Rate These Movies From Bomb To Blockbuster To Get Your Movie IQ
- by Dylan Dembrow
- – on
- in Movies and TV
While you would think people would be more apt to stay home and solely consume their entertainment through the computer or the TV, it seems like every other week we hear about a box office record being broken.
Just this year alone, Black Panther went on to become the ninth-highest-grossing movie of all time, while the recently released Avengers: Infinity War had the highest-grossing opening weekend in North America ever.
And if we look back at just the last few years, films like Jurassic World, Stars Wars: The Last Jedi, and Beauty and the Beast have all grossed well over a billion dollars at the worldwide box office.
While indie movies have indeed struggled to bring in audiences at the theaters in recent decades, it remains clear that these kinds of high-concept popcorn movies still demand being seen on the big screen. And while Hollywood often gets criticized for their overall lack of originality with the excessive amount of reboots, sequels, and spin-offs, one could argue that these franchises are the only thing keeping movie theaters in business.
So let's see what you thought about some of the biggest popcorn movies of the last few years to discover where your movie-going expertise is at.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
After the well received Star Wars: The Force Awakens, this second installment of the new trilogy ended up divided audiences — on the Internet at least. But that didn’t stop The Last Jedi from earning well over a billion dollars at the box office.
La La Land
Hollywood has a long history of patting themselves on the back when it comes to award season, which may help explain why this movie about an aspiring actress and working musician living in L.A. ended up taking home a number of Oscars and Golden Globe.
Beauty and the Beast
The idea of turning so many beloved animated classics into live-action adaptations might sound like a terrible idea on paper. But Disney continues to knock it out of the park with almost every film, including last year’s Beauty and the Beast.
Gone Girl
Directed by David Fincher, this 2014 murder mystery is not for the faint of heart, as it centers around the investigation of a husband suspected of killing his wife. Though it’s the wife that ultimately proves to be the real monster.
Wonder Woman
The DC Extended Universe may have gotten off to quite a rocky start, but they seemed like they’re slowly getting back on track following last year’s Wonder Woman, which won over both critics and audiences alike. So are you currently one of Gal Gadot’s biggest fans?
Blade Runner 2049
Released nearly 35 years after the original, this sequel was long awaited for fans of the 1982 sci-fi cult classic Blade Runner. Unfortunately, this was yet another film that was beloved by sci-fi fans, but failed to find a place amongst mainstream audiences.
Spectre
Though it may not have been as critically acclaimed as Skyfall, this 2015 James Bond film found Daniel Craig comfortably sliding into the role of 007 once again for the long-running franchise’s most expensive installment. But did all that money end up paying off?
Justice League
Unlike the first Avengers film, this first live-action DC Justice League movie didn’t go exactly according to plan. Production was rumored to be a bit chaotic, and following its release, many agreed that this 2017 film didn’t flow quite as smoothly as the studio would have liked.
Avengers: Infinity War
It may have only been released a few weekends ago, but it already seems like everybody and their brother has lined up to see the latest Marvel spectacular… sometimes more than once. So were you one of the first to the theater?
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
A sequel that comes out over a decade after the original and doesn’t contain any of the leads from the that film may not sound like the best idea. But against many expectations, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was a smash hit amongst audiences.
Crimson Peak
Before he took home the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director with last year’s The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro helmed this 2015 gothic horror film, which starred Charlie Hunnam, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston and Mia Wasikowska.
Thor: Ragnarok
The Thor films were largely considered the weaker series within the MCU. That is, until last year’s Thor: Ragnarok, which completely revamped the style and tone of the God of Thunder’s solo outings — and pretty much all for the better.
Baby Driver
After Edgar Wright had to part ways from working on an Ant-Man film for Marvel, he went off and penned the script to this original action film, which follows a getaway driver who has an all-around obsession with pop music.
