We all know a bad movie when we see one. Bad movies can have weak story lines, incompetent direction, poor technical quality, amateurish performances — or all of the above.
Sometimes, the title is a clue — “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” — really? Another indicator of a stinker is who is in it — actors such as Carmen Electra or Jean-Claude Van Damme won’t make you forget Meryl Streep or Daniel Day-Lewis. Some movies are so awful they develop a cult following, like the 2003 film “The Room.”
How do these clunkers get made? In some cases, filmmakers are working with a limited budget that affects all aspects of production, from the technology used to make the movie to the talent they can afford to hire.
24/7 Tempo has identified the 100 worst movies of all time based on audience and critic ratings from Internet Movie Database (IMDb) and Rotten Tomatoes.
Click here to see the worst movies of all time.
Oftentimes, talent alone is not enough to carry a film. Many of the movies on this list are major Hollywood productions that feature top talent. Among the stars who appear in them are Nicolas Cage, Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Sylvester Stallone, and Matthew McConaughey, all of whom have won or have been nominated for an Oscar. These are the most popular Oscar winners of all time.
Sequels make numerous appearances among the worst films. Movie studios love to churn out additional chapters to popular originals, but filmmakers often botch these follow-ups, much to the displeasure of fans. Here are the 50 best movie sequels of all time.
Also common are both comedies and horror movies. Despite critics frequently skewering genre films of these types, they can be made cheaply and often do well at the box office and are therefore made often. While both genres often resonate with fans despite drawing ire from critics, the movies found here test the sensibilities of even the most tolerant viewers. If there is a silver lining for the pandemic, it prevented another year of cringeworthy motion pictures being made.
Methodology
To determine the worst movies of all time, 24/7 Tempo created an index based on each film’s Rotten Tomatoes average critic rating, Rotten Tomatoes average audience rating, and Internet Movie Database average user rating. To be considered, each film needed to have at least 5,000 Rotten Tomatoes user ratings, 10 approved Tomatometer critic reviews, and 10,000 IMDb user ratings.
100. Delta Farce (2007)
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
> Directed by: C.B. Harding
> Starring: Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall, DJ Qualls
“Delta Farce” is a raunchy military comedy about three men mistaken for Army reservists who are sent to Iraq, but because of pilot error they end up in Mexico. Steven Hyden of the AV Club said, “Like ‘Paths Of Glory,’ ‘Apocalypse Now,’ and ‘Platoon,’ ‘Delta Farce’ is a difficult, harrowing work offering little relief or humor. Unlike those movies, though, ‘Delta Farce’ is supposed to be funny.” The film has a 5% Freshness rating among Rotten Tomatoes critics. It has a 3.6 rating out of 10 among IMDb users
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99. A Haunted House 2 (2014)
> Genre: Comedy, Fantasy
> Directed by: Michael Tiddes
> Starring: Marlon Wayans, Jaime Pressly, Cedric the Entertainer
Critics found neither “A Haunted House” nor its sequel particularly entertaining, with neither film garnering more than an 8% Freshness rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The horror movie parody sequel — written and starring Marlon Wayans and starring Emmy Award winner Jaime Pressly — was dismissed by critics as “sloppy, vulgar, and manic.”
98. All About Steve (2009)
> Genre: Comedy, Romance
> Directed by: Phil Traill
> Starring: Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, Thomas Haden Church
Oscar-winner Sandra Bullock (Best Actress, “The Blind Side”) and eight-time Oscar-nominee Bradley Cooper star in this romantic comedy about a talkative crossword puzzle writer who falls in love with a news station cameraman. Only 6% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes returned positive reviews for what is described on the site as “an oddly creepy, sour film.” Audience members were slightly more generous, with 30% liking it.
97. Boogeyman (2005)
> Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery
> Directed by: Stephen Kay
> Starring: Barry Watson, Emily Deschanel, Lucy Lawless
In “Boogeyman,” a young man confronts a childhood terror that continues to haunt him. The problem with the film for critics was that the movie lacked suspense. Paul Arendt of BBC.com called it “a humourless trudge through haunted house cliches.” The movie only has a 13% Freshness rating among Rotten Tomatoes critics and a 21% rating among more than 261,000 users of Rotten Tomatoes. Though poorly reviewed, the motion picture grossed nearly $47 million domestically and was a financial success.
96. Behaving Badly (2014)
> Genre: Biography, Comedy
> Directed by: Tim Garrick
> Starring: Nat Wolff, Selena Gomez, Mary-Louise Parker
Nat Wolff stars as gawky teen Rick Stevens who must overcome the odds to woo his crush Nina Pennington, played by Selena Gomez, in this critically loathed sex comedy. On Rotten Tomatoes, “Behaving Badly” has a 0% rating from critics, who describe it as “dreadful,” “boring,” and “wretchedly unfunny.” It’s the sole feature directed by filmmaker Tim Garrick to date.
95. Basic Instinct 2 (2006)
> Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
> Directed by: Michael Caton-Jones
> Starring: Sharon Stone, David Morrissey, David Thewlis
Sharon Stone returns as the scheming novelist Catherine Tramell, who has run afoul with the law. A Scotland Yard psychiatrist sent to evaluate her is lured into her games. Critics weren’t persuaded by the plot, and only 6% gave the sequel a positive Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, compared with 53% rating for the original.
94. Strange Wilderness (2008)
> Genre: Adventure, Comedy
> Directed by: Fred Wolf
> Starring: Steve Zahn, Allen Covert, Justin Long
When an unconventional nature television show faces cancellation, the program’s hosts head to the Andes Mountains to find Bigfoot. “Strange Wilderness” plumbs the depths of critical condemnation, getting just a 2% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film was also one of the last movies Oscar-winning actor Ernest Borgnine (“Marty”) ever made.
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93. Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 (2015)
> Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime
> Directed by: Andy Fickman
> Starring: Kevin James, Raini Rodriguez, Eduardo Verástegui
Kevin James revives his role as New Jersey mall cop Paul Blart in this sequel that takes him and his daughter to Las Vegas for a vacation. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 5% Freshness rating, though audiences were more receptive to the sequel, with 33% liking it. The original didn’t exactly wow critics and audiences either, with a 34% Freshness rating and a 43% rating from audiences.
92. The Darkness (2016)
> Genre: Horror, Thriller
> Directed by: Greg McLean
> Starring: Kevin Bacon, Radha Mitchell, David Mazouz
“The Darkness” is an “odd fusion of psychodrama and supernatural hokum,” according to Scott Tobias from Variety, a low-rent “Poltergeist” that was widely panned for being derivative with few scares. Starring Kevin Bacon, the film managed to earn just a 3% Freshness rating among Rotten Tomatoes critics, and a positive rating from only 19% of audiences.
91. Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000)
> Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
> Directed by: John Ottman
> Starring: Jennifer Morrison, Matthew Davis, Hart Bochner
Only 20% of critics gave the thumbs up to the slasher flick “Urban Legend” (1998). An even lower 9% of critics approved of the follow-up “Urban Legends: Final Cut.” The movie is described as “stupid” and “mediocre,” with Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus stating that it “brings nothing new to an already exhausted genre.”
