Movies That Were Supposed to Flop

You just never know. So much of the writing and discussion around cinema these days focuses exclusively on what will attract the most eyeballs. It’s all about the biggest sequels, the most famous stars, the most intricate cinematic universes. Smaller films, international movies, and indies from lesser-known directors and unknown casts get written off by so many websites, bloggers, and critics.

But just because a motion picture doesn’t look like much on paper doesn’t mean it can’t look incredible up on the big screen. Film history is filled with stories of improbable hits; pictures that were ignored and left for dead, then found enthusiastic and appreciative audiences. Then, thanks to great word of mouth, they turned into massive blockbusters.

This piece is about those kinds of movies, 20 films (arranged chronologically) that looked like they were going to be (and by all rights maybe even should have been) flops that turned into major successes at the box office. These movies run the gamut from quirky comedy to shocking horror, from heartwarming romances to religious epics, from DIY mockumentaries to muckraking documentaries. They don’t share much in common on a story level, but they all connected with mass audiences for one reason or another.

Why they connected with mass audiences is often hard to explain. Perhaps it boils down to this: Sometimes the biggest surprises are the most rewarding ones. You just never know.

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