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30 Movies Critics Loved but Audiences Hated

30 Movies Critics Loved but Audiences Hated. These movies were made well — usually well enough to be nominated for some major awards — but audiences didn’t catch on right away. Some movies, like the 1990s movie The Freshman, must have been poorly received because people never heard how great the movie was. Other movies, like The Wizard of Oz, didn’t do well at first but are loved by pretty much everybody these days. Either way, these movies are perfect examples of great films that audiences are missing out on.

We all know the general populous loves bad movies. That’s why studios produce a million terrible sequels for great movies like Jaws or make terrible franchises like Fast and Furious. People are just drawn to bad movies. They seem to avoid well-made movies. It makes us feel bad for movies like 1984’s All of Me and 1996’s James and the Giant Peach. The cast and crew behind these movies did everything possible to make a fantastic movie, but their efforts went largely unnoticed.

To figure out what movies critics loved and audiences hated, we looked at the movie review website Rotten Tomatoes. We’ll give you guys the critics score and the audience score, which usually have a big gap between them. Every now and then, you’ll find movies like It’s a Wonderful Life with great scores because they’re loved by audiences now, but they weren’t loved by audiences when they came out.

Do you love any of these movies that most people hate? Or do you think they deserve their poor ratings? Let us know in the comment section!

Saturday Night Fever (1977)

Saturday Night Fever (1977)

Critics: 85% 

Audiences: 71% 

Critics regard Saturday Night Fever as one of the best movies of 1977. The New York Times takes it a step further by labeling the movie as one of the best of all time. When you hear reviews like that, you’d think audiences would give it more than a 7/10. 

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The Freshman (1990)

The Freshman (1990)

Critics: 93%

Audiences: 61%

With leads like Marlon Brando and Matthew Broderick, you know The Freshman is going to be a fantastic movie. It did end up being an amazing film, but audiences still don’t see it for the great movie that it is.

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Married to the Mob (1988)

Married to the Mob (1988)

Critics: 89%

Audiences: 48%

In 1988, Michelle Pfeiffer starred in the comedy Married to the Mob. Its actors and actresses won almost every award they were nominated for, but that doesn’t always mean audiences will love it. If you look at the Rotten Tomatoes score, audiences love it about half as much as the critics do. That’s a huge gap!

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It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

Critics: 94%

Audiences: 95%

These days, It’s a Wonderful Life is now a beloved classic everywhere, but that wasn’t always the case. Although it received five Academy Awards when it debuted, people didn’t catch on to its greatness until the '70s.

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All of Me (1984)

All of Me (1984)

Critics: 91%

Audiences: 67%

Steve Martin really shines in All of Me. He played the part of Roger Cobb so well that he was nominated for a Golden Globe and won two other prestigious awards. The film is amazing, but not many people have given it the chance it deserves.

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Wizard of Oz (1939)

Wizard of Oz (1939)

Critics: 98%

Audiences: 89%

You’ve probably seen The Wizard of Oz more times than you can count. It’s one of the world’s most beloved movies. When it came out, the critics loved it as much as we do now; they even nominated it for four Academy Awards. Audiences weren’t actually a fan of the movie until it made its way to TV. It grew in popularity because of repeated showings. Everyone loves it now!

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Heathers (1988)

Heathers (1988)

Critics: 96%

Audiences: 84%

Heathers made thousands on its opening weekend. Thousands. Hollywood needs millions. The movie has a cult following now, but too few people have seen this fantastic movie for it to make an impact on the world.

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Courage Under Fire (1996)

Courage Under Fire (1996)

Critics: 85%

Audiences: 66%

Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan, and a then-unknown Matt Damon starred in Courage Under Fire. Critics largely thought it was a good movie, although they admit it wasn’t perfect. At home, it never resonated with audiences. It faded fairly quickly.

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Roxanne (1987)

Roxanne (1987)

Critics: 89%

Audiences: 63%

Looking at the posters for Roxanne, it’s easy to understand why audiences didn’t want to go see it. Still, there’s no denying that critics think this is an amazing movie. Maybe we would too if we could get past that nose…

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Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)

Critics: 87%

Audiences: 71%

Based on the late-'70s children book of the same name, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is a story of an inventor who makes it rain food. Kids in 2009 loved the film as much as the kids in the '70s loved the book. Sadly, it wasn’t much fun for the whole family, making it just an “okay” movie in the face of other animated classics.

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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

Critics: 82%

Audiences: 51%

When this new take of The Chocolate Factory came out, critics loved it. Why not put this crazy, weird factory in the care of the crazy, weird director Tim Burton? Audiences hated Burton and Depp’s take on the movie, though. Maybe he did his job a little too well…

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James and the Giant Peach (1996)

James and the Giant Peach (1996)

Critics: 92%

Audiences: 65%

When Roald Dahl wrote the children’s book James and the Giant Peach in 1961, people thought it would never be able to be made into a movie. In 1996, Henry Selick, who also directed The Nightmare Before Christmas, managed to bring it to the big screen. It was nominated for 16 awards, of which it won 4. It’s safe to say that the critics loved the film, but it never caught on with the general populous. 

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Romancing the Stone (1984)

Romancing the Stone (1984)

Critics: 86%

Audiences: 69%

Critics thought Romancing the Stone was a blast. Sure, it was a lot like the Indiana Jones franchise, but it’s a great movie for a few laughs. Audiences disagreed. Why watch Romancing the Stone when you could just rewatch Indiana Jones instead?

