Film critics and audiences famously don't agree on movies, if they ever do. But while there are movies that audiences love and critics hate, so൲metimes the opposite is true too. There are movies that critics couldn't get enough of but audiences outrightꦉ hated.

It is popular belief that movies that critics and only critics love are💞 esoteric indie films, usually those made with tiny budgets and come from far outside the Hollywood system. But believe it or not, that's not always the case. Whether they're made independently or come from the deep pockets of a major studio, sometimes a movie simply splits the room, with its artistry appealing more to critics than everyone else.

Here, we list 32 of the all-time greatest movies that apparently only critics dug and au♏diences actually hated. Scoop some popcorn and get ready to throw them, because some of these movies are either instant classics or belong in the dumpster, depending on who you talk to.

32. King Kong (2005)

The goodwill Peter Jackson accumulated from his acclaimed Lord of the Ri🎐ngs trilogy apparently wasn't enough for his 2005 epic, King Kong, to become a similar hit for moviegoers. Jackson's gorgeous and epic remake of the original classic from 1933 has just a 50% audience approval rating on Rotte🅰n Tomatoes, compared to its more mighty 84% rating with critics. Though it's commonly believed that audiences prefer spectacles and critics favor artistic dramas, movies like King Kong smash those expectations to bits.

31. Smoking Causes Coughing (2022)

In Quentin Dupieux's chillaxing satirical homage to Japanese tokusatsu like Super Sentai (better known as Power Rangers for Americans), a group of intergalactic superheroes known as the Tobacco Force embark on a week-long retreat in order to fix some of their inte🃏rnal problems. While Smoking Causes 𝓡Coughing delighted critics as yet another gonzo comedy from Dupieux - it has a colossal 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes - audiences were less inclined to vibe with its mighty morphin' strangeness, with an aggregate score of just 51%. 

30. Where the Wild Things Are (2009)

Perhaps everyone's precious memories of reading Maurice Sendak's classic book meant most moviegoers couldn't be whisked away by Spike Jonze's film version. In 2009, the punk photograph♌er turne🥀d Hollywood filmmaker delivered a gorgeous movie adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are, itself a beautiful story about the limitless wonders of childhood imagination. Although critics enjoyed Jonze's movie, albeit questioning if it was actually for kids, audiences were less enthused. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has a 73% with critics versus a 57% with audiences.

29. Splash (1984)

In just his second movie as a leading man, Tom Hanks co-starred with Daryl Hannah in Splash, a fantasy rom-com about a young man who falls for a mermaid. While Splas👍h made, ahem, a splash with critics in 1984, and has been retroactively listed as one of the best of the year by outlets like Entertainment Weekly, audiences are less interested in swimming along. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie enjoys a 91% rating with critics versus a more muddled 62% with audiences. While that's still technically a "fresh" rating, be honest: When was the last time you heard someone tell you that Splash was their favorite Tom Hanks movie?

28. Mississippi Grind (2015)

From the filmmaking duo of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, Mississippi Grind is a comedy drama about a deep-in-debt ga𝓀mbling addict (B🎐en Mendelsohn) who thinks that a new friend, played by Ryan Reynolds, is a living good luck charm. The two embark on a road trip to play a high-stakes poker game in New Orleans. While critics were won over by Mississippi Grind and its killer hand in Mendelsohn and Reynolds as a buddy pair, audiences folded. The movie has a 91% critics rating and a 55% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

27. She Dies Tomorrow (2020)

Eerily released during the COVID-19 pandemic, She Dies Tomorrow is a psychological horror about a woman (Kate Lyn Sheil) who believes that she will die after the next 24 hours - a belief that somehow spreads through the rest of her town. Although critics caught on to She Dies Tomorrow - Guardian's Peter Bradshaw wrote in praise of th🎉e film, celebrating it as an "eerie essay in creeping dread and collective hysteria" - audiences didn't test so positively. On Rotten Tomatoes, She Dies Tomorrow has an🐟 84% critics score and a more anemic 24% with audience.

26. Meatballs (1979)

It was the movie that launched the careers of both Bill Murray and director Ivan Reitman. Yet somehow, audiences haven't taken to Meatballs like a plate of sp𝓰aghetti. Set at a summer camp in Ontario, Bill Murray stars as the immature head counselor who tries to play matchmaker between two campers, as well as whip up his campers to defeat their rivals at Camp Mohawk in an upcoming competition. Despite the broad appeal of both Reitman and Mu🌠rray, only critics have shown love for Meatballs. The movie maintains a 73% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, versus a "rotten" 57% score with audiences.

25. Spring Breakers (2012)

Spring breaker forever! Or not. Conceived by director Harmony Korine, who lamented that he spent all his youthful years skateboarding instead of partying, Spring Breakers follows four college girls (played by ex-Disney stars Vanessa Hudgens and Selena Gomez as well as Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine) who venture down to Florida to party it up only to wind up in a life of crime. Spring Brea🎶kers enchanted critics who saw the movie's pointed satire about the American dream and the hedonism of youth, but audiences were seemingly disappo𒈔inted that Spring Breakers was anything but a carefree getaway. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has a 68% critics' score and a 38% audience score.