6. The Shawshank Redemption
Given its status as the #1 film on the IMDB's Top 250, as well as its 7 Oscar nominations - including one for Best Picture - it's staggering to think that The Shawshank Redemption only barely turned a profit, reaping $28m against $25m. Frequently regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, it is another massively enduring, uplifting film that has remained popular with audiences because of its stirring performances, exceptional direction, and specifically its hopeful, endlessly engaging narrative. Inspirational films don't get much better than this, and it's the sort of film one would expect to be a huge box office smash. But it wasn't, and the why is basically still incredibly baffling; short of the marketing being minimal or worse, rubbish, there's little way to imagine how the thing could have flopped. It's one of those rare box office anomalies that somehow doesn't connect with audiences, though it did become a huge success on home video, and has slowly built a legacy over the years as one of the best films - if, indeed, perhaps the best - ever made in the eyes of many.