Listmania Decades: My Favorite Box Office Bombs of the Decade (2010's)

Tom Hanks in Cloud Atlas
With 2019 marking the end of a decade, it's time to commemorate the past 10 years with the help of Listmania Decades. Over this year's 12 months, the series will look at a variety of different styles of film in order to highlight everything that made this period unique and exciting. While this isn't meant as a collection of the greatest films ever released, it's more meant as a highlight of films that I would consider to be among my favorite, or ones that are worth remembering in the future. So please feel free to join me every 19th of the month to highlight a new entry that will highlight 25 films that exemplified a certain field of cinema. There's a lot of great work out there, and this list barely captures the bulk of it. Feel free to leave your favorites in the comments so that we can find more to appreciate before this year is through.


THIS MONTH: With the summer season coming to an end, it's important to remember that for every success, there is one or two additional "box office bombs." While this list doesn't just encapsulate the hottest months of the year, it captures a mentality that comes with August, seen often as the dumping ground for the not-quite-great franchise movies. This list is made up exclusively of movies that either failed to make back their budget or were publicly deemed failures through economic standards. If it's been labeled a bomb online by a professional source, then it counts. So while there's a few here that made hundreds of millions, its inability to become a success is all that it needs to count. While there's likely to be more bombs before the year is out, this is a list spanning the decade's highest points from the lowest grosses. 


1. Steve Jobs (2015)

If there has been one poster-child for Oscar movies gone wrong, it's this Steve Jobs biopic from director Danny Boyle and writer Aaron Sorkin. What started as the front-runner to beat quickly became an unbeknownst failure. It's a title it doesn't deserve, especially as the exploration of a flawed man has more of the hubris and grace than Sorkin's more acclaimed The Social Network. With a career-best performance by Michael Fassbender, the film follows the inventor through three days in his life, and the slow progression from an egotist into someone who learns to care. It's a film that feels too rooted in how you feel about the real man, and it shouldn't. It's more about the power of creativity to isolate us from those around us and why it's more important than reinventing the computer world. That, and turning off the Exit signs during presentations. That's definitely important.

2. Silence (2016)

For as much love as Martin Scorsese continues to get every day of his life, it's incredible to see how his religious epic was poorly handled in its theatrical release. Then again, it's a tough sell in spite of being the director's most spiritual, thought-provoking film of his career. The tale of Catholic missionaries allows the director to baldly explore themes he's done throughout his whole career. With a nuanced performance by Andrew Garfield, the exploration of faith is one full of frustration and quietness, leading to a fear that it wasn't the best path. But what draws us to faith in the first place? The film perfectly explores these themes in, what else, but silence as the characters try to introduce religion to eastern followers and bring home a priest who has gone astray. It's a beautiful film that reinvents the idea of a religious film with every new frame. It's why it may never be his most beloved, but it's still the most indicative of what his career has been building to. It's the perfect work of a master in control of his craft, and few could think to make a film so sparse so full of meaning. 

3. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

There are dozens of points throughout the film that still feel revolutionary from an editing standpoint. It's the most sugarcoated video game movie in history, and it's also able to escape the medium to better understand the heart of why we escape into fantasy. With a clever story of a man fighting his girlfriend's seven evil exes, it becomes a dizzying ode to nerd culture with so much electricity that it jolts the audience into bliss. Michael Cera has rarely been better and few cult movies have been as rewarding as this. Edgar Wright has only gone onto bigger things since with Baby Driver, but here is where he broke through in a major way, and all it took was an 8-bit recreation of the Universal Studios logo and one of the best young casts of the decade.


4. The Nice Guys (2017)

Writer and director Shane Black has rarely been as enjoyable as he is here, putting Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling against each other in a stoned-out detective comedy that's his most enjoyable film since Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. With the familiar Los Angeles setting in the 1970s, he takes a look at the familiar oddballs that live there. It's a dark comedy and one that uses violence at times as brutal slapstick. It's a lot more clever than its dimwitted protagonists would have you think, but it's also because of the fiery dialogue and moments that remind audiences of why the buddy cop genre deserves to have a better shelf life than it currently has. There's never a dull moment here, if just because of the great chemistry on display in every scene.


5. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

It always seemed doomed to happen, but a giant, R-Rated sequel to Blade Runner always felt like a gamble that even Denis Villeneuve couldn't overcome in a three-hour epic. Still, it's what makes the film, in particular, a fascinating franchise film, if just because of how sparse the epic is even when it's exploring deeper themes against a gorgeous color-pallet. It isn't just a cash grab of a sequel, it's a legitimate expansion of the world that makes it even more cryptic and exciting. Those willing to get on board with its creeping energy will appreciate all that it achieves, even as Hans Zimmer's score radiates through your bones. It's a provocative film that never lets up, and its singularity is striking. Few films take as many risks like this, and that's refreshing to see, even as you know it's probably doomed to a box office bomb fate.


6. Cloud Atlas (2012)

It has only been seven years since its controversial release, but Cloud Atlas still feels like a singular achievement beyond being "the most expensive indie movie in history." For starters, a phenomenal cast led by Halle Berry and Tom Hanks spanning centuries is a daunting task. Add in that each character is playing multiracial characters and it becomes easy to mock for those who don't understand The Wachowski Sisters and Tom Tykwer's vision that "everything is connected." It's a philosophical film that blends genres together through some of the finest editings of the decade. It may be imperfect, but it's the Herculean task that was almost completely worth it. The final results are confusing, exciting, hilarious, emotional, and says more about the world we live in than any singular narrative that has been released since. It is likely to only gain in appreciation as time goes on, and for very good reason. 


7. A Monster Calls (2016)

There haven't been too many kids movies that have taken chances by pushing forward dark themes in meaningful ways. That is of course save for A Monster Calls, which is a powerful exploration of a child coming to terms with his mother's cancer diagnosis. With excellent use of watercolors during allegorical stories, the film isn't afraid to talk to children in a way that is accessible, finding ways to become stronger in the face of grief. It's at times heartbreaking, but the film encourages children to express themselves openly. In a time where every film feels streamlined through a Disney happy ending filter, it feels good to know that there's still work out there challenging us to think differently on important matters. 


8. The Good Dinosaur (2015)

It may be hard to believe, but when celebrating their 20th anniversary, Pixar released their first and (to date) only box office bomb. Many saw the film as a disappointment and a tonally disparate vehicle that mixed caveman antics with a whiny dinosaur story. Okay, it was definitely very childish at times, but to write it off at that is to ignore everything else that makes the film special. The mix of animation styles leads the audience on a fascinating journey through visual splendor as dinosaurs turn the world into a western movie for kids and the story of a boy trying to fit into the world. The results are mixed, but it's one of the signs that Pixar still has some fuel in their tank, and the fact that it's an entertaining, weird little film gives it far more of a status of approval than any of their more renowned sequels since should. 


9. Crimson Peak (2016)

Before winning Oscars with The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro took audiences into the world of a Gothic romance set in a haunted house. The results were the perfect blend of melodrama and practical effects that perfectly enhanced the horror. While released during the Halloween season, it failed to connect with audiences who were likely expecting a scarier story with more jumpscares. Instead, it featured one of Mia Wasikowska's best performances and featured a great supporting cast in Jessica Chastain and Tom Hiddleston. There are few filmmakers who mix studio budget with a personal style quite like del Toro, and it shines so beautifully here. It's evidence that even after abominations like Pacific Rim that he's capable of making the world of monster movies into something exhilarating and full of creative life. 


10. First Man (2018)

With 2019 marking the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, it makes sense that Damien Chazelle would be excited to make a film about the first American astronaut to land on the moon: Neil Armstrong. It's a quiet film that finds a man grappling with his fate as NASA encounters a series of problems that could likely kill him. It's as much a horror story as it is a period piece, and it makes the journey all the more harrowing. Ryan Gosling does a terrific job in the lead role and brings to life a figure who is reserved with intent, finding every day a potential upset to his life. Also, keep an eye out for the phenomenal score from Justin Hurwitz which officially pits Chazelle and Hurwitz as the Steven Spielberg-John Williams dream team of the next decade. Only time will tell, but they're currently four for four. 


11. The BFG (2016)

In some respects, Roald Dahl adaptations are usually box office bombs by nature. Still, to have the master of cinema, Steven Spielberg, have this Disney film fail is a bit of a low blow for the master of spectacle. Reteaming with his Bridge of Spies actor Mark Rylance, he brings to life the story of a big friendly giant who befriends a girl and takes her on a magical journey through the giant country. There's gibberish, gross vegetables, and royal fart jokes (literally). It's easy to see what turned many off, even if it's one of the more appealing kids' movies of the decade for its blend of action and wonder as it finds ways to bring this odd story to life.


