20 TERRIBLE Horror Movies That Were Huge Hits
12. Meg 2: The Trench
Jason Statham-starring shark thriller The Meg was by no means a good film, but it was a mildly amusing slice of trashy fun, and even with a massive $180 million budget, it managed to gross an incredible $529 million globally, almost one-third of which came from China alone.
2023's Meg 2: The Trench received considerably worse reviews than its predecessor, as even with horror auteur Ben Wheatley directing, it was a too-often dull slog that mostly failed to deliver the bonkers thrills anyone who enjoyed the first reasonably expected.
And while Meg 2 didn't get close to the first film's gross, it still made a respectable $398.5 million - an especially solid figure as this sequel was produced for a smaller $140 million.
The combination of its tighter budget, the reliable box office might of Statham, its genre-crossing action-horror blockbuster appeal, and once again huge success in China added up to ensure that Meg 2 effortlessly weathered the storm of bad reviews.