Audiences love going to the theater and watching a loud, exciting action movie on the big screen, but not all action movies that come with great reviews perform well. Because of how enjoyable it is to see this kind of film in theaters, action movies tend to be big hits at the box office. However,a film being packed with action does not by any means guarantee that it will be a financial success.Sometimes, for a variety of reasons, evengreat action films, whether in the ’80s, orgritty action movies from the ’90s, fail to make much money.
Just because a movie fails to make a ton of money, though, does not prove that it’s a bad film by any means. Plenty of well-respected action films have failed to make back the money that was put into making them. Some of these movies have even gone on to win major awards, and receive consistent praise from critics. When looking for anaction movie franchiseto watch, it is important to look past the box office numbers, andremember that even the ones which bombed can still be excellent films.
Miller’s Crossing
Cast
Miller’s Crossing is a crime drama directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. The film follows Tom Reagan (Gabriel Byrne), an advisor to a Prohibition-era crime boss, as he navigates a volatile dispute between two rival gangs. Set against a backdrop of betrayal and shifting loyalties, the story delves into the complexities of Reagan’s moral and ethical choices. Albert Finney and John Turturro also star in this intricate narrative of power and deception.
Though far from your typical action movie,Miller’s Crossingfrequently dishes out thrilling action scenes over the course of this creative spin on the gangster film genre. Set in the 1920s,the film highlights the violent rivalry between two organized crime syndicates, and the man caught between them. The film received overwhelming praise from critics, earning consistently positive reviews for its overall style, as well as for the dialogue and performances.
$5 million
93%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
90%
Unlike many of the Coen Brothers' later films,Miller’s Crossingwas not a commercial success by any means. The film only earned around five million dollars at the box office, despite being made on a budget of more than double that amount. This is largely the result of the film only being given a limited release. Although it failed to make much money for the popular filmmaking duo,it still remains a valuable part of the Coen Brothers' filmographybecause of its unique twist on the idea of the gangster film.
True Romance
True Romance is a romantic crime drama by Tony Scott and Quentin Tarantino that follows two lovers, a kindly nerdy man and a prostitute, who decide to elope after a series of events. When a murder and an accidental theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars of cocaine from a mafia occur leading up to their engagement, the couple goes on the run, realizing no amount of talking will fix their mistake.
In 1993, the writing of Quentin Tarantino and the direction of Tony Scott were brought together to formTrue Romance,an action-heavy crime drama about a newlywed couple on the run. The film was loved by critics, earning an impressive 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The performances of the ensemble cast (including Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Christopher Walken, and many more) and Tarantino’s pre-Reservoir Dogswriting received additional acclaim.
$12 million
Unfortunately for the up-and-coming Tarantino,True Romanceended up flopping at the box office.The film barely managed to break even on its budgetof just over twelve million dollars, only earning a mere four million during its opening weekend. Regardless,True Romancesoon found itself developing a strong, dedicated fanbase, keeping the love of the film alive for years to come.
Serenity
Directed by Joss Whedon, Serenity is a science fiction film that follows the renegade crew of the spaceship Serenity. Starring Nathan Fillion as Captain Malcolm Reynolds, the crew must protect a telepathic girl with powerful secrets from a totalitarian regime while navigating through space against hostile forces. The film blends action and adventure, expanding on the universe established in the television series Firefly.
Much to the dismay of its viewers, Joss Whedon’s science-fiction series,Firefly, was canceled before its story could be completed. Because of this, it came as a relief to many when Whedon released the feature-length film,Serenity, asa follow-up to the show in 2005. The film provided fans of the series with the satisfying, action-packed conclusion they desired.
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Unfortunately, while the fanbase ofFireflywas dedicated, it proved to not be quite as big as Whedon expected.Serenitybarely managed to turn a slim profit on its 39-million-dollar budget. However, those who saw the film did seem to enjoy it, as it proved to be very well-received by critics.
$40 million
82%
91%
Serenityeven went on to win a slew of coveted awards from various science-fiction organizations. Proving that it doesn’t matter how much money the film made,SerenityofferedFireflyfans a satisfying conclusion, as well as an exciting action/science-fiction experience for all audiences.