12. Logan Lucky (2017)

It's funny to ever thing of Steven Soderbergh retiring, but for a brief period, he had labeled his big-screen career as such. If nothing else, the time since has produced a lot of phenomenal creative projects, including the smartphone-shot dramas Unsane and High Flying Bird. However, his first film was a southern-friend ode to heist movies and NASCAR as Adam Driver and Channing Tatum robbed Daytona. It's one of his funniest movies full of memorable supporting characters and a tense but funny third act that never loses its fun. It's a shame that a film like this wouldn't catch on with an audience, even as it defines the August box office bomb perfectly. Still, it was the welcome back Soderbergh deserved, and he has been on a roll ever since. 


13. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)

For those who wondered what a Lonely Island movie would like, this is as close to perfection as things get. Given the trio's love for high-end joke raps, it makes sense that they adapt so well to music biopic and documentary satire so well, managing to make every line a killer and every new song a hilarious earworm. If nothing else, it joins the trio's previous film Hot Rod as a cult classic that will only grow with time, being considered ahead of its time for how it manages to create its own ecosystem worthy of the best comedies of the decade. 


14. Battle of the Sexes (2017)

In some ways, this is a film that might've played better in the "What if Hillary Clinton was president?" mindset that the film was going for. Even then, it's a riveting little movie that brings to life the Battle of the Sexes between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs and finds a host of themes to explore, such as how women and men were treated differently in the work environment and media. It's one of the best sports films of the decade largely thanks to two empathetic performances by Emma Stone and Steve Carrell. It brings to life a tennis match that created its own crazy press and found that it was more than just a game to these two. It was a chance to prove something, whether to themselves or others. 


15. Warrior (2011)

For my money, few sports have done as well from major studios quite like mixed martial arts. It could just be by how new the sport is, but the Tom Hardy-Joel Edgerton movie proved to be a great drama on par with the boxing drama the sport stems from. It may hit all of the familiar tropes, but it presents a finale that is so rewarding in the theme that it's hard to not root along with the characters as their journey goes through thick and thin and winds up in unexpected places. It's slowly earned cult status over the years (it's currently on IMDb's Top 250) and will hopefully continue to grow as time goes on. 


16. The Lone Ranger (2013)

Okay, maybe the idea of casting Johnny Depp during his downward spiral phase was a bit problematic, especially as a Native American. However, those who write the movie off for one bad decision will ignore what the film does incredibly well, which is update the western into a chaotic action movie that has some of the wildest set pieces from this decade. With another great Hans Zimmer score, the weirdness continues to be tacked on and proves why Armie Hammer is capable of being a genuine movie star... if we let him. There's so much fun to be had in this film, especially on par with Gore Verbinski's other Depp-lead franchise The Pirates of the Caribbean, and it's only a little bit sad that more films can't create a train robbery scene that exciting with modern technological capabilities 


17. A Cure for Wellness (2016)

To a large extent, Gore Verbinski's gross horror movie was always going to fail. It was a film that took nauseating steps to make a story full of haunting imagery pop with a seediness the likes of which aren't pleasant to mainstream audiences. It's the perverse mindset that also makes it an acquired taste, with a rather effective performance by Dane DeHaan that finds a man on the brink of going crazy. It's the games that Verbinski plays with the audience, especially as he updates old horror films like Eyes Without a Face into a new and strange landscape that is uncomfortable but also fascinating in its singularity. 


18. The Sisters Brothers (2018)

With the 2019 news that Annapurna Pictures may be going bankrupt, it's bittersweet to look at their penultimate year with this western. It features an enjoyable pairing of Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilley as bounty hunters trying to capture Jake Gyllenhaal and Riz Ahmed. It's one of the modern westerns that manages to mix progressive casting in interesting ways and tells a story full of strange moments that haven't been seen on screen. Considering that it's from Palme d'Or winner Jacques Audiard, it manages to be a loving homage to a bygone era while also being critical of the culture that created it. Few westerns balance tone as effectively as this, if just because they're less common than Annapurna likely making it to the next decade. 


