Scott Mendelson of "Forbes" argued that a bag of mixed to negative reviews hindered the box office potential of the film. Unlike tentpole films which aren't as affected by critic reviews and fan reception, adult skewing drama films like "Billy Lynn" heavily depend on reviews which could either help or hinder the box office fate of a film. In this case, the bad reviews took a toll on the film. He also pointed out that the complex release format—which is the main focus of the whole film—failed to deliver its intended desired effect, which manifested in its poor box office performance. "The Guardian" cited different causes, saying that the Iraqi war settings—which don't usually resonate to American audiences—and the war genre itself as being tough-selling subject matter. War films in the United States are generally sold as action films, but "Billy Lynn" on the other hand is a drama piece. The film falls in line with previous poor showings of Iraqi War films, after "Green Zone" (2010), "Body of Lies" (2008), "Rendition" (2007), and "Stop-Loss" (2008).