25 Movies That Bombed in Theaters But Are Actually Great

The box office isn't a true measure of quality.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Plenty of box office bombs had it coming. The Adventures of Pluto Nash. Waterworld. John Carter. Those movies stank despite all the money pumped into them, and audiences knew well enough to stay away. Of course, the opposite is sometimes true. Grown Ups made enough money to induce existential despair.

And then there are the gems that people didn't notice. They made no money. Maybe the critics missed the boat, or the marketing departments failed. Some movies, despite their quality, go unnoticed and no one showers them with cash. You might be suprised about some of these quality bombs, as they're no regarded as classics. Either way, they're all deserving of your time.

Here are 25 movies that bombed in theaters but are actually great.

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Written by Rich Knight

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Event Horizon (1997)

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Donnie Darko (2001)

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Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

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Slither (2006)

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Sorcerer (1977)

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The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

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Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

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Office Space (1999)

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The Fountain (2006)

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Heathers (1989)

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Seeking a Friend For the End of the World (2012)

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Freaks (1932)

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Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)

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Harold and Maude (1971)

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Fight Club (1999)

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Bringing Out the Dead (1999)

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The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)

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Grindhouse (2007)

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Idiocracy (2006)

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Dredd (2012)

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The Iron Giant (1999)

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The Wizard of Oz (1939)

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It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

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Vertigo (1958)

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Citizen Kane (1941)

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