
Brad Pitt’s energetic performance as Tyler Durden is a big reason why
Fight Club
retains so much of its allure, and the character has come to symbolize a particular anarchic philosophy.
Fight Club did eventually find its audience, and its anti-establishment message cut through. Brad Pitt’s energetic performance as Tyler Durden is a big reason why Fight Club retains so much of its allure, and the character has come to symbolize a particular anarchic philosophy. Another important factor is that Fight Club‘s brilliant twist doesn’t ruin the movie, and it makes it even more enjoyable to watch multiple times.