Word of mouth is the best advertising for a movie, or any piece of art, really. It means that the product reached and touched people, and that they gladly recommend it to others. All the marketing gimmicks and advertising budgets aside, when a movie succeeds because of the people, it’s truly a feature that will last forever; this can be said for both initially successful movies and first-week flops that later reached levels of greatness.
This phenomenon is best observed through box office success, but it’s good to also look at it through a movie’s relevance over time. Maybe there’s something about it, a quote, a moment, or character, that attracts people to come back to it, making its popularity larger over time. These movies have most if not all of those factors, and some may be surprising to see, but they owe their success to faithful and enthusiastic audiences.
10
‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
The Dark Knight deserves to be here, though the success of the franchise, Christopher Nolan, and Batman combined to raise expectations before the movie’s release. In that sense, it’s not a sleeper hit, though it’s a much more successful movie than Batman Begins, the first installment in Nolan’s trilogy. Another factor that pushed this movie into becoming one of the greatest of all time was that Heath Ledger, who played the Joker, passed away before the movie was released. However, all of these factors are only relevant because of fans.
The Dark Knight is a highly beloved movie, and a great one, at that. It’s not just a mediocre story about Batman and his enemies – it covers a lot more, from love and loss to chaos and justice, embodying the tragic hero trope. So, fandom plus a great movie equals excellent word of mouth; with all the factors surrounding The Dark Knight, this movie remains one of the most discussed even in 2024, 16 years after its release. The love for this movie also implies an undying word of mouth, and it’s one of the most recommended movies of all time.
When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice.
- Release Date
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July 18, 2008
- Cast
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Christian Bale
, Heath Ledger
, Michael Caine
, Morgan Freeman
, Nestor Carbonell
, Ritchie Coster
, Cillian Murphy
, Chin Han
, Gary Oldman
, Eric Roberts
, William Fichtner
, Aaron Eckhart
, Maggie Gyllenhaal
, David Dastmalchian
, Anthony Michael Hall - Runtime
-
152 Minutes
9
‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ (2017)
Directed by Jake Kasdan
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a reboot of 1995’s Jumanji starring Robin Williams; it is much different from its original, which was obvious from the trailer. With the original being relevant to people who grew up on it, it was tough to get them back to the movie that was obviously cast to appeal to various audiences and niches. However, The Rock‘s career as a comedic action hero got propelled, and he became one of the highest grossing box office heroes of all time with the success of Jumanji; he also delivers one of his best performances here.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle sees its main ensemble get dragged into the console game Jumanji. They become heroes of the story, receiving a quest to retrieve a diamond from a mountain before the game’s biggest antagonist. It’s a fun pop-culture flick that appeals to younger and older audiences. Expectations of the movie were low, but with some great word of mouth, Jumanji‘s box office success increased after a week of struggling to make it to a third of its budget; Box Office Mojo notes that the theater visits for the movie increased by 110% in its second week, and that it’s the second-slowest movie to reach predicted box office numbers.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
Four teenagers are sucked into a magical video game, and the only way they can escape is to work together to finish the game.
- Release Date
-
December 5, 2017
- Director
-
Jake Kasdan
- Runtime
-
119 Minutes
8
‘Napoleon Dynamite’ (2004)
Directed by Jared Hess
When the small indie comedy Napoleon Dynamite came out, no one expected it to become a cult classic. Napoleon Dynamite is about a high school kid called Napoleon (Jon Heder), an outcast who befriends a new student called Pedro (Efren Ramirez), who wants to run for class president. Napoleon also lives with his grandmother and older brother, and has awkward interactions with them. The movie is a true coming-of-age comedy with heartfelt moments that encompass what it’s like to be an outcast who doesn’t know anything other than being himself.
Napoleon Dynamite‘s creator, Jared Hess, had a limited budget to make the movie, but Jon Heder was all in when it came to making Napoleon a quirky and endearing character. Today, this movie is still quoted and people wear curly-haired wigs and big glasses as a Halloween costume. The T-shirt Napoleon wears in the movie, with the sentence “Vote for Pedro”, is one of the most sold T-shirts online and a pop-culture staple. Finally, Napoleon’s dance in the movie’s finale is one of the most iconic movie moments, putting Napoleon Dynamite as one of the most successful small-budget movies that gained that success through word of mouth.
- Release Date
-
August 27, 2004
- Director
-
Jared Hess
- Cast
-
Jon Heder
, Aaron Ruell
, Tina Majorino
, Haylie Duff
, Efren Ramirez
, Jon Gries - Runtime
-
96 minutes
7
‘The Greatest Showman’ (2017)
Directed by Michael Gracey
With The Greatest Showman opening on the same weekend as Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, the expectations for this movie were actually the opposite. It’s a fictionalized version of the rise of famous businessman and showman P.T. Barnum, played by Hugh Jackman. It’s a musical with a star-studded cast, which also includes Zendaya, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, and Rebecca Ferguson. With the popularity of musicals, The Greatest Showman was expected to soar on premiere day, but it sunk, earning a little more than a tenth of its overall budget.
