Movies People Still Call the Worst Ever

We remember the films that hit us - the ones that make us laugh, cry, or think. But some movies stick around for the exact opposite reason, because they are painfully bad. Below is a roundup of the most notorious cinematic flops, picked for their brutally low scores on Rotten Tomatoes. A few are so spectacularly awful they loop back to being oddly watchable.

Staying Alive Lost the Original's Soul

Saturday Night Fever made John Travolta a star, but the 1983 follow-up Staying Alive missed the point. Critics said it swapped the original’s rough-edged drama for glossy, soulless dance numbers and thin plotting. Entertainment Weekly even dubbed it the worst sequel ever, and Rotten Tomatoes piled on with scathing reviews. Audiences largely agreed that it felt unnecessary and embarrassing.

Bolero: Ambition Met With Backlash

Bolero aimed for steamy drama but crashed into ridicule when it arrived in 1984. Starring Bo Derek and directed by her husband John Derek, it picked up nine Razzie nominations and won six, including Worst Picture. Reviewers panned the movie’s execution and criticized its handling of sexual content. Despite the fallout, Bo Derek’s profile in Hollywood survived the damage.

Jaws: The Revenge, A Rushed Disaster

The fourth Jaws film tried to cash in on franchise name recognition and failed spectacularly. Jaws: The Revenge sits at 0% on Rotten Tomatoes and drew several Razzie nods for good reason. Many observers blamed the breakneck schedule - it was pushed out in about nine months while earlier entries took roughly two years. The result felt sloppy, unconvincing, and sadly inevitable.

Police Academy 4 Ran Out Of Jokes

Police Academy 4 tried to keep a popular comedy series going and instead flattened its charm. Jokes went stale and characters tipped into one-note caricatures, a classic sequel problem. Critics found it almost painfully unfunny, and Rotten Tomatoes gave it a rare 0% rating. Fans of the earlier films watched a franchise that had clearly lost its spark.

Mac and Me

This movie probably looks familiar to you, right? But you haven’t seen it? That’s probably because it became renowned as a shockingly obvious imitation of the beloved 80s classic E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, but with added, even more obvious, product placement for McDonald's and Coca-Cola. The movie was a box office flop, and is widely regarded as one of the worst films ever made. Saying that, over the years it has gained something of a cult status, with people enjoying the movie’s hilarious awfulness.

Problem Child

This 1990 comedy was actually a pretty impressive box office success, despite being universally panned by critics. It starred Michael Oliver as a horrible and frankly quite terrifying child, and follows him as he wreaks havoc on his adoptive family. It also featured a movie poster with a cat trapped in a tumble dryer, which as you can imagine, upset and offended many viewers. Nonetheless, it still went on to make $72 million at the box office and spawned two sequels.

Highlander II: The Quickening

This science fiction movie featured a stellar cast including Christopher Lambert, Virginia Madsen, Michael Ironside and even the legendary Sean Connery! Unfortunately, this didn't stop it being a critical and commercial failure, flopping at the box office and being widely panned by critics. Even so, it did spawn another sequel, Highlander III: The Sorcerer—although tellingly, this picked up from where the first film left off, totally ignoring the disastrous second instalment!

Return to the Blue Lagoon

You know a movie sequel is probably going to suck when it doesn't even star the same people as the original—or when the original also was already panned by critics! But while the original installment The Blue Lagoon did well at the box office despite its criticism, the sequel Return to the Blue Lagoon failed on both counts. However, it didn't stop stars Mila Jovovich and Brian Krause going on to have successful careers in the biz—though they must look back on this one and really cringe!

Folks!

We were pretty surprised to see the swoonsome Tom Selleck on this list, but we suppose we all have a past. In 1992, the mustachioed dreamboat starred in Folks!, a comedy centered around the disastrous event of … having to spend time with your parents? The jokes mostly revolved around making fun of the elderly, and it wasn't a hit with viewers OR critics, and was a mega box office flop—making under half its budget. But don't worry, we still love you, Tom.

Look Who's Talking Now

The third and final installment in the Look Who’s Talking franchise, this movie saw John Travolta and Kirstie Alley reprise their roles in the romantic comedy that many people had felt had already run its course. And they weren’t wrong—the movie holds a rare 0% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, meaning it doesn't even have one positive review! One of the reasons the film flopped is that it lost many of its voiceover stars that made it a success, such as Bruce Willis, Roseanne Barr, and Joan Rivers, none of whom appeared in this third movie.

