Going to the movies, people often find themselves lost in the magic of exceptional storytelling, captivating performances, and awe-inspiring visuals. But that is not always the case. Some movies spectacularly fail to live up to expectations, plummeting from the heights of promised greatness into the dark abyss of utter disaster.
These cinematic calamities have a peculiar charm that cannot be ignored. They are so bad, so terribly misguided, that they have become legends in their own right. (These are R-rated movies liked by critics but hated by everybody else.)
To determine the movies so bad you have to see them, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of June 2023, weighting all ratings equally. Only movies with production budgets greater than $50 million were considered. Cast credits are from IMDb.
These low-rated movies may elicit a sense of fascination at how they failed. From horrendous acting to baffling plots, cringe-inducing dialogue, and mind-boggling special effects, these films showcase some of the worst that the industry has to offer.
Yet, paradoxically, they manage to captivate some movie fans with their sheer ineptitude, leaving them questioning how such monstrosities were ever brought to life.
Following that list, you can restore equilibrium by acquainting yourself with a collection of exceptional films that are truly worth your time and attention — here are 20 R-rated movies with a perfect critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Click here for the 40 movies so bad you must see them
40. Mortdecai (2015)
> Production budget: $60.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 5.5/10 (70,163 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 30% (25,356 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 12% (112 reviews)
> Starring: Johnny Depp, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ewan McGregor
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39. Godzilla (1998)
> Production budget: $125.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 5.4/10 (188,274 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 28% (303,074 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 15% (79 reviews)
> Starring: Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo
38. 10,000 BC (2008)
> Production budget: $105.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 5.1/10 (127,988 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 37% (411,169 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 9% (150 reviews)
> Starring: Camilla Belle, Steven Strait, Marco Khan
37. Thunderbirds (2004)
> Production budget: $55.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 4.3/10 (13,607 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 36% (21,888 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 19% (106 reviews)
> Starring: Bill Paxton, Anthony Edwards, Ben Kingsley
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36. Gulliver’s Travels (2010)
> Production budget: $112.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 4.9/10 (67,801 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 27% (61,929 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 20% (121 reviews)
> Starring: Jack Black, Emily Blunt, Jason Segel
35. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)
> Production budget: $175.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 5.2/10 (155,377 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 30% (340,665 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 12% (177 reviews)
> Starring: Brendan Fraser, Jet Li, Maria Bello
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34. After Earth (2013)
> Production budget: $130.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 4.8/10 (196,228 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 36% (121,998 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 11% (211 reviews)
> Starring: Jaden Smith, David Denman, Will Smith
33. Wild Wild West (1999)
> Production budget: $175.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 4.9/10 (156,403 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 28% (464,370 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 17% (131 reviews)
> Starring: Will Smith, Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh
32. Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (2010)
> Production budget: $85.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 4.4/10 (14,740 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 38% (70,154 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 13% (99 reviews)
> Starring: Bette Midler, Chris O’Donnell, Jack McBrayer
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31. Monkeybone (2001)
> Production budget: $75.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 4.8/10 (17,411 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 27% (47,283 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 19% (114 reviews)
> Starring: Brendan Fraser, Bridget Fonda, John Turturro
30. Cats (2019)
> Production budget: $100.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 2.7/10 (46,468 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 53% (6,965 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 19% (326 reviews)
> Starring: James Corden, Judi Dench, Jason Derulo
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29. My Favorite Martian (1999)
> Production budget: $60.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 5.1/10 (13,306 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 30% (51,816 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 12% (42 reviews)
> Starring: Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Daniels, Elizabeth Hurley
28. XXX: State of the Union (2005)
> Production budget: $60.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 4.5/10 (69,065 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 32% (113,349 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 17% (139 reviews)
> Starring: Ice Cube, Samuel L. Jackson, Willem Dafoe
27. Lucky Numbers (2000)
> Production budget: $65.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 5.1/10 (10,627 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 19% (9,782 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 22% (98 reviews)
> Starring: John Travolta, Lisa Kudrow, Tim Roth
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26. The Happening (2008)
> Production budget: $60.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 5.0/10 (201,206 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 24% (370,325 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 18% (186 reviews)
> Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo
25. Driven (2001)
> Production budget: $72.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 4.6/10 (40,395 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 33% (43,211 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 14% (111 reviews)
> Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Kip Pardue, Til Schweiger
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24. Fifty Shades Freed (2018)
> Production budget: $55.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 4.5/10 (60,248 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 37% (5,791 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 11% (195 reviews)
> Starring: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Eric Johnson
23. Yogi Bear (2010)
> Production budget: $80.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 4.6/10 (21,246 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 34% (56,257 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 12% (105 reviews)
