Not every film worthy of a fanbase does well at the box office, and I believe the last five years have been rife with films that are sure to gestate into cult classics given enough time. In the modern day and age, it seems as though the blockbuster movie is in a more precarious position than ever before. Even films with massive legacies to their names, like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny or The Flash, have panned out as wince-inducing box office failures for their producers, making heavy investments into tentpole films more dangerous than ever.

That being said, quality doesn’t always correlate to big box office numbers, and plenty of films live on in the minds of their fans as cult classics long after their commercial failures. In the last five years, I’ve seen some amazing movies in theaters that simply couldn’t justify their costs from a business perspective, which is always a heartbreaking thing to see. But I have a firm belief that many of them will slowly evolve via word-of-mouth over time into fiercely defended hidden gems overlooked by mass audience appeal.

8

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Lost 35 to 75 million dollars

I have been a particular fan of the Mad Max franchise ever since I was a kid, ever since my dad introduced me to Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior at far too young an age. These genius post-apocalyptic thrill rides raid the box office far too infrequently, which makes it all the more painful that Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga has done so poorly. Even if it doesn’t quite recapture the glory of the previous entry, I still personally consider the prequel to be one of the best action films to come out since Mad Max: Fury Road.

That’s not to say that I don’t understand why Furiosa’s tale hasn’t been as popular. I have my own problems with the idea of re-treading the past in a franchise which, in my opinion, has always worked best as a loose collection of wasteland folk tales with only the vaguest of chronological connections. But for the striking performances, thrilling chase sequences, and sheer visual mastery of the medium of film on display by George Miller, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is sure to age like fine wine. If only it didn’t come at the cost of Mad Max: The Wasteland.

7

Haunted Mansion

Lost 117 million dollars

The original The Haunted Mansion was something of a staple of my childhood, an endlessly rewatchable comedy that managed to concoct an intoxicating mixture of laughter and fear. I was excited when a revamp of the film was announced, but I may have been alone in my nostalgia, as 2023’s Haunted Mansion was one of Disney’s most egregious box office misses in recent years. With a familiar theme park ride intellectual property and an absolutely stacked cast of talent, it’s shocking that the spooky spectral romp didn’t do better.

Haunted Mansion lives in the same strange boundary between immaturity and creepiness that Eddie Murphy’s original star vehicle operated in, which didn’t win it any favors from critics. However, the film currently sits at a healthy 84% on Rotten Tomatoes’ audience score, suggesting its true value as a fun excursion back into Disney’s macabre side that works for what it is. I’m confident that Haunted Mansion will be looked back upon favorably when those that missed out on it finally decide to give it a fair shot as the cornball family comedy it was always meant to be.

6

The Book Of Clarence

Made less than 10% of its budget back on opening weekend

Poor LaKeith Stanfield can’t seem to catch a break when it comes to starring in films that are criminally underrated by general audiences at the box office. For every Get Out, the man has to endure a handful of flops on the caliber of Haunted Mansion, though The Book of Clarence might be his most pitiful take yet. Produced by Jay-Z, the low-budget comedy stars Stanfield as a copycat messiah circa 33 A.D., attempting to model himself as the next Jesus of Nazareth.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Book of Clarence, which brought to mind the hilarious biblical comedy stylings of Monty Python’s Life of Brian. Unfortunately, much like that film, The Book of Clarence had to weather the storms of tackling such delicate subject matter with such a comedic tone, likely contributing to its commercial failures. For those willing to play with the sacred topics, The Book of Clarence is sure to evolve into a cult classic just as its English predecessor had, being similarly unpopular with general audiences at the time of its 1979 release.

5

Bros

Made only 14.8 of its 22 million budget back

LGBTQIA+ films are unfortunately rare in the historical cinema landscape, always burdened with the heavy reality of the real-life struggles of people in the community affecting their box office take. Recent years have been kinder to LGBTQIA+ stories, but prestige cinema darlings like Brokeback Mountain and Moonlight have set impossible standards for the average queer romance story to live up to. Such was the fate of 2022’s Bros, a charming film with the distinction of being one of the first gay romantic comedies ever produced by a major studio.