Wagons East

This 1991 western was a complete box office bomb, making only $4 million, and receiving terrible reviews from critics. But it was actually for a very sad reason, which was that star John Candy passed away during filming, and so the grieving cast and crew had to complete the remainder of the movie without him—adding his remaining footage in using stand-ins and special effects. Though the movie was a total flop, it didn't tarnish Candy’s legacy as a beloved actor.

3 Strikes

3 Strikes centered around an ex-convict trying to straighten out his life, with hilarious results. However, unfortunately the movie was not considered hilarious in any way—by anyone. Regarded as an ultimate comedic flop, writer and rapper DJ Pooh’s cinematic debut was panned by critics and bombed massively at the box office. However, it hasn't stopped Pooh from being respected in the showbiz world, for example working on duets with rappers such as Snoop Dogg.

Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever

Antonio Banderas and Lucy Liu starred in the 2002 action thriller movie Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever. Considering they were both such massive stars, it was a big surprise when the movie flopped completely at the box office—making only $20 million, compared to its $70 million budget! Just what could have gone wrong with this movie, with such talented stars at the helm? We don’t know, but it certainly did—with Rotten Tomatoes ranking it their number one on their "The Worst of the Worst" movie list, calling it "the worst-reviewed movie in our site's history". Yikes!

Derailed

Derailed is certainly an accurate name for this train wreck of a film. Starring bona fide megastars Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston, this 2005 crime thriller had so much promise. Though their performances were praised, they couldn't save the movie from its incomprehensible plot and very not-surprising surprise twist. Though the movie wasn't a complete box office flop—it still made over its budget—it was completely panned by critics. Obviously, it didn't stop either of the stars going on to become two of the most successful actors of modern times.

Killing Me Softly

This 2002 erotic thriller sounded like an absolute win. Who wouldn't want to watch Heather Graham and Joseph Fiennes getting all steamy against a backdrop of the sights of London, England? Well, as it turns out … no one. The film flopped so badly in the U.K. that they cancelled the U.S. release and took it straight to DVD. Despite the stellar cast and the direction from respected filmmaker Chen Kaige, the movie was panned widely for its ludicrous plot and awkward scripting.

Pinocchio

Let's be honest, even the photo from the movie we are looking at here feels kind of embarrassing. Why is Pinocchio being played by a fully grown man? Why is he the same size as the Blue Fairy? Why is there a … certain vibe between them? To be fair, the original Italian version of the movie didn't do quite so terribly—it received mixed reviews, compared to the English version, which was universally panned and received a rare rating of 0% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Van Wilder: Party Liaison

The universally beloved Ryan Reynolds starred in this 2002 comedy, which had such a promising start. He starred as the titular character Van Wilder, a charming but wayward student who prefers to party hard rather than study hard. Though Reynolds’ performance is as charismatic as ever, and the movie was a box office success, critically it is regarded as a cinematic failure, receiving an 18% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, it hasn't stopped Reynolds from going on to become a national treasure.

Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2

This doesn't exactly sound like a ground-breaking Oscar winner, so it’s not so much of a surprise that a sequel in this cheesy comedy franchise would maybe not be a massive hit. Although saying that, who isn’t charmed by babies doing funny or clever things? Well, it turns out—everybody. The first film, though it did well at the box office, was panned by critics—and the sequel was a mega flop on both counts.

Constellation

With a stellar cast featuring stars such as Billy Dee Williams, Gabrielle Union, and Zoe Saldana, you would think that 2007's drama Constellation would have been a bona fide smash hit. But sadly, though many of the performances and the direction was praised, the overall movie was panned by critics, who felt that it lacked any real dramatic integrity and had more of a cheesy TV movie vibe. It also scored a rare 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Redline

Fun fact: this movie’s title was borrowed from the original idea for the title of The Fast and the Furious! Another fun fact: this car racer movie was a complete flop and never attained even a fraction of its namesake’s success. It was written and produced by Daniel Sadek, who also owned all the cars in the movie, and funded the project from his own loan company. Yikes! Despite the clear ambition of its creator, the movie was a total bomb, panned by critics and making only $6.8 million against its $26 million budget. Oh dear!

