10 Great Movies That Inexplicably Flopped At The Box Office

9. Blade Runner (1982)

Ridley Scott's futuristic neo-noir Blade Runner is, today, one of the most revered science fiction movies of all time. On release however, it was a different story.

Met with mixed reviews, the film was described by some contemporary critics as slow paced, with some commenting that the movie did not match the marketing as an action adventure film. This mixed critical reception was reflected in the film's box office performance, grossing a disappointing $32 million against a $30 million budget. This was especially disappointing for the studio as Harrison Ford was one of Hollywood's biggest new stars with Star Wars having only been recently released.

Luckily, some critics and fans appreciated the film on release, and almost straight away it gathered academic interest. Ridley Scott's blend of film noir and dystopian science fiction created a unique blend of dark futurism, that combined with the films themes of humanity, made the film a popular subject in university classrooms. This coupled with the advent of home video, Blade Runner soon garnered a cult following, becoming popular with film students and movie buffs.

Since release, the film has been cited as one of the most visually influential films of all time, being named as such by the Visual Effects Society in 2007, and in 1993 it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry, an institution which preserves films which are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Numerous filmmakers and artists cite the film as an influence, and the Tears in Rain monologue from Rutger Hauer has become iconic in its own right. Most importantly though, it is loved by film fans worldwide.