> Starring: Dan Aykroyd, Justin Timberlake, Anna Faris
22. Elektra (2005)
> Production budget: $65.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 4.7/10 (89,805 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 29% (257,252 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 11% (166 reviews)
> Starring: Jennifer Garner, Goran Visnjic, Will Yun Lee
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21. Turbulence (1997)
> Production budget: $55.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 4.9/10 (11,276 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 19% (2,847 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 17% (18 reviews)
> Starring: Ray Liotta, Lauren Holly, Brendan Gleeson
20. Holy Man (1998)
> Production budget: $60.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 4.9/10 (19,653 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 24% (39,980 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 12% (50 reviews)
> Starring: Eddie Murphy, Jeff Goldblum, Kelly Preston
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19. Virus (1999)
> Production budget: $75.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 5.0/10 (27,490 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 21% (20,157 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 12% (49 reviews)
> Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Sutherland, William Baldwin
18. The Love Guru (2008)
> Production budget: $62.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 3.8/10 (51,728 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 33% (240,584 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 14% (177 reviews)
> Starring: Mike Myers, Jessica Alba, Romany Malco
17. The Ridiculous 6 (2015)
> Production budget: $60.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 4.8/10 (46,684 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 34% (3,429 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 0% (36 reviews)
> Starring: Adam Sandler, Terry Crews, Jorge Garcia
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16. Kangaroo Jack (2003)
> Production budget: $60.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 4.4/10 (30,787 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 29% (59,279 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 8% (116 reviews)
> Starring: Anthony Anderson, Jerry O’Connell, Estella Warren
15. Inspector Gadget (1999)
> Production budget: $75.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 4.2/10 (46,966 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 18% (275,644 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 21% (63 reviews)
> Starring: Matthew Broderick, Rupert Everett, Joely Fisher
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14. The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000)
> Production budget: $58.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 3.7/10 (22,850 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 20% (44,107 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 25% (72 reviews)
> Starring: Mark Addy, Stephen Baldwin, Kristen Johnston
13. Supernova (2000)
> Production budget: $60.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 4.9/10 (17,604 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 17% (11,046 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 10% (61 reviews)
> Starring: James Spader, Peter Facinelli, Robin Tunney
12. Town & Country (2001)
> Production budget: $105.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 4.5/10 (4,911 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 14% (2,690 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 13% (94 reviews)
> Starring: Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, Nastassja Kinski
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11. Jack and Jill (2011)
> Production budget: $79.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 3.3/10 (81,224 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 36% (68,795 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 3% (116 reviews)
> Starring: Adam Sandler, Katie Holmes, Al Pacino
10. A Sound of Thunder (2005)
> Production budget: $80.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 4.2/10 (19,360 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 18% (43,555 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 6% (98 reviews)
> Starring: Edward Burns, Ben Kingsley, Catherine McCormack
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9. Batman & Robin (1997)
> Production budget: $125.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 3.8/10 (241,109 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 16% (554,450 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 12% (93 reviews)
> Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney, Chris O’Donnell
8. The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)
> Production budget: $100.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 3.8/10 (25,354 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 19% (32,684 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 4% (89 reviews)
> Starring: Eddie Murphy, Jay Mohr, Randy Quaid
7. Catwoman (2004)
> Production budget: $100.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 3.4/10 (114,725 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 18% (274,672 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 9% (198 reviews)
> Starring: Halle Berry, Sharon Stone, Benjamin Bratt
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6. Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)
> Production budget: $110.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 3.9/10 (78,535 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 16% (222,027 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 4% (73 reviews)
> Starring: Sandra Bullock, Jason Patric, Willem Dafoe
5. The Avengers (1998)
> Production budget: $60.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 3.8/10 (43,139 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 15% (42,972 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 5% (83 reviews)
> Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Uma Thurman, Sean Connery
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4. Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (2002)
> Production budget: $70.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 3.7/10 (19,804 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 19% (23,008 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 0% (118 reviews)
> Starring: Antonio Banderas, Lucy Liu, Talisa Soto
3. Rollerball (2002)
> Production budget: $70.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 3.1/10 (27,689 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 14% (36,826 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 3% (117 reviews)
> Starring: Chris Klein, Jean Reno, LL Cool J
2. Son of the Mask (2005)
> Production budget: $100.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 2.2/10 (54,703 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 16% (38,675 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 6% (105 reviews)
> Starring: Jamie Kennedy, Traylor Howard, Alan Cumming
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1. Battlefield Earth (2000)
> Production budget: $80.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 2.5/10 (78,827 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 12% (54,054 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 3% (153 reviews)
> Starring: John Travolta, Forest Whitaker, Barry Pepper
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