The Best Box-Office Bombs of 2025

In 2025, the highest-earning movie in the U.S. was A Minecraft Movie, bringing in $423.9 million at the box office. Close behind was Disney’s Lilo & Stitch with $423.7 million. Other top performers included Superman ($354.1 million), Jurassic World: Rebirth ($339.6 million), and Wicked: For Good ($296.9 million and still counting).

These movies generally received good reviews, and one even became a surprising hit with teenagers known for their enthusiastic, and loud, reactions. However, like many films in 2025, positive reviews didn’t necessarily mean box office success. A frustrating trend emerged: good press was often followed by disappointing ticket sales and reports of financial failure. Even typically reliable franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe experienced a flop despite positive reviews this year.

It seems more and more people are choosing to watch movies at home, waiting for all but the biggest blockbusters to become available on streaming services. That makes a list of worthwhile films that didn’t do well in theaters – like this one for 2025 – particularly helpful. If you missed these movies in cinemas – and box office numbers suggest many did – you can now find them on platforms like Disney+ or Netflix, or through various online stores.

What counts as a “box office bomb” depends on the movie. A $20 million gross might be great for a small film, but disappointing for a big-budget blockbuster. While the actual amounts these films earned varied, they all underperformed compared to how much money was spent making and promoting them.

The Best Box Office Bombs of 2025

Thunderbolts*

With a domestic box office of $190.2 million, Thunderbolts stands out from many recent Marvel projects. Unlike some films and shows that feel like patchwork creations, Thunderbolts delivers a cohesive and engaging story. Florence Pugh shines as the new Black Widow, a character who is disillusioned with her life and work, and finds a sense of purpose when joining a team of equally troubled mercenaries. Alongside characters like Wyatt Russell’s U.S. Agent and Hannah John-Kamen’s Ghost, the film offers exciting action and a meaningful message about overcoming negativity through teamwork and purpose. Thunderbolts is a strong reminder of Marvel’s potential when everything comes together.

Tron: Ares

The film earned $73.1 million domestically. Jared Leto is an interesting choice to play a self-aware app trying to figure out people, but he isn’t the main draw. The movie really shines with its creative visuals and especially its amazing soundtrack by Nine Inch Nails, which gives even the most outlandish plot points a sense of epic scale. The story – about the digital world of “The Grid” spilling into reality through 3D printers – isn’t high art, but if you’re looking for exciting action with futuristic vehicles, lightcycles, and Jodie Turner-Smith as a stylish digital warrior, all set to a thumping NIN score, this movie delivers.

Elio

Despite earning $72.9 million domestically, the movie Elio didn’t perform as well as expected at the box office, and some reports suggested that creative changes and behind-the-scenes issues contributed to its struggles. While the original idea might have been stronger and potentially more profitable, that wasn’t my impression while watching the film. Elio is a delightful and heartwarming story about a boy who discovers his purpose, and it showcases Pixar’s typically beautiful animation, imaginative characters, and clever humor. It may not reach the level of Pixar’s greatest films, but Elio is enjoyable as it is.

Ballerina

The film Ballerina earned $58.0 million domestically. While the title might suggest a focus on ballet, the movie actually features a lot more action – and flamethrower fights – than dancing. Despite rumors of extensive reshoots and a somewhat disjointed plot, the film delivers impressive action sequences, including a truly unique and intense gunfight. The movie’s setting – a quirky European ski village – also evokes a fun, retro vibe reminiscent of the classic film Gymkata.

Mickey 17

The film earned $46.0 million domestically. Director Bong Joon-ho enjoys subverting the images of popular superhero actors by casting them in unusual, exaggerated sci-fi stories. After portraying Captain America as a villain, he turned to Robert Pattinson, known for playing Batman. In the film, Pattinson plays Mickey, a man with multiple versions of himself. He works as an “expendable,” completing dangerous missions vital for space colonization. Each time Mickey dies, a new body is created – he’s currently on his 17th iteration when an error creates an 18th. While Mickey 17 isn’t as consistently strong as Bong’s Academy Award-winning Parasite, that unevenness might actually fit the story – a film about 18 almost identical characters should probably have some tonal shifts as well.

