American History X backdrop
VERDICT: Flop
Expert Verified

Is American History X a Hit or Flop? Official Box Office Record & Profit Analysis

The official verdict is out. With a worldwide gross of $23,900,000.00, American History X is declared a Flop.

📊 Box Office Snapshot

Budget$20,000,000.00
Box Office$23,900,000.00
Profit / Loss +$3,900,000.00
Return on Investment (ROI) 20%

* A movie is generally considered a "Hit" if it recovers its budget and marketing costs (approx 2x budget).

📔 Detailed Verdict Analysis

📜 Detailed Financial Report

In the competitive landscape of 1998, American History X debuted as a Drama film with significant commercial expectations. The production path for this project involved significant capital, with a reported budget of approximately $20,000,000.00. In the modern film economy, recovering such an investment requires a multifaceted theatrical strategy spanning domestic and international territories.

📈 Collection Trajectory

The box office journey for American History X has culminated in a worldwide gross of approximately $23,900,000.00. This figure represents the total theatrical footprint, reflecting a Return on Investment (ROI) of 20%. The collection trajectory points to a challenging market response, where the theatrical gross struggled to clear the traditional break-even multiplier required for production and marketing recovery.

⚖️ Profitability & Verdict

Analyzing the multiplier effect and market sentiment, American History X navigated the competitive landscape with an audience reception score of 8.3/10. When weighing the production costs against the global returns, American History X is effectively categorized as a Flop. The outcome highlights the risks involved in big-budget filmmaking when audience alignment is missed.

🔍 Comparables

In the context of other Drama releases, the performance of American History X will likely influence how studios approach similar projects in the future. Whether through its innovative visual style or its narrative choices, the film's financial footprint remains a key piece of the 1998 box office narrative.

🍿 Audience Reception

Apart from the financial numbers, the audience sentiment plays a crucial role. Not all box office hits are loved, and not all flops are bad movies.

8.3
IMDb

Audiences are loving this film! It has received highly positive reviews.