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Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Critics: 91%

Audiences: 86%

When Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory first came out, it was not a success. It was the 53rd highest-grossing film of the year…which means it didn’t do well. Audiences just didn’t go to the theaters to see it. Despite this failure, Roger Elbert, one of the most respected film critics of all time, spoke highly of it. The movie eventually grew in popularity because it was shown on TV so often.

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Matilda (1996)

Matilda (1996)

Critics: 90%

Audiences: 73%

This '90s movie didn’t capture the same feelings as the original Roald Dahl book did. While critics didn’t mind the ways it differed from the book, audiences never fell in love with it.

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Blade Runner (1982)

Blade Runner (1982)

Critics: 90%

Audiences: 91%

Sure, sure, everybody loves Blade Runner now, but when it came out? Not so much. In 1982, sci-fi was really building a name for itself. Blade Runner was just another film that would be forgotten by 1983. Well, that’s how audiences treated it. We all know Blade Runner was a film that lasted.

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Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Critics: 87%

Audiences: 81%

Blade Runner 2049 did the same thing that the original did: wowed critics and inspired audiences to complain. Sure, the ratings look good but read some reviews. Audiences are upset. In 30 years, we’ll probably still remember Blade Runner 2049, but like anything new, audiences prefer the old stuff.

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Parenthood (1989)

Parenthood (1989)

Critics: 93%

Audiences: 76%

Steve Martin did a great job in the 1989 heartfelt movie Parenthood, and critics loved it. On the other hand, audiences didn’t have an overwhelmingly positive reaction to it. They don’t hate it, per se. It’s just viewed as another middle-of-the-road movie.

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Ghostbusters (2016)

Ghostbusters (2016)

Critics: 74%

Audiences: 51%

There’s no denying how amazing the original 1984 Ghostbusters was. It was a male-led cast, though. In an effort to combat the male-dominated movie scene, Hollywood attempted to take this beloved classic and use it to empower women. Critics loved it, but a lot of people were confused as to why the reboot was necessary.

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Citizen Kane (1941)

Citizen Kane (1941)

Critics: 100%

Audiences: 90%

Citizen Kane is the gold standard for cinema. When it came out, the critics knew it would stand the test of time. They nominated it for nine academy awards. Thanks to pre-release drama, though, it had a rough start. The first showing in Chicago was almost empty.

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The Insider (1999)

The Insider (1999)

Critics: 96%

Audiences: 90%

The people who saw The Insider loved it. The big problem is that not many people saw it. A small group of people went to go see it, but the film could not seem to diversify its audience at all. It seemed like audiences couldn’t even get their friends to do see the movie.

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Primary Colors (1988)

Primary Colors (1988)

Critics: 80%

Audiences: 64%

Primary Colors has just about everybody you love in this funny political drama. John Travolta and Emma Thompson star in the film, and they bring Billy Bob Thornton, Kathy Bates, and Larry Hagman along for the ride. It’s a great movie. It also flopped in theaters, never managing to make a comeback.

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48 Hours (1982)

48 Hours (1982)

Critics: 92%

Audiences: 69%

Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy star in the original buddy cop film 48 Hours. The 1982 movie was Eddie Murphy’s film debut, nominating him for an Oscar. Critics still think this movie is great. Audiences don’t hate it, but they don’t think it’s great, either.

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Adventureland (2009)

Adventureland (2009)

Critics: 88%

Audiences: 61%

Set in the summer of 1987, Adventureland perfectly captures what it feels like when like isn’t turning out how everybody told you it would. It’s a nostalgic film for many critics, but it feels like audiences didn’t want to be reminded of their years of early adulthood.

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Mississippi Grind (2015)

Mississippi Grind (2015)

Critics: 90%

Audiences: 54%

Ben Mendelsohn and Ryan Reynolds star in Mississippi Grind, a movie about an unlikely friendship between two gamblers, one of whom is in serious trouble. Critics loved how authentic the characters were, but audiences couldn't care less.

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Hail, Caesar! (2016)

Hail, Caesar! (2016)

Critics: 85%

Audiences: 44%

Hail, Caesar! is the type of movie Hollywood loves most: a film about Hollywood. It’s centered around a fictional 1950s movie set and features some of the biggest names in the industry: Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, and Scarlett Johansson, just to name a few. Sadly, audiences barely gave it the time of day.

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It Comes At Night (2017)

It Comes At Night (2017)

Critics: 87%

Audiences: 44%

In the midst of the post-apocalyptic movie craze in Hollywood right now, It Comes at Night manages to give us a fresh new take on the genre. Critics loved that. Audiences didn’t. It seems like they just want zombies.

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Rogue (2008)

Rogue (2008)

Critics: 100%

Audiences: 53%

Rogue is a relatively modern movie in the same category of films as Jaws: water-based thrillers in which people get eaten by monstrous animals. With a 25’ long crocodile as the film’s antagonist, it feels like it would be a cheesy mess. Surprisingly, that’s not the case. All 11 critics on Rotten Tomatoes have given it 100%, although audiences weren’t as happy with it.

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Scott Pilgrim (2010)

Scott Pilgrim (2010)

Critics: 81%

Audiences: 83%

While the audience ratings on Rotten Tomatoes are actually higher than that of the critics, that’s only because of this movie’s strong fanbase. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World makes it feel like you’re watching a comic book in real time. It only appealed to comic-book lovers, though. It never caught on with mainstream audiences.

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While We’re Young (2014)

While We’re Young (2014)

Critics: 84%

Audiences: 51%

Ben Stiller manages to play on some amazing roles. In While We’re Young, he perfectly captures what it’s like to be middle-aged and doing life differently than peers your age. Critics loved how the movie played out. Audiences did not.

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