Top Grossing Films With a Zero Rating on Rotten Tomatoes

      Here are the 12 highest-grossing films that hold a zero rating on Rotten Tomatoes, demonstrating that poor critical reception doesn't necessarily lead to poor box-office performance.

      First, a Brief Overview of Rotten Tomatoes

      Freestyle Releasing – Credit: C/O

      Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer ratings can be contentious. The platform compiles critiques to produce a numerical score, and films that achieve a score of 75% or higher receive the “Certified Fresh” designation. To earn this accolade, a film must have at least 80 reviews, or 40 for limited-release titles, including five from those labeled as Top Critics. Once a movie is granted this status, it retains it unless the score drops below 70%.

      Some individuals find the practice of assigning numerical scores to films unappealing, arguing that it diminishes the complexity of reviews. Nonetheless, many film enthusiasts rely on these ratings when selecting movies to watch, with the Certified Fresh label serving as a contemporary equivalent to Siskel & Ebert’s "two thumbs up."

      The curiosity surrounding films with a zero rating on Rotten Tomatoes—indicating all reviews are negative—was reignited when Eli Roth's recent Borderlands narrowly avoided receiving a zero. Currently, there are only 40 movies that have achieved this rating, yet several have still been commercially successful. Here are the top-grossing films with a zero rating on Rotten Tomatoes, ranked from least to most earnings.

      12 – Bolero (1984)

      Cannon Film – Credit: C/O

      Bo Derek became a cultural icon following her role in the 1979 film 10, which was penned and helmed by her then-husband John.

      In 10, Derek plays a 23-year-old searching worldwide for her ideal first sexual partner. It is generally agreed that Bolero is on par with low-tier adult films: Roger Ebert humorously remarked that it was perfect for VHS viewing, allowing viewers the freedom to fast-forward and pause.

      Despite the critical scorn, it managed to garner $8.9 million at the box office.

      11 – Look Who’s Talking Now! (1993)

      TriStar – Credit: C/O

      The original Look Who’s Talking, released in 1989, is undeniably silly. The premise hinges on the notion of hearing a baby’s thoughts, specifically those of a wise-cracking Bruce Willis character.

      Directed by the talented Amy Heckerling, the original film received mixed reviews (58 percent on Rotten Tomatoes) but was a box-office success, grossing $297 million against a budget of $7.5 million.

      Hence, it was not surprising that the studio moved forward with a sequel, Look Who’s Talking Too, which introduced yet another baby. Although receiving poor reviews (13 percent), it still made $120.9 million.

      They attempted once more without Heckerling, this time featuring dogs’ inner dialogues. Ultimately, the series lost all critical favor, and Look Who’s Talking Now! performed poorly, earning only $10.3 million. This amount is sufficient for inclusion on this list of low-rated films that still generated revenue, yet it represents a significant decline from its predecessors.

      10 – Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (2002)

      Warner Bros. – Credit: C/O

      Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever had a staggering production cost of $70 million but only brought in $20.2 million at the box office. Its cumbersome title paired with the fact that Ecks and Sever were virtually unknown characters contributed to its failure.

      One could argue that Ballistic stands out as the most critically condemned movie on Rotten Tomatoes, holding the record for the most negative reviews—119—of any film without a single positive designation.

      9 – The Nutcracker in 3D (2010)

      G2 Pictures – Credit: C/O

      What if you adapted one of the most familiar ballets into 3D?

      In this rendition, Elle Fanning portrays the young heroine, while John Turturro takes on the role of the Rat King. Critics deemed this ambitious project a failure.

      The movie earned $20.5 million, yet it had a hefty production budget of $90 million.

      8 – A Thousand Words (2012)

      Paramount – Credit: C/O

      This film generated only $22 million on a $40 million budget, which is considered high for a comedy. Eddie Murphy's prior box-office successes made this project seem like a risk worth taking.

      Following A Thousand Words, Murphy acted in only one other film before 2019's Dolemite is My Name, which marked a resurgence in his career. Despite appearing on this list of films with a zero rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Murphy remains one of the highest-grossing actors, often witnessing zeros in his earnings—but not in a negative sense.

      7 – Left Behind (2014)

      Freestyle Releasing – Credit: C/O

      Nicolas Cage stars in this