Flop Films That Became Cult Classics
- By Nida Faraz -
- Mar 09, 2023
Film world is a one-of-a-kind world where no word is the final world. This unpredictability makes this field an intriguingly fascinating field for many who keep on dabbling in the movie world.
One of the relevant criteria devised to judge the performance of movies is by measuring their success at the box-office and the money they make. If movies flop, whether due to poor marketing, stiff competition or bad critical reception, they are considered doomed with hardly any chances of making a comeback and are unlikely to have a future.
However, every now and again, one can witness that a film that absolutely bombs at the box office, only to rise up years later with a dedicated fan base.
Such films are usually dubbed as cult classics and over the years, there have been numerous cult films that have started out from nothing. Some of these films have even gone on to exceed their highest hopes, achieving international recognition that they never would have had if not for the boost in popularity that comes from cult status.
Empire Records (1995)
One cannot get much more cult than a film about an independent record store. The film took home a small fraction of its budget when it was originally released but became so adored that special editions were released in 2003 and 2015.
The Room (2003)
This movie was a cult film long before it became the basis of the Hollywood success ‘The Disaster Artist.’ A bust when it came out, it has become one of the quintessential so-bad-it’s-good films.
Office Space (1999)
While people did not seem to want to see ‘Office Space’ in theaters, they sure wanted to rent it on DVD. The hilarious look at office life is now considered a must-see comedy.
Harold and Maude (1971)
This unconventional film was a lot for viewers to take in, and critics panning the film did not help. However, years later it became yet another film to achieve cult status due to midnight screenings.
Brazil (1985)
Terry Gilliam strikes again in this film. In addition to ‘Fear and Loathing,’ Gilliam also directed this cult classic. The anti-establishment motif helps it to blend right into its cult-film peers.
Clue (1985)
This film may have brought the board game to life but it certainly did not bring people to the theater. However, the interesting caveat of three different endings and the over-the-top acting and dialogue have endeared to fans just the same.