The Most Unexciting Films in History

We generally go to the theater to be entertained and expect that movies, regardless of the genre, will be so captivating and enthralling that we'll be completely engrossed in the plot for the duration of the film. If a movie is done right, whether through cinematic techniques that create certain atmospheres or actors that viewers in with outstanding performances, we can become completely lost in a storyline. However, if a film doesn't quite align, it can become one of the most unexciting films in history.

Not every movie can delight, enchant, and capture viewers' attention. Some films may lack vision, direction, and storyline, or they may simply just be boring and unexciting. 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.

To determine the most unexciting 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 unexciting films in history:

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.