19. Hugo (2011)

After several decades of Martin Scorsese existing in the PG-13 and R-ratings, he goes for a family-friendly approach for his discussion of film history. This backdoor Georges Melies tribute features some of the director's most extravagant work, turning a train station into a place of wonder featuring one of Sacha Baron Cohen's most physically enjoyable performances to date and a charming Chloe Moretz leading Asa Butterfield on a unique journey. It's the 3D film that deserved the format, especially as it made smoke from the trains pop off the screen, making the audience feel like they were wandering around with Hugo. While the film played well with The Academy, its inability to appeal to wide-audiences is a bit odd, if just because of how much fun the story is on top of being the director's (and any filmmaker since) most loving homage to film preservation.


20. Solo: A Star Wars Story (2019)

It's hard to really believe that a Star Wars movie would ever bomb, but that was before the backlash that followed The Last Jedi. It created an umbrella over the franchise's future and many think hurt this spin-off's overall success. Yes, it earned hundreds of millions, but given its already big budget, it wasn't going to compare. It's a shame, because it's also one of the most fun films in the franchise to date, with a charming and charismatic performance by Alden Ehrenreich and the also fun Donald Glover. Even if it's an embodiment of unnecessary world expansion, it at least does so by taking away the seriousness and just allowing the world to be fun again. It may not be the most substantial film, but good luck thinking of a film with as fun of a moment as the "train robbery" that comes in the second act of the film.


21. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)

The world of Luc Besson was already crazy, such as in the recent sci-fi scatterplot Lucy, but it seemed like he was going into a self-indulgent direction with this one. Thankfully, it's a fun project that shows the director throwing everything at the wall and creating a vision of space that is delightfully weird. With great performances by Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevigne, the world becomes a buddy cop comedy full of wacky hijinks and a score that rattles with a mix of inspirations old and new. There haven't been too many big spectacle worlds like this, even as its best and worst tendencies clash together in memorable ways. Is it perfect? Not exactly, though its flaws only add to its overall charm.


22. Annihilation (2018)

Outside of America, the film was sent directly to Netflix thanks to Paramount Studio's lackluster box office the year before. It's a shame because few genre films deserve the big screen treatment quite like this Natalie Portman vehicle. This isn't just a journey into a strange new world. It's a dense understanding of a new ecosystem full of haunting characters (that bear) and a dive into chaos. What does it all mean? People's perspectives will differ. However, it's a journey with a lot to mull over, and well-deserved too. The third act alone has one of the most beautiful pieces of filmmaking this decade thanks to a nauseating music cue and silent moment that is unlike anything else. It's a film that gives spectacle as well as deeper insight into the human condition, and it helps that every frame is far more creative and strange than any other sci-fi movie from that year.  


23. Alita: Battle Angel (2019)

The much-delayed film from director Robert Rodriguez and writer James Cameron had enough issues being released that its inevitable release was always doomed. Still, it ended up being one of the best studio b-movies of the decade thanks to a creative plot involving robots playing motorball and trying to understand our human tendencies. It's wildly uneven at times, but it's always a fascinating and bold film that excels at giving the audience something different in a time where everything is uniform. While the fandom that's come from the film (don't bring it up on Twitter) has been a bit on the annoying side, it still is a film that strives to give the audience a unique razzle-dazzle with plenty of thought thrown in for good measure. 

24. Wonderstruck (2017)

Following his Oscar-nominated film Carol, Todd Haynes turned his eye to a more challenging story. What he does with his deviation into family cinema is combine styles to make a unique cinematic experience that spans decades and styles. The silent film portion is at times innovative, managing to take the perspective of a deaf child and make it feel understood by an audience wishing to learn more. It's full of small moments that are touching, such as an extended visit to the Natural History Museum that only reminds audiences of why they should explore the wondrous world around them. For a film that challenges the medium as much as this, it works as an introduction to forms and ideas outside of the general cinematic conversation. It's also quite an achievement as a result.


25. Premium Rush (2012)

There was a brief time when Joseph Gordon-Levitt looked like he would be the next big star. Following great turns in Inception and The Dark Knight Rises, he chose to star in one of the cheesiest movies of the decade. It involved a bike carrier and an espionage mission that overlaps in strange ways. As much as it's an excuse to watch some BMX scenes as a bicycle gets chased by a car (with a very winking performance by Michael Shannon), it ends up becoming a halfway decent mystery that relies on a rolling ball of a story. It's the actors' jobs to keep it in motion, and it's crazy to see how they pull it off. It's not high art, but it definitely is a nice little oddity that makes one wonder how much better the Gordon-Levitt charm could've been used later on. 

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