But then, the second week of its theater run saw an increase of theater visits by 120% and a steady rise in the numbers of tickets sold over the next few months. This is only possible because of great word of mouth; the movie is fun and has memorable songs, although shallow at times. Despite this, even today, The Greatest Showman is a topic of controversy for some, because many can’t decide whether they hate or love the movie. As the Washington Examiner noted, “The Greatest Showman just demonstrates the continuing affection audiences have for musicals.”
The Greatest Showman
The Greatest Showman tells the incredible true story of P.T. Barnum and his famous circus. The film chronicles the rise of Barnum (Hugh Jackman) from a penniless dreamer to a wealthy and well-respected gentleman, establishing his circus with the help of playwright Philip Carlyle (Zac Efron). Telling Barnum’s unbelievable story in a musical format, The Greatest Showman showcases all the highs and lows of the infamous character’s professional life.
- Release Date
-
December 20, 2017
- Runtime
-
1h 45m
6
‘Mean Girls’ (2004)
Directed by Mark Waters
Mean Girls was meant to be a regular teen comedy about high school social dynamics, but it became a cult classic with a large following that still quotes the movie today. Tina Fey wrote the movie after reading a book about high school cliques, modeling the dialogue and the events after some of her own high school experiences; this may be why Mean Girls works so well, even 20 years after its release. The movie follows newcomer Cady (Lindsay Lohan) trying to fit into her new high school by joining the most popular clique called The Plastics.
While Mean Girls had an exceptional opening weekend and continued growth in theaters, word of mouth was the biggest reason for its continuous success. In fact, word of mouth is what makes Mean Girls still relevant; some movies from the 2000s haven’t aged well, but this one ages like fine wine. One scene in the movie shows Cady asking her crush Aaron about the date, to which he responds “October 3rd.” Without fail, the fandom shares this exchange every October 3rd to celebrate “Mean Girls Day.” This kind of legacy is only possible because of a dedicated fandom that eagerly recommends the movie.
Cady Heron is a hit with The Plastics, the A-list girl clique at her new school, until she makes the mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels, the ex-boyfriend of alpha Plastic Regina George.
- Release Date
-
April 30, 2004
- Runtime
-
97 minutes
Watch on Prime Video
5
‘Puss In Boots: The Last Wish’ (2022)
Directed by Joel Crawford
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish is a sequel to 2011’s Puss In Boots, a Shrek spin-off. It follows one of the coolest characters of the Shrek universe, the Antonio Banderas-voiced Zorro-inspired Puss in boots. He’s an orange cat with black boots, a black hat, a cape, and a sharp sword; he’s one of the most interesting Shrek characters to get a backstory, which audiences also agreed with, considering the movies were incredibly popular. However, The Last Wish wasn’t immediately as well received as it was expected, which is likely due to a long gap between it and the first movie.
The Last Wish follows Puss and his team traveling to find an elusive Wishing Star, which can help him retrieve the eight lives he’s lost. With his last life on the line and a massive adventure ahead, The Last Wish emphasizes courage and moving through fear. The movie moved through box office troubles in the same way; it earned ten times less than projected during its opening weekend, but ultimately, people continued to recommend it because it’s a story for people of all ages, and a warm family movie. With exceptional word of mouth, The Last Wish ended up becoming one of the most valuable blockbusters of 2022.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
- Release Date
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December 21, 2022
- Director
-
Joel Crawford
- Runtime
-
102 minutes
Watch on Prime Video
4
‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ (2018)
Directed by Peter Ramsey, Bob Persichetti, and Rodney Rothman
The 2010s were marked by an oversaturation of Marvel movies and shows, sequels, prequels, origin stories and everything in between. Avengers: Endgame premiered in 2019, and it was one of 21 MCU movies that received a theatrical release between 2010 and 2020. That’s why the animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was considered just another Marvel movie on the roster (though it’s not a part of the MCU). It follows high school student Miles Morales discovering his newfound powers after getting bitten by a radioactive spider, and discovering the incredibly complex multiverse consisting of various Spider-Man iterations.
The animation is groundbreaking, and obviously meant to evoke a comic book come to life; the style respects the constraints of comic book panels while happening in vivid colors and a gripping story. Viewers recognized the love and effort that went into the movie, giving Spider-Verse‘s box office numbers a 120% rise after two weeks. The word of mouth made Into the Spider-Verse the movie it was always meant to be – the best Marvel comic adaptation of all time. This can be debated, but it’s also the second Marvel movie to receive a Best Movie Oscar. Yes, in the animated category, but – a win is still a win.