Jurassic World
Despite this fictional universe learning three times over that bringing dinosaurs back from the dead isn’t really the best idea, they went and did it against in 2015’s Jurassic World, which found Chris Pratt and Bruce Dallas Howard leading up the new cast of characters.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
After being a property of Sony for decades, Marvel Studios and Sony finally struck a deal that allowed everyone’s favorite friendly neighborhood Spider-Man to finally make an appearance in an MCU movie, which included his first solo-outing — 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Mad Max: Fury Road
Who would’ve thought that an action reboot ostensibly about a group of people racing across the desert would have been one of the best-reviewed movies of the year? But that was exactly the case with the thrilling Mad Max: Fury Road.
Arrival
Though this movie may have appeared like nothing more than an alien invasion film on its surface, it was actually an extremely cleverly written sci-fi masterpiece about linguistics and the effect language has on an individual culture. So did you get a chance to check out this 2016 film?
It
After a string of real-life clown sightings, this Stephen King adaptation seemed to hit theaters at the perfect time — which turned the film into one of the highest-grossing R-rated movies all time. The second chapter is currently in the works.
Suicide Squad
With a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of just 27%, critics seemed to overwhelming agree that Suicide Squad was one of the worst superhero movies in recent memory. So did you happen to agree with the professionals? Or did you still enjoy your time watching the film?
Transformers: The Last Knight
With a worldwide gross of over $600 million, it doesn’t look like the Transformers franchise is going anywhere anytime soon. Though director Michael Bay said that this will be the last film he directs in the series — which may be for the best.
Deadpool
After a lackluster debut of the character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds returned to play the Merc with a Mouth for the second time — which proved to be a massive step in the right direction for this self-referential comic book anti-hero.
Logan
Yet another R-rated movie in the X-Men series, Logan was released just last year and marked Hugh Jackman’s last time playing the Wolverine, as the once indestructible character met his demise after helping his quasi-daughter find a safe haven from the Reavers.
It Comes at Night
Though it was made on a measly budget of less than $5 million, this slow-burning horror film went on to gross nearly $20 million worldwide. The film stars Joel Edgerton as Paul, a husband and father who is trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world.
The Fate of the Furious
The eighth installment of the Fast and Furious franchise, this film was released on April 4 of last year. But despite being the first film in the series to not feature Paul Walker following his tragic death, fans still flocked to theaters to support this action/ racing series.
The Disaster Artist
Based on the making of one of the first films of all time, The Disaster Artists was directed by and starring James Franco in the leading role of Tommy Wiseau — the usual man who helmed the cult classic The Room.
The Nice Guys
This 2016 detective comedy starred Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe as two quasi-investigators who are looking into the mysterious disappearance of an adult film star. Though the film received largely positive reviews, it only had a lukewarm performance at the box office.
Atomic Blonde
After proving herself as a more than worthy action star in Mad Max: Fury Road, Charlize Theron headlined Atomic Blonde in 2017. In fact, she did many of her own stunts in the film, save for the ones that she legally wasn’t allowed to complete.
Red Sparrow
Speaking of female-led action/ spy thrillers, Jennifer Lawrence starred in one of her own earlier this year. However, while her performance was once again praised, the film was criticized for a weak story and gratuitous nudity. Though its gross ultimately more than doubled its budget.
The Hateful Eight
After the script for this film was leaked before it ever began filming, Quentin Tarantino originally considered scraping this project altogether. But after having the cast read the parts together in front of an audience, Tarantino thought their performances were simply too strong to waste.
Coco
This 2017 Pixar film follows the story of a young Mexican boy who is miraculously sent to the land of the dead, where he must partner up with his long-deceased great-great grandfather so he can escape. Like so many other Pixar movies, it eventually won Best Animated Feature.
Split
Writer/ director M. Night Shyamalan just can’t resist throwing a twist at the end of his movies. And in the case of Split, that twist was that this film actually exists within the same universe as his 2000 film Unbreakable, which starred Bruce Willis in the leading role.
Annabelle: Creation
Despite being four films deep into this horror series, the story and scares in Annabelle: Creation were just as strong as the other installments in The Conjuring series. So much so that a third Annabelle film is currently in the works.
