12 Movies In 2016 That Should Have Flopped (But Didn't)

Hangover screenwriters and frequent collaborators Jon Lucas and Scott Moore really pulled it out of the hat with their latest movie Bad Moms, a female-fronted comedy about a trio of overworked, unappreciated suburban mothers who unite together against lazy husbands, condescending fellow parents and motherhood stereotypes. Refreshing in its R-rated brazenness, territory not many mainstream female-focused Hollywood films venture into, Bad Moms became one of the summer’s biggest sleeper hits cashing in almost $180 million against a modest $20 production budget.

All that too in a year that hasn’t been too kind to female-driven comedies. Similarly female-fronted comedies Mother’s Day and The Boss both received a lashing from critics, while the new Ghostbusters had hordes of haters even before its release and generated a far less impressive profit margin than Bad Moms. Bad Moms didn’t have the legend of a much-loved, male-fronted predecessor to contend with of course, but it certainly found its niche in the female comedy genre this year.