Movies that critics hate can still rake in cash at the box office. These films earned the label of some of the worst ever made, yet they turned a profit or drew crowds despite the backlash. Here are standout examples that prove bad reviews do not always mean empty seats.
Take Gigli from 2003. This romantic comedy starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez bombed with critics, scoring a measly 6% on Rotten Tomatoes for its weird plot about a hitman and a bodyguard falling in love. People called it awkward and unfunny. Still, it pulled in $7.3 million domestically on a $54 million budget, but international earnings and home video sales helped it break even over time. For more on flops that lingered, check out https://www.slashfilm.com/2042765/worst-box-office-openings-all-time/.
The Room stands out as a true cult disaster. Tommy Wiseau’s 2003 passion project got slammed as one of the worst films ever for its bizarre acting, plot holes, and lines like “You’re tearing me apart, Lisa!” It opened to almost nothing but grossed over $2 million domestically on a $6 million budget, thanks to midnight screenings and word-of-mouth irony. Fans pack theaters for it yearly.
Batman & Robin in 1997 poisoned the franchise with its campy tone, bad puns from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze, and George Clooney’s stiff Batman. It holds a 12% Rotten Tomatoes score. The $160 million budget met its $238 million worldwide gross, saving it from total loss amid merchandising bucks.
Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 from 2004 took the cake for nonsense. Critics ripped its talking babies, celebrity cameos, and Jon Voight as a villain, giving it a 0% rating. Made for $20 million, it earned $7.6 million theatrically but hit profitability through DVD sales to families.
Even recent ones like Studio 666 in 2022 fit the bill. Dave Grohl and Foo Fighters made this horror comedy, panned for being too goofy with gore. It debuted poorly against holdovers like The Martian but grossed $3.39 million on $15 million, scraping by on fan turnout. Details from https://www.slashfilm.com/2042765/worst-box-office-openings-all-time/.
In 2025, films like those in November’s string of flops showed the pattern. A Predator movie cost $105 million and failed to break even, while others with stars like Nicolas Cage as Jesus’s dad in a horror flick made peanuts. One with Russell Crowe and Rami Malek got applause at festivals but tanked in theaters. See the breakdown in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM-0BdLa6qU.
Christy, Sydney Sweeney’s 2025 boxing biopic, joined the worst openings list with a brutal debut. It cracked the top 15 disasters despite hype. More at https://www.imdb.com/news/ni65610009/.
These movies highlight how star power, timing, or sheer curiosity can override awful reviews and fill coffers.
Sources
https://www.slashfilm.com/2042765/worst-box-office-openings-all-time/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM-0BdLa6qU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCvG7CY0M_s
https://www.imdb.com/news/ni65610009/
