3 Great Recent Movies That Failed at the Box Office Against All Odds

What makes a film doomed to success?

The obvious answers are a great story, compelling and well-acted characters, and maybe big-name filmmakers and actors involved in its creation, but apparently that’s not enough sometimes, because even having all three may not prevent the film to be a complete flop at the box office. .

So, we present to you three films released not so long ago that unfortunately served as living proof of the above.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Adapting a long-running, extremely complex and evolved fantasy setting could prove to be an extremely difficult task, one that many films, such as Warcraft (2016), failed to accomplish.

However, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves doesn’t fall into this category, as it’s a great movie that’s on the one hand a great adventure with likable characters, and on the other hand not overloaded with unnecessary lore (for the story) details and stays true to the original.

Honor Among Thieves is one of the best adaptations of beloved fantasy settings that has been praised by fans and critics alike.

But it made the fatal mistake of picking the wrong release date and was absolutely decimated by juggernauts like John Wick: Chapter 4 and The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

Babylon (2022)

With its epic scale, star-studded cast, and massive budget, this dark comedy-drama seemed like a surefire hit.

But its own size and budget proved to be its undoing, as it completely bombed at the box office due to lackluster critical reviews (more on that later), the COVID pandemic, poor marketing, and the general decline in interest in these “big” movies.

Although Babylon is not for everyone, as the film contains several shocking scenes, such as an elephant “relieving itself” in the first minutes of the film, and suddenly increasing drama in the second half, if you are not put off by these aspects, you might really enjoy it.

It’s a beautiful story that makes you nostalgic for a time you never lived in, which is even inspiring in its own way at the end. The soundtrack is also absolutely brilliant, it fits the movie perfectly and is truly memorable.

Three Thousand Years of Nostalgia (2022)

Created by George Miller, known for his Mad Max movies, this story of a Djinn and the woman who freed him, starring Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba, was also a box office flop, despite positive reviews.

It’s hard to pinpoint the exact reasons for this, with some blaming poor marketing and release strategy, but the film is a beautiful and entertaining fantasy romance drama with a great story and characters that may deserve your attention.