Roofman

The movie earned $22.7 million domestically. It’s frustrating that films like Roofman – a compelling, true-story drama about a man who escapes prison and hides in a Toys”R”Us – often get overlooked. Despite its unfortunate title, it’s a grounded story about an ordinary man trying to escape a life of crime, with a charismatic performance by Channing Tatum. It offered a much-needed option for adult moviegoers, but unfortunately, audiences didn’t turn out to see it.

Black Bag

I honestly wasn’t expecting Black Bag to be quite the ride it was – it’s like an Agatha Christie mystery, but with a lot more… intensity, and I was completely hooked! Seeing Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett as a married couple of spies was fantastic. They seem perfectly happy, until Fassbender gets the assignment to investigate his own wife, suspecting she might be a double agent. The cast is incredible overall, with Regé-Jean Page, Marisa Abela, Naomie Harris, and Pierce Brosnan all adding so much. But what really grabbed me was how unpredictable the film is. Seriously, every scene kept me guessing, and that’s something you don’t see often – it made it a truly enjoyable experience. It’s already made over $21.4 million domestically!

Caught Stealing

The film Caught Stealing earned $19.0 million at the domestic box office and was a surprisingly enjoyable movie. Released in late August—typically a dumping ground for bad films—it’s a fun and gritty thriller with a great atmosphere of old New York City. It feels similar to the movie After Hours, constantly throwing in unexpected plot twists. What stood out most was its nostalgia: seeing Shea Stadium and the old Kim’s Video store, or even just the existence of a well-made, adult-focused drama from a major studio.

Good Fortune

The movie Good Fortune has earned $16.5 million at the domestic box office. While that number would have seemed incredibly low for a film with stars like Seth Rogen and Keanu Reeves just a few years ago, comedies are struggling particularly hard in theaters these days. Despite being a charming film and featuring one of Keanu Reeves’ best performances, it’s facing tough odds. The story centers around a gig worker and a tech professional (played by Ansari and Rogen) who accidentally switch lives thanks to a mishap involving Reeves’ character – a somewhat clumsy guardian angel. Reeves is particularly good in roles with a supernatural element, and watching him experience simple pleasures like eating a cheeseburger for the first time is a highlight.

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues

The film earned $5.8 million at the domestic box office. Spinal Tap II: The End Continues feels like a fun revisit to a classic, similar to seeing the Rolling Stones perform today. The band isn’t at their peak, but they still deliver a crowd-pleasing show filled with familiar songs and good vibes. Like the Stones, it’s simply enjoyable to see these characters – and director Rob Reiner’s Marty Di Bergi – back together. The prospect of seeing them jam with Paul McCartney and Elton John is irresistible.

The Worst Movie of Every Decade, According to Letterboxd

1920s: The Broadway Melody (1929)

With an average Letterboxd score of 2.4, The Broadway Melody is known as one of the most disappointing Best Picture Oscar winners. This explains why it’s the lowest-rated film from the 1920s on the site. While it’s not necessarily the worst movie of the decade, it’s widely viewed today simply because people like to watch every film that’s won an Oscar – and this one doesn’t hold up well!

1930s: Reefer Madness (1938)

With an average Letterboxd score of 2.1, this film is famously known as a sensationalist scare film (originally titled Tell Your Children) that warns against the supposed dangers of marijuana. It’s a prime example of “reefer madness” propaganda, and while it was over-the-top in 1938, it’s even more unintentionally funny today. Let’s be honest, many of us have probably considered watching Reefer Madness just for a laugh after enjoying some marijuana.

1940s: I Accuse My Parents (1944)

The average Letterboxd score for this film is 2.0. A contributing factor to low scores, particularly for older movies, is Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K). The show, known for hilariously riffing on bad movies, is a great way to discover them. I Accuse My Parents is a particularly famous and well-loved episode; Joel Hodgson, the creator of MST3K, often mentions it as a personal favorite, and it consistently appears at the top of viewer polls.