90. Miss March (2009)
> Genre: Comedy, Romance
> Directed by: Zach Cregger, Trevor Moore
> Starring: Zach Cregger, Trevor Moore, Raquel Alessi
“Miss March” is a teen rom-com about a young man in high school who falls into a coma before his senior prom and awakens four years later to discover his ex-girlfriend has posed for Playboy. Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes said that “even by the modest standards of the teen sex comedy genre, the crass, poorly made ‘Miss March’ misses the mark.” Little wonder the film — written, directed, and starring Zach Cregger and Trevor Moore — only has a 5% Freshness rating among Rotten Tomatoes critics.
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89. Look Who’s Talking Now (1993)
> Genre: Comedy, Family, Romance
> Directed by: Tom Ropelewski
> Starring: John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, David Gallagher
“Look Who’s Talking Now” is the third film in the Look Who’s Talking trilogy. The film differs from its preceding chapters in that it gives voices to the protagonist couple’s pet dogs. This development wasn’t enough to win over critics, not a single one of whom has been recorded on Rotten Tomatoes as giving the film a positive review. The movie was a box office bomb, grossing $10.3 million on an estimated production budget of $22 million.
88. Ultraviolet (2006)
> Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
> Directed by: Kurt Wimmer
> Starring: Milla Jovovich, Cameron Bright, Nick Chinlund
Milla Jovovich stars in this sci-fi flick in which a new disease gives superhuman powers to those it infects. Only 8% of critics reviewing the movie listed on Rotten Tomatoes liked it, with the site’s Critics Consensus calling it “inept in every regard.” Writer-director Kurt Wimmer would go on to work on the screenplays for the “Point Break” (2015) and “Total Recall” (2012) remakes.
87. Who’s Your Caddy? (2007)
> Genre: Comedy, Sport
> Directed by: Don Michael Paul
> Starring: Big Boi, Jeffrey Jones, Terry Crews
Big Boi of the hip-hop duo Outkast stars alongside Jeffrey Jones and Terry Crews in this comedy about an Atlanta rap mogul who meets resistance when trying to join an elite golf club. Only 6% of critics liked the “juvenile, uninspired retread of ‘Caddyshack'” (Rotten Tomatoes’ Critics Consensus), while a much higher share — 59% — of the nearly 41,000 audience members on the site gave it a positive vote. IMDb users were less generous, delivering an overall rating of 2.2 out of 10.
86. The Layover (2017)
> Genre: Comedy, Romance
> Directed by: William H. Macy
> Starring: Kate Upton, Alexandra Daddario, Matt Barr
Oscar-nominated actor William H. Macy (“Fargo”) stepped into the director’s chair for this 2017 rom-com about two friends competing for one man’s affections after their flight is delayed. While 22% of audiences on Rotten Tomatoes liked the movie, not a single critic gave it a positive review. The experience prompted critic Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times to question, “How could William H. Macy direct such an unholy mess?”
85. Wing Commander (1999)
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
> Directed by: Chris Roberts
> Starring: Freddie Prinze Jr., Matthew Lillard, Saffron Burrows
“Wing Commander” is based on a series of popular video games focused on a galactic fighter squadron. This sci-fi flick faltered and is “formulaic, humdrum and sometimes unintentionally laughable,” according to Godfrey Cheshire of Variety. The film had a budget of $30 million and was a box-office disaster.
84. The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) (2011)
> Genre: Horror
> Directed by: Tom Six
> Starring: Laurence R. Harvey, Ashlynn Yennie, Maddi Black
Critics disliked this sequel to the gross-out cult classic, less for its shocking content than for being — in the words of Rotten Tomatoes’ Critics Consensus — “obnoxious and annoying.” “The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence)” received a 29% Freshness rating among critics and a 23% rating among audiences. The film grossed just under $142,000 at the domestic box office and was awarded Worst Film at horror magazine Fangoria’s Chainsaw Awards.
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83. Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime
> Directed by: Jan de Bont
> Starring: Sandra Bullock, Jason Patric, Willem Dafoe
“Speed,” starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, was a critically acclaimed, Oscar-winning thrill ride when it was released in 1994. Three years later, the thrill was gone from the sequel, which did not have Reeves. Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal said “Speed 2 is frantic action, tinny dialogue, perfunctory characterization and tried-and-false plot pilferings.” It holds a 4% Freshness rating among Rotten Tomatoes critics and the film “won” the 1998 Razzie for Worst Remake or Sequel.
82. Batman & Robin (1997)
> Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
> Directed by: Joel Schumacher
> Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney, Chris O’Donnell
Joel Schumacher’s campy “Batman & Robin” (1997) is an infamously weak entry in the generally popular Batman franchise, receiving only positive reviews from 11% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes. A slightly larger share of audience members liked it — 16%. George Clooney, who starred as Batman alongside major talent, including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Uma Thurman, later told the Hollywood Reporter that he “wasn’t good in it” and “it wasn’t a good film.”
81. Piranha 3DD (2012)
> Genre: Comedy, Horror
> Directed by: John Gulager
> Starring: Danielle Panabaker, Ving Rhames, David Hasselhoff
“Piranha 3DD” increases the gore and self-parody of the earlier “Piranha 3D” to disappointing effect. The result is a horror-comedy that few find either scary or funny. On Rotten Tomatoes, only 13% of critics and 22% of audiences gave the 3D movie — which was nominated for numerous worst movie awards — positive reviews.
80. Daddy Day Camp (2007)
> Genre: Comedy, Family
> Directed by: Fred Savage
> Starring: Cuba Gooding Jr., Lochlyn Munro, Richard Gant
Two men with little knowledge of the outdoors take over a deteriorating summer day camp in this cringe-worthy sequel to “Daddy Day Care” that combines humor about bodily functions and mawkish sentimental scenes about parent-child bonding. The movie, directed by “Wonder Years” actor Fred Savage and starring Oscar-winner Cuba Gooding Jr. (Best Supporting Actor for “Jerry Maguire”), got a 1% Freshness rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. It was nominated for five Razzie Awards and “won” for Worst Prequel or Sequel.
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79. Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000)
> Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Horror
> Directed by: Joe Berlinger
> Starring: Jeffrey Donovan, Stephen Barker Turner, Erica Leerhsen
“The Blair Witch Project” (1999), Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, was a massive success upon its release and helped popularize the found footage horror subgenre that is going strong to this day. “Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2” (2000) abandons this approach and is worse off for it, pleasing only 14% of critics and 18% of viewers who have reviewed it on Rotten Tomatoes. The site’s Critics Consensus slams the horror sequel as “all formula and no creativity.”
78. Universal Soldier: The Return (1999)
> Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
> Directed by: Mic Rodgers
> Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bill Goldberg, Heidi Schanz
Jean-Claude Van Damme returned for this sequel to “Universal Soldier” (1992) as a cyborg warrior tasked with going to war with a group of android killing machines. Only 5% of critics and 24% of audiences could get behind the movie, with the Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus blaming everything from “its generic story to its second rate action and subpar performances” for its failure. The movie is the sole directorial effort from accomplished stuntman Mic Rodgers.
