Feminist Monster Film "The Bride" Flops at Box Office

The $155 million production is one of the biggest box office bombs of 2026.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 10:38am

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The feminist monster film "The Bride", directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, has been a major box office failure, earning only $14 million globally in its opening week against a production and marketing budget of $155 million. The film, which follows a woman possessed by the spirit of Mary Shelley seeking to tell the story of "the bride" she was "held back by the patriarchy" from writing, has been criticized as a tired retread of feminist tropes about women being "empowered" by violence and psychopathy.

Why it matters

The failure of "The Bride" is seen as further evidence that the public has grown tired of overt feminist and left-wing political messaging in Hollywood films. Despite claims of a large feminist movement, the lack of audience support for these types of movies suggests the movement may be more of a "paper tiger" than reality.

The details

"The Bride" follows a woman possessed by the spirit of Mary Shelley who goes on a killing spree with a male sidekick, inspiring copycat crimes by other women seeking vengeance against men. The film was given a production budget of $90 million and a marketing budget of $65 million, but only earned around $14 million globally in its opening week, with half those revenues going to theaters.

  • The film received approval in January 2024 and started filming that same year.
  • It was released in theaters in March 2026.

The players

Maggie Gyllenhaal

The aging actress and amateur director of "The Bride", who has said she "really became a director" after Trump's election in order to fight "sexism".

Christian Bale

The actor who portrays the Frankenstein Monster in "The Bride".

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What they’re saying

“Maybe I'll get in trouble but…when I really became a director was actually… the morning that Trump was first elected.”

— Maggie Gyllenhaal, Director of "The Bride"

What’s next

The failure of "The Bride" is likely to further discourage major studios from investing in overtly political and feminist-themed films, as the public has shown little appetite for such content at the box office.

The takeaway

The box office bomb of "The Bride" highlights the disconnect between Hollywood's embrace of feminist and left-wing messaging and the actual preferences of moviegoers, suggesting the feminist movement may be more of a vocal minority than a true reflection of public sentiment.