In a world where the Tomatometer dictates critical reception, a 0% score is not only hard to come by but also a terrible fate for a film. It's a near-impossible feat, but somehow, these impressively bad films really hit the bottom of the barrel...
Gotti (2018)
This biopic stars John Travolta as the notorious John Gotti alongside his real-life wife Kelly Preston as Gotti's wife Victoria. Adam Graham of the Detroit News called it "a Gotti awful mess," and for good reason. Critics agree that as far as Gotti goes, you can fuhgeddaboudit.
The Layover (2017)
This comedy directed by William H. Macy is... well, as Richard Roeper wrote for the Chicago Sun-Times, "William H. Macy is great. William H. Macy knows funny. How could William H. Macy direct such an unholy mess?" Neither Alexandra Daddario nor Kate Upton can save this movie from its archaic premise.
John Henry (2020)
Starring Terry Crews and Ludacris, John Henry is about a quiet man with a dark past whose life changes forever when he meets a young girl on the run from gang violence. The film was universally panned, with Michael Rechtshaffen of the Los Angeles Times calling it "a lead-footed revenge thriller that lands with all the subtlety of the mighty steel-driving man's sledgehammer."
Dark Tide (2012)
In Dark Tide, Halle Berry plays a traumatized shark expert who must face her fears in order to guide a thrill-seeking businessman around Shark Alley, but its murky plot and stunted dialogue make the film a true blemish on Berry's record. "The sharks themselves are the only ones to emerge with credit from this," writes Guardian critic Peter Bradshaw.
Jaws 3 (1983)
Have you ever wanted to see Jaws, but worse? Boy, have we got the movie for you. This cheesy ocean thriller is proof that the franchise was more than ready to call it quits. "No movie with Dennis Quaid holding a basset hound's ears to keep them out of his water bowl while pouring himself some coffee can be all bad," writes Matt Singer from ScreenCrush. "Jaws 3-D comes pretty close."
Dark Crimes (2016)
This unpleasant thriller follows a hard-boiled detective who grows suspicious of an author when his popular novel's events mirror the inner workings of an unsolved murder. Despite its killer cast—including Jim Carrey and Charlotte Gainsbourg—the movie was reviled by critics. "It's very rare for a film to pretty much have no redeeming features about it, but Dark Crimes is essentially impossible to recommend beyond those who have a morbid curiosity," writes Andrew Gaudion of The Hollywood News.
Deadfall (1993)
When Joe (Michael Biehn) loses his father in a sting, he contacts his uncle Lou (James Coburn)—who happens to be his father's twin. With a bizarre cast featuring the likes of Nicholas Cage and Charlie Sheen, Deadfall is "watchable only for camp value," according to Ken Eisner of Variety. One Rotten Tomatoes Super Reviewer wrote, "This dreadful piece of incompetent 'filmmaking' earns its place right beside Battlefield Earth and Gigli." Ouch.
Ed (1996)
This sports comedy stars Matt LeBlanc as Jack Cooper, a talented pitcher who struggles to adjust when he's transferred to a minor league team, where he is forced to play alongside a chimpanzee named Ed. New York Times critic Stephen Holden quipped that LeBlanc "is so blank that the only impression he makes is of having teeth that are very large and unnaturally white."
Killing Me Softly (2002)
In esteemed director Chen Kaige's English-language debut Killing Me Softly, Heather Graham plays the increasingly suspicous wife of Joseph Fiennes, her controlling husband. Unfortunately, as Graham's character begins to uncover the truth about her partner's dark past, the film grows progressively more convoluted. "Why, you might ask, is master director Chen Kaige wasting his time on such trashy material?" questions Robert Pardi for TV Guide.
Hard Kill (2020)
Bruce Willis stars in this terrible action-thriller, racing against the clock to stop a madman from wreaking worldwide chaos. "The production notes inform us that the unimaginatively titled Hard Kill was filmed in a mere ten days, making you wonder how they spent eight of them," writes Frank Scheck of the Hollywood Reporter.
Derailed (2002)
Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as Kristoff, a secret agent sent to escort a thief in possession of a deadly virus, in this painfully ridiculous action-thriller. "The sad truth is that those Brussels Muscles are just about all dried out," writes Scott Weinberg of Apollo Guide.
Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (2002)
Lucy Liu stars opposite Antonio Banderas Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, an action flick with more guns than ammo. Associated Press top critic Jocelyn Noveck writes, "For many viewers, the big question may be not whether Ecks and Sever will get together, or why they are fighting in the first place, but why am I sitting here, anyway?"
Cabin Fever (2016)
In this 2016 remake of 2002's Cabin Fever, five college graduates encounter a flesh-eating virus while staying at a remote cabin. According to reviewer Roger Kojder of Flickering Myth, the SFX was its only saving grace: "Cabin Fever, much like the original, is not a very good movie, but kudos have to be given to the makeup department for creating some grotesque looking abominations of people as their skin continues to rot."
The Last Days of American Crime (2020)
The Last Days of American Crime is all the punishment one needs. The government has created a broadcast signal that will wipe out crime forever; three people plan the heist of the century before it can happen. David Ehrlich of IndieWire took no prisoners, calling the film "a braindead slog that shambles forward like the zombified husk of the heist movie it wants to be" and "a death march of clichés that offers nothing to look at and even less to consider."
Return to the Blue Lagoon (1991)
In this famously misogynistic film, a girl and her adopted brother fall in love while stranded on a tropical island. However, their idyllic existence is threatened when outsiders arrive. "Things are pretty much the same for the semi-nude kids in this movie as they were for the semi-nude kids in the first Blue Lagoon," writes Jay Boyar, a top critic at the Orlando Sentinel.
Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star (2011)
Nick Swardson plays Bucky Larson, a grocery-bagging virgin with grim prospects—until he discovers that his conservative parents used to be pornstars. Bucky sets off to Hollywood to make it big in the adult film business, despite his lacking qualifications. "This movie is dire, soul-crushing stuff," writes Time Out critic Matt Singer.
The Bad News Bears Go to Japan (1978)
According to the Variety staff, "The dangers inherent in sequel-making are clearly apparent in The Bad News Bears Go to Japan." This 1978 sequel to The Bad News Bears follows the team on their latest adventure—facing off against a team of the best young baseballers in the country of Japan. The installment led the 1970s series to a faltering close until its remake in 2005.
A Thousand Words (2012)
A Thousand Words made a bold creative choice that backfired big-time—removing Eddie Murphy's voice. Without Murphy's greatest comedic asset, the film bombed. "The idea of Murphy, that famously motormouthed actor, suddenly tongue-tied is not a punchy enough punchline to carry a whole film," writes Kimberly Jones of the Austin Chronicle.
American Anthem (1986)
In American Anthem, Mitch Gaylord and Janet Jones play two gymnasts who fall in love and train hard in Arizona for a critical meet with stiff competition. Jay Boyar of the Orlando Sentinel criticized the movie's "manipulative clichés," claiming that Gaylord's athletic prowess wasn't enough to supplement his lack of acting skills.
Heartbeeps (1981)
Two robots meet at the repair factory and run away to start a family together, but their love is threatened by an enforcer robot on a mission to apprehend them. "Heartbeeps may contain Oscar-nominated makeup designs by Stan Winston but otherwise makes for a wretched viewing experience," writes Matt Brunson of Film Frenzy.
Dream A Little Dream (1989)
Roger Ebert called this mind-swap fantasy film "aggressively unwatchable," which seems to be the general consensus. Jason Robards and Corey Feldman play a married older man and a teenager chasing his dream girl who switch bodies, but all the charm was lost in its clouded plot and chaotic editing.
3 Strikes (2000)
Rob Douglas plays Brian Hooks in 3 Strikes, a newly-released prisoner determined to clear his name after a shooting. Jonathan Foreman of the New York Post described the movie as "butt-numbingly dull and almost entirely laugh-free." One might say that 3 Strikes has far more than three strikes against it.
Stratton (2017)
This MI6 espionage thriller has a number of pitfalls that led to its 0% Rotten Tomatoes score, including a misplaced cast and a narrative that audiences have seen one hundred times over. Michael Rechstaffen of the Los Angeles Times noted that Stratton had "all the pulse-pounding intrigue of waiting in line at the DMV."