77. Captivity (2007)
> Genre: Crime, Drama, Horror
> Directed by: Roland Joffé
> Starring: Elisha Cuthbert, Daniel Gillies, Pruitt Taylor Vince
“Captivity,” a so-called torture porn film directed by two-time Oscar nominee Roland Joffé about an abducted supermodel (Elisha Cuthbert), roiled the movie industry before its release when graphic, unapproved ads appeared on billboards and taxis in New York and Los Angeles. Once it debuted, the movie flopped among critics, who said it lacked “scares or psychological insight.” It also was a box-office bomb, grossing almost $11 million worldwide on a $17 million budget. The film has a 9% Freshness rating among Rotten Tomatoes critics.
76. Furry Vengeance (2010)
> Genre: Comedy, Family
> Directed by: Roger Kumble
> Starring: Brendan Fraser, Brooke Shields, Ricky Garcia
Brendan Fraser plays a developer of a subdivision in Oregon who meets his match when woodland creatures rally to thwart the project. Critics gave this environmentally sympathetic flick a 7% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Writing for Time Out, critic Lisa Rosman said, “The lone saving grace of the film was that the animals don’t talk.”
75. My Boss’s Daughter (2003)
> Genre: Comedy, Romance
> Directed by: David Zucker
> Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Tara Reid, Andy Richter
David Zucker — director of comedy classics such as “Airplane!” and “The Naked Gun” — delivers less than his best in the 2003 Ashton Kutcher vehicle “My Boss’s Daughter.” Film critic Nick Schager summed it up by saying, “Few films are as consistently pathetic.” Only 8% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes liked the rom-com, as did 23% of audiences.
74. College (2008)
> Genre: Comedy
> Directed by: Deb Hagan
> Starring: Drake Bell, Kevin Covais, Andrew Lewis Caldwell
Drake Bell, who starred in the Nickelodeon sitcom “Drake & Josh,” headlines this clunker about the wild experiences of three high school seniors who visit a college as prospective freshmen. The Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes said the movie was “a pale imitation of the raunchy frat comedies of old.” “College” has a Freshness rating of 5% among Rotten Tomatoes critics and it tanked at the box office..
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73. The Wicker Man (2006)
> Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
> Directed by: Neil LaBute
> Starring: Nicolas Cage, Ellen Burstyn, Leelee Sobieski
A cast led by Nicolas Cage and Ellen Burstyn could not save “The Wicker Man,” a remake of the well-received 1973 cult horror classic about a pagan society on an island. The movie was chided by one critic as “comically inept.” Nigel Floyd of Time Out called the remake a “a boring, fright-free catastrophe.” It has a 15% Freshness rating among Rotten Tomatoes critics, and a 17% rating among viewers.
72. Street Fighter (1994)
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
> Directed by: Steven E. de Souza
> Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Raul Julia, Ming-Na Wen
Based on the video game series of the same name, “Street Fighter” the film is too campy for its own good. Action film star Jean-Claude Van Damme stars in the movie, which has a 10% Freshness rating among Rotten Tomatoes critics. The movie was the last feature film appearance of Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor Raul Julia before he died of a stroke.
71. The Last Airbender (2010)
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Family
> Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
> Starring: Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone
“The Last Airbender” was not the best effort from director M. Night Shyamalan, who wrote the screenplay about a boy who is humankind’s last hope to bring harmony to a world in chaos. The film, which cost $150 million, didn’t resonate with critics, who said the plot was “incomprehensible,” according to Critics Consensus, and gave the movie a 5% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
70. RoboCop 3 (1993)
> Genre: Action, Crime, Sci-Fi
> Directed by: Fred Dekker
> Starring: Robert John Burke, Nancy Allen, Mario Machado
The original action flick “Robocop” (1987) received ratings of 90% from critics and 84% from audiences who reviewed it on Rotten Tomatoes. “Robocop 3” (1993) — in which the mechanical humanoid fights against his now-corrupted creators bent on seizing Detroit real estate and expelling its poor residents — found favor with just 6% of critics and 15% audience reviewing it. Critics Consensus called the sequel “asinine” and “should be placed under arrest.”
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69. Barb Wire (1996)
> Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
> Directed by: David Hogan
> Starring: Pamela Anderson, Amir AboulEla, Adriana Alexander
Based on a comic book, “Barb Wire” stars Pamela Anderson as a bounty hunter in civil war-torn America in 2017. The film is actually thought higher of by critics than audiences, with 28% of the former liking it versus 14% of the latter. It has a 3.3 rating out of 10 among IMDb users. Derek Adams of Time Out said the movie is “haphazardly edited, lacks narrative clout, and rambles on to a ludicrously extended conclusion.” The movie was nominated for six Razzie Awards, and star Pamela Anderson “won” one for Worst New Star.
68. The Legend of Hercules (2014)
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
> Directed by: Renny Harlin
> Starring: Kellan Lutz, Gaia Weiss, Scott Adkins
There are gods and gladiators aplenty in this movie billed as an “epic origin story,” but it’s still “cheap-looking, poorly acted, and dull,” and works as neither drama or action movie, according to critics on Rotten Tomatoes — which accorded it a 4% Freshness score. The movie bombed financially as well, grossing less than $19 million at the domestic box office against a $70 million budget.
67. Vice (2015)
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
> Directed by: Brian A. Miller
> Starring: Thomas Jane, Bruce Willis, Ambyr Childers
Golden Globe-winner Bruce Willis (Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, “Moonlighting”) and three-time Golden Globe-nominee Thomas Jane star in this sci-fi dud about a futuristic resort where customers can live out their fantasies with humanlike artificial beings. A mere 4% of critics and 15% of audiences liked it on Rotten Tomatoes, with the Critics Consensus stating “that star power in service of a lousy script is no virtue.”
66. One Missed Call (2008)
> Genre: Horror, Mystery
> Directed by: Eric Valette
> Starring: Edward Burns, Shannyn Sossamon, Ana Claudia Talancón
French director Eric Valette remade the popular Japanese movie about people who receive phone calls from the future in which they hear themselves murdered. There wasn’t a single positive review from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and critics on the site agreed the movie was uninspired and lacked terror. Twenty-nine percent of audiences liked the movie.
65. A Sound of Thunder (2005)
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Horror
> Directed by: Peter Hyams
> Starring: Edward Burns, Ben Kingsley, Catherine McCormack
“A Sound of Thunder” is a time travel movie about hunters who are whisked back to prehistoric times to prey on dinosaurs, with catastrophic results. Critics questioned the logic of the film and gave it a 6% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while just 18% of audiences liked it, despite a cast that includes Edward Burns, Ben Kingsley, David Oyelowo, and Catherine McCormack.
