“Some films should’ve never been made” is a sentiment that many people, especially critics, often express when it comes to horrible movies. Alternatively, there are films that people are absolutely clamouring for, with many expecting it to be the movie of the year.
However, the following movies truly defied expectations. What was supposed to be THE movie of the year became the worst movie of the year (and of its genre); while a critical failure has found a new home and its much-deserved break in the realm of streaming.
Joker: Folie à Deux – Worse-Performing Than Morbius
When you think it couldn’t get any worse, “Joker: Folie à Deux” is here to, once again, prove you wrong. In its opening weekend, the highly-anticipated sequel to the “Joker” (2019) just fell flat on its face, and we have the statistics to prove it.
Warner Bros. wanted to at least make its money back with “Joker: Folie à Deux,” anticipating they’d net US$40 to US$45 million in revenue during the opening weekend, but the film only managed to scrape US$39 million. A large portion of that revenue is coming from North America, where it amassed about US$37.8 million.
This places the sequel in a significantly worse spot compared to other comic book-inspired flops, with “Morbius” managing to at least come close to Warner’s estimates by earning US$39 million; it’s then followed by “The Marvels” (US$46.1 million) and “The Flash” (US$55 million). According to analysts, the film will end its domestic run with about US$70 million under its belt.
Typically, when a movie has been panned by reviewers, the audience is there to save it; oftentimes, their respective scores on review websites, such as Rotten Tomatoes, are in stark contrast to each other, with audiences giving a respectable score and the critics absolutely trashing the film. However, “Joker: Folie à Deux” is so bad that it united both viewers and reviewers, with both parties agreeing to give the film a ~30% out of 100 score.
There were a lot of problems with the film, some of which we detailed in our review. However, to put it simply, it was a disastrous film that was never meant to exist. It was half-assed and was only created as an excuse to generate profit and had no real story to tell. It is a film that has no passion and will not be missed nor looked upon with awe when it inevitably flocks to streaming.
Thankfully, not all box office flops will share the same fate as the failed Clown Prince of Crime.
Apartment 7A: The Hottest Movie Flop On Streaming
Yes, you read it right; “Apartment 7A” has overcome its 40% score that Rotten Tomatoes bestowed upon it a month ago and is currently one of the most viewed and even loved flicks this Halloween season.
For those unaware, “Apartment 7A” is a prequel to one of the most hair-raising horror flicks of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, “Rosemary’s Baby.” The story follows Terry Gionoffrio and her dreams of becoming a famous dancer who rents a room in the titular apartment. There, all sorts of bizarre and unfortunate events begin to occur all around her, and she sets out to uncover why.
According to Reelgood, “Apartment 7A” ranks as the fifth most popular movie on streaming in the US. for the week of 26th September to 2nd October. In terms of overall popularity, the horror prequel is ranked tenth. When it comes to films alone, “Apartment 7A’ surpasses films like “Challengers” (2024), “The Fall Guy” (2024), and “His Three Daughters” (2024), but lags behind films like “Killer Heat” (2024), “Inside Out 2” (2024), and “Civil War” (2024), as well as “Wolfs” (2024), which is ranked first.
However, why is the film favoured now after being relegated to streaming, but not during its official big screen debut? Well, it’s actually due in large part to the fact that it’s only a prequel. Julia Garner, the lead actress who plays Terry, delivers an exceptional performance, but the film is obviously holding back, because it is just a prequel and is largely focused on setting the stage for “Rosemary’s Baby.”
This results in a film that never manages to make a name for itself. Despite the critics shaming it, the movie was received in the way we mentioned earlier, garnering a very positive response of 71% from the audience. Though the film may feel middling, it is still worthy of some positive reception because it at least has an end goal in mind. Sure, some may feel it’s an unnecessary prequel, but at least you now have an additional horror film to enjoy by this month’s end.
Source: Comic Book Movie, Reelgood, IMDb, Screen Rant
