Movies are meant to entertain us. They act as a form of escape, a temporary respite from our lives that we look forward to as a way to relax, connect with our friends, and simply get lost in a world of make-believe for a few hours. When we go to see a film, we want to be dazzled and excited, a place where, for the next two – or three – hours, all we can think about is what’s on the big screen.
But it doesn’t always work out this way. Not every movie manages to hit the mark and keep audiences captivated. Some films are just downright boring. These films can be extremely hard to watch for many of us, and even some of the best films of the century are considered boring because of their pace, language, or awkward writing.
One movie that comes to mind when people talk about especially boring films is “The Last Airbender.” There was a lot of excitement over this film when the trailers came out but because of the source material, the movie flopped. One of the main reasons was its pace or lack thereof. Not much action was happening on screen, making it hard to sit through, but easy to sleep through.
Films, like many things, are highly subjective and everyone has a different opinion of what they like and what makes a movie dull. For instance, not everyone likes watching romantic dramas. They consider these dialogue—and tension-heavy films boring. Another genre that is constantly debated over whether it’s tedious or exciting is action films, which tend to be loud and fiery but can also be repetitive. (One wonders if Kevin Costner’s new multi-film western, “Horizon,” will be an exciting experience or a snoozefest.)
To determine the most boring films in history, 24/7 Tempo consulted multiple entertainment websites, including IMDb and Screen Rant. When gathering films for this list, we also considered their Tomatometer and audience scores. Reddit and other forum sites also helped us make this list. (Click here for a list of movies so bad you have to see them.)
Here are the most boring films in history:
“City Rats” (2009)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 18%
- Tomatometer score: 0%
- Directed by: Steve M Kelly
- Starring: Tamer Hassan, Ray Panthaki, Susan Lynch
According to viewers, one of the most tedious and forgettable movies is “City Year,” released on April 24, 2009. Not only is this movie boring and confusing, but it also has a significantly low rating.
“The Last Airbender” (2010)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 30%
- Tomatometer score: 5%
- Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
- Starring: Noah Ringer, Dev Patel, Nicola Peltz Beckham, Jackson Rathbone
On most lists, for a good reason, “The Last Airbender” is close to the top of the most dull movies ever made. This film is boring, and slow, and the characters aren’t interesting. It’s easy to close your eyes, wake up 15 minutes later, and not miss a thing.
“Lincoln” (2012)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80%
- Tomatometer score: 90%
- Directed by: Steven Spielberg
- Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn
Even good movies can be considered boring, as is the case for “Lincoln,” released in the United States on Nov. 16, 2012. It’s not a bad movie, with some great actors and easy-to-recognize characters, but this film has nothing new or exciting. If you already know who Abraham Lincoln is, this film brings nothing to the table.
“Alice in Wonderland” (2010)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 55%
- Tomatometer score: 50%
- Directed by: Tim Burton
- Starring: Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway
This live-action adaptation is filled with unique characters, beautiful outfits, and lively sets. Yet, even with all of this, the movie is quiet, which makes it a perfect movie to sleep through. The main character is hard to watch and root for, compared to other characters like the Mad Hatter.
“Green Lantern” (2011)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 45%
- Tomatometer score: 25%
- Directed by: Martin Campbell
- Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Angela Bassett
DC has a strange track record for movies. They are often considered boring or awkward; one of the worst is “Green Lantern.” The concept of the film and heroes are interesting, but it wasn’t delivered right, despite the incredible cast and sets.
“Hulk” (2003)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 29%
- Tomatometer score: 63%
- Directed by: Ang Lee
- Starring: Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott
Hulk films are hit or miss, and one of the hardest Hulk films to watch is this one. It’s forgettable and was quickly abandoned with a canceled sequel. Although the character was brought to life in the Marvel Universe shortly after, this was with a different actor and tone.
“Meet Joe Black” (1998)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81%
- Tomatometer score: 46%
- Directed by: Martin Brest
- Starring: Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Claire Forlani
“Meet Joe Black” is a polarizing movie. Some people love this romantic fantasy film, while others think it’s dull and uninteresting. A big reason a lot of people weren’t fans of this film was the writing and the hard-to-watch characters.
“Gods and Generals” (2003)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 64%
- Tomatometer score: 8%
- Directed by: Ronald F. Maxwell
- Starring: Jeff Daniels, Stephen Lang, Robert Duvall
Some people love the movie “Gods and Generals,” while others would instead put it on to go to sleep. This epic war drama is long, running for over 3 1/2 hours. It’s hard to convince anyone to watch a movie longer than 2 hours, but a 3-hour war movie is tough.