64. Holmes & Watson (2018)
> Genre: Comedy, Crime, Mystery
> Directed by: Etan Cohen
> Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Ralph Fiennes
“Holmes & Watson” was a comedy take on the beloved British sleuths created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who might have recoiled in horror over the treatment of his characters by Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. David Fear of Rolling Stone said the movie was “so painfully unfunny we’re not sure it can legally be called a comedy.” Only 10% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie a Freshness score. The film received four Razzie Awards, including Worst Picture.
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63. The Devil Inside (2012)
> Genre: Horror
> Directed by: William Brent Bell
> Starring: Fernanda Andrade, Simon Quarterman, Evan Helmuth
“The Devil Inside” combines two of the horror genre’s most popular trends at the time of its release — found footage and a plot involving an exorcism. The results disappointed critics, however, who found it “a cheap, choppy, unscary mess” with “one of the worst endings in recent memory,” according to Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes. Only 6% of critics delivered positive reviews on the site, and 22% of audiences liked it.
62. Mac and Me (1988)
> Genre: Adventure, Family, Fantasy
> Directed by: Stewart Raffill
> Starring: Christine Ebersole, Jonathan Ward, Tina Caspary
“E.T.” imitator “Mac And Me” tells the story of a handicapped boy who aids an alien on the run from NASA agents. The movie has been criticized for many of its aspects, including its heavy-handed product placement. It has a 0% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and IMDb users gave it a rating of 3.4 out of 10.
61. Movie 43 (2013)
> Genre: Comedy
> Directed by: Various
> Starring: Emma Stone, Stephen Merchant, Richard Gere
Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes called this one a “star-studded turkey,” the stars including Josh Duhamel, Kristen Bell, Emma Stone, Richard Gere, Kate Winslet, Terrence Howard, Liev Schreiber, and Halle Berry, among many others, and only 4% of critics delivered positive reviews. This raunchy comedy “is utterly disgusting throughout,” according to Entertainment Weekly. Elizabeth Weitzman of the New York Daily News described it as probably the worst movie she’d seen in 15 years.
60. Jaws 3-D (1983)
> Genre: Adventure, Horror, Thriller
> Directed by: Joe Alves
> Starring: Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Simon MacCorkindale
“Jaws 3-D” was the third installment of the Jaws franchise, and it was a financial success, grossing over $45 million domestically. Even so, the 3-D effects failed to win over critics, one of whom called them “laughable.” Only 12% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a thumbs up, and only 17% of audiences liked the film, which was nominated for five Razzie Awards.
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59. Glitter (2001)
> Genre: Drama, Music, Romance
> Directed by: Vondie Curtis-Hall
> Starring: Mariah Carey, Eric Benét, Max Beesley
Pop diva Mariah Carey blamed the financial failure of “Glitter” — a story about a singer trying to overcome a tumultuous childhood — on the timing of its release close to the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Critics didn’t buy that excuse, with the Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes calling the film a “hodgepodge of movie cliches and bad acting.” Carey “won” the Razzie Award for Worst Actress, and the movie was nominated as one of the worst musicals of the past 25 years in 2005. Only 6% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes liked the movie. Audiences were kinder, with 48% approving it.
58. Date Movie (2006)
> Genre: Comedy, Romance
> Directed by: Aaron Seltzer, Jason Friedberg
> Starring: Alyson Hannigan, Adam Campbell, Fred Willard
Spoof flick “Date Movie” skewered a variety of rom-coms. The problem is that most of the movies it mimics are funnier than the parody. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 7% Freshness score. Zadie Smith of the Daily Telegraph pulled no punches when she said, “‘Date Movie’ is the worst movie I have ever seen. I really mean that.” Nevertheless, the vulgar comedy grossed more than double its $20 million budget at the domestic box office.
57. Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992)
> Genre: Action, Comedy
> Directed by: Roger Spottiswoode
> Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Estelle Getty, JoBeth Williams
Although he’s generally known for his work in action and drama franchises like Rambo and Rocky, Sylvester Stallone tried his hand at comedy in 1992’s “Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot.” Unfortunately, the movie failed to show Stallone’s comedic chops in the way he had hoped and earned positive reviews from only 7% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The actor would later express regret at making the movie, which earned him a Razzie award for Worst Actor.
56. Fair Game (1995)
> Genre: Action, Romance, Thriller
> Directed by: Andrew Sipes
> Starring: William Baldwin, Cindy Crawford, Steven Berkoff
KGB assassins, a maverick Miami cop, and supermodel Cindy Crawford in her feature debut couldn’t bring life to this “howlingly bad” (James Berardinelli of ReelViews) would-be thriller. Crawford picked up three Razzie award nominations for her role: Worst Actress, Worst New Star, and Worst Screen Couple for her romance with William Baldwin.
55. Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)
> Genre: Horror
> Directed by: John Boorman
> Starring: Richard Burton, Linda Blair, Louise Fletcher
With a cast starring acclaimed actors Richard Burton, James Earl Jones, and Louise Fletcher, and helmed by “Deliverance” director John Boorman, how bad could “Exorcist II: The Heretic” be? Apparently, pretty bad. Critics lambasted the film for “hokey” special effects, a lousy plot, and poor acting. Critics gave the movie a 15% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences delivered only a 13% rating. The sequel paled in comparison to the harrowing original, which received an 83% Freshness score from critics.
54. The Room (2003)
> Genre: Drama
> Directed by: Tommy Wiseau
> Starring: Tommy Wiseau, Juliette Danielle, Greg Sestero
With a mere 25% Tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes, “The Room” can undoubtedly be considered a bad movie. However, it’s one of the most celebrated bad movies in history. The movie — a warped and perhaps incompetently put together drama from filmmaker Tommy Wiseau — continues to have screenings across the country and has developed a cult following since its release in 2003.
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53. The Avengers (1998)
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
> Directed by: Jeremiah S. Chechik
> Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Uma Thurman, Sean Connery
Before Marvel’s successful Avengers franchise there was this spy movie, based on a British television show from the 1960s with the same name. The movie flopped, grossing just over $23 million at the domestic box office on a reported production budget of $60 million. On Rotten Tomatoes — where the film is described as “ineptly written” and “woefully miscast” — just 5% of critics and 15% of audience members liked it.
52. Dungeons & Dragons (2000)
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
> Directed by: Courtney Solomon
> Starring: Justin Whalin, Jeremy Irons, Zoe McLellan
The first in a series of movies based on the role-playing game of the same name, “Dungeons & Dragons” follows Empress Savina of Izmer as she searches for the legendary Rod of Savrille in order to free her kingdom of the magical Mages. Despite the talent of actors such as Jeremy Irons and Marlon Wayans, the movie is a dud. Scott Foundas of Variety said, “The average episode of Xena or Hercules offers a more compelling and imaginative photoplay.” The film holds a Freshness rating of just 10% among Rotten Tomatoes critics.
51. Scary Movie 5 (2013)
> Genre: Comedy, Horror
> Directed by: Malcolm D. Lee, David Zucker
> Starring: Simon Rex, Ashley Tisdale, Charlie Sheen
The Wayans brothers developed The Scary Movie franchise, which parodied the horror film genre and included cameo appearances by stars. But the comedy formula was spent by the film’s fifth iteration, which holds a 4% Rotten Tomatoes Freshness rating. The Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus pillories “Scary Movie 5” as “juvenile even by Scary Movie standards.”
