2024’s summer film slate was filled to the brim with some amazing hits. Whether it beMarvel Studios' latest outing,Deadpool & Wolverine, or Pixar’s smash-hit sequel,Inside Out 2, this summer had a lot of great movies, featuring a healthy mix of classic blockbusters and unexpected successes. But with every hit comes a lot of letdowns, especially this last summer.
Failing at the box office can really twist the knife into the heart of a film, good quality or not. Does low box office numbers mean a film is necessarily “bad,” though? Of course not. All types of great movies fail to connect with the mainstream, but it’s undeniable that sometimes, some genuine flops also crash and burn. Thus, looking at the lowest box office earners of the summer is a tough task, separating the good from the bad.These are the ten biggest disappointments at the 2024 summer box office, ranked by their worldwide grosses. Their actual quality will, of course, be addressed, but it wasn’t a factor in the order.
10’Trap' (August 2)
Worldwide Gross: $82,677,045
The iconicM. Night Shyamalan’s directorial careerhas been very hit or miss when it comes to quality and audience approval. He’s produced some amazing films, likeThe Sixth Sense, but has also some of Hollywood’s worst, with the likes ofThe Last Airbender. So, going into 2024’sTrap, audiences were pretty unsure of what to think.
The concept ofTrapis really good, and on paper, the premise is wonderful and thrilling. Unfortunately, though, it was not executed in a manner that brought it to its true potential.Trapwasn’t necessarily bad, and there is genuine value in Shyamalan’s artistry, but it’s not great either. The film received mixed reviews; some really loved it, while others weren’t very impressed. This divided response may have led to fewer people going to see it, but the marketing also definitely failed Shyamalan.
Rent on Amazon
9’Fly Me to the Moon' (July 12)
Worldwide Gross:$42,147,722
Following the story of Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson), a marketing agent assigned to fake the moon landing for the government,Fly Me to the Moonfailed to stick the landing at the box office. Even with the dynamic pairing of Johansson andChanning Tatum,Fly Me to the Moonflew under the radar.
Unfortunately,Fly Me to the Moon’sreviews were mixed-to-positive. There was nothing inherently wrong with the film,but there wasn’t much that was special about iteither. Everything about this safe but somewhat unremarkable rom-com is good but not great, with not much to write home about at the end of the day. Much like the other films that struggled to bring home the big bucks, the marketing forFly Me to the Moonwas absolutely atrocious.
Fly Me to the Moon
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8’Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1' (June 28)
Worldwide Gross:$38,235,702
Telling the story of America’s history across the span of 15 years in the post-Civil War era,Kevin Costnertries to deliver quite an ambitious story by revitalizing the once-mighty Western genre. While reviews were mostly mixed, they leaned primarily negative. Furthermore, the film opened poorly, gaining$11,052,561 for its domestic opening.
The most painful part ofHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1’s box office is how much it earned compared to its budget, which was around $100 million. Costner must’ve known betting so much money on a Western, of all genres, wasa risky gamble that had a 50-50 chance(at best) of working. Costner is also not the star he once was, and it seems likeYellowstone’s audience didn’t show up to support him.
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
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7’The Bikeriders' (June 21)
Worldwide Gross:$35,969,878
Normally, one would think that an all-star cast with some of the most talented performers in the industry would bring in waves of people. That proved to not be so true in the case ofThe Bikeriders. Regardless of the fact that the film had Oscar nomineesAustin Butler,Tom Hardy, andMichael Shannonalongside Emmy winnerJodie Comer,The Bikeridersonly raised about $5 million under its budget.
What’s hard about the under-performance ofThe Bikeridersis that the film garnered positive reviews, with a fresh80% on Rotten Tomatoes. Jodie Comer gives what can only be described as an Oscar-worthy performance. She steals the show, and her perspective on the old-fashioned biker gang is fresh and entertaining. It’s clear to most thatThe Bikeridersdeserved much better.
The Bikeriders
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6’The Watchers' (June 7)
Worldwide Gross:$33,271,404
Studios typically love horror filmsbecause it’s common that, due to their commonly low budgets, they deliver a profit faster than other major productions. While one of the main horror films of the summer,The Watchersdid pass its budget, it wasn’t by much; in fact, it only did so by about $3 million. The directorial debut ofIshana Night Shyamalan,The WatchersstarsDakota Fanningand follows a group of people stranded in a forest haunted by mysterious monsters.