“Star Trek: The Motion Picture” (1979)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 42%
- Tomatometer score: 53%
- Directed by: Robert Wise
- Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley
Also on our list is “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” which was released in 1979. This addition may surprise people, considering how popular Star Trek is. It’s one of the best science fiction universes of all time, and yet this 1979 film is hard to watch for its slow pace. Even with this minor criticism, it’s loved by many but could have easily been a 40-minute episode rather than an over 2-hour movie.
“Fifty Shades of Grey” (2015)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 41%
- Tomatometer score: 25%
- Directed by: Sam Taylor-Johnson
- Starring: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Jennifer Ehle
Boring movies can be very popular, and this includes “Fifty Shades of Grey.” This romantic film was a box office hit, drawing in many readers of erotic romance. Still, the movie was dull and slow, and the characters were void of personality. Anastasia Steele was naive, but not much else is known about her mousey character.
“2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89%
- Tomatometer score: 92%
- Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
- Starring: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester
Although “2001: A Space Odyssey” is a highly-rated movie, it’s pretty dull to watch. This film runs for over 2 hours and has a lot of slow moments. Still, although considered boring by movie watchers of today, the film was ahead of its time with beautiful shots and cool sound effects.
“White House Down” (2013)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 62%
- Tomatometer score: 51%
- Directed by: Roland Emmerich
- Starring: Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Maggie Gyllenhaal
This film is a political action thriller with an incredible cast. Released on June 28, 2013, it’s a campy action film with funny one-liners but can be considered predictable. It’s not a movie people mention on “Top 10 Best” lists.
“A Wrinkle in Time” (2018)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 26%
- Tomatometer score: 43%
- Directed by: Ava DuVernay
- Starring: Storm Reid, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling
“A Wrinkle in Time” may not be the worst movie ever made, but it’s easy to forget. When it was first released, it garnered a lot of attention and hype as it was based on a popular book of the same name. However, it was very different from the novel. Although a fun fantasy film for kids, the slow, quiet dialogue drags.
“Gerry” (2002)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 60%
- Tomatometer score: 61%
- Directed by: Gus Van Sant
- Starring: Casey Affleck, Matt Damon
“Gerry,” released on Feb. 14, 2003, is difficult to watch. Many people think “Gerry” is fantastic, while others are confused and uninterested in watching it again. Although peaceful, nothing really happens in the film.
“Jupiter Ascending” (2015)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 38%
- Tomatometer score: 28%
- Directed by: The Wachowskis
- Starring: Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis, Sean Bean
Sometimes, a great cast of actors and incredible sets are not enough for a movie to be interesting. This is the case for “Jupiter Ascending,” which was released on Feb. 6, 2015, in the United States. The world-building in this movie is stellar, but the characters’ personalities feel like they were forgotten.
“Apollo 18” (2011)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 23%
- Tomatometer score: 24%
- Directed by: Gonzalo López-Gallego
- Starring: Warren Christie, Lloyd Owen, Ryan Robbins
“Apollo 18” was not a good movie. It was boring, hard to watch, and uninteresting, though the audience and critics agree on the greatness of this film. It’s considered an awful “Paranormal Activity” rip-off.
“Lost in Space” (1998)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 24%
- Tomatometer score: 27%
- Directed by: Stephen Hopkins
- Starring: Gary Oldman, William Hurt, Matt LeBlanc
“Lost in Space” is an iconic film that was a big flop. This movie adaptation of the television series received a lot of negative reviews and criticisms. Many people were excited at first to see a movie of the television series of the same name, but it did not live up to the hype.
“Clash of the Titans” (2010)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 40%
- Tomatometer score: 27%
- Directed by: Louis Leterrier
- Starring: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Gemma Arterton, Alexa Davalos
There are many polarizing opinions about the remake film “Clash of the Titans,” which was released on April 2, 2010. Although a generally fun movie, the script is hard to follow and void of strong lines, and it could have used more thrills.
“Robin Hood” (2010)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 58%
- Tomatometer score: 44%
- Directed by: Ridley Scott
- Starring: Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, William Hurt
“Robin Hood” was a hard movie to put on this list as people are divided on its excitement. This movie was released in the United States on May 14, 2010. It’s a slow film that tells a unique side of the Robin Hood story. However, it got a lot of criticism as Robin Hood, the main character, wasn’t charming or as sweet as portrayed in previous adaptations.
“Cold Mountain” (2003)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 77%
- Tomatometer score: 70%
- Directed by: Anthony Minghella
- Starring: Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Renée Zellweger
War dramas are hard to watch for some, but to others, they are some of the best films. This includes “Cold Mountain,” which was released in the U.S. on Dec. 25, 2003. While the film was initially successful, it’s barely mentioned or discussed two decades later.
Want to keep reading about more movies? Check out our article on the worst movies based on true stories.