Launched less than two years ago, HBO Max, the HBO pay TV network’s premium brand extension, offers a repertoire of movie and TV properties from the treasure house of material owned by AT&T’s WarnerMedia. However, there are some turkeys in with the treasures – movies that are disliked by audiences and critics alike, and that you might prefer to avoid (or to watch only if the cast or premise proves irresistible even after you’ve been warned).
To determine the worst movies to stream on HBO Max this March, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on 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 February 2022, weighting all ratings equally. We considered only movies with at least 5,000 audience votes on either IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes, and ruled out documentaries. (Data on streaming availability, current as of this month, comes from the streaming guide Reelgood, and directorial credits are from IMDb.)
Worst of all is “3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain” from 1998, a martial arts movie featuring unknown child actors and…Hulk Hogan. (One review said things are sad when Hulk Hogan gives the most touching performance in a movie.)
At No. 2 is “Speed 2: Cruise Control” from 1997. It was the sequel to the hugely successful “Speed,” which made stars out of Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. Bullock reappeared in “Speed 2” but Reeves was replaced by Jason Patric. Reeves was probably glad he dropped out as this is widely regarded as one of the worst sequels ever made. (You’ll definitely find it among the 25 worst movie sequels of all time.)
The No. 3 movie is “The Fog,” a 2005 remake by Rupert Wainwright of John Carpenter’s 1980 supernatural horror movie of the same name. It’s followed by “Catwoman,” with Halle Berry in the title role – which received seven Golden Raspberry Award nominations and won for Worst Picture, Worst Actress, Worst Director, and Worst Screenplay. (If you enjoy watching cinematic stinkers, these are the worst movies of all time.)
25. Cursed (2005)
> IMDb user rating: 5/10 (31,543 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 30% (55,945 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 16% (98 reviews)
> Directed by: Wes Craven
24. The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising (2007)
> IMDb user rating: 4.8/10 (15,193 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 34% (171,383 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 14% (94 reviews)
> Directed by: David L. Cunningham
23. Point Break (2015)
> IMDb user rating: 5.3/10 (60,573 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 29% (18,083 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 11% (111 reviews)
> Directed by: Ericson Core
22. Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj (2006)
> IMDb user rating: 4.9/10 (22,829 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 38% (142,574 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 7% (45 reviews)
> Directed by: Mort Nathan
21. Darkness Falls (2003)
> IMDb user rating: 5/10 (31,089 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 34% (81,500 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 9% (131 reviews)
> Directed by: Jonathan Liebesman
20. The Happening (2008)
> IMDb user rating: 5/10 (201,206 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 24% (370,325 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 18% (186 reviews)
> Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
19. Yogi Bear (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 4.6/10 (21,246 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 34% (56,257 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 12% (105 reviews)
> Directed by: Eric Brevig
18. The Spirit (2008)
> IMDb user rating: 4.8/10 (60,472 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 25% (122,684 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 14% (115 reviews)
> Directed by: Frank Miller
17. Deck the Halls (2006)
> IMDb user rating: 5/10 (24,202 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 30% (55,755 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 6% (85 reviews)
> Directed by: John Whitesell
16. Pulse (2006)
> IMDb user rating: 4.8/10 (28,772 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 27% (83,322 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 11% (74 reviews)
> Directed by: Jim Sonzero
15. Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)
> IMDb user rating: 4.2/10 (30,419 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 24% (59,645 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 16% (19 reviews)
> Directed by: Adam Marcus
14. Jonah Hex (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 4.7/10 (57,151 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 20% (170,746 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 12% (153 reviews)
> Directed by: Jimmy Hayward
13. Hercules: the Legend Begins (2014)
> IMDb user rating: 4.2/10 (53,603 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 33% (41,075 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 5% (83 reviews)
> Directed by: Renny Harlin
12. The Snowman (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 5.1/10 (61,013 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 18% (11,331 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 7% (200 reviews)
> Directed by: Tomas Alfredson
11. Basic Instinct 2 (2006)
> IMDb user rating: 4.4/10 (38,643 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 26% (89,168 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 6% (157 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Caton-Jones
10. Ouija (2014)
> IMDb user rating: 4.5/10 (50,587 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 24% (30,472 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 6% (89 reviews)
> Directed by: Stiles White
9. Daddy Day Camp (2007)
> IMDb user rating: 3.2/10 (16,388 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 38% (160,302 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 1% (81 reviews)
> Directed by: Fred Savage
8. The Master of Disguise (2002)
> IMDb user rating: 3.4/10 (24,434 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 34% (59,195 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 1% (104 reviews)
> Directed by: Perry Andelin Blake
7. Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd (2003)
> IMDb user rating: 3.4/10 (38,652 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 23% (258,955 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 10% (119 reviews)
> Directed by: Troy Miller
6. Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997)
> IMDb user rating: 3.7/10 (52,919 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 25% (88,363 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 4% (50 reviews)
> Directed by: John R. Leonetti
5. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
> IMDb user rating: 3.7/10 (46,555 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 16% (66,035 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 11% (46 reviews)
> Directed by: Sidney J. Furie
4. Catwoman (2004)
> IMDb user rating: 3.4/10 (114,725 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 18% (274,672 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 9% (198 reviews)
> Directed by: Pitof
3. The Fog (2005)
> IMDb user rating: 3.7/10 (36,107 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 19% (228,627 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 4% (70 reviews)
> Directed by: Rupert Wainwright
2. Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)
> IMDb user rating: 3.9/10 (78,535 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 16% (222,027 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 4% (73 reviews)
> Directed by: Jan de Bont
1. 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain (1998)
> IMDb user rating: 3/10 (12,527 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 29% (76,131 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 0% (6 reviews)
> Directed by: Sean McNamara