10 Movies You Were Totally Wrong About

3. The Monuments Men

John Wick 3 Keanu Reeves
Sony Pictures Releasing

The Monuments Men is one of those films that just had glory written all over it - an adaptation of a fascinating slice of untold history from World War II, directed and co-written by George Clooney, and boasting an insane ensemble cast also including Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville, and Cate Blanchett.

Prior to release, this was pegged as a major threat for the 2015 Oscars, even with the somewhat suspicious February release date. It wasn't unreasonable to expect 90% on the Tomatometer, $250-300 million at the box office, and a slew of Oscar nominations.

But The Monuments Men remains one of the most baffling prestige misses of the last decade.

Despite so many appealing elements, Clooney's film sank like a stone with critics, grossed just $155 million against a $91 million budget, and didn't receive a single, solitary Oscar nomination, not even for its costumes or production design.

This felt like a given, a can't-miss success before release, but was instead rejected en masse.

Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.