7Children of Men(2006)
Three Oscar Nominations, Zero Profits
Children of Menshocked audiences around the globe, proving that you don’t need futuristic weapons or gadgets to tell a thrilling, action-packed science-fiction story. The 2006film from director Alfonso Cuarónexplores a chaotic near-future version of Earth in which all humans have become infertile, creating a world in which no children have been born for eighteen years.
Children of Menshocked audiences around the globe, proving that you don’t need futuristic weapons or gadgets to tell a thrilling, action-packed science-fiction story.
Sadly, thanks toa series of poor marketing decisions by Universal Pictures, the film did not accumulate nearly as much money as one would have expected. Even with its A-list cast (Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, and more),Children of Menonly managed to get back 70.5 million dollars of its 76-million-dollar budget.
$70 million
92%
85%
Despite this, the film was a massive critical success, receiving overwhelming positive reviews, and earning a spot on numerous lists of the year’s best films.Children of Menalso received nominations for three different Academy Awards: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing. Needless to say, the box office numbers do not provide an accurate representation of the film’s quality.
The Nice Guys
Directed by Shane Black and starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, The Nice Guys tells the story of a private investigator and a hired enforcer who team up to investigate the disappearance of a young woman. Set in 1970s Los Angeles, the 2016 comedy thriller puts a modern spin on the noir genre.
Lethal Weaponwriter Shane Black moved to the director’s chair forThe Nice Guys, a 2016 action comedy starring Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe. Set in the 1970s, the film followsthe oddball duo as they attempt to solve a mysterious case in Los Angeles. The film was a critical success, garnering a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes and receiving consistent praise, especially for the comedic partnership of Gosling and Crowe.
$71 million
79%
Their natural chemistry was not enough to bring audiences to the theaters, though, asThe Nice Guysonly managed to turn a slim profit on its 50-million-dollar budget. The underwhelming performance has been attributed to heavy competition, with other major comedy films releasing at the same exact time. Fortunately, the underappreciated action/comedy combo found a new home on Netflix for a while, where many more people were able to give it a well-deserved watch.
Mulan
The 2020 release of Mulan is a live-action adaptation of the 1998 animated film that focuses more on the original Chinese tale, Ballad of Mulan. In the film, war comes to china from Mongol armies, with the Emperor of China requiring each family must send one man to join the army. To protect her father from returning to the war, she dons his armor and masquerades as a man to fight for her country and bring honor to her family.
Disney is certainly not known for action films, but the studio elected to venture into new territory with its 2020 remake ofMulan. Abandoning the musical elements and cartoonish characters featured in the original film,Mulan(2020) proved to be an impressively dramatic, action-rich film. While its differences from the original version did receive some negative comments, critics who managed to viewMulan(2020) as its own movie were consistently impressed.
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The film even received multiple Oscar nominations, and massive praise for its visual effects and production design.Mulan(2020) was very unlucky, though, with its initial premiere being scheduled for July 15, 2025. TheCovid-19 pandemic forced Disney to adapt its plan, as theaters across the country were being shut down.
$69 million
72%
46%
The studio ultimately decided to release the film directly to Disney+, a decision that would massively detract from its potential revenue.Mulan(2020) only earned back a mere 69.9 million of its 200-million-dollar budget. One can only wonder how well the film would have done in a different year.
The Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad: Released in 2021, The Suicide Squad features supervillains Harley Quinn, Bloodsport, and Peacemaker, among others, as they join Task Force X. The team embarks on a mission on the enemy-held island of Corto Maltese under the direction of Amanda Waller in this entry of the DC Extended Universe.
In 2021, DC Films releasedThe Suicide Squad,James Gunn’s attempt to revitalize the franchiseafter its widely-disliked predecessor from 2016. Similar to the first film,The Suicide Squadfollows a ragtag team of little-known villains from DC Comics who are forced by the U.S. government to work together in order to stop a greater threat to the world.
The most prominent explanation of this failure is the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to the film being released directly onto Max the same day it hit theaters.
