Anne Hathaway's 'so bad it's good' film Serenity bombs at US box office

The 'thrillingly awful thriller' has not gone down well with the public

Serenity, starring Anne Hathaway and Matthew McConaughey, has bombed at the US box office.

Firected by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, the film has received awful reviews, scoring just 21 per cent on the aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences were likewise unimpressed, awarding Serenity a D+ Cinemascore.

Despite this, some critics called the film “so bad it’s good”, likening it to the infamous film The Room. The Guardian called it a “thrillingly awful thriller”, while another publication said the twist is “gobsmacking”.

Unfortunately, that was not enough to get people out to buy tickets, with the film taking $4.4 million over the weekend, according to Deadline.

Distributers Aviron Pictures are said to be worried about the film, the script for which cost a seven-number figure. The overall budget has been listed as $25 million, not including promotion and advertising.

The film’s synopsis reads: “Baker Dill is a fishing boat captain who leads tours off of the tranquil enclave of Plymouth Island. His peaceful life is soon shattered when his ex-wife Karen tracks him down. Desperate for help, Karen begs Baker to save her – and their young son – from her abusive husband. She wants him to take the brute out for a fishing excursion — then throw him overboard to the sharks.

“Thrust back into a life that he wanted to forget, Baker now finds himself struggling to choose between right and wrong.”

Meanwhile, Glass continues to dominate at the box office, topping the US charts for a second week in a row.