Film critics are generally quick to label movies "winners" or "disappointments" and most of the time, they are right. However, audiences aren't always quick to catch up to the critically acclaimed productions. Sometimes they don't agree with critics at all, leading to disappointing box office figures for movies expected to be hits.
Hundreds of comedy films come out each year, but only a few ever manage to impress critics. However, humor lands differently for different people, hence an audience might not find the highly-praised films funny, or the audience may just take a while to catch on to a great movie. Here are just a few comedies that were critically acclaimed but bombed at the box office.
Man On The Moon (1999)
Jim Carrey was a huge star in the '90s—thanks to a string of memorable roles—but his popularity failed to draw enough audiences to this great biopic. Man On The Moon follows the rise of legendary entertainer Andy Kaufman, exploring his childhood as well as his foray into comedy clubs and popular late night talk shows.
Universal Pictures invested heavily in the film, pouring $82 million into production and marketing. Sadly, the final box office figures only stood at $47 million. Carrey won a Golden Globe for his performance as Kaufman.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010)
Universal Pictures poured $60 million into Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, but the studio only got back S48.1 million. The film revolves around a bass band player named Scott who must win a competition to get a record deal. Chris Evans—before he was ever Captain America—played one of the exes of Scott's girlfriend in the movie.
Despite being a box office bomb, the comic book adaptation was nominated for over 70 awards. It was also nominated for Best Visual Effects at the 83rd Academy Awards..
Office Space (1999)
Fans took a while to catch up on Office Space, but the movie is now a cult classic. The comedy film which focused on a couple of disgruntled employees working at a software company only made $12 million against a budget of $12 million.
Office Space is said to have inspired several other future comedy productions like The Office. It developed a huge following after being aired on Comedy Central a record 35 times between 2001 and 2003. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a score of 80% while on Metacritic, it sits at 68%.
Me And Earl And The Dying Girl (2015)
Based on the Jesse Andrews novel, the film follows Greg, a socially awkward teen, who is forced by his mother to befriend a leukemia patient named Rachel. The two end up having a tight bond.
Me And Earl And The Dying Girl had a production budget of $8 million but only made $9 million. Despite the low revenue, critics praised the film for its infusion of humor into a looming sense of tragedy. At the Sundance Film Festival, it won the Grand Jury Prize as well as the Audience Award.
Bottle Rocket (1996)
Wes Anderson's name is synonymous with artsy indie films. More than two decades ago, he directed a masterful crime-comedy film, which saw the debut of future stars Luke and Owen Wilson. Despite Bottle Rocket having a modest budget of $5 million, it only grossed $560,069.
The plot centered around two friends who decide to pull off a series of heists in hilarious fashion. Director Martin Scorsese named Bottle Rocket as one of his favorite films of the '90s. Critics were unanimous in praising the film too, hence its weighted average score sits at 85%.
Idiocracy (2006)
Idiocracy proved how good the story can be when comedy blends with sci-fi. The plot revolved around a soldier who participates in a scientific experiment and wakes up 500 years later in a dystopian society where people are unintelligent.
Luke Wilson's performance as the lead character Joe impressed critics. Terry Crews' portrayal of the clueless President Dwayne Camacho was also lauded. Sadly, the film only grossed $495,000 against a budget of $4 million, Luckily, it went on to achieve cult status, thanks to impressive DVD sales.
Heathers (1989)
This dark comedy film follows a clique of four high school girls—three of them named Heather. A threat to their lives emerges after a misanthrope comes to their school with the intention on murdering all popular students and staging the murders to look like suicides.
Heathers had a budget of $3 million but made a loss, grossing only $1.1 million. After New World Video released the film on VHS, it developed a cult following. Empire Magazine ranked it 412 on its list of "500 Greatest Movies Of All Time."
Ghostbusters (2016)
The star-studded reboot focuses on four women and their assistant who decide to set up a ghost-hunting business in New York. The reboot had languished in development hell for years, and after its release, critics were impressed. On Rotten Tomatoes, Ghostbusters has a score of 74%.
Sadly, the ghostbusters couldn't flash out the ghosts of losses at the box office. Despite grossing an impressive $229 million worldwide, the film still didn't break even, failing to meet its combined marketing and production budget of $350 million.
This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
This Is Spinal Tap is credited for popularizing the mockumentary sub-genre of comedy. It follows a fictional English rock band regarded as the loudest band in the world. The film only grossed $4 million against a budget of $3.5 million.
Despite the poor box office figures, the film was lauded by critics. Roger Ebert called it "one of the funniest movies ever made.” It's Rotten Tomatoes score stands at 95%. And in 2002, it was chosen for preservation by the National Film Registry for being “historically, culturally, and aesthetically significant.”
Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971)
It's hard to believe that one of the best family movies of all time was a major flop initially. The comedy-musical film Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, which was adapted from Ronald Dahl's novel of the same name, only grossed $4 million against a budget of $3 million.
Due to the poor performance, Paramount allowed the rights to the film to expire. Warner Bros. bought the rights for $500,000 and re-released it as a TV movie. It's this move that enabled the movie to get to cult status.