The bottom of the domestic grosses list is comprised of anonymous horror flicks (Satanic, anyone?), unfunny comedies (Paranoid Girls?), and bland dramas (The Chambermaid).
So, rather than recite a true list of the lowest-grossing movies of all time and drop a bunch of titles that you’ve never heard of and likely never will again, we’re highlighting the bottom dwellers with some surprising stars.
Flakes
Stars: Zoey Deschanel
Released: December 19, 2007
Grossed: $778*
Even with the studio blatantly dangling indie darling Zoey Deschanel as bait, no overly-self-respecting hipster was ever going to buy into a comedy about an undiscovered rock star biding her time as a cereal bar manager.
Christmas in Wonderland
Stars: Patrick Swayze and Carmen Electra
Released: January 25, 2008
Grossed: $689
It’s hard to say where exactly this saccharine-sweet comedy fell off the rails: Patrick Swayze in the twilight of his career (and, sadly, his life), Carmen Electra in the prime of hers. Or maybe it’s that a Christmas movie was released in late January.
Meeting Evil
Stars: Samuel L. Jackson and Luke Wilson
Released: May 4, 2012
Grossed: $525
When you’re in every other movie, as Samuel L. Jackson has been for the better part of the last 30 years, it’s only natural that there be some duds. Meeting Evil, a movie that’s received more reviews than there are people who paid to see it, is the worst of them.
2:22
Stars: Teresa Palmer
Released: June 30, 2017
Grossed: $422
Teresa Palmer’s made a pretty nice career for herself over the last decade (Bedtime Stories, Warm Bodies, Hacksaw Ridge), but 2:22 is a film built upon a plot twist that’s more of a wet noodle, and no one outruns an over-promising “thriller.”
The Marsh
Stars: Forest Whitaker
Released: March 23, 2007
Grossed: $336
Forest Whitaker has played a significant role in dozens of blockbusters. Most recently: Black Panther and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. But even he couldn’t buoy The Marsh, which was released a month after he won an Academy Award for The Last King of Scotland.
Trojan War
Stars: Jennifer Love Hewitt
Released: September 26, 1997
Grossed: $309
Jennifer Love Hewitt was at the height of her Party of Five popularity when Trojan War debuted, yet this formulaic rom-com was still somehow ahead of its time. Her next three movies, starting with I Know What You Did Last Summer, released a month later, earned $138 million combined.
Playback
Stars: Christian Slater
Released: March 16, 2012
Grossed: $264
This was three years before Mr. Robot reminded us that not only was Christian Slater still alive, he’s an impressive actor in the right role. This one, however, can be counted among a two decades-long list of ones that clearly weren’t.
*All grosses are domestic only