One Missed Call

We all love a terrifying remake of an even more terrifying original Japanese horror film. Right? Wrong. 2007’s One Missed Call was based on the 2003 Japanese film of the same name, but didn't even receive a fraction of its praise. The movie was actually a reasonable success at the box office, but critically, it was completely panned—with many calling it the worst J-horror film of all time. It was the worst reviewed movie of the year, and even won a Mouldy Tomato Award.

Homecoming

This horror movie starred teen TV sensations Mischa Barton, from the phenomenally successful The O.C., and Jessica Stroup, from the super popular 90210. Even though they were both huge names and great actresses, neither of them managed to rescue this movie from the critical horror it was about to go through. Though it didn't do badly at the box office, the film was universally panned by critics, calling it too clichéd and uninspired. It also received a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Stolen

This thriller mystery drama starred Josh Lucas, Jon Hamm, Rhona Mitra, and James Van Der Beek. All pretty big names! What a stellar cast, you might think—surely this couldn't have been a flop? Well, unfortunately it was actually one of the biggest flops of all time—making less than $8,000 at the box office! It was also universally panned by critics across the world, and it has an approval rating of 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. Awks!

Transylmania

This 2009 American comedy horror film was originally planned as the third sequel in the National Lampoon's Dorm Daze franchise, but instead was reworked and released on its own. However, this clearly wasn't a very good idea, as it did so terribly at the box office that it was the biggest flop of the year. "Never aiming higher than threadbare jokes and offensive attempts at politically incorrect humor, Transylmania is a vampire comedy that truly sucks,” wrote Rotten Tomatoes in a damning review. Man, that bites!

The Nutcracker in 3D

When we heard that a 3D movie adaptation of The Nutcracker was being released, starring national treasures such as Elle Fanning, Nathan Lane, John Turturro, Charles Rowe, and Shirley Henderson, we were delighted! However, the reality of the movie was very different, and audiences were left horribly disappointed. Though it made around $20 million at the box office, that’s actually not so great considering it had a budget of around $90 million. Oh dear! They clearly just didn't have the right moves.

Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star

Nick Swardson starred as the titular character Bucky Larson in this 2011 comedy, which he also wrote the script for, alongside renowned movie funnyman Adam Sandler. Unfortunately, their combined star power didn't quite have the desired effect, and the film was a major box office flop. Not only that, but it was received terribly by critics, many of whom named it as one of the worst films of all time. It was nominated for six Razzie awards, including Worst Picture. Awks!

Dark Tide

This 2012 American action thriller film starred Halle Berry as a shark expert traumatized by a terrible shark attack, who decides to get over her fear by taking a businessman and his teenage son into the most dangerous, shark-infested waters in the world. What? Yeah, we don't get it either—and neither did the critics or audience. The film was a major box office flop, making only $432,274 against its $25 million budget. Clearly, the movie didn't make much of splash, critically or commercially.

A Thousand Words

Eddie Murphy is one of the most famous and successful actors out there, and is particularly well known for his comedy-drama movies. So why then did this 2012 offering turn out to be such a major flop? Not only was it rubbished by critics worldwide, it was also a massive commercial failure, making only $22 million against a $40 million budget. The plot follows Murphy’s character losing the ability to speak, which many view as his greatest asset—so basically it lost all of its appeal. Makes sense!

The Ridiculous 6

Let’s be honest, this spoof western adventure movie was pretty much doomed from the start. Even though it starred national treasures such as Adam Sandler, Taylor Lautner, and Luke Wilson, the premise was just so silly that the creators should have seen it wasn't going to go well. The movie follows six men who discover the all have the same father, and run around the Wild West trying to find him. Not only that, but it was heavily criticized for its portrayal of indigenous people throughout the plot.

Cabin Fever

This 2016 slasher movie was a true horror in more ways than one. Not only was it mega gruesome and frightening, following a bunch of friends as they repeatedly hook up with one another while also trying to outrun some zombies, but it was a total nightmare at the box office and among critics. Grossing only $39k overall, the movie was widely panned by all publications. "Who benefits from the existence of this film?” wrote the New York Times. “Certainly not the largely bland ensemble of post-adolescent actors cast as the leads, who here can scarcely be called characters." Yikes! Don’t hold back!