Despite having a miniscule budget of 22 million dollars, Bros still struggled at the box office, ultimately flopping despite its low bar to clear. This is a crying shame because of just how effective the film is as a romantic comedy, LGBTQIA+ or otherwise. While it’s true that the film made important leaps in representation, the presentation of Bobby and Aaron’s whirlwind romance deserved more financial recognition. Time will surely be kind to Bros as a classic romantic comedy that can stand with the best of them.

4

Soul

Was 19th at the box office the week it released

In the modern movie making landscape, even hallowed names like Pixar don’t bear enough marquee value to ensure a positive box office, with a string of failures from the animation giant bombing in recent years. Of all of Pixar’s most recent financial failures, Soul is my most heartbreaking pick. Hamstrung by the pandemic, Soul was admittedly a huge success for the company on streaming upon its initial debut in 2020, but has languished in obscurity since, as proven by its abysmal run in theaters in 2024.

The themes of Soul really resonate with me in a way few Pixar offerings from the 2020s have, presenting a deeply personal story that compliments its wonderful animation. This only makes the recent Pixar statements on moving away from autobiographical films all the more alarming, as films like Soul and Turning Red are single-handedly upholding Pixar’s modern-day reputation. With time, I hope that others will come to look past the unfortunate circumstances of Soul‘s release and accept it as one of the best Pixar works, just as I have.

3

Three Thousand Years Of Longing

One of the biggest box office bombs of 2022

Even outside the Mad Max series, my beloved George Miller has the worst luck when it comes to staying in the good graces of film investors. After the unmitigated cultural impact of Mad Max: Fury Road, Miller was given free rein for his next project, a loose adaptation of the obscure short story The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye. Three Thousand Years of Longing tells the story of a Djinn, played by Idris Elba, who comes into the custody of a reclusive narratologist, played by Tilda Swinton, regaling her with tales from his long life.

Breathtakingly shot with Miller’s signature style, Three Thousand Years of Longing is a visual marvel that should’ve been worthy of financial acclaim for its visuals alone. In truth, however, it’s no surprise to me that the film flopped, being a decidedly unorthodox love story with some truly bizarre twists that only Miller’s mind could fabricate. Though it languished in box office obscurity, I can’t fathom a world in which Three Thousand Years of Longing isn’t rediscovered in the distant future, dusted off for its value much like the bottle of Elba’s genie.

2

Beau Is Afraid

Lost A24 35 million dollars

Coming off the back of making two of the most critically-acclaimed horror films of the modern era with Hereditary and Midsommar, Ari Aster should’ve been unstoppable. Unfortunately, his third major project, Beau is Afraid, got away from him, an avant-garde monster with zero mass appeal for the box office to feast on save for Joaquin Phoenix’s admittedly excellent performance. While I personally was all but traumatized by this harrowing experience, I have to admit that there’s no world in which Beau Is Afraid doesn’t become a macabre cult classic.

I won’t pretend to understand Beau Is Afraid. After a twist I jokingly suggested while watching the film wound up being startlingly true, my jaw was on the floor, and I can’t call myself a fan of the film in good conscience. What I will acquiesce is that Beau Is Afraid is an unforgettable journey. People who suggest that films like Adam Sandler’s Uncut Gems are the pinnacle of cinematic anxiety would disintegrate upon viewing it. Even if I’m not a part of it, Ari Aster’s third film will doubtlessly develop a sinister cult in the years to come.

1

The Last Duel

Grossed 30 million on a budget of 100 million dollars

The early 2020s were a volatile time for theater releases in general, with even incredible films struggling to turn a profit. This epidemic is represented no better than with 2021’s The Last Duel, a period piece with all the trappings of a prestige cinema event that audiences should’ve clamored over. Taking place in Medieval France, the film centers around a knight who, after his wife comes forward accusing his best friend sexually assaulting her, fights for her honor in a formal duel.

Well-acted, well-shot, and brilliantly told through a unique chronology that retells the same events from the split perspectives of its three main characters, The Last Duel is stunningly provocative. In my estimate, the film’s failure is endemic of the dramatic shift towards streaming modern audiences have taken, preferring the comfort of home to a theater experience. The fact that The Last Duel did great on streaming should be proof enough of this, sure to ferment the timeless film into a verifiable cult classic with just a little more time.