10 great movies of the 2010s that underperformed at the box office

The 2010s were bad for these movies!

How a movie performs during its theatrical run isn't always indicative of the quality of any given film. Bad movies can still make money, and there's nothing stopping underappreciated box office bombs from making their way to the ranks of famous movies.

For some great modern films, monetary income is not always ideal. Despite being brilliant in their own right, many films underperform at the box office. It might be surprising to find out how many great movies do poorly in theaters.

'Blade Runner 2049' (2017)

Updated on December 30th, 2022, by Hannah Saab:

A sequel to Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, Blade Runner 2049 boasts some of the finest visuals, music, and cinematography in the history of science fiction films. The film was a success with multiple Oscars and nominations, but a box office disappointment, grossing an estimated $259 million worldwide against a production budget of $185 million.

Blade Runner 2049 follows Robot Officer K as he tries to unravel how his elusive past and the fate of the world are mysteriously intertwined. Especially the cast is one of the great things about this movie. Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas and more go all out A perfect revival of the classic sci-fi series.

'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' (2015)

Available to stream on Hulu.

Based on the 1964 film series of the same name, "The Man From the UN Security Council". is a 2015 spy film directed by Guy Ritchie, director of The Gentleman and Disney's live-action Aladdin. The film stars Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer as rival American and Russian spies forced to work together to save the world from nuclear annihilation.

Stylish, comedic and charming, its $109.8 million worldwide gross wasn't enough to make it a box office success. With an $84 million budget, the outlandish spy movie is now remembered as an underrated box office bomb.

'Solo: A Star Wars Story' (2018)

Available to stream on HBO Max.

As an overlooked spin-off to the hugely popular Star Wars franchise, this space heist western deserves a second look. Solo: A Star Wars Story follows the humble beginnings of Han Solo, a smuggler who first appeared in 1977's Star Wars: A New Hope. In both George Lucas' original trilogy and the Disney-produced sequel, Solo was played by Harrison Ford, who was replaced by Alden Ehrenreich in the 2018 spinoff.

The film, which also stars Donald Glover and Emilia Clarke, grossed just $393 million worldwide on a production budget of $275 million, making it the lowest-grossing live-action Star Wars film and the first in the franchise to be considered a box office bomb.

'Hugo' (2011)

Available to stream on Disney+.

Hugo grossed just $181 million on a production budget of $180 million. Still, many critics brushed off the film's disappointing box office haul. Ultimately, Hugo was nominated for Oscars in 11 categories, eventually winning prestigious awards including Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Best Art Direction, Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing.

Directed by Martin Scorsese, this historical adventure film tells the story of Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield), who discovers a mysterious automaton that connects him to his real-life The world and legacy of filmmaker Georges Méliès become entangled.

'The Master' (2012)

Available to stream on HBO Max.

Despite its lackluster box office receipts, The Master is an excellent film. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the film is impressive in every way, and a particular highlight of the film is a string of underrated performances from its star-studded cast.

The film focuses on the relationship between veteran Freddie Quayle (Joaquin Phoenix) and Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the The leader of a religious movement begins to intrigue and inspire Quayle throughout the film. Gross income $28.3 Compared to its $42 million budget, "The Master" did poorly financially when it was released, but it's still a fantastic movie, one of Paul Thomas Anderson's best.

'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World' (2010)

Available to stream on Tubi TV, Kanopy and Paramount+ Showtime.

Nowadays, anyone would be remiss if they didn't enjoy Scott Pilgrim vs. the world's brilliant action romance. But the Edgar Wright-directed electronic comic film wasn't always considered iconic, like it is today.

At least, that's what its box office performance would suggest. The film was produced on a budget of $85 million but grossed just $49.3 million worldwide. Still a visual and comedic performance not to be missed by any fan of modern cinema, this 2010 film tells the story of Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera), an aloof musician with his new The villainous ex of girlfriend Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead).

'The Lost City of Z' (2017)

Available to stream on Starz.

For a compelling biographical drama, The Lost City of Z's poor box-office release was not worth it. With a production cost of around $30 million, the film only grossed around $19.3 million worldwide.

Highlighting the true story of a man trying to find a hidden city in the Amazon rainforest, the film Starring Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland, Ian McDiarmid and several other talented actors. The film and its actors' performances are now widely acclaimed, even if it lacks commercial success.

'ParaNorman' (2012)

Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

Despite poor box office success, Paranorman was reportedly a commercial disappointment for Laika, the studio behind the film. It grossed $107 million worldwide on a production budget of around $60 million. ParaNorman is a stop-motion animated film about

Norman, a young boy with the ability to communicate with ghosts, as he battles a curse that has befallen his hometown.

The film's voice cast consists of a versatile cast including Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, Ariel Winter, and others. The animation is reminiscent of Coraline and The Boxtrolls, so why not enjoy this underrated stop motion film?

'Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping' (2016)

Available to stream on The Roku Channel.

Fans of the comedy-musical trio "Lonely Island" — consisting of Andy Samberg, Akiva Shaffer, and Jorma Taccone — have surely heard of Pop Star: Never Stop never stop. This 2016 music mockumentary charts the highs and lows of Conner Friel's (Samberg) fame as he abandons his co-artists and childhood friend The Style Boyz to pursue solo work rap career.

The 2016 film failed to recoup its $20 million production cost and grossed just $9 million worldwide. Despite poor box office performance, the movie held up, and featured hilarious performances from real-life celebrities like Jimmy Fallon and Seale.

'Dredd' (2012)

Available to stream on HBO Max.

Today, a more mature film like Deadpool is a welcome diversion to the plethora of regular comic book releases. But for 2012, Dredd was a bold and underrated release. Pete Travis and Alex Garland's film, Dredd is an adaptation of Judge Dredd's comic strip. The film, which was budgeted at $45 million, became a box office bomb when it opened to $41 million.

But aside from understated performances from Karl Urban and Lena Headey, the movie boasts stunning action and a gritty, dystopian world that no fan of comic book movies should miss.