10 Critical Darling Movies That Were Shot Dead At The Box Office

Ask anyone what their favourite David Lynch film is and, chances are, at least half of them will say Mulholland Drive.

Now, ask how many of them saw it in the cinema...

Making $590k domestically on its opening weekend, it was going to be a hard push not only to recoup the $15-20 million budget, but to make what might be considered a profit against that. This is no great surprise for a David Lynch picture, as they have never been easy to sell to mainstream audiences, who prefer well-trodden character archetypes, three act structures and plot strands all tied into a neat bow when the curtain falls.

Ultimately, the picture levelled out at around $20 million worldwide, despite winning Lynch the Best Director at Cannes (with Palme D'or and Oscar nominations to boot).

Luckily, making money was not at the forefront of Lynch's concerns - and his investors tend to appreciate, when financing one of his features, that they are helping bring a lasting piece of art into society, rather than just another disposable consumable product on which to make their millions.