The R-rated action flick received reviews far more positive than the originalSuicide Squad, even managing to earn an admirable score of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite its praise,The Suicide Squadcame over fifteen million dollars short of making back its 185-million-dollar budget. The most prominent explanation of this failure is the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to the film being released directly onto Max the same day it hit theaters.
$168 million
There was also the issue of audiences being unsure what exactly the film was; the advertising made it unclear whether the film was a sequel, a do-over of the previousSuicide Squad, or something in between. Along with other reasons, these factors piled up and ledThe Suicide Squadto an underwhelming box office run.
The Northman
The Northman is a historical epic released in 2022 that follows Viking Prince Amleth on his quest for vengeance. After witnessing his father’s murder and his mother’s abduction by his uncle, Amleth dedicates his life to rescuing his mother and avenging these betrayals.
Robert Eggers co-wrote and directed the 2022 film,The Northman, a bloody revenge film inspired by Viking history and Norse mythology.The film has a star-studded cast, including Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe, and Anya Taylor-Joy. Unfortunately for Eggers, not even these big names were enough to get the film to turn a profit.
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The film earned less than 70 million dollars, just under its estimated budget of approximately 70-90 million. Putting aside the underwhelming box office numbers,The Northmanwas at least a success with critics. The film achieved a score of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, and was nominated for various awards for numerous aspects of its production.
64%
A prominent reason forThe Northman’s lack of financial success is simply that the film (being an R-rated, dramatic, artistic piece) is not the type of action movie bound to attract a large audience. This, combined with the film’s high budget, made it altogether unlikely thatThe Northmanwould profit, regardless of the positive reviews.
Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant
Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant is an action-packed war drama film that follows two men caught in the middle of Afghanistan trying to extract themselves from the conflict safely. After Sergeant John Kinley and his interpreter Ahmed are ambushed, Ahmed saves John’s life. However, upon learning that Ahmed and his family will be left behind despite promises from the United States to bring them back, John returns to the battlefield and save his family before the pursuing Taliban catch them.
Guy Ritchie’s The Covenanttook on a much different tone than the director’s previous films, abandoning Ritchie’s trademark style of blending comedy and crime, and instead presenting a much more dramatic action piece. Though it was a sharp departure from his typical style,critics were quite impressed with the film.
In particular, Jake Gyllenhaal’s leading performance as a U.S. Sergeant serving in Afghanistan received much acclaim. The intense film was far from a commercial success though, not even making half of its 55-million-dollar budget back at the box office. This is primarily the result of the way the film was released.
$21 million
83%
98%
Guy Ritchie’s The Covenantwas only shown in theaters in the United States. For the rest of the world, the film was immediately able to stream on Amazon Prime Video. With an underwhelming marketing campaign and a minimized source of international revenue, it was really no surprise that the film was a bomb, regardless of the reviews.
The Creator
The Creator is a sci-fi action film from Rogue One director Gareth Edwards. Edwards wrote and directed the movie, which centers on the human race’s war against AI. In the post-apocalyptic world, Joshua (John David Washington) is tasked with finding and killing the architect of the dangerous AI and the mysterious weapon they are developing.
Coming during an era in which the movie industry is dominated by sequels and remakes, one may have expected a film likeThe Creatorto be a refreshing change of pace for modern audiences. The fully original film follows a U.S. Army sergeant on his quest to restore order to a world that has been transformed by A.I.
The Creatorwas released in the midst of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, during which A.I. was an incredibly sensitive topic.
The Creatorreceived many honors, includingtwo Academy Award nominations(for Best Sound and Best Visual Effects), and various other awards for its visuals. At the box office,The Creatorearned 104 million dollars. This is fairly impressive for a film based on an original concept, but, unfortunately, it cost over 80 million dollars to make.
$104 million
67%
76%
While it is admirable that the filmmakers were willing to approach a topic as relevant as A.I., the timing may not have been ideal.The Creatorwas released in the midst of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, during which A.I. was an incredibly sensitive topic. The idea of A.I. being a central element of the film was enough to turn away many potential audience members.