50. The Apparition (2012)
> Genre: Horror, Thriller
> Directed by: Todd Lincoln
> Starring: Ashley Greene, Sebastian Stan, Tom Felton
“The Apparition” made the worst mistake a horror film can make — it wasn’t scary. Only 3% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes liked the film. Perhaps Entertainment Weekly critic Keith Staskiewicz summed up the general sentiment best by saying, “Might give you a restless night, but only because you fell asleep in the theater.”
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49. Mr. Magoo (1997)
> Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Family
> Directed by: Stanley Tong
> Starring: Leslie Nielsen, Kelly Lynch, Matt Keeslar
The live-action version of the fondly remembered 1960s animated series (Mr. Magoo was voiced by Jim Backus) about the misadventures of a nearly blind senior citizen was described by USA Today as “an insult to the intelligence of the entire human race.” Just 7% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave it a Freshness score, and just 24% of audiences liked the film.
48. Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd (2003)
> Genre: Comedy
> Directed by: Troy Miller
> Starring: Derek Richardson, Eric Christian Olsen, Eugene Levy
Critics found “Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd,” a prequel to 1994’s “Dumb and Dumber,” exceedingly inane, even for an intended sophomoric comedy. Only 23% of audiences on Rotten Tomatoes liked the prequel — which did not have the stars from the original, Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels — compared with 84% who were amused by “Dumb and Dumber.”
47. Cats (2019)
> Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family
> Directed by: Tom Hooper
> Starring: James Corden, Judi Dench, Jason Derulo
Some bad movies are made with very little financial support. Others, like “Cats,” cost $95 million to produce. Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper (“The King’s Speech”) directed Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, and more in this adaptation of the popular Broadway show. The box office bomb (it grossed $73.7 million worldwide) was marred by disturbing CGI, a weak plot, and numerous scenes viewers found downright disgusting.
46. Dragonball Evolution (2009)
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Family
> Directed by: James Wong
> Starring: Justin Chatwin, James Marsters, Yun-Fat Chow
The live action flick “Dragonball Evolution” has plenty of aspects that may appeal to those who are already fans of the Dragonball franchise, but the majority of viewers feel left out. Even fans, however, find the film lacking that special something that made the original books (and cartoons) so engaging. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie a 15% Freshness score, and audiences gave it a 20% score. It has a 2.5 rating out of 10 among IMDb users.
45. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1995)
> Genre: Comedy, Horror, Thriller
> Directed by: Kim Henkel
> Starring: Renée Zellweger, Matthew McConaughey, Robert Jacks
Twenty years after the original “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” helped launch the slasher genre, Kim Henkel, who produced and co-wrote the first version of the film, unleashed this reboot of the slaughterfest, noteworthy for its early-career appearances by future Oscar winners Renée Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly called this version “luridly abysmal.” Critics gave the film a 14% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while only 18% of audiences liked it. The movie has a rating of 3.3 out of 10 among IMDb users.
44. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Family
> Directed by: Sidney J. Furie
> Starring: Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder
Original “Superman” cast members Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, and Margot Kidder all returned for this sequel, widely agreed as being the worst of the series. Rotten Tomatoes’ scathing Critics Consensus states, “The action is boring, the special effects look cheaper, and none of the actors appear interested in where the plot’s going.” “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” only has an 11% Freshness score among Rotten Tomatoes critics, and a 16% score among audiences.
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43. Jack and Jill (2011)
> Genre: Comedy
> Directed by: Dennis Dugan
> Starring: Adam Sandler, Katie Holmes, Al Pacino
This Adam Sandler film in which he plays both titular characters received 10 Razzie Awards. Even the presence of Katie Holmes and Al Pacino couldn’t save it. The movie currently has a 3% positive critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It holds a 3.3 rating out of 10 among IMDb users. Critic Sean Burns of Philadelphia Weekly opined that “Jack and Jill” is “the worst Adam Sandler picture yet, which is saying something.”
42. In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2007)
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
> Directed by: Uwe Boll
> Starring: Jason Statham, Ron Perlman, Ray Liotta
Directed by the fiercely independent and oft-chided filmmaker Uwe Boll, “In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale” is inspired by the Dungeon Siege video game series. The movie features major starpower with Jason Statham, Ron Perlman, Ray Liotta, and Claire Forlani. The Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes says the movie features “mostly wooden performances, laughable dialogue, and shoddy production values.” Just 4% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes liked the film.
41. The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)
> Genre: Comedy, Action, Sci-Fi
> Directed by: Ron Underwood
> Starring: Eddie Murphy, Jay Mohr, Randy Quaid
Eddie Murphy’s magic touch when it came to movie success in the 1980s had deserted him by the time he made “The Adventures of Pluto Nash.” Murphy stars as a lunar nightclub owner in this sci-fi comedy that bombed at the box office, grossing $4.4 million domestically on a $100 million budget. Critics almost universally gave it bad reviews, with David Hiltbrand of the Philadelphia Inquirer labeling it a “paralyzingly dopey mess.” Only 4% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave the film thumbs up.
40. The Fog (2005)
> Genre: Horror, Mystery
> Directed by: Rupert Wainwright
> Starring: Tom Welling, Maggie Grace, Selma Blair
While 74% of critics enjoyed the original — John Carpenter-helmed “The Fog” from 1980 — a mere 4% approved of this 2005 remake, according to Rotten Tomatoes. The site’s Critics Consensus said the updated “The Fog” lacks “scares, suspense or originality.” The movie did manage to do well at the box office, grossing nearly $30 million domestically on an $18 million budget.
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39. Catwoman (2004)
> Genre: Action, Crime, Fantasy
> Directed by: Pitof
> Starring: Halle Berry, Sharon Stone, Benjamin Bratt
“Catwoman” is another failed superhero movie. With over-editing and bad CGI, the film “won” a handful of Razzie Awards, including Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, and Worst Actress for lead Halle Berry (who had won a Best Actress Oscar in 2002). Those curious for a taste of the movie can look up its infamous basketball scene online. The movie has a Freshness score of 9% among Rotten Tomatoes critics.
38. Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997)
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
> Directed by: John R. Leonetti
> Starring: Robin Shou, Talisa Soto, James Remar
The second movie based on the video game “Mortal Kombat” fails because of shallow characters, bad effects, and tedious fight scenes. Perhaps this is due to its then-inexperienced director. The movie was filmmaker John R. Leonetti’s directorial debut. Martial arts film performer Robin Shou and action movie actor Talisa Soto star in the movie that only managed a Freshness score of 2% among Rotten Tomatoes critics.
