What is a flop? Sometimes it's a bad movie, sure. But sometimes it's a critical darling that didn't bring in enough money or even a film that didn't do well in its original release but found success through home media or streaming. This got us thinking about some of our favourite flops for one reason or another. So, the Bitesize crew has put their brains together to compile Bitesize Breakdown's consensus Top Five Flops.
Each writer ranks their top 15 films in the category. Those lists are then weighted on a reverse point system. After all the points are tallied up, the entries with the most total points make up the Bitesize Top Five.
5. BETTER MAN
Better Man, a musical biopic about Robbie Williams as a CGI ape, is a creative gamble that pays off spectacularly well for me while also seeming to be a success with critics. However, it has only grossed about $23 million worldwide against a $110 million budget, unfortunately. I’m a fan of Williams’ music, so I was already familiar with the songs, but I also loved the film’s outrageously entertaining musical set-pieces and unexpectedly raw and emotional portrayal of his story. Sadly, not even its bold stylistic choices and genuinely impressive CGI could make up for the fact that Williams simply isn't well-known enough in the U.S. (only making about $2 million at the U.S. box office) or well-liked enough across Europe for it to succeed. Despite this, I think more people should see Better Man regardless of their familiarity with Williams; they’ll be pleasantly surprised. - Katie
4. THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
It took me quite a long time to get over my imagined distaste for The Shawshank Redemption. I don’t know what it was, but growing up, I thought it would be a depressing, uninteresting, and downright slog of a three-hour movie. So, when I finally got around to watching it in my 30s (yes, it took me that long, don’t judge), I looked in the mirror and pointed at myself like that meme you all can now imagine in your head. Considering it flopped, maybe I was thinking the same thing as everyone else when it came out? Boy, were we all wrong. Shawshank is pure heart and joy wrapped in the tragic exterior that Tim Robbins’ Andy Dufresne had to face, with so many lovable (and hateable) characters that you wait with bated breath on each of their respectable resolutions. Whether you cried for Brooks (James Whitmore), got mad with Red (Morgan Freeman), or had the most cathartic exaltation when Andy’s Raquel Welch poster was removed, there is almost no movie that makes you feel the most rewatchable feels more than this brilliant story of resilience. - Amarú
3. WILLY WONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
As a child, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is pure wish fulfillment: a mysterious stranger has a contest where buying candy is a requirement, and the ultimate winner gets a lifetime supply of chocolate? That is a dream realized. When you grow up, you recognize the horrors and atrocities wrought on the Oompa-Loompas and children who enter Willy Wonka’s (Gene Wilder) factory and wonder why anyone would consider the story whimsical. A $4 million box office gross against a $3 million budget speaks to how the adaptation didn’t grab as many viewers as readers of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s story. Maybe Shaft was just more popular for the July 4th weekend in 1971, or maybe potential child murder wasn’t a legitimate draw. Either way, despite how problematic it ends up being, the film has magnificent songs, colorful characters, and Wilder making a case for an Oscar nomination as a man locked in arrested development simply trying to make the world more magical. Who can make the sun rise? The candy man can, and did. - Robert
2. SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD
In 2010, there were a handful of films that taught film geeks like me that online interest doesn’t always translate into mainstream success. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was one of those very films. Despite months of hype, and even with strong reviews and great word-of-mouth, Edgar Wright’s adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s acclaimed graphic novel series only ended up grossing $47M worldwide against a reported $60M budget. As someone who bought the Blu-ray, downloaded the soundtrack on iTunes, played the game endlessly, read all the graphic novels, and even re-enacted a scene for my high school drama class: I’ll admit… I was bitter. And I had every reason to be because I’m one of those people who actually missed it in theatres. Luckily, it’s not hard to find a repertory screening in Toronto (for obvious reasons), so I was able to rectify a decades-old mistake. Still, no matter how big or small the screen, everything about the film feels as fresh as the first time - from the sublime visuals to its hilarious one-liners, and especially the incredible casting choices (Ellen Wong should’ve been a star, dammit). It’s my favourite Wright movie for a reason, and it fully deserves its cult classic status. Sylvester Stallone (The Expendables) and Julia Roberts (Eat Pray Love) may have won that weekend, but Scott Pilgrim won the war. - Bode
1. CHILDREN OF MEN
Am I bitter that Children of Men was a massive flop? I don't know, honestly. Yes, it deserved so much more, especially considering it not only failed to earn back its $76 million budget but also lost about $120 million, which effectively put Alfonso Cuarón in director's jail for a time. However, while the box office is certainly a form of showing value with audiences, so is time… and time has been great to Children of Men. Recently ranked 13th on The New York Times' 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century, it’s clear that, eventually, audiences graced themselves with the masterwork of this poignant dystopian thriller, buying into the breathtaking visuals of the world-building and the excellent character writing. Plus, Cuarón escaped from director's jail to win two Best Director Oscars, so all is well there, too. - Adriano
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