Teen Miles Morales becomes the Spider-Man of his universe and must join with five spider-powered individuals from other dimensions to stop a threat for all realities.
- Release Date
-
December 6, 2018
- Runtime
-
117 minutes
3
‘Wicked’ (2024)
Directed by John M. Chu
Wicked premiered on November 22, 2024, and thus far has become the third most profitable movie of the year, and is gearing up to become one of the 50 highest-grossing movies of all time. Wicked was welcomed with high expectations because of an established fandom of the Broadway musical (and Ariana Grande fans). However, many were also doubtful about its quality, considering there were massive delays in filming, a cast-related scandal, and general doubts about movie adaptations, which have been more or less disappointing lately.
Luckily for fans and everyone involved in creating Wicked, the movie is great, and to many, even better than the stage play. Everyone who’s seen it so far is full of not only rave reviews, but the desire to rewatch the movie with those who haven’t seen the movie yet. Wicked‘s power lies in its fandom, those who believe in its magic. They have praised Cynthia Erivo for her immersive performance as Elphaba, the casting, and the elaborate world-building. Wicked is a testament to how a movie can honor its fandom with dedication and love, and how an equally devoted fandom can raise a feature to great heights through word of mouth.
The story of how a green-skinned woman framed by the Wizard of Oz becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. The first of a two-part feature film adaptation of the Broadway musical.
- Release Date
-
November 22, 2024
- Cast
-
Cynthia Erivo
, Ariana Grande
, Michelle Yeoh
, Jeff Goldblum
, Jonathan Bailey
, Ethan Slater
, Marissa Bode
, Bowen Yang
, Bronwyn James
, Keala Settle
, Peter Dinklage
, Aaron Teoh
, Grecia De la Paz
, Colin Michael Carmichael
, Adam James
, Andy Nyman
, Courtney Mae-Briggs
, Sharon D. Clarke
, Jenna Boyd - Runtime
-
160 Minutes
Watch Wicked in cinemas now
2
‘Paranormal Activity’ (2007)
Directed by Oren Peli
After the skyrocketing success of The Blair Witch Project, a found footage horror that made the genre popular, there was only one movie that was able to replicate its success, and potentially become even bigger due to many factors. The first Paranormal Activity made headlines as a box office surprise, but before that, people talked about the possibility of it being a true story. It follows Katie and Micah, a young couple who set up a home camera system to find out what is haunting their home. Oren Peli, the director and writer, decided to record the entire movie on home video cameras, to help immerse the viewers and give them the feeling of watching actual home footage.
After the first week of its theater run, Paranormal Activity became a smash hit; people went to the premiere and recommended it further, sparking discussions about whether Katie and Micah are real people or based on real people. Ten days after its theatrical premiere, Paranormal Activity‘s box office numbers jumped a whopping 1,200%, making it one of the most profitable movies of all time. Oren Peli hit the jackpot with his idea and created a franchise, though none of the sequels will ever be as impactful and historically relevant as the first Paranormal Activity.
Paranormal Activity
- Release Date
-
September 14, 2007
- Cast
-
Katie Featherston
, Micah Sloat
, Mark Fredrichs
, Amber Armstrong
, Ashley Palmer
, Crystal Cartwright
, Spencer Marks
, Randy McDowell
, James Piper - Runtime
-
86 minutes
1
‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ (2002)
Directed by Joel Zwick
A box office success phenomenon, My Big Fat Greek Wedding started off as a small feel-good romantic comedy about a Greek girl, Toula (Nia Vardalos), who meets an American (non-Greek) man, Ian (John Corbett), and falls in love. Despite her family’s disagreement about dating Ian, Toula is adamant about seeing him and eventually agrees to marry him. This independent comedy is the greatest example of how word of mouth helps movies become big; it became formally declared a “sleeper hit,” with steadily increasing box office success over time.
To talk numbers, My Big Fat Greek Wedding had a $5 million budget, and grossed around $369 million overall. That’s a 6150% return on investment, making it the most profitable movie of all time. The reason for this was none other than the popularity it gained among viewers and fans, who gleefully recommended the comedy. The movie’s undying popularity is a testament to its ability to make viewers feel good, smile, and chuckle as if they just watched their own family’s quirkiness depicted on screen; it especially resonated with folks because of its celebration of culture. The entire phenomenon of My Big Fat Greek Wedding is worth diving deeper into.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
A young Greek woman falls in love with a non-Greek and struggles to get her family to accept him while she comes to terms with her heritage and cultural identity.
- Release Date
-
April 19, 2002
- Director
-
Joel Zwick
- Runtime
-
95 Minutes