37. The Master of Disguise (2002)
> Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Family
> Directed by: Perry Andelin Blake
> Starring: Dana Carvey, Jennifer Esposito, Harold Gould
“The Master of Disguise” is a comedy film starring “Saturday Night Live” alum Dana Carvey as a secret agent named Pistachio Disguisey. The film was co-written by Carvey and has only one positive review out of the 104 collected by Rotten Tomatoes. The site’s Critics Consensus calls the movie both irritating and witless. Despite panning by critics, the film was a success, grossing more than $40 million.
36. Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (2002)
> Genre: Action, Crime, Mystery
> Directed by: Wych Kaosayananda
> Starring: Antonio Banderas, Lucy Liu, Talisa Soto
“Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever,” an action film starring Antonio Banderas and Lucy Liu, has the dubious distinction that none of 118 critics on Rotten Tomatoes approved of it. The Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes says it is “a startlingly inept film” that offers “overblown, wall-to-wall action without a hint of wit, coherence, style, or originality.” It was also a box-office disaster, grossing $14.3 million on a budget of $70 million.
35. Fifty Shades of Black (2016)
> Genre: Comedy
> Directed by: Michael Tiddes
> Starring: Marlon Wayans, Kali Hawk, Fred Willard
“Fifty Shades of Black” is director Michael Tiddes and funnyman Marlon Wayans’ spoof of the erotic romantic drama “Fifty Shades of Grey.” Even though Wayans had success with send-ups of the horror genre, “Fifty Shades of Black” fell flat, with only 7% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes giving the movie a thumbs up. J.R. Jones of the Chicago Reader said, “The movie’s mean-spiritedness becomes even more painful than the dippiness of the source material.”
34. From Justin to Kelly (2003)
> Genre: Comedy, Musical, Romance
> Directed by: Robert Iscove
> Starring: Kelly Clarkson, Justin Guarini, Katherine Bailess
If entertainment industry execs thought “From Justin to Kelly,” a musical rom-com starring “American Idol” contestants Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini, was going to be movie magic, they were mistaken. Only 10% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes liked the film, which the Critics Consensus dismisses as “a notorious stinker.” It has a 2.1 rating out of 10 among IMDb users. Clarkson has since been vocal with the press in declaring her severe dislike of the movie.
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33. Stan Helsing (2009)
> Genre: Comedy, Horror
> Directed by: Bo Zenga
> Starring: Steve Howey, Diora Baird, Kenan Thompson
Abraham Van Helsing was the fictional vampire hunter in Bram Stoker’s classic horror novela “Dracula.” Stan, his descendant, is a video-store clerk who fights a host of famous movie monsters and assorted fiends. Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times called the film a “shockingly bad movie.” It was liked by just 14% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
32. I Know Who Killed Me (2007)
> Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
> Directed by: Chris Sivertson
> Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Julia Ormond, Neal McDonough
Lindsay Lohan stars as Aubrey Fleming — as well as Dakota Moss — in this 2007 serial killer mystery. The Critics Consensus for Rotten Tomatoes called the movie “a career nadir for all involved.” Only 9% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes liked the movie, which has a rating of 3.6 out of 10 among IMDb users. The movie received eight Razzie Awards, including two for Lohan for each character she played.
31. Vampires Suck (2010)
> Genre: Comedy
> Directed by: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer
> Starring: Jenn Proske, Matt Lanter, Diedrich Bader
“Vampires Suck” is one of four movies on this list from the filmmaking team Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. It is primarily a spoof of the Twilight franchise. Though many critics believe that Twilight is indeed spoof-worthy, “Vampires Suck” fails to bring the intelligence and humor needed to do the job properly. Philip French of the Observer (UK) found the film to be a “witless, slavish pastiche of the series of romantic dramas based on Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight novels.” The film found favor with only 4% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
30. Feardotcom (2002)
> Genre: Crime, Horror, Thriller
> Directed by: William Malone
> Starring: Stephen Dorff, Natascha McElhone, Stephen Rea
British film magazine Empire called “Feardotcom” the “most pathetic horror of the decade.” Only 3% of Rotten Tomatoes critics approved of the movie. Audiences must have agreed, as the film grossed less than $19 million worldwide against a reported budget of $40 million. The movie follows an NYPD detective, played by Stephen Dorff, as he works to solve a string of murders in which all of the victims accessed the same website, feardotcom.
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29. The Emoji Movie (2017)
> Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy
> Directed by: Tony Leondis
> Starring: T.J. Miller, James Corden, Anna Faris
The animated movie, starring the voices of T.J. Miller, James Corden, Anna Faris, and Maya Rudolph, is little more than a commercial for an app. Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph said the film was “around nine tenths product placement, at least 15 tenths abysmal, and pulsates with molten cynicism on every imaginable level.” His critic colleagues agreed, and “The Emoji Movie” has a 7% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie has a 3.3 rating out of 10 among IMDb users.
28. Teen Wolf Too (1987)
> Genre: Comedy, Fantasy
> Directed by: Christopher Leitch
> Starring: Jason Bateman, Kim Darby, John Astin
In “Teen Wolf Too,” Jason Bateman is taking over the lead for Michael J. Fox, who starred in “Teen Wolf.” Bateman plays the original star’s cousin, who takes up boxing, rather than basketball. The movie was condemned by all but 7% of critics, with reviewers describing it as tedious, unfunny, and dreadful. Even so, it grossed almost $8 million and was profitable.
27. Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (2009)
> Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
> Directed by: Andrzej Bartkowiak
> Starring: Kristin Kreuk, Neal McDonough, Michael Clarke Duncan
“Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li” is a feature movie adaptation based on the video game Street Fighter franchise. The film stars Kristin Kreuk, who headlined in the television series “Smallville,” as Chun-Li. Critics thought the plot was lacking and the characters miscast (Chris Klein and Michael Clarke Duncan also appear in major roles). Only 5% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes liked the movie. It was a box office disappointment, grossing less than $9 million domestically after costing $50 million to make.
26. Caddyshack II (1988)
> Genre: Comedy, Sport
> Directed by: Allan Arkush
> Starring: Jackie Mason, Robert Stack, Dyan Cannon
Chevy Chase returned for this lame sequel to the golf-comedy classic. The PG-rated followup was chided as “shoddy, lazy and numbingly stupid” by Dave Kehr from the Chicago Tribune, despite the involvement of otherwise successful writers, including Harold Ramis. “Caddyshack II” flopped at the box office, grossing less than $12 million on an estimated budget of $20 million. It “won” two Razzie Awards, including Worst Supporting Actor for Dan Akroyd.
25. Captain America (1990)
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
> Directed by: Albert Pyun
> Starring: Matt Salinger, Ronny Cox, Ned Beatty
While superhero movies are currently all the rage, they have not always been hits. One of the biggest duds was the dull 1990 film “Captain America,” which stars Matt Salinger in the lead and Ronny Cox and Ned Beatty in supporting roles. Tim Brayton of Alternate Ending said the movie was “outrageously, excruciatingly dull, dragging out its 97 minutes to a point that time itself more or less ceases to have any meaning.” “Captain America” has a 7% Freshness rating among Rotten Tomatoes critics, and only 16% of audiences were entertained by the movie. The film has a 3.2 rating out of 10 among IMDb users.
