10 Recent Box Office Duds Destined To Become Cult Classics

3. The Nice Guys

Outside of Iron Man 3, which was guaranteed to be a massive success because of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Shane Black is still looking for his first hit as a director. Which is a real shame, as The Nice Guys arguably marked the finest example of his signature buddy comedy style since he wrote Lethal Weapon almost 30 years previously.

Sticking to Black's tried-and-trusted formula, the movie delivers everything you would expect from one of the writer's original scripts; mismatched bickering partners, a twisting plot inspired by crime noir, new and creative uses of foul language, blackly comic violence and plenty of witty back-and-forth dialogue. If you're a fan of Shane Black, you'll love The Nice Guys.

Audiences clearly weren't too bothered, with the $50m production just about clawing back its budget at the box office but still resulting in a loss for Warner Bros. As one of the best buddy movies of recent years, The Nice Guys should be essential viewing for anyone with even a passing interest in the sub-genre, and time will see the movie establish itself alongside Black's Kiss Kiss Bang Bang as a firm cult favorite.