Dark Crimes

This movie stars Jim Carrey in one of his rare dramatic roles, alongside Agata Kulesza, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kati Outinen, Zbigniew Zamachowski, and Marton Csokas. We normally love Carrey when he drops the comedic zaniness and opens up his vulnerable and serious side, but sadly, this movie wasn't salvageable even by his considerable talent. It’s possible that in his keenness to be taken seriously, Carrey simply went too far, and the film was widely criticized for being overly dark and depressing, with no redeeming features.

Red Notice

Released in November 2021, the star-studded *Red Notice* is Netflix's most expansive production of all time. But not all that glitters is gold as the film, which became the most-watched film in its debut weekend, was torn apart by the critics. According to *The Hollywood Reporter*, "You can't argue with the muscular marquee value of headlining Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot in a slick, fast-paced action thriller laced with playful comedy, even if it's an empty-calorie entertainment like *Red Notice*."

The Disappointments Room

With a script written by Wentworth Miller and starring mega popular and talented actors Kate Beckinsale and Mel Raido, you would think this movie would be a surefire guaranteed hit. But unfortunately, it ended up being a complete flop both commercially and critically—making only $5 million against its $15 million budget. Though the performances and cinematography were praised, many people felt it was simply too unoriginal in its premise.

Max Steel

We all love a superhero film, but there’s no denying they can be pretty hard to pull off. Starring Ben Winchell, Josh Brener, Ana Villafañe, Andy García, Maria Bello and Billy Slaughter, the entire premise of the movie was based on the Mattel toy line of the same name. We suppose basing a movie off of a toy line isn’t necessarily the best idea, and it looked like the American public agreed—as it was a major flop at the box office.

Precious Cargo

This 2016 action film starred Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Bruce Willis, Claire Forlani, John Brotherton, Lydia Hull, and Daniel Bernhardt. It focused on an ambitious diamond heist, with also an added touch of human trafficking, lovely! It wasn't that surprising when this movie bombed at the box office, making only $500k against its $10 million budget. "A straight-to-video nightmare is all that's on offer here," wrote the Guardian in a scathing review.

Stratton

British action thriller movie Stratton sounded really great on paper, but for some reason just failed to live up to expectations in real life. Starring Dominic Cooper, Gemma Chan, Austin Stowell, Tyler Hoechlin, and Tom Felton, the movie looked like an all-star stroke of genius—until people actually watched it. It was widely panned by critics, with the Telegraph being particularly harsh when they said, "Wholly useless, entirely harmless, Stratton would be good clean fun, if it was good or fun.” Ouch!

Gotti

Poor John Travolta appears twice on this list, even though we all know he is a fantastic and incredibly talented actor. Maybe he just made some bad movie choices? Well, he certainly did in 2018’s autobiographical crime drama Gotti, where he starred as legendary crime boss John Gotti. Though Travolta himself was praised for his performance, the movie was panned widely by critics, most notably for its terrible historical inaccuracies. It was especially criticized for glossing over many of Gotti’s crimes, portraying him as a more wholesome character rather than acknowledging his wrongs.

London Fields

This movie was based on the novel of the same name by Martin Amis, so you would think it should be a pretty highbrow and good quality production. Well, unfortunately, the general public and critics around the world did not view the movie as such. This film was so bad that director Matthew Cullen actually sued the producers before it premiered, wishing to be removed entirely from the final cut of the film, as he hated it so much. Unsurprisingly, it was a box office bomb, making only $168,575—making it the second worse U.S. box office release of all time. Yikes!

The Last Days of American Crime

This action thriller movie starred Édgar Ramírez, Anna Brewster, Michael Pitt, Patrick Bergin, and Sharlto Copley. Despite the talented cast, the movie was widely panned, especially due to the violent nature and depiction of police brutality—an incredibly sensitive issue at the time it was first released. Not only does it hold an approval rating of 0% on Rotten Tomatoes, but Variety called it, "a derivative work that has nothing to say." Harsh!

Simon Sez

Once in a while, super famous and beloved sporting megastars can make the transition into movies (we’re looking at you, Michael Jordan and The Rock), but, more often than not, there’s a reason that athletes don't tend to cross over into cinema. Starring basketball star Dennis Rodman as an Interpol agent, the movie was a major box office flop, making only $292,152 against its $10 million budget. Not exactly a slam dunk for Rodman, then!

