There isn’t a genre of film that’s as saturated and played out as the action movie genre is. For every great action movie, there are a hundred rip-offs that aren't well-received. Yet, studios keep making action movies because they usually do pretty well financially. When a good action movie bombs at the box office, it can a bit confusing.
Many factors can hurt a movie’s performance, from controversy surrounding the film to competition at the box office or even just bad reviews. However, with word-of-mouth, DVD sales, and hindsight, these movies sometimes gain a cult following. As a result, even action movie flops can become revered as some of the genre’s best.
10 Dredd
1h36m
Based on the comic series of the same name, Dredd is set in a dystopian 2080 in the vast and violent metropolis, Mega City One. Here, felons rule the streets, and the only law lies with "judges," who act as judge, jury, and executioner.
Dredd was acclaimed by critics who praised the film’s ultra-violent action sequences and self-aware deadpan humor. Unfortunately, Dredd was released at the same time as when The Dark Knight Rises, The Amazing Spider-Man, and The Avengers were all in theaters. With impossible competition, Dredd failed to make back its budget of $45 million. Despite this, Dredd’s notoriety has grown over the years, and so has its fanbase.
9 The Nice Guys
1h50m
The Nice Guys is a hilarious neo-noir comedy action film. The movie follows a private investigator and a muscle for hire who investigate the disappearance of a teenage girl. The Nice Guys had all the makings for a big hit: a star-studded cast that includes Ryan Gosling, Russell Crowe, and Kim Bassinger, a well-known director in Shane Black, and critical acclaim with 91% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Most people thought this movie would be a success, including the studio that had plans for a sequel. Unfortunately, The Nice Guys flopped, and sequel plans were immediately scrapped. The movie has seen a resurgence since being released on Netflix, slowly gaining the credit it deserves.
8 The Warriors
1h30m
The Warriors takes place in a fictional New York City where gangs run the streets. Among them are The Warriors, who must travel from the Bronx to Coney Island after being framed for the death of a respected gang leader.
Following the film’s release, there were reports of vandalism and violence by moviegoers on their way to or from showings. This prompted Paramount to halt their advertising campaign and relieve theater owners of their obligation to show the film, causing them to pull The Warriors completely. Despite its initial negative reception, The Warriors has since become a cult classic that’s been reappraised by critics. The movie now appears on lists like New York Times Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made.
7 The Raid
1h41m
The Raid is a 2011 Indonesian action thriller about an elite squad who are tasked with infiltrating a high-rise building that’s run by a ruthless drug lord in the slums of Jakarta. One member of the elite squad is Rama, a rookie member of the team and master martial artist.
The movie made less than $2 million at the box office in America but has been adorned by fans and critics alike for its well-choreographed fight scenes. Many consider The Raid to be one of the most influential action films of the 21st century. The movie retired the shaky-cam technique popular at the time, instead using sleeker shots and longer takes, which are now staples of the genre.
6 The Boondock Saints
1h48m
The Boondock Saints was a staple in every college dorm during the early '00s. The film centers around two fraternal twins who turn into assassins after killing two Russian Mafia members in self-defense. In a Punisher-esque fashion, the twins try to rid their city of crime.
The Boondock Saints' release followed the Columbine High School Shooting, and distributors rightfully refused to screen the film for its depiction of gun violence, which led to a limited release. It was one of the lowest-grossing movies of all time, pulling in only $30,000. However, through word-of-mouth, The Boondock Saints would gross over $50 million in DVD sales and became so popular that it spawned a sequel and a devoted cult following.
5 Repo Man
1h32m
Repo Man is a 1984 film about a punk rocker who's played by Emilio Estevez. Estevez's Otto joins a car repossession agency to find a mysterious car that’s connected to extraterrestrial beings. At its core, Repo Man is an anti-establishment satire of America under the Reagan administration. Repo Man received widespread acclaim and was considered by critics to be one of the best films of 1984.
Perhaps Repo Man’s themes were too political for audiences because the film only grossed $3.7 million at the box office and was deemed a commercial failure. Today, the film has gained a large cult following and was ranked the 7th Best Cult Film by Entertainment Weekly, the highest of any action film.
4 Children Of Men
1h49m
Children of Men is a brilliant dystopian action thriller where humanity is on the brink of extinction after two decades of infertility. The film failed to make back its budget, despite being universally acclaimed. Children of Men was a box office bomb, which disappointed director Alfonso Cuarón.
Nevertheless, respected film critic Peter Travers listed the film as the second-greatest movie of the entire decade. Children of Men has since amassed a cult fanbase. Fans think the film is one of the most eerily prescient projects in recent memory, forecasting some of the cultural nervousness that defined the Obama era, the Trump presidency, and the coronavirus pandemic.
3 Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
1h52m
Scott Pilgrim Vs The World is a romantic action film based on a graphic novel of the same name. It centers on a lazy musician who must battle the seven evil exes of his newest girlfriend, Ramona Flowers. Despite having a preexisting audience, a well-known director in Edgar Wright, and a fantastic cast, Scott Pilgrim was a box-office bomb.
The film was praised for its special effects and unique style that blended comic books, video games, and music for a movie that was truly unlike anything else at the time. The film found a resurgence in its DVD sales, which sold 200,000 copies in its first week, and has since become a cult classic.
2 Blade Runner
Varying Lengths Per Each Edit
Blade Runner is arguably the most popular cult film of all time, which ironically erases a bit of its cult status. Now considered to be one of the greatest movies ever made, Blade Runner was initially a flop that was panned by critics.
The film is set in a dystopian future where burnt-out cop Rick Deckard, played by the talented Harrison Ford, must hunt down fugitive synthetic humans known as replicants. The film has developed a massive cult following after the release of the infamous director’s cut. It has grown into a franchise that includes comic books, video games, and a television series named Black Lotus.
1 Fight Club
2h19m
Rarely is a film discussed in both its meaning and its impact as Fight Club is. The movie centers around two men who start an underground fight club after being fed up with their mundane lives. Fight Club is noted for being a critique of consumerism and toxic masculinity.
Perhaps people took the "don’t talk about fight club" rule too seriously because the action movie only grossed $37 million domestically on a $65 million budget. Fight Club is another movie that benefited from DVD sales, selling over six million copies in its first 10 years. The film has since gained a massive cult following who consider Fight Club a modern classic.