There are a ton of movies from the ’90s that we love that weren’t blockbusters upon their release. These are movies that we think defined the decade, and did define it. That’s not to say they didn’t make money, most of the movies on this list were at least profitable, but they didn’t didn’t make nearly as much as you would think.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
On any list like this, the classic example is always The Shawshank Redemption. It’s a movie that CinemaBlend has called the best movie of the 1990s. Yet, when it was first released, it didn’t actually do very well. During its initial run in the fall of 1994, it barely squeaked into the top 10 and failed to even make back its budget. It wasn’t until the following year, when it became a regular on cable television that it found an audience and became the beloved classic it is today.
Dazed And Confused (1993)
Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused is one of the most quotable movies of all time, but it wasn’t a big money maker at first. Imagine a movie today with a cast that includes Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Cole Hauser, Parker Posey, Renee Zellweger, and more not being a massive hit. Of course, most of them were unknown at the time and, according to Box Office Mojo, the movie only made about $8 million on a $7 million budget in theaters.
The Player (1992)
The Player, by legendary director Robert Altman, was praised by critics and nominated for a slew of awards, but it didn’t find an audience initially. Though the film was profitable, it didn’t make nearly the money one would expect from a film that has literally dozens of big stars making cameos in it.
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Eventually, The Usual Suspects became a favorite of many people, but that wasn’t the case when it was first released. According to the website The Numbers, the film only made about $23 million domestically at the box office. That really isn’t very much for a movie, especially one of its caliber.
Election (1999)
Reese Witherspoon’s character Tracy Flick in Election has become an icon and it basically helped launch the actor into superstardom. It did not, however, crush it at the box office, bringing in just $14 million worldwide.
The Big Lebowski (1998)
The Coen Brothers followed up their Academy Award-winning Fargo with The Big Lebowski and despite the amazing cast and the stellar writing, the movie just didn’t click with audiences at first. Of course, it’s gone on to have a life of its own and has played a major role in pop culture since, but at the time, it was almost regarded as a bomb.
Office Space (1999)
There may be no bigger cult classic on this list than Mike Judge’s 1999 comedy classic Office Space. It’s constantly quoted by anyone who has ever worked in an office and continues to be discovered by new generations. It’s got a wonderful cast, and the writing is downright amazing. It took DVD and cable to make it so loved though. At the box office, it was basically a bomb, bringing in just $12 million on a $10 million budget.
The Iron Giant (1999)
There has been a lot of discussion about why The Iron Giant did so poorly at the box office when it was first released, but it pretty much bombed completely. In the years since it’s become a favorite of an entire generation who grew up watching it at home.
Reality Bites (1994)
In 1994, Gen X was still defining itself and it was movies like Reality Bites starring Winona Ryder that helped it do so. What is astounding is that it’s not nearly the hit that most Gen Xers would expect, making just $20 million upon its release. Its cultural impact definitely outweighs its financial success, which probably sits just fine with many in the generation.
Goodfellas (1990)
Goodfellas starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Ray Liotta, and directed by Martin Scorsese, is considered by many to be one of the best movies of all time. While it was successful at the box, it didn’t even crack the top 1,000 in all-time box office. Kindergarten Cop made twice as much as Goodfellas in 1990. You’d be better off robbing an airport.
Heat (1995)
According to The Numbers, Heat made about $67 million, which is nothing to sneeze at. That is until you compare it to some of the other movies from that same year and realize it made less money than Waterworld, which is considered one of the biggest bombs of all time, and Casper, along with 23 other movies in 1995.
How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)
How Stella Got Her Groove Back has become a cultural touchstone from the 1990s and while it did decent at the box, it was far from a runaway hit like it might have expected it to be. It made Taye Diggs a star and Angela Bassett a superstar, but it wasn’t even one of the 50 most popular movies of the year.
Boogie Nights (1997)
1997 was a banner year for movies, with classics like Titanic, Men in Black, and Good Will Hunting all getting released. Then, way down the list of the top box office performers, is Boogie Nights at #75. It only managed to bring in $26 million on release. A lot can be chalked up to the racy subject matter, sure, but it’s still one of the best movies of the decade.
Fight Club (1999)
1999’s Fight Club is still revered today, decades later, but at the time, you could say the response by filmgoers was lukewarm at best. It only ended up making about $37 million domestically, but it would earn much more in the next few years on DVD and cable TV.
Singles (1992)
Singles is one of the movies on this list that defines a generation, for better or worse. It portrays Generation X as a slacker generation that isn’t interested in anything. It turns out, Gen X was interested in this movie either, as it earned just $18 million, ranking 67th for 1992.