Dunkirk
Despite already helming such masterpieces as Inception and The Dark Knight, many critics agreed that this WWII film was director Christopher Nolan’s best work to date. The film depicts the real-life evacuation of Dunkirk following the Battle of France in 1940.
A Quiet Place
Who would’ve thought that the guy who played Jim Halpert would go on to write, direct, and star in one of the best-reviewed horror films in recent memory? So did you happen to catch this horror film while it was/ is still in theaters?
Ready Player One
After directing some of the best movies of the 1980s himself, including E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Raiders of the Lost Ark, Steven Spielberg directed this 2018 film which played as a homage to ‘80s pop culture. The movie was adapted from the 2011 novel of the same name.
Get Out
Not since The Exorcist or The Silence of the Lambs has a horror movie received as much critical recognition as 2017’s Get Out. In fact, the film went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, making Jordan Peele the first African American to receive the honor.
Alien: Covenant
After directing the long-awaited prequel Prometheus in 2012, Ridley Scott continued to bridge the gap between this film and the movie that started it all: 1979’s Alien. The film featured Michael Fassbender reprising his role as the android David, along with a mostly new cast.
War for the Planet of the Apes
These days, it’s hard to find a movie that is not either a prequel, sequel, spin-off, or reboot. But when they continue to be as well made as War for the Planet for the Apes, it’s hard to be as critical about a lack of originality in Hollywood.
Don’t Breathe
The premise of this 2016 horror film revolves around three teens who break into a blind man’s house to steal his fortune. But the twist comes when these three robbers discover that the blind man isn’t nearly as innocent or helpless as they may have expected.
Boyhood
Though the premise of this film may be fairly simple, the fact that the cast and crew shot the movie sporadically over the course of a decade ends up making it one of the most distinct film-watching experience of all time. So have you checked out this coming-of-age drama?
The Revenant
After turning out one outstanding performance after the next in films like Blood Diamond, The Departed, and Django Unchained, Leonardo DiCaprio finally won his first Oscar with his performance in this 2015 survival film. So what did you think about The Revenant?
The Boss Baby
Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, this 2017 animated movie still had audiences flocking to theaters to check out The Boss Baby. In fact, a sequel and a Netflix series are currently in the works for this DreamWorks Animation film.
Interstellar
Interstellar stars Matthew McConaughey as a NASA pilot who must search for another planet to save mankind. And although the third act of this movie stretched the limits of everything we know about the science of space, that didn’t stop this movie from being any less emotionally effective.
The Martian
Speaking of scientific accuracy, many prominent scientists have been outspoken about how accurate this 2015 movie actually was when it came to trying to survive in space. Matt Damon starred as the eponymous character who is trapped on Mars after a mission gone wrong.
The Greatest Showman
In this 2017 musical, Hugh Jackman portrays P.T. Barnum, and it chronicles his creation of the world-renowned Barnum & Bailey Circus. Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, and Rebecca Ferguson fill out the star-studded cast of this fantastical story that was inspired by real events.
10 Cloverfield Lane
This sort of sequel to the 2008 monster movie Cloverfield, 10 Cloverfield Lane follows a young woman who is brought to an underground bunker following an alien invasion. But she soon finds that she’d rather risk her life amongst the monsters than with her deranged captor.
Sicario
This 2015 thriller is overfollowing with tension as it explores the illegal drug trade around the Mexico-U.S. border. The film stars Emily Blunt as Kate, and FBI agent who finds herself in way over her head when she’s recruit to join a special task force on a trip to Juarez.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales may have been lacking leading performances from series regulars Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightley, but at least they had series newcomer Javier Bardem doing what he does best — playing the film’s villain.
Hush
Despite an exceedingly simple premise about a deaf writer trying to prevent a murderer from breaking into her home, this 2016 horror film is so cleverly crafted that you’ll find yourself on the edge of your seat for well over an hour.
Kong: Skull Island
The second installment of Legendary Pictures’ MonsterVerse, this 2017 film brought a whole new incarnation of King Kong to the big screen following Peter Jackson’s 2005 film. And this one will eventually be up against Godzilla in the upcoming 2020 film Godzilla vs. Kong.
