12 Highest-Grossing Films That Received a Zero on Rotten Tomatoes

      Here are the 12 highest-grossing films at the box office that received a score of zero on Rotten Tomatoes.

      These films demonstrate that a lack of critical success does not necessarily result in box-office failure.

      Let’s dive in.

      But First, A Brief Overview of Rotten Tomatoes

      Credit: Warner Bros

      Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer ratings can often be contentious. The platform consolidates critics’ reviews to provide a numerical score, where films with a score of 75% or above are deemed “Certified Fresh.” This classification requires a minimum of 80 reviews, or 40 for limited-release films, including at least five from Top Critics designated by the site. Once a film achieves this status, it retains it unless its score drops below 70%.

      Some people find the system of assigning numerical scores to films to be off-putting, arguing that it strips away nuance. Nevertheless, many moviegoers rely on these ratings when deciding what to watch, making the Certified Fresh label a contemporary, online rendition of Siskel & Ebert’s “two thumbs up.”

      The topic of films scoring zero on Rotten Tomatoes—indicating unanimous negative reviews—gained renewed attention when Eli Roth’s recent Borderlands narrowly evaded a zero rating. Currently, only 40 films hold a zero on Rotten Tomatoes, yet a handful have still managed to turn a profit. Here are their stories.

      Below are the top-grossing films with a zero on Rotten Tomatoes, listed by box office revenue from lowest to highest.

      12 – Bolero (1984)

      Cannon Film – Credit: C/O

      Bo Derek became a cultural icon through her role in the 1979 film 10, which was written and directed by her then-spouse John.

      In 10, Derek plays a 23-year-old on a quest around the globe for the perfect first sexual partner. Common sentiment holds that Bolero is akin to Skinamax content; Roger Ebert humorously remarked that it was made for VHS viewing, allowing viewers to fast forward and pause at their leisure.

      Despite its reputation, the film drew enough audience attention to gross $8.9 million.

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

      TriStar – Credit: C/O

      The original Look Who’s Talking from 1989 is undeniably silly, hinging on the premise, “What if you could hear a baby’s inner thoughts, and what if that baby was a sarcastic Bruce Willis?”

      With the talented Amy Heckerling directing, the film received mixed reviews (58 percent on Rotten Tomatoes) but was a considerable success, bringing in $297 million against a budget of $7.5 million.

      This success led to the sequel, Look Who’s Talking Too, which, despite receiving poor reviews (13 percent), still earned $120.9 million.

      They attempted a third installment, Look Who’s Talking Now!, which shifted the focus to the dogs’ thoughts. Lacking critical support, this film flopped with $10.3 million—a significant drop from its predecessors but still enough for this list.

      10 – Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (2002)

      Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever. Warner Bros. – Credit: C/O

      Costing a staggering $70 million to produce, Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever managed to pull in only $20.2 million at the box office. The title is awkward, it was directed by someone known only as “Kaos,” and audiences had no familiarity with its characters, Ecks and Sever.

      One could argue that Ballistic is the most poorly reviewed film on Rotten Tomatoes. You might wonder how it obtained this title given that there are 40 films rated zero. The key lies in the sheer volume of negative reviews it amassed.

      With 119 rotten reviews and no positive ratings, it holds the record for the most unfavorable assessments without any “fresh” designations.

      9 – The Nutcracker in 3D (2010)

      G2 Pictures – Credit: C/O

      Imagine adapting one of the most recognizable ballets — into 3D.

      Elle Fanning portrays the lead character while John Turturro takes on the role of the Rat King. Critics deemed this ambitious attempt a failure.

      Though the film grossed $20.5 million, it had an exorbitant production cost of $90 million.

      8 – A Thousand Words (2012)

      Paramount – Credit: C/O

      This film brought in only $22 million against a budget of $40 million, which is quite high for a comedy. Given Eddie Murphy’s track record of previous box office hits, the investment appeared justifiable.

      After A Thousand Words, Murphy only starred in one film until his comeback with Dolemite is My Name in 2019. Despite being included in the zero-rating list, Murphy remains one of the most successful actors in box office history.

      7 – Left Behind (2014)

      Freestyle Releasing – Credit: