What makes a 'cult status' film?

[The Beaver King]

I've watched a few movies over the years, I don't consider myself a film critic, but I know what I like and can appreciate the work that goes into a film.

I do struggle to understand how certain films obtain cult status, but others do not.

For example:

The Warriors (1979)

I watched it a few years ago. It's a bit before my time (I'm 25), but I enjoyed it and can see why it has a large cult following.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Another interesting film. It's very funny in a dark and unusual way and deserving of cult status.

Now what about more recent films that have been released?

I watched Constantine (2005) again last week. It didn't do particularly well at the cinema, but I really enjoyed it. It has faults, but the general premise and special effects are very good.
Another one I watched this week was Priest (2011). A friend of mine saw this at the cinema when it came out, he said it was 'okay, but nothing amazing'. I really enjoyed it. It contained a nice Sci-Fi element, decent SFX, reasonable acting and was quite imaginative.

Are these films destined for cult status like Serenity (2005)? Or will they sink into the obscure, only to be remembered by those that were around at the time?

I have intentionaly target Sci-Fi films here as that is a genre I enjoy and have the most experience with.