7 Horror Box Office Flops That Were Lowkey Awesome, Ranked

Here are seven horror movies that bombed in theaters but were still amazing.

7. Annihilation (2018)

Directed and written by Alex Garland, the movie had every chance to succeed – well-written source material, an all-star cast, and terrifying visuals. Yet, with a $55 million budget, Annihilation only managed to gross $43.1 million. Such low ticket sales didn’t stop it from receiving critical acclaim and becoming a cult classic, though.

6. Jennifer’s Body (2009)

This Megan Fox-led horror comedy was hated months before its release, but it went on to receive fan love decades later. Critics may not have been too happy with the performances of the cast, but the audience considers Jennifer’s Body, which earned $31.6 million against a $16 million budget, an epitome of 2000s feminism.

5. Grindhouse (2007)

Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino ’s double feature was meant to break records and become a cultural phenomenon. Instead, even Rose McGowan’s witch powers couldn’t save it from bombing at the box office – the horror flick barely made half of its budget ($67 million) in theaters ($25.4 million). Grindhouse did, however, receive appreciation from viewers years later.

4. Slither (2006)

James Gunn ’s directorial debut was everything and nothing you’d expect from it at the same time. The cast was wonderful, the film perfectly balanced between funny and creepy, and the story was unique, but it was probably too ahead of its time. With a $15 million budget, Slither only took home $12.8 million. Still, it’s an awesome movie that deserves your attention!

3. The Thing (1982)

John Carpenter’s sci-fi horror is another example of a film that probably should’ve been released way later in order to be appreciated by the audience more. Back then, the nihilistic ideology of The Thing was overlooked – the movie only raked in $19.6 million against a $15 million budget.

2. Pumpkinhead (1988)

The film that launched the Pumpkinhead franchise was a commercial disaster. With a $3.5 million budget, it grossed $4.4 million, but such low profits didn’t prevent it from becoming iconic. In fact, Stan Winston’s movie was deemed worthy of a remake, which is currently in the works.

1. Near Dark (1987)

Kathryn Bigelow single-handedly made vampires cool years before The Vampire Diaries and Twilight saw the light of day. This neo-Western horror was loved by critics, but performed poorly at the box office, making $3.4 million against a $5 million budget. Fast-forward a few decades, and Near Dark now has a cult following!