Folks! (1992)
Tom Selleck plays Jon, a down-on-his-luck professional whose parents come to live with him. If you're looking for ageist jokes and nothing else, look no further than what Folks! has to offer. "Senility and attempted suicide are used to supposed comic effect as Selleck wanders around in various states of disarray, probably wondering what on earth he did to end up in this dreadful film," writes Jo Berry of Radio Times.
National Lampoon's Gold Diggers (2003)
Chris Owen and Will Friedle play Calvin and Leonard, two borke idiots who marry a pair of rich old sisters for their money. For all its aspirational offensiveness, National Lampoon's Gold Diggers is hardly as edgy as it wants to be. "Spare our culture some last semblance of dignity by ignoring National Lampoon's Gold Diggers altogether," writes Erik Lundegaard of the Seattle Times.
Highlander II: The Quickening (1991)
As far as the Highlander franchise goes, it's fairly obvious that they should have stopped at one. In this sequel, Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) has lost his immortality, becoming an elderly man who only regains his youth upon engaging in battle. Roger Ebert called it "the most hilariously incomprehensible movie I've seen in many a long day—a movie almost awesome in its badness."
The Leisure Class (2015)
In The Leisure Class, a man's unpredictable brother thwarts his plans to marry into a wealthy family. Unfortunately, despite its title, this film is anything but a leisurely watch. "There's little reason to waste 85 minutes watching Jason Mann's The Leisure Class, a tonally troubled and reprehensibly dull movie," writes Hank Stuever for the Washington Post.
London Fields (2018)
Amber Heard plas Nicola Six, who knows that one of her three lovers is destined to kill her. Despite its beloved source material, London Fields proves that not every successful novel should be made into a film. "As the hopelessly muddled film toggles between fact and fiction, it becomes pretentious and incoherent, leaving little room for emotional investment," writes Todd Jorgenson for Cinemalogue.
Look Who's Talking Now! (1993)
John Travolta stars alongside Kirstie Alley in this tragically unfunny comedy. The only difference between Look Who's Talking Now! and its predecessor is the addition of talking dogs. "There is absolutely no chemistry between Travolta and Alley, who are supposed to be passionate about one another," writes Owen McNally for the Hartford Courant. "Strangers on the set could have generated more sparks on-screen."
Mac and Me (1988)
Infamous for its strangeness, this E.T. knockoff is basically just a promotion for McDonald's and Coca Cola. "Mac and Me is a 99-minute commercial occasionally interrupted by a not-so-good children's movie," writes Dave Kehr for the Chicago Tribune.
Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966)
While on a road trip, a family makes a wrong turn and becomes tapped in a Texas lodge habited by a bizarre cult. Sadly, this film is too bad to be scary or funny. "Yes, it's the one, the only, the must-be-seen-to-be-disbelieved Manos: The Hands of Fate," writes Matt Brunson for Film Frenzy.
One Missed Call (2009)
This J-horror remake is a pathetic ode to its source material. The film follows a woman who suspects that her friends' deaths have something to do with their cell phones. "The unintentional camp makes for some eye-rolling interest early on, and French director Eric Valette does manage a few hair-raising moments, but by then, the movie has missed by a mile," writes Tom Meek for the Boston Phoenix.
Merci Docteur Rey (2002)
Although audiences didn't detest Merci Docteur Rey, critics were repulsed by this French LGBTQ comedy. V.A. Musetto of the New York Post called the film "brainless and pointless," while critic Laura Kelly condemned how it "stoops to the sight gag of vomit" for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Bolero (1984)
In 1920s England, Bo Derek plays an heiress on the hunt for lust with a Moroccan sheik and a Spanish bullfighter. Bolero's ridiculous plot and mismatched cast only manages to arouse a sense of profound boredom. Famed critic Roger Ebert wrote, "The real future of Bolero is in home cassette rentals, where your fast forward and instant replay controls will supply the editing job the movie so desperately needs."
Max Steel (2016)
A teenager and an alien combine forces to become the strongest superhero on earth. Max Steel is the equivalent to a pair of Rock'em Sock'em Robots without any of the youthful imagination. "A movie based on a toy should be a whole lot more fun than this," writes Christy Lemire for RogerEbert.com.
