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Films So Bad You Have to See Them

Films So Bad You Have to See Them

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People often view movies as an escape, a way to lose yourself if only for a few short, or long, hours watching different worlds, places we may wish to see, or people we aspire to be like. We often get lost in the magic of storytelling, and when coupled with enchanting performances, and breathtaking visuals, we can feel like we are part of the scenes before us, or even aspire to be part of it. But when movies fail to meet our expectations, they can leave us disenchanted with the film industry.

There can be several contributing factors to what makes a film truly bad. It could result from awful acting, perplexing plots, confusing dialogue, or jaw-dropping special effects – or it could even be a combination of all of these. Whether audiences actually like a film is highly subjective. What one person may think is the greatest movie ever made, another can think it wasn’t worth the price of a movie ticket.

Some films may be based on popular books or plays but what worked well in one arena, doesn’t necessarily translate to another. These film flops are often so bad they are good and bring a certain allure that is often hard to ignore. By being so atrociously awful, with not many redeeming qualities, these films become a funny escape, legends in their own right, and their outrageous ambitions allow viewers to have just a few hours of mindless fun. (These are R-rated movies liked by critics but hated by everybody else.)

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 to determine the films so bad you have to see them. We only considered movies with production budgets greater than $50 million.

These films listed may be extraordinarily awful, and yet they still manage to captivate some movie fans with their sheer ineptitude, leaving them questioning how such monstrosities were ever brought to life. On the flip side, if you need to watch truly exceptional films, here are R-rated movies with a perfect critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Here are films so bad you have to see them

30. Cats (2019)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
  • 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)

29. My Favorite Martian (1999)

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
  • 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)

28. XXX: State of the Union (2005)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
  • 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)

27. Lucky Numbers (2000)

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
  • 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)

26. The Happening (2008)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • 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)

25. Driven (2001)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
  • 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)

24. Fifty Shades Freed (2018)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
  • 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)

23. Yogi Bear (2010)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • 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)

22. Elektra (2005)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • 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)

21. Turbulence (1997)

Source: gdcgraphics / Flickr

Toronto International Film Festival 2012.

  • 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)

20. Holy Man (1998)

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
  • 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)

19. Virus (1999)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
  • 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)

18. The Love Guru (2008)

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
  • 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)

17. The Ridiculous 6 (2015)

Source: Courtesy of Netflix

  • 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)

16. Kangaroo Jack (2003)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • 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)

15. Inspector Gadget (1999)

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
  • 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)

14. The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000)

The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000) | Jane Krakowski in The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

N/A

  • 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)

13. Supernova (2000)

Source: Arturo Holmes / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
  • 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)

12. Town & Country (2001)

Source: Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com
  • 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)

11. Jack and Jill (2011)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
  • 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)

10. A Sound of Thunder (2005)

Source: ellasportfolio / Flickr
  • 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)

9. Batman & Robin (1997)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • 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)

8. The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)

Source: Warner Bros.
  • 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)

7. Catwoman (2004)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
  • 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)

6. Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • 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)

5. The Avengers (1998)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • 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)

4. Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (2002)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • 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)

3. Rollerball (2002)

Source: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corporation (MGM)
  • 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)

2. Son of the Mask (2005)

Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
  • 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)

1. Battlefield Earth (2000)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • 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)
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