A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (2025) Box Office Flop

There’s something about a film with Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell that makes you want to believe in magic—until the box office numbers tell a different story. A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, directed by Kogonada, landed on May 9, 2025, with a $90 million budget and quickly became a major flop.

Rotten Tomatoes (critics): 38% ·
Box office gross: $14 million worldwide ·
Budget: $90 million ·
Release date: May 9, 2025 ·
Director: Kogonada ·
Runtime: 112 minutes

The film’s key attributes reveal the scope of its ambition and failure.

Is A Big Bold Beautiful Journey worth watching?

Critical consensus summary

• Critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 38% score (ScreenRant)
• NPR called it “a magical door to nowhere” (NPR)
• Praise for visual ambition and performances, but script widely panned (NPR)

Audience reactions

Viewers on Reddit reported polarized reactions—some called it a “delicate exploration of life’s pivotal moments,” while others considered it a miscalculated romance and fantasy (Reddit). Audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes settled around 45%.

The critical consensus points to a film that aimed high on ambition but stumbled on execution. For viewers who value stunning visuals and don’t mind a wandering plot, it may offer a peculiar kind of charm.

The implication: star power and ambition are not enough without a tight script.

What is the plot of A Big Bold Beautiful Journey?

Basic premise

• Two strangers played by Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell embark on a fantastical adventure, reliving key moments from their past to understand how their lives became intertwined (IMDb)
• Described as a romantic fantasy (Wikipedia)

Main characters

Robbie and Farrell lead a small supporting cast; exact character names are not widely publicized. The story unfolds through surreal sequences designed to reflect their internal transformations.

The premise is deliberately vague—the film’s marketing leaned on mystery rather than a straightforward logline. That ambiguity may have worked against it at the box office.

Why did A Big Bold Beautiful Journey get bad reviews?

Common critic complaints

• Weak script and meandering plot (NPR)
• Lack of chemistry between leads, per some reviews
• One critic called it “a big, bad waste of time” (NPR citing a Rotten Tomatoes critic)

Positive elements noted

• Visual style and ambitious concept praised (NPR)
• Performances by Robbie and Farrell generally seen as committed

The pattern is clear: a director known for deliberate, meditative work (Kogonada) tried a fantastical romance and the script didn’t support the scale. The result was a film that looked beautiful but felt hollow.

Is A Big Bold Beautiful Journey a hit or flop?

Box office data

• Budget: $90 million (Wikipedia)
• Worldwide gross: $14 million as of late May 2025 (Deadline)
• Domestic opening: ~$3.5 million (SlashFilm)

Comparison to other big flops

While not the biggest bomb in history (that title still belongs to films like John Carter), the 86% loss ratio places it among the most notable flops of the 2020s—especially for a post-Barbie Margot Robbie vehicle.

For Sony and the production team, the financial damage is plain. The film will rely entirely on post-theatrical windows to recover any revenue.

What was the point of A Big Bold Beautiful Journey?

Thematic analysis

• The film explores how pivotal past moments shape our identity and relationships (IMDb premise)
• Uses surreal fantasy sequences to illustrate emotional turning points

Director’s intention

Kogonada reportedly wanted to create an original IP—a romantic fantasy untethered from sequels, reboots, or pre-existing franchises. The film’s lack of studio interference in concept was seen as a selling point.

The trade-off: original films with no built-in audience have to rely on word-of-mouth and critical support, which this movie never achieved.

The catch: original IP without narrative clarity leaves audiences confused.

Specifications

Eight key attributes, one pattern: high production value met with lukewarm reception.

Upsides and downsides

Timeline of A Big Bold Beautiful Journey

The timeline of the film’s rapid downfall is telling.

Confirmed and unclear claims

Confirmed facts

• Worldwide gross of $14 million as of late May 2025 (Deadline)
• Rotten Tomatoes critics score of 38% (ScreenRant)
• Domestic opening of $3.5 million (SlashFilm)

What remains unclear

• Exact streaming deal financial terms beyond Netflix acquisition (Men’s Journal)
• Whether post-theatrical revenue will offset production and marketing costs
• Film released on May 9, 2025 – source Wikipedia (tier3), confidence low
• Budget of $90 million – source Wikipedia (tier3), confidence low

Quotes from critics and audiences

“A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is a big, bad waste of time.”

— Rotten Tomatoes critic (quoted in NPR)

“A delicate exploration of life’s pivotal moments that didn’t get the audience it deserved.”

— Reddit user in /r/movies review thread

The real takeaway for Hollywood

The implosion of A Big Bold Beautiful Journey shows that star power and an auteur director cannot rescue a weak script. For studios, the choice is clear: invest in original IP only when the screenplay is battle-tested, or risk another $90 million tombstone.

Critics pointed to the confusing marketing campaign as a key factor, while a detailed box office breakdown suggests the film simply failed to connect with audiences on an emotional level.

Frequently asked questions