Razzies Feast on War of the Worlds

The most recent Golden Raspberry Awards went big on one 2025 release, as War of the Worlds, the screen-life take directed by Rich Lee and released on Amazon Prime Video, cleaned up. The film swept the 46th Golden Raspberry Awards, taking home five Razzies including Worst Picture and Worst Actor for Ice Cube. Critics were merciless, calling out excessive product placement, an emotionless lead turn from Ice Cube, and jarring editing that turned a classic into an elongated test of patience. A brutal reminder that big names and bold formats do not guarantee success. Oof.

Snow White Draws Early Fury and Razzies

Disney's live-action Snow White ran into controversy even before many people saw it, with backlash over Rachel Zegler's comments and debates about casting and tone. The fallout continued at the 46th Golden Raspberry Awards, where the film picked up two dubious honors, including Worst Supporting Actor, handed out collectively to all seven artificial dwarfs. Critics described those CGI dwarfs as frightening, terrifying, and garishly fake, which is pretty harsh. Not exactly what anyone hoped for from a fairy tale remake.

Hurry Up Tomorrow, A Vanity Project Flop

Hurry Up Tomorrow, the 2025 psychological thriller co-written by and starring Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye as himself, turned into a widely criticized vanity project. Even with Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan attached, reviewers hammered the film for plodding pacing, confusing storytelling, and a lead performance many found unconvincing. It earned multiple Razzie nominations, including Worst Picture, Worst Screenplay, and Worst Actor for Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye. Talent alone couldn't rescue this one.

Big Budgets and Hollow Results

Two recent high-profile flops underline a simple fact: massive budgets and franchise ties do not buy goodwill. Netflix's The Electric State, despite a reported $320 million price tag, skipped a theatrical run and drew criticism for forgettable execution and a lack of heart, earning Razzie attention. Likewise, Madame Web quickly established itself as one of the weaker superhero outings of the decade, slammed for clumsy action and an irritating cast of characters. Box office muscle and name recognition do not immunize a film from walking into the danger zone.

What These New Flops Actually Mean

If you thought the list of all-time cinematic disasters had peaked, think again. These recent misfires show how quickly a film can fall from hype to punchline, whether through overbearing product placement, tone-deaf casting, or bloated budgets with no soul. The Razzies and critics keep doing the job of calling out the worst, and streaming releases mean flops land differently now, but they still sting. Keep your popcorn ready, because the worst-of list keeps growing.

The 0% Club Keeps Growing

Rotten Tomatoes' infamous 0% club has added fresh members and the trend is worrying for studios. Armor joined the list in 2024, and early 2025 brought Alarum into the fold. Even films with familiar names and faces now arrive to unanimous critical rejection, a rare and painful fate. Critics are no longer splitting hairs, they are unanimous in their disdain.

War of the Worlds, Razzies and Streams

War of the Worlds stunned critics and swept the Razzies, yet it did not vanish entirely. The film landed a 0% critical score while finding an audience on streaming platforms, where viewers tuned in despite the backlash. It proves that streaming can blunt the sting of critical failure, even if it can't save a film's reputation. Big streaming numbers and box office love are different currencies now.

Snow White's Costly Misstep

Disney's live-action Snow White not only drew pre-release controversy, it also left a real dent in the studio's ledger. With a production budget reported above $270 million and global grosses near $205 million, the film is estimated to have lost roughly $115 million. Critics flagged flat performances and jarring visual effects, and the movie picked up a couple of Razzie honors. When a fairy tale becomes a financial cautionary tale, studios pay attention.

Legacy Sequels Lose Their Mojo

Attempts to revive beloved franchises are hitting potholes. Recent legacy sequels like Happy Gilmore 2 and Spinal Tap II struggled to recapture what made the originals special, landing as stale cash-ins instead. The Strangers franchise fared worse, with The Strangers: Chapter 2 and The Strangers: Chapter 3 both drawing brutal backlash, Chapter 3 even earning a rare D CinemaScore. Nostalgia no longer guarantees goodwill or ticket sales.

Big Budgets, High Names, Tiny Results

Huge budgets and star power are not a fail-safe. Netflix's The Electric State reportedly cost about $320 million and skipped a wide theatrical release, while Madame Web was slammed for clumsy action. Protector and Lee Cronin's The Mummy also hit rocky ground, showing that franchise fatigue and weak execution bite hard. Even projects tied to big names, like Modi and Hurry Up Tomorrow, have stumbled critically, proving that prestige alone won't rescue a bad film.