10 Great Movies That Inexplicably Flopped At The Box Office

2. Citizen Kane (1941)

It's hard to imagine that one of the most, if not the most celebrated, praised and revered films of all time flopped at the box office, but for our next entry it's true.

Citizen Kane is Orson Welles magnum opus, and a true giant among cinematic classics, considered by many filmmakers, critics and fans to be the greatest film ever made. It is a classic rise and fall tale of absolute power corrupting absolutely, as we follow Kane on his journey from ambitious newspaper owner to his eventual fall into megalomania.

Pioneering many cinematic techniques in cinematography and editing, such as depth of field and match cuts, the film was met with universal acclaim and praised for its technical achievements, as well as groundbreaking story, being nominated for nine Oscars and even bagged Welles, along with co-writer Herman Mankiewicz, an Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay).

Although the exact numbers aren't known, it is known to have lost at least $160,000 during its initial run in theatres, cementing its place in history as a cinematic great, and a box office flop.