Although there are awful,awful filmsreleased all the time, most of them never come close to the films that find themselves as part of Rotten Tomatoes' worst films of all time list. We’re talking about the films that have only received 0-2% from critics, and their audience scores are equally abysmal.
It seems, with films like these, they had to try hard to make the films as bad as possible, from cheesy lines, poor effects, illogical plots, to painfully bad comedy, these films encompass the very worst of cinema. However, the effort, good or bad, is commendable, and it would be unfair not to recognize some of the most infamous films of all time according to Rotten Tomatoes and the audience reviews found there. Even with the worst qualities, a lot of these films find themselves almost campy.
10Jaws: The Revenge (1987)
The only film on the list to get above 0% on Rotten Tomatoes,Jaws: The Revengeis the 4th installment in the Jaws franchise. Directed by Joseph Sargent, who directed the acclaimedSomething The Lord Made,Jaws: The Revengefollows the widowed Ellen Brody as she believes she’s being followed in the Bahamas by the same Great White shark after the killing of her son.
Jaws: The Revenge
What Makes It Bad
The film is completely illogical. Moreover, the CGI inJaws: The Revengeis one of the worst examples of its use in film history. It’s clear that the story has already had its time, leaving the fourth installment to be incredibly drawn-out, and the film relies on gore and cheap effects to keep the audience interested.
Many reviewers say it makes the previous sequels look much better than previously thought. With 2% on Rotten Tomatoes, it has one of the lowest audience meters on the list at 15%, meaning it’s nearly unwatchable for general audiences.
9The Last Days of American Crime (2020)
Directed by Olivier Megaton, who also directed theTakensequels,The Last Days of American Crimefeatures a heist that is suddenly brought down by an American broadcast. The broadcast magically wipes out all criminal behavior. The film’s dystopian premise is promising. However,The Last Days of American Crimemanages to avoid anything worth complimenting in the failedthriller and action film.
The Last Days of American Crime
The film is filled with dystopian clichés, both visually and in its script. Reviewers called the film boring, even with the action sequences.The Last Days of American Crimefeatures dull, yet shockingly over-the-top effects and performances that make it a grizzly attempt at style.
8Gold Diggers (2003)
National Lampoon’s Gold Diggerstells the story of two friends, Calvin and Leonard, attempting to rob rich sisters of their money. However, the women forgive them, leading to the men considering marrying them for their money. What they don’t know is that the women are going broke, and they want to live off the men’s life insurance by murdering them.
National Lampoon’s Gold Diggers
It has a pretty comedic and unexpected premise, butGold Diggersfails to be remotely funny.The film is exceedingly gross, and this leads to drawn-out and eventually boring attempts at comedy. Though otherNational Lampooncomedies exceed in crude humor,Christmas Vacation,for instance,Gold Diggersis outright nasty.
7Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004)
Directed by the acclaimed and eclectic Bob Clark, who also directedA Christmas Story,Superbabies: Genuines 2is the sequelBaby Genuisessomehow received (both films have less than 2% on Rotten Tomatoes). The film follows babies who have been observed by scientists to communicate effectively. The babies then use their abilities to stop the antagonist, the media mogul Bill Biscaine, from decoding “Baby Talk.”
Superbabies 2is overtly crass and disturbing.The overall plot is nonsensical, and the low effort made in this film is obvious, with the babies and voice-acting overlapping in a lazy way. There is just no logical reason for this film to even exist, which is what a number of reviews had to say. Bob Clark even won the Razzie Award for Worst Director for this film.
6Pinocchio (2002)
Receiving 0% on Rotten Tomatoes,Pinocchiois a wildly upsetting addition to Italian actor and director Roberto Benigni’s repertoire. Responsible for one of the greatest films of all time,Life is Beautiful, Benigni’sadaptation ofPinocchiofails to live up to his own reputation. The film tells the classic tale of a wooden boy who comes to “life.”
Roberto Benigni’sPinocchiois agreed upon by most to be an awfully unfunny and disturbing adaptation of the renowned story. With a middle-aged man acting as a young boy, the film immediately creates an unsettling tone, despite all its attempts to be comedic and lively. Some find it unbearable, and some find the film to be weirdly nostalgic. However,Pinocchio’s off-putting nature results in the film being one of the worst film adaptations of all time.