24. Epic Movie (2007)
> Genre: Adventure, Comedy
> Directed by: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer
> Starring: Kal Penn, Jennifer Coolidge, Fred Willard
“Epic Movie” aims to lampoon blockbuster flicks such as “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.” The raunchy comedy, the product of team Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer (“Scary Movie”), only impressed 2% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Jamie Russell of BBC.com was unsparing in his criticism, “The most excruciating, unfunny film you’ll see this year… if not your entire lifetime.” The spoof has a rating of 2.4 out of 10 among IMDb users.
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23. Kazaam (1996)
> Genre: Comedy, Family, Fantasy
> Directed by: Paul Michael Glaser
> Starring: Shaquille O’Neal, Francis Capra, Ally Walker
“Kazaam” is the first of two films starring pro basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal to make our list. In it, the 7-foot-1-inches athlete plays a genie who is released from his captivity in a boom box by a troubled kid. The Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes said Shaq’s charismatic presence was “stifled by rote filmmaking and an unimaginative story.” Just 5% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes and just 20% of audiences liked the film.
22. Slender Man (2018)
> Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
> Directed by: Sylvain White
> Starring: Joey King, Julia Goldani Telles, Jaz Sinclair
Critics found this PG-13 horror flick about the internet-borne Slender Man legend dull and lacking in scares. Only 8% of critics and 17% of audiences on Rotten Tomatoes liked it. Users on IMDb rated it an especially low 3.2 out of 10. Even so, the film with its mostly young female cast was a hit, grossing more than $30 million domestically on a $10 million budget.
21. The Open House (2018)
> Genre: Horror, Thriller
> Directed by: Matt Angel, Suzanne Coote
> Starring: Dylan Minnette, Piercey Dalton, Patricia Bethune
“The Open House,” a Netflix effort written and directed by Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote, is about a mother and her son who, following a tragedy, move to a relative’s vacant vacation home where they encounter supernatural forces. Critics panned the film for trafficking in the “the worst horror cliches,” according to Matt Donato of Dread Central. “The Open House” has a 15% Freshness score among critics, and audiences liked it even less, with an 8% approval score.
20. The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure (2012)
> Genre: Adventure, Family, Fantasy
> Directed by: Matthew Diamond
> Starring: Jaime Pressly, Cloris Leachman, Christopher Lloyd
Entertainment aimed at children is often shielded from the most devastating of reviews. “The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure” — which offers little more than what Rotten Tomatoes’ Critics Consensus describes as “several brightly colored examples of the worst stereotypes of modern children’s entertainment” — is an exception. The movie that boasts acting talent from the likes of Jaime Pressly, Cloris Leachman, and Christopher Lloyd received positive reviews from only 30% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb users rated it 2.1 out of 10. Writing for the San Francisco Chronicle, critic Amy Biancolli noted that “the whole thing runs about an hour too long” — a serious problem for a movie with an 86-minute runtime.
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19. Steel (1997)
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime
> Directed by: Kenneth Johnson
> Starring: Shaquille O’Neal, Annabeth Gish, Judd Nelson
Pro basketball star Shaquille O’Neal left the hardwood for another turn in the movies, this time as a weapons designer who dons a metal suit and becomes known as the superhero Steel. The poorly executed movie is riddled with cliches — though some critics praised Shaq’s performance. “Steel” has a 12% Freshness score among Rotten Tomatoes critics and holds a 2.8 rating out of 10 among IMDb users.
18. Left Behind (2014)
> Genre: Action, Drama, Fantasy
> Directed by: Vic Armstrong
> Starring: Nicolas Cage, Lea Thompson, Cassi Thomson
The fourth movie based on the religious fantasy novel “Left Behind” — which imagines the effects of the biblical Rapture — earned a 1% Rotten Tomatoes Freshness rating and inspired critic Bilge Ebiri of New York Magazine and Vulture to denounce it as “biblical in its silliness.” Audiences on Rotten Tomatoes awarded the movie a 38% approval score. The film title might apply to Nicholas Cage’s once-storied career.
17. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)
> Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Family
> Directed by: Nicholas Webster
> Starring: John Call, Leonard Hicks, Vincent Beck
“Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” is the very definition of a B-movie, and answers the question of what happens when Martians kidnap Santa Claus so that there’s someone to deliver presents to the Martian children. While this bizarre premise may show promise, critics found the film incompetent and cold. Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes summarized their opinion thusly, “Ho, ho, oh no.”
16. BloodRayne (2005)
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
> Directed by: Uwe Boll
> Starring: Kristanna Loken, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Rodriguez
This video game adaptation by German filmmaker Uwe Boll, who has four films on this list, was a box office bomb, grossing $2.4 million on a reported $25 million budget despite a cast that included Ben Kingsley and Michelle Rodriguez. Actor Michael Madsen, who also starred in the vampire-themed movie, called it “an abomination” and “a horrifying and preposterous movie.” Only 4% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie a positive rating, and it has a 2.9 rating out of 10 among IMDb users.
15. Meet the Spartans (2008)
> Genre: Comedy
> Directed by: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer
> Starring: Sean Maguire, Kevin Sorbo, Carmen Electra
“Meet the Spartans” is yet another spoof from Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, the filmmaking team behind “Epic Movie” (2007) and “Date Movie” (2006), among other send-ups. Goofing on flicks such as “300” (2006), the comedy with eye candy Kevin Sorbo and Carmen Electra is described by Rotten Tomatoes as a “tired, unfunny, offensive waste of time.” Just 2% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a positive score, and the movie has an IMDb user rating of 2.8 out of 10.
14. Baby Geniuses (1999)
> Genre: Comedy, Crime, Family
> Directed by: Bob Clark
> Starring: Kathleen Turner, Christopher Lloyd, Kim Cattrall
“Baby Geniuses” tells the story of a woman — played by Kathleen Turner — who attempts to decode a special language used by all babies, whom she believes are born with Universal Knowledge. Liam Lacey of the Globe and Mail said, “The movie is about as endearing as unanesthetized gum surgery.” Despite a cast boasting the talents of Christopher Lloyd, Kim Cattrall, Ruby Dee, and Dom DeLuise, the movie only received a 2% Freshness score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. It holds a 2.6 rating out of 10 among IMDb users.
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13. Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star (2011)
> Genre: Comedy
> Directed by: Tom Brady
> Starring: Nick Swardson, Don Johnson, Christina Ricci
“Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star” — about a Midwestern man who goes to Hollywood to follow in his parents’ footsteps and become an adult film star — was unleashed by Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions the same year as his similarly bad comedy “Jack and Jill” (No. 43 on this list). Not a single critic gave the movie a positive review among those reported on Rotten Tomatoes, with Time Out’s Matt Singer calling it “dire, soul-crushing stuff.”