Can’t Hardly Wait (1998)
Jennifer Love Hewitt was on the verge of superstardom when Can’t Hardly Wait was released. It would eventually become an oft-quoted, huge cult favorite, but in its theater run, it performed very mediocrely. It took in $23 million and finished behind less-beloved movies like Bulworth and Practical Magic in 1998.
Back to the Future Part III (1990)
Okay, this one needs a little explanation as to how it ended up on this list, because it was certainly a hit, and it made a lot of money. It’s here because, though it’s often ranked above Back to the Future Part II in the Back to the Future trilogy, Back to the Future Part III made the least amount of money of all three, which you wouldn’t have expected.
Malcolm X (1992)
Spike Lee’s epic Malcolm X was controversial when it was released in 1992, due to the controversial nature of Malcolm X, played by Denzel Washington in the movie, himself. It’s a movie that is good enough to make the top ten in any given year, yet it finished #32 at the year-end box office.
The Doors (1991)
For the kids that were the children of Baby Boomers, ’60s music was a big deal. When The Doors came out in 1992, high school kids all over obsessed over it. But that wasn’t until it was released on VHS. In its theatrical run, it barely managed to make back its initial budget.
Tombstone (1993)
1993 Tombstone is one of the greatest westerns of all time, but it didn’t start out as a fan favorite. While it did make a decent chunk of change, it finished behind forgettable movies in the year-end box office numbers like Dave, Rising Sun, and Indecent Proposal.
Misery (1990)
1990’s Misery starring James Caan and Kathy Bates is arguably the best Stephen King adaption on the silver screen, and while it was definitely a hit, you’d expect a movie of its caliber to be one of the biggest hits of the year, but it was beat by movies like Kindergarten Cop, Bird On A Wire (one of the worst #1 movies ever), and 3 Men and a Little Lady.
True Romance (1993)
Director Tony Scott’s True Romance has an amazing cast and an amazing script by Quentin Tarantino. Ingredients like that usually turn into a hit. Instead, it only made about $12 million and barely snuck into the top 100 movies of 1993.
Pump Up the Volume (1990)
Christian Slater’s character Hard Harry inspired a generation of Gen Xers to be dark and mysterious, and while Pump Up The Volume became one of the most beloved cult hits of the decade, it took a while to get there. It only made $11 million in theaters.
Strange Days (1995)
Director Kathryn Bigelow’s Strange Days is a love-it-or-hate-it-type of movie. Despite being a huge box office flop, making less than a third of its budget back. It’s since become a very popular cult flick with a huge fanbase that is always willing to defend it.
Tremors (1990)
Normally you’d expect a movie that launches a franchise to be an off-the-chart blockbuster. Tremors did the former but was far from the latter. Star Kevin Bacon revealed in 2019 that the movie made less than a fifth of what it was expected to make. Still, there have now been six more movies and a TV show in the franchise and the original is still one of Bacon’s best movies.
Ed Wood (1994)
1994’s Ed Wood is one of Tim Burton’s least-talked-about movies, and that’s likely because it did so poorly at the box office, making just $5 million when it was released. It’s one of Burton’s and star Johnny Depp’s worst performing movies, despite being pretty good.
BASEketball (1998)
BASEketball was the first movie starring the guys from South Park, Matt Stone and Trey Parker. The problem is that they didn’t write it. Despite some funny moments, their star power wasn’t enough to make money and the movie bombed, making just $7 million.
Darkman (1990)
There is no question that Darkman has been a cult classic. but when it first came out it was, at best, a moderate success, making about $32 million domestically. In the years since it has become an impressive franchise with multiple movies, comic books, and video games.
Hackers (1995)
1995 Hackers, starring Jonny Lee Miller and Angelina Jolie is like the little movie that keeps on going. It’s not well regarded by critics, and it was a definite bomb, but it continues to be talked about and drawing fans in. Maybe it’s the nature of the subject and talking about it on the internet, but it’s the movie that just won’t die.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
Hunter S. Thompson’s legendary novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was always described as a book that no one could do justice to on the silver screen. That’s just the kind of challenge that Terry Gilliam loves and so when he made it a movie in 1998 with Johnny Depp taking on the role of Thompson, no one was surprised. The movie is a brilliant representation of the trippy book, and despite only making about $13 million worldwide, it’s still talked about and loved today.
Friday (1995)
If you were a certain kind of college kid in the ’90s, it’s safe to say you watched Friday dozens of times on VHS. But that was VHS. The odds are that you didn’t actually see it in theaters, because the Ice Cube/Chris Tucker classic only made about $23 million, placing it outside of the top 50 in 1995.
Being John Malkovich (1999)
79 movies made more money than Being John Malkovich in 1999. Including movies like Baby Geniuses, Mystery Men, Superstar, The 13th Warrior, and The Martian. Are those movies all better than Being John Malkovich? Of course not.