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5Gotti (2018)
Directed by Kevin Connolly, who also starred inEntourage,Gottitells the contrived version of the real-life mob figure moving his way up to Capo, but his wife doesn’t want him or the family involved with the mafia. Starring John Travolta as John Gotti, the film makes a feeble attempt ata gangster epicas Gotti grapples with being involved in the Gambino crime family and his brother, who is the new capo.
Gottiis a string of complex, yet weak plot points. Along with this, John Travolta sticks out as John Travolta throughout his entire performance as John Gotti.The dialogue is either stereotypical or nonsensical, which results in a weak biopic of the gangster’s life. Some reviewers also believe that this film only adds to the glorification of mobsters, as Gotti is portrayed as another morally gray “anti-hero” figure.
4A Thousand Words (2012)
A Thousand Wordsfollows Jack, played by Eddie Murphy, whose charismatic persona has left him taking advantage of others. A magical tree appears in his yard with a thousand leaves, and with every word he says a leaf falls off. Once every leaf has fallen, Jack is supposed to die. Directed by Brian Robbins, the CEO of Nickelodeon and the director of films likeNorbit,A Thousand Wordshas the premise of a decent comedy, but it still finds itself as one of the worst films of all time.
A Thousand Words
Unfunny and dated jokes plagueA Thousand Words. Some reviewers point out that the film is only so bad because ofhow great Eddie Murphy can be. Though more enjoyable than others on the list,A Thousand Wordsstill fails to be that funny, and limiting Eddie Murphy’s lines isn’t such a great idea in a film that desperately needs him.
3Left Behind (2014)
This film is particularly disappointing, considering the potential of its cast, which includes Nicolas Cage.Left Behindis also directed by the acclaimed Vic Armstrong, one of the most famous stunt doubles and coordinators of all time. Notably, Vic Armstrong acted as Harrison Ford’s stunt double in the Indiana Jones franchise, and he acted as Bond’s double in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.Left Behindtells the story of the Christian rapture as if it were a disaster movie, where millions are left behind in the decimated world.
Left Behind
The majority ofLeft Behindtakes place on a plane, and doesn’t really address any religious ideas like it promised. Moreover,the effects are laughable on top of a poor script. Since the film takes place after the Rapture has begun, the movie has no room to grow in any capacity. It’s clear from reviews that this movie disappointed believers and atheists alike with its sloppy and boring execution.
2One Missed Call (2008)
Directed by Éric Valette,One Missed Callis the remake of the 2003 Japanese Horror film of the same name, directed by Takashi Miike. The 2008 remake stars Shannyn Sossaman, who plays Beth Raymond.One Missed Callexplores the deaths of two of Beth’s friends, who each received phone calls of their deaths before they even happened. The film and its remake offer a great premise, but the remake fails to live up to its predecessor as well as film standards in general.
Receiving 0% on Rotten Tomatoes with an abysmal audience rating as well,One Missed Callis extremely boring, according to pretty much everyone who saw it. What has ample opportunity is wasted on dull scares and clunky dialogues. Others note the film as just another way to make campyJapanese horror filmspalatable, and like others,One Missed Callwashes out any substance the original film had immediately.
1Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (2002)
Directed by Wych Kaosayananda, a prominent director known for his action films in Southeast Asia,Ballistic: Ecks vs. Severwas his American film debut. However, it was quickly berated by critics, resulting in the film being considered one of the worst of all time by Rotten Tomatoes and fellow critics.
The film follows Antonio Banderas, who plays Ecks, and Lucy Liu, who plays Sever, as the agents team up against an ex-Defence Intelligence Agency. The duo attempt to track him down, where they can then rescue the kidnapped son of the head of a secret international security committee.
Though the film’s premise isn’t awful,Ballistic: Ecks vs. Severis still a pretty contrived spy film.Filled with cheap and unexplained explosions, even great actors and a decent writer, Alan McElroy, cannot save the film. The unexplained car explosions also only add to a complex series of subplots that don’t contribute to the overall narrative. Some reviewers still aren’t sure who was fighting who exactly inBallistic: Ecks vs. Sever.
On top of its lack of originality, basic components of film production are ignored despite the grand budget. Poor lighting and editing techniques are largely ignored throughout the duration of the film.