Wagons East! (1994)
Wagons East! follows a group of settlers looking to head east after realizing that the Wild West isn't all it's cracked up to be. Sadly, this failed Western satire was John Candy's last screen performance. Jonathan Rosenbaum of the Chicago Reader called the film a "stridently unfunny western comedy that is equally lame in its writing and direction."
Megaforce (1981)
Megaforce follows a high-tech soldier on a flying motorcycle who leads a series of troops to rescue a ruler and her people. Thanks to its weak direction and silly dialogue, critics panned the movie, with Daniel Barnes of Dare Daniel describing it as "the unaired pilot for an unwatchable TV show."
Madhouse (1990)
Kristie Alley and John Larroquette star in Madhouse, which centers around a couple whose house never seems to be empty of guests. Roger Ebert described the film as "mostly merely pleasant," which, in the grand scheme of things, is far from a scathing review. "On a few occasions it's very funny, but it never quite goes over the top and gets the big laughs it is obviously aiming for," he continued.
A Low Down Dirty Shae (1994)
Unfortunately for writer and lead actor Keenen Ivory Wayans, A Low Down Dirty Shame lives up to its title. Wayans plays Shame, a disgraced police officer turned private eye. "I'm not sure what type of movie this is supposed to be or who its audience is, but it's a low down dirty shame that Wayans' talent is wasted on this film," says Austin Chronicle critic Alison Macor.
The Nutcracker in 3D (2010)
Thankfully, young Elle Fanning's career was able to recover from this travesty of a Christmas film. "The Nutcracker in 3D by no means does justice to the original (far from it, in fact, with little dancing and some lyrics—yes, lyrics—pegged onto Tchaikovsky's music)," writes S. Jhoanna Roledo for Common Sense Media.
Pinnochio
Roberto Benigni's 2002 adaptation of the classic children's tale was a creepy failure, and for obvious reasons—its producer and director plays an old, balding version of Pinocchio. "What remains is a variant of the nincompoop Benigni persona, here a more annoying, though less angry version of the irresponsible Sandlerian manchild, undercut by the voice of the star of Road Trip," writes Mark Peranson for the Village Voice.
Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol (1987)
If there was an award for the least funny movie of all-time, the fourth installment in the Police Academy franchise would surely take home the gold. "What's so amazing about the Police Academy movies is that they keep being made even though they stopped being funny after the hilarious original," writes Kevin Thomas for the Los Angeles Times.
Precious Cargo (2016)
Despite a stellar cast including Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Bruce Willis, Precious Cargo poured all of its budget into a handful of slick action sequences. Peter Bradshaw of the Guardian called the film a "straight-to-video nightmare," while Empire Magazine's Ian Freer claimed that Willis "should really know better."
Problem Child (1990)
When a couple who is unable to conceive adopts a son, the boy begins to wreak havoc on their lives. Despite Problem Child's 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, they made not one sequel, but two. "Some kids are born bad," writes Carrie Rickey for the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Others achieve badness. And some have badness thrust upon them. The same can be said of movies."
Redline (2007)
If you're a fan of terrible dialogue, pitiful acting, and luxury vehicles, Redline might just be the movie for you. "Redline threatens to be so bad that it's good," writes Kaleem Aftab for The National. "Alas, no such luck as nothing can hide the fact that this has to be one of the worst acted movies of the year."
Return of the Living Dead Part II (1988)
In this dervative sequel, a boy and his friends find something evil from a canister fallen off an army truck. However, Return of the Living Dead Part II isn't all bad: "The only saving grace in a totally misguided effort is the performance of character actor Bruns who is quite funny as the slightly off-the-wall doctor," writes the staff at Variety.
Shadow Conspiracy (1997)
Instead of thrilling the audience with an action-packed race against time, Charlie Sheen delivers a corny, lackluster performance as the lead in Shadow Conspiracy. "Sadly, Sheen doesn't even look profound," writes Charlotte O'Sullivan for Time Out. "Like a zombie who's spent too much time in the gym, he blunders heavily from one stunt to the next, his pursed lips conveying nothing more than pique."
Simon Sez (1999)
No matter how you feel about Dennis Rodman or Dane Cook, there's no reason to subject yourself to the formulaic absurdity of Simon Sez. "This on-the-cheap action thriller appears to exist purely as a showcase for the limited talents of self-created caricature Dennis Rodman, who in turn clearly needs to exploit himself while the exploiting is good," writes Maitland McDonagh for TV Guide.
