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Box office performance is not always the best indicator of the quality of a movie. These movies are much better than their box office performance might suggest. "Paying" = gross revenue/budget, or how much revenue was generated for each budget dollar.
A list by DRDMovieMusings
16
Items on this list73%
Average Rating32h 40m
Total Runtime$817.2M
Total Revenue1
Babylon
I tend to like movies about movies and this is just one more good one. Paying $0.81 is woefully misleading — it's an ambitious, sprawling, moving film.
Movie
December 23, 2022
3h 9m
$63.4M
2
Bicentennial Man
So much pathos, humanity...apparently not a whole lot of fun for a night at the movies, it paid but $0.94
"The simple truth of that recognition...I'm to live, or die, with dignity."
Movie
December 17, 1999
2h 11m
$87.4M
3
Blade Runner
Among the greatest sci-fi films of all time, theatre-goers didn't get it at the time, paying just $1.18
"All those moments will be lost, in time, like...tears...in rain."
Movie
June 25, 1982
1h 58m
$41.7M
4
Equilibrium
1984 with a happier ending? Blue-tinged action derivative? Perhaps, but gun kata is cool. Unfortunately, box office was cooler, paying paltry $0.27
"I'm coming."
Movie
December 6, 2002
1h 47m
$5.4M
5
Fight Club
Everybody loves Fight Club...but audiences didn't, only paying $1.60
"I don't even have to come into the office. I can do this job from home."
Movie
October 15, 1999
2h 19m
$100.9M
6
Glengarry Glen Ross
Taut drama with a ridiculous cast, but couldn't get audiences to sign on the line which is dotted, paying a paltry $0.86
"Put that coffee down. Coffee is for closers. Always Be Closing."
Movie
September 28, 1992
1h 40m
$10.7M
7
GoodFellas
Classic gangster mayhem paid just $1.87
"I'm here to amuse you? I make you laugh?"
Movie
September 19, 1990
2h 25m
$46.8M
8
Life
The comedic element overshadowed this dramatization of the emergence of the prison-industrial complex - paying $0.92 was criminal.
"You stole my life!"
Movie
April 16, 1999
1h 48m
$73.5M
9
Man on Fire
Denzel Washington paints a masterpiece. Box office criminally paid just $1.86
"I wish. You had. More time."
Movie
April 23, 2004
2h 26m
$130.3M
10
Office Space
For those of us launching out into the working world in the late 90s, why go see it when we were living it? Audiences only paid $1.28
"Can I get those TPS reports, ASAP, mmmkay?"
Movie
February 19, 1999
1h 30m
$12.8M
11
Other People's Money
Danny DeVito at his most...charming? Gregory Peck the bad guy? A delicious rom-com should've paid more than $1.17
"I'm not your best friend, I'm your only friend. I'm making you money."
Movie
October 18, 1991
1h 43m
$0
12
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
The classic Thanksgiving, side-splitting comedy with the heart of gold, it managed to pay only $1.65
"Those aren't pillows!"
Movie
November 26, 1987
1h 33m
$49.5M
13
The Crossing Guard
A study in pain, suffering, revenge, redemption...the human condition story only paid a meagre $0.10
"You were right, you're a perfect 7."
Movie
November 15, 1995
1h 51m
$0
14
The Godfather Part III
This third installment doesn't get near the love it deserves. Paying $2.53 is cinematic injustice.
"Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in. Our true enemy has not yet shown his face."
Movie
December 25, 1990
2h 42m
$136.8M
15
The Soloist
A subtle journey of the human condition that could only muster paying $0.53
"Mr. Ayers, I'm honoured to be your friend."
Movie
April 24, 2009
1h 49m
$38.3M
16
The Thing
Widely considered one of the greatest horror films of all time, it lost money at the box office, paying just $1.31
Was Childs the thing?
Movie
June 25, 1982
1h 49m
$19.6M