I would also include anything that was initially a flop on its original release but then found a following later such as movies like Momento. This still counts as commercial failure for the sake of this question.
Most recently, Super girl was underrated.
I also liked The Dead Don’t Die.
Weird Al’s film UHF.
In a just universe it’d have made a ton of money, spawned sequels, and set Al up as just as successful a screen performer as he is a musical performer. As is it flopped in theaters, but gained a well-justified cult following on home video afterward.
Pantheon, the TV series.
One of the best shows ever, IMO, so good I can’t say much without spoiling the premise in a Outer Wilds kind of way.
Yet it was trampled by AMC and their failed streaming service. What a mess. I’m not sure it’s possible to even watch legally?
Looks like it got moved to Netflix in the US.
Ah. Good. I thought it was only available from Amazon in a few regions, but it appears that isn’t the case anymore.
I guess it technical made money but Kung Pow! Enter the Fist.
I saw it in theater and remember everyone laughing through the whole thing. Absolutely absurd re-dubbing of a couple of old kung fu movies by the guy that later wrote and directed Ace Ventura and wrote the Jimmy Neutron movie. The reviews were utterly horrible (deservedly) but undeniably funny. I still quote it all the time.
For the unaware that where the “That’s a lot of nuts!” comes from.My social group gets a lot of use out of “we trained him wrong as a joke,” “my name is Betty,” and “your shirt is red!”
I relate to Wimp Lo harder than I’ve ever related to a character depicted in any media.
Surprised no one’s brought up The Room (2003) yet.
Really hoping that the Bob Odenkirk remake becomes a real thing.
Mystery Men. Probably 20 years ahead of its time. I don’t think people had been inundated with superhero movies enough to appreciate the deconstruction. Aside from one or two short pointless scenes (what purpose did the skunk scene serve?) the film is incredibly tight, peak comedy.
I saw it in the theater when it came out. Loved it.
I don’t know that Water World ever got a later following, but I love it and it’s still an original take on the post-apocalypse genre.
I never understood what issue people had with it. There so many way way worst action movies.
Tremors?
Forspoken
Donnie Darko. It perfectly fits your second criterion. It was an abysmal flop in theaters, mostly because its ads got pulled because it featured ::: spoiler spoilers a jet engine crashing into a house just 6 weeks after 9/11. :::
It had a budget of $4.5 million and only made $500k in theaters. But it later exploded on DVD and made $10 million.
Oh I have a few!
Office Space
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
The Beach
These three are probably my top favorite films of all time. I also have a soft spot for Tron Legacy
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
I wonder if it remembers me.
Was Life Aquatic a failure or was it just like everything else Anderson?
Blade Runner 2049 was technically a commercial failure by hollywood standards.
Because it was a mediocre movie
Disagree. I think it’s been too long since we’ve had slow-paced thoughtful scifi movies.
Reaper and Santa Clarita Diet.
No idea if they were flops, or if they just got canceled because the actors were up to other stuff, or writers died, or the network heads were coked up or whatever idk. They were canceled before they could finish and im sad.
Considering it was only a season long, the Deadman Wonderland anime. Such an interesting concept, so much so that just posting this makes me wanna read the manga for the first time.
Also, had an amazing theme song, which is just an alternate version of Black Hearts & Dollar $ign$ by Fade.
Freddy got Fingered