Staying Alive (1983)
Despite John Travolta's usual charm, Saturday Night Fever sequel is shockingly bad when compaerd to its 1977 predecessor. "It is a movie caught in a time warp: a slick MTV video that celebrates Eisenhower-era morality," writes a reviewer for People Magazine. "For the Staying Alive audience, the problem is staying awake."
Stolen (2009)
Stolen is essentially a mishmash of countless scenes "stolen" from other, far superior films. Not even Jon Hamm could breathe life into this disappointing mystery-thriller. "A leaden murder mystery with a clunky structure that swings back and forth between 1958 and 2008, Stolen wastes the talents of a reasonably good cast," writes Mark Olsen for the Los Angeles Times.
Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004)
In Superbabies 2, a group of toddlers use their special powers to stop a media vogul from altering the minds of kids. The sequel to Superbabies once again offers proof that crazy gimmicks and lame ideas are not, in fact, movie material. "Why? Seriously, why? Why would anyone make a sequel to Baby Geniuses, a 1999 film whose existence, from its title on down, appeared to be a cruel joke about the gullibility of the lowest common denominator?" writes Nathan Rabin for AV Club.
Surfer, Dude (2008)
In 2008's Surfer, Dude, Matthew McConaughey plays Steve Addington, a professional surfer and beach bum who finds himself in a conflicting financial situation. The general consensus regarding Surfer, Dude is that it felt like a rough cut; Ben Lyons of At the Movies called it "a collection of home movies as opposed to a professional piece of cinema."
The Disappointments Room (2016)
The Disappointments Room is nothing more than a disappointment itself. Kate Beckinsale plays Dana, a woman who discovers something sinister about her home's previous owners. "This spooky house flick would be better off locked up in the attic and forgotten for good," writes Katie Walsh for the Los Angeles Times.
The Ridiculous Six (2015)
Pitifully lazy and deeply offensive, The Ridiculous Six is standard pre-Uncut Gems Sandler fare. This Western comedy follows White Knife, an orphan raised by Native Americans, who learns that five outlaws are actually his half-brothers. Brad Newsome of the Sydney Morning Herald called the film "a lazy pastiche of westerns and western spoofs, replete with lazy, racist jokes that can't just be waved away with a waft of the irony card."
The Thing with Two Heads (1972)
There are almost no words to describe precisely how godawful The Thing with Two Heads could possibly be, so we'll let this brief summary do it for you: A white racist has his head transplanted onto the body of a black convict. Yes, it's that bad, with one Rotten Tomatoes Super Reviewer deeming it "the epitome of corny, campy, cheesy."
The Slugger's Wife (1985)
A baseball outfielder falls in love with a nightclub singer, but his game suffers tremendously when she decides to leave him and focus on her career. "... The silliness of the story gets bogged down in all sorts of gloomy neuroses, angry denunciations, and painful self-analysis," writes Roger Ebert.
Top Dog (1995)
Not even Chuck Norris could rescue Top Dog from itself. Norris plays a maverick policeman who fights with his canine partner while investigating terrorist bombings. Roger Eberts rightfully begs the question, "Why, exactly, would you want to make a movie about racist hate groups, and then disguise it as family entertainment about a cute dog?"
Transylmania (2009)
In Transylmania, college students arrive at a Romanian castle for a semester abroad, only to realize that they've intruded upon the vampires who live there. This politically incorrect vampire comedy never manages to sink its teeth into the joke, with Dennis Harvey of Variety calling it an "energetic but uninspired mix of teen comedy and supernatural silliness."
Homecoming (2009)
Mischa Barton and Matt Long star in this uninspiring revenge thriller. It's fairly obvious where Homecoming is heading from the outset, but the clichés make the film's trajectory rather unbearable. "Everything, including the ending, plays out exactly as you'd expect," writes Kyle Smith.
Constellation (2005)
Although Constellation earnestly attempts to be something, it lacks the dramatic spark necessary to push it beyond straight-to-video sentimentality. "Loosely edited scenes juxtaposed in the most vexing ways and completely disparate motifs blurs Constellation into an image that the Hubble Space Telescope could not sharpen," writes Tim Cogshell for Boxoffice Magazine.