1950s: King Dinosaur (1955)

The average Letterboxd score for this film is 1.8. It originally aired on Mystery Science Theater 3000 in 1990 as part of the show’s second season. It’s a classic B-movie from Bert I. Gordon, known for other films frequently featured on MST3K, including The Amazing Colossal Man, Earth vs. the Spider, War of the Colossal Beast, The Magic Sword, Tormented, Beginning of the End, and Village of the Giants.

1960s: Monster A Go-Go (1965)

With an average Letterboxd score of just 1.5, Monster A Go-Go is widely considered one of the worst films ever made. Directed (uncredited) by exploitation filmmaker Herschell Gordon Lewis, it became a memorable episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 in its fourth season. The incredibly low-budget film tells the story of an astronaut who returns to Earth transformed into a monster, but was filmed in two completely separate parts, resulting in a disjointed and nonsensical plot. Even before appearing on MST3K, it was already infamous for its poor quality – a reputation that clearly translates to attention on Letterboxd.

1970s: The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)

The Star Wars Holiday Special is widely considered one of the worst pieces of Star Wars media ever made, even worse than the often-criticized The Rise of Skywalker. This infamous TV movie, created between the first Star Wars film and The Empire Strikes Back, is a painful 100 minutes filled with silly songs, bad jokes, and bizarre cameos (like Art Carney and Bea Arthur!). It does feature a decent cartoon and the first appearance of Boba Fett, but that’s not enough to save it. Though never officially released on home video, its reputation as a disaster has only grown over time. It’s become a cultural benchmark for terrible entertainment – if something is compared to the Star Wars Holiday Special, it’s truly awful.

1980s: Going Overboard (1989)

With an average Letterboxd score of just 1.4, Adam Sandler’s early film Going Overboard is widely considered a disaster. This “comedy,” set on a cruise ship with beauty pageant contestants, is remarkably unfunny. Interestingly, the movie was famously rushed into production – reportedly written in three days, cast in one, and filmed in just six. Even knowing that, it somehow manages to be even worse than you’d expect.

1990s: Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997)

With an average Letterboxd score of just 1.5, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation is widely considered terrible. Despite having a budget nearly double that of the first Mortal Kombat film, it looks shockingly bad – the special effects are so poor they wouldn’t even be acceptable for a Sega CD game. This shows that simply throwing money at a project doesn’t guarantee success. While the original Kombat wasn’t a masterpiece, it was at least watchable. Annihilation is so awful that it feels like a deliberate scam, as if it was intentionally made poorly to swindle investors – a real-life version of the plot from The Producers.

2000s: Dragonball Evolution (2009)

With an average Letterboxd score of 0.9, this live-action adaptation of the famous manga and anime series has been named the lowest-rated movie from the 2000s on the platform. The film was criticized for casting white actors in roles originally held by people of color (with Justin Chatwin playing Goku) and for significantly deviating from the source material. The screenwriter, Ben Ramsey, even publicly apologized in 2016 for his part in what he called a “desecration” of the beloved franchise, admitting his lack of passion led to a poor result. However, his apology hasn’t improved the film’s reception on Letterboxd.

2010s: Swiped

With an average Letterboxd score of just 1.1, this Noah Centineo comedy has become infamous. The film, about a college student who enlists his awkward roommate to build a dating app, recently surpassed M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender as the lowest-rated movie from the 2010s on the platform. One reviewer jokingly said they recommend it to people they’re angry with – a pretty harsh critique!

2020s: War of the Worlds (2025)

Okay, so I just saw this new take on The War of the Worlds, and honestly, it’s… something. Ice Cube’s in it, which is cool, but he’s not the one saving the day. Believe it or not, Amazon is! Seriously, the whole plot revolves around Amazon’s products and services being the only way to fight off the aliens. There’s this one scene where a crucial device needs to get to Ice Cube’s character, and how does it get there? An Amazon delivery drone, naturally. And while the world is ending, the delivery guy still manages to plug Amazon Prime Air as “the future of delivery!” It’s so blatant! And the Letterboxd crowd hates it? I honestly don’t get it, it’s just… peak corporate synergy, isn’t it?

2025-12-09 18:30