Unfortunately, the Shyamalan name doesn’t quite command the same interest — or, it must be said, respect it once did.The Watcherssuffered from lackluster reviews and a distinct lack of interest, all of which translated to a mediocre box office. A huge factor for this lower attention is probably due to the fact thatthe film is commonly regarded as a bit boring and stale.
The Watchers
5’Borderlands' (August 7)
Worldwide Gross:$32,978,510
Gaining an absurd amount of notoriety,Borderlandsmay very well be the worst-reviewed film of the year.With a cast led by Oscar-winnerCate Blanchettand an IP with millions of fans around the world, hopes for the movie were high… at least until the trailer premiered, and everyone could see it was a disaster in the making As soon as screenings began, people practically flew to the internet to give their thoughts on how genuinely terrible the film was.
Unfortunately for everyone involved,Borderlandsperformed so poorly both critically and monetarily thatit was officially pulled from theaters on September 5. That’s right, this movie with an identity crisis stayed in theaters for less than a month before Lionsgate pulled the plug and sent it to streaming, where it hasn’t been doing much better.Borderlandsis a case studyof when everything that can go wrong with a major film production does, leaving a trail of bad news in its wake.
Borderlands
4’The Crow' (August 23)
Worldwide Gross:$23,900,925
If there’s a film that everyone can say they expected to be terrible before it even released, it’sThe Crowremake of 2024. After all,The Crowfranchise has a less-than-stellar track record following the 1994 groundbreaking original. Indeed, there hasn’t been oneCrowsequel that has been even remotely praised, and this questionable remake was not the exception.
DespiteBill Skarsgård’s best effortsand some decent chemistry with co-star and acting newcomerFKA Twigs,The Crownever took flight with critics or at the box office — in fact, ithad its wings clipped before it was even born. In the end,The Crowisn’t even outright terrible; it’s not the worst of the year or even the worst in its series. Instead, it’s just unnecessary and forgettable, a combination that wasnever going to translate into box office success.
3’The Exorcism' (June 21)
Worldwide Gross:$9,661,882
A young woman begins to worry about her father as he takes on a role in a horror film and begins acting erratically. Is he back to his addictions, or is there a supernatural force secretly behind it all? Too bad it doesn’t really matter much, becausethe film became a laughingstock among horror fans. In the film,Russell Croweportraysan actor in an exorcism filmwhere he plays an exorcist.
This misguided effort didn’t even earn a second life as a camp or so-bad-it’s-good classic.
Sound familiar? It became very apparent to fans that Crowe’s character is simply in the situation Crowe was in when he played an exorcist inThe Pope’s Exorcistjust one year prior. The connection was just too funny not for people to point out, and yet it wasn’t enough to makeThe Exorcisma winner at the box office. In fact, this misguided effort didn’t even earn a second life as a camp or so-bad-it’s-good classic. Considering the overflow of horror fans that have been coming out — many of them instant classics likeNicolas Cage’sLonglegs—The Exorcismnever really stood a chance.
2’The Fabulous Four' (July 26)
Worldwide Gross:$3,537,114
The Fabulous Fourcenters on lifelong friends who travel to Florida to be bridesmaids at a college friend’s surprise wedding. What’s tough about putting this film up against the rest of the lowest box office earners of the summer is the fact thatit’s an indie being compared to major studio productions. But, alas,The Fabulous Fourearned only about $3 million at the box office this summer.
Another unfortunate truth aboutThe Fabulous Four’s low numbers is that itperformed pretty darn well compared to other films by Bleecker Street Studios. Regardless of whether it performed well for Bleeker Street or not,The Fabulous Fourreceivedmostly negative reviews. Many consider it just not a very strong film, even with the wonderful talent attached.
The Fabulous Four
1’Summer Camp' (May 31)
Worldwide Gross:$2,641,507
The titanous names ofDiane Keaton,Kathy Bates,Alfre Woodard, andEugene Levyshould have been able to bring in a decent amount of viewers forSummer Camp. Never heard of that movie? Nobody would blame one for not knowing, as no one seems to have known that this film even existed. The forgettable comedy follows three friends who return to the camp they used to spend their childhood summers in.
It’s really hard to watch as these wonderful actors attempt to carry this horrendous film on their backs. Who knows? Maybe the film failed because they didn’t want anyone to see them in it. Unlike other similarmovies starring Diane Keaton,Summer Campis neither sweet nor funny; instead, it’s lazy and a waste of truly outstanding talent. Regardless,Summer Campseems to be the worst earner of the summer. Fitting!