12. Gigli (2003)
> Genre: Comedy, Crime, Romance
> Directed by: Martin Brest
> Starring: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bartha
“Gigli” stars Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez — at the time one of Hollywood’s power couples — as two mobsters tasked with kidnapping and watching the brother of a district attorney. Despite their offscreen romance, the two were criticized for lacking chemistry in the movie, which has a 6% Freshness score among Rotten Tomatoes critics and an IMDb user rating of 2.5 out of 10. Tim Robey of The Daily Telegraph said “Gigli” is “every bit as atrocious as you may have heard. Nay, worse.” The movie, whose cast includes Oscar winners Christopher Walken and Al Pacino, grossed just over $6 million at the domestic box office on a reported budget of $54 million.
11. Jaws: The Revenge (1987)
> Genre: Adventure, Horror, Thriller
> Directed by: Joseph Sargent
> Starring: Lorraine Gary, Lance Guest, Mario Van Peebles
“Jaws: The Revenge” was the third sequel to Steven Spielberg’s terrifying and critically acclaimed “Jaws,” which has a Rotten Tomatoes Freshness rating of 98%. “Jaws: The Revenge” — in which the widow of the police chief believes her family is being targeted for revenge by another killer shark — received no love at all from Rotten Tomatoes critics. Critics Consensus found the film to be “Illogical, tension-free, and filled with cut-rate special effects.” Only 15% of audience users of Rotten Tomatoes liked the movie.
10. Son of the Mask (2005)
> Genre: Comedy, Family, Fantasy
> Directed by: Lawrence Guterman
> Starring: Jamie Kennedy, Traylor Howard, Alan Cumming
At the time of its release, film critic Richard Roeper wrote that his experience of watching this follow-up to the 1994 Jim Carrey hit “The Mask” was the closest he’s “ever come to walking out halfway through the film” and that he wished he had. The majority of critics felt similarly, with only 6% of the 105 reviewers rating it on Rotten Tomatoes giving the movie a positive review. The movie was a major flop at the box office as well, grossing less than $60 million worldwide against a reported budget of $100 million.
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9. The Human Centipede III (Final Sequence) (2015)
> Genre: Comedy, Horror
> Directed by: Tom Six
> Starring: Dieter Laser, Laurence R. Harvey, Eric Roberts
The Human Centipede series hit its lowest point with its third and final entry, “The Human Centipede III (Final Sequence).” The movie centers around a prison warden who, inspired by the earlier Human Centipede films, sets out to connect 500 humans. On Rotten Tomatoes, the horror flick impressed 17% of critics and a mere 11% of audience members — meaning it bombed also among viewers who would check out such a film in the first place. The movie reportedly made just over $16,000 at the domestic box office.
8. Battlefield Earth (2000)
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
> Directed by: Roger Christian
> Starring: John Travolta, Forest Whitaker, Barry Pepper
This box office bomb — it grossed $21.5 million at the domestic box office on a production budget of $73 million — is based on part of a novel by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology. The movie stars John Travolta, who is a prominent member of the church. Jay Boyar of the Orlando Sentinel called the sci-fi flick “a third-string Planet of the Apes meets Star Trek […] with a Swiss-cheese plot.” On Rotten Tomatoes, only 3% of critics and 12% of viewers liked the movie.
7. The Hottie & the Nottie (2008)
> Genre: Comedy, Romance
> Directed by: Tom Putnam
> Starring: Paris Hilton, Joel David Moore, Christine Lakin
The cringe-inducing title — and the fact that the film stars Paris Hilton — should be warning enough. Time Out called this “an execrable Z-grade eugenics parable,” while critic Richard Roeper said the film was “excruciatingly, painfully, horribly, terribly awful.” The film has a 6% Freshness rating among Rotten Tomatoes critics, and 31% of audiences liked the gross-out, sexist comedy.
6. Disaster Movie (2008)
> Genre: Comedy
> Directed by: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer
> Starring: Carmen Electra, Vanessa Lachey, Nicole Parker
“Disaster Movie” is yet another crude parody movie from the filmmaking team of Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. If nothing else, the movie’s title can be regarded as truth in advertising. In addition to being panned by critics and audiences alike — it received positive reviews from 1% of critics and 21% of viewers on Rotten Tomatoes — the movie garnered six Razzie nominations for its incompetence, including Worst Supporting Actress for Kim Kardashian West who made her feature film debut in this widely hated lemon.
5. Alone in the Dark (2005)
> Genre: Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
> Directed by: Uwe Boll
> Starring: Christian Slater, Tara Reid, Stephen Dorff
The presence of Christian Slater and Stephen Dorff can’t save this adaptation of a once-popular Atari video game, helmed by German director Uwe Boll. According to the Rotten Tomatoes Critical Consensus, this movie “may not work as a thriller, but it’s good for some head-slapping, incredulous laughter.” Critics were nearly unanimous in panning this film, with just 1% of 123 critics giving the film a positive review. It has a 2.4 rating out of 10 among more than 41,000 IMDb users.
4. House of the Dead (2003)
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Horror
> Directed by: Uwe Boll
> Starring: Jonathan Cherry, Tyron Leitso, Clint Howard
One of four Uwe Boll-directed movies on our list, “House of the Dead” is another video game adaptation. One positive aspect of the film for viewers, according to Rotten Tomatoes’ Critics Consensus, is that it’s “loaded with unintentional laughs.” In addition to minuscule Rotten Tomatoes scores among critics (3%) and audiences (10%), the film has a rating of 2.0 out of 10 among IMDb users.
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3. Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004)
> Genre: Comedy, Family, Sci-Fi
> Directed by: Bob Clark
> Starring: Jon Voight, Scott Baio, Vanessa Angel
“Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2,” starring Jon Voight, Scott Baio, and Vanessa Angel, was a critical failure. No critics on Rotten Tomatoes awarded it a Freshness score, and the movie received a 1.9 rating out of 10 among users on IMDb. The film was a box office bomb, grossing worldwide less than half of its reported budget of $20 million.
2. Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2010)
> Genre: Horror, Thriller
> Directed by: James Nguyen
> Starring: Alan Bagh, Whitney Moore, Tippi Hedren
Filmmaker James Nguyen’s movie about mutated birds who begin attacking humans as the result of global warming is one of the lowest-rated feature films on IMDb with a rating of 1.8 out of 10. Loaded with atrocious CGI and incompetently done sound, numerous critics have actually defended “Birdemic” from a “so bad it’s good” perspective, leading it to having an 18% critic approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. And while much of the movie’s acting talent was highly inexperienced, it also features a minor role by Tippi Hedren (remembered by her role in Alfred Hitchkock’s “The Birds”).
1. Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966)
> Genre: Horror
> Directed by: Harold P. Warren
> Starring: Tom Neyman, John Reynolds, Diane Adelson
This 1960s horror flick about a family that stumbles upon a devil-worshiping, human hand-sacrificing cult is nearly hated by all, aside from a smattering of die-hard bad movie fans. The lone film by writer-director and Texas fertilizer salesman Harold P. Warren has zero positive reviews from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences on the site gave it a rating of 20%, while IMDb users rated it 1.9 out of 10. Distributor Synapse Films released a Blu-ray edition of the film in 2015 for the morbidly curious.
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