14 Films That Are a Definitive 0/10 on the Completely Awful Scale

The films take viewers away from reality into another world. With a movie trailer, audiences begin concocting expectations regarding a film’s presentation. Our imaginations start running wild. While escaping allows viewers to conceive a sense of escapism, every once in a while, an audience gets unexpected results.

Since Hollywood hinders hindsight, it can only anticipate some films as winners once released to the public. Even with screen tests, the producers never know the final outcome.

Though these can run high, many expectations come into play with the announcement of a movie. Though viewers may expect some fun, certain films trash all expectations we provide as moviegoers.

Batman & Robin (1997)

Trusting an audience with a famous property like Batman already sets high expectations. Not only would Batman join forces with Robin and Batgirl, but George Clooney stepped into the role for this round. What could go wrong with director Joel Schumacher directing again, with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Uma Thurman joining the cast?

As it turns out, Batman & Robin spelled doom for the Caped Crusader’s film franchise. The film’s humor fell flat, casting decisions invited criticism, and the cheesy writing failed to entice any DC Comics fan. Though it led to Warner Bros. shelving the Batman property, Christopher Nolan came to the rescue with his Dark Knight trilogy.

However, some of us still need to recover after seeing Batman’s credit card in Schumacher’s 1997 film.

The Emoji Movie (2017)

Warner Bros. certainly can disappoint moviegoers. In 2017, Sony Pictures Releasing brilliantly conceived and launched The Emoji Movie. Following along with the success of its franchises like Hotel Transylvania, Sony believed it had another gem with The Emoji Movie.

Sadly, not even the kids enjoyed The Emoji Movie. When stepping out of the theater, everyone critiqued the film with their share of emojis. The Pile of P-o, Nauseated Face, and Face with Rolling Eyes are among the emojis we apply when regarding Sony’s pictorial failure. Box office numbers favor this film, yet it is its only redeeming quality when discussing the animation. “Meh” feels like an understatement if anyone can even remember this animated mess.

Epic Movie (2007)

In truth, what expectations can an audience have when watching a Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer project? The writers helped pen Scary Movie with the Wayans Brothers, yet Regency Enterprises believed in the pair directing Date Movie. Despite a highly hostile reception with Date Movie, Regency ordered a second round with Epic Movie.

Drowned by negative reviews, Epic Movie premiered similarly to Date Movie, almost note-for-note. Identical budgets and box office results, unfavorable reviews from critics, and rubbish humor culminating in a disjointed blunder. Noting their box office success rate, Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer continued pumping out parody films with Meet the Spartans and Disaster Movie. Luckily, their reign of comedic awfulness slowed down after these films flopped.

The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)

While some viewers can smell disasters a mile away like Epic Movie, the same doesn’t apply to early Star Wars films. Regarding the original trilogy, George Lucas gifted audiences with a believable galaxy set far, far away. After Star Wars launched in 1977, fans strapped in for more fantastical action within Lucas’ creation. This became astronomical when Lucas distributed a dose of holiday cheer with a CBS Christmas special.

What transpired was a holiday calamity many Star Wars look down on when referencing older material. Simply titled The Star Wars Holiday Special, fans took a break from the Force after watching it on television. It did almost nothing to attract additional fandom. Many Star Wars fanatics remember little from the Holiday Special except for the animated Boba Fett segments. It aired only once on CBS, giving history a good idea of how unsatisfying it turned out then.

Cats (2019)

Though specific universes deliver expectancies for audiences to consider, film adaptations come with their share of anticipations. As such, director Tom Hooper practically asks for this with his musical adaptations. After proving successful with 2012’s Les Misérables, he shot for glory again with Cats seven years later.

Deemed one of the worst films ever produced, Cats (2019) failed at the box office. In truth, trouble spilled from the film’s official announcement with an intensely ridiculed trailer premiering the film’s questionable special effects. On top of the visual problems, many found issues with the film’s casting, direction, design choices, and many other aspects that dwindled the experience. There’s no reason to watch the Cats film; even Andrew Lloyd Webber isn’t a fan of the adaptation.

Showgirls (1995)

Whenever Paul Verhoeven’s name pops up in a trailer, audiences can already look forward to either intense violence or risqué eroticism. The director has conducted several classics, with Basic Instinct, RoboCop, and Total Recall among his most familiar works. Admittedly, Verhoeven knows how to take viewers’ breaths away, so no wonder folks still shake their heads at Showgirls after all these years.

Starring Saved by the Bell‘s Elizabeth Berkley, Showgirls introduced moviegoers to Las Vegas’ sleazy entertainment. Boosted by an NC-17 rating, Showgirls scored plenty of attention, and not for the right reasons. Upon release, critics panned Showgirls, and it failed to garner promising box office numbers. Moreover, it derailed Berkley’s acting opportunities and Paul Verhoeven’s directing career, for better or worse.

Movie 43 (2013)

Films typically consist of one or two directors behind the wheel. Movie 43, however, has thirteen, according to IMDB. This is due to the anthology’s expansive nature of including fourteen different storylines without a connection. Names like James Gunn, Steven Brill, Elizabeth Banks, Brett Ratner, and others appear in the credits, though many may wish to forget about Movie 43.

For starters, Movie 43‘s title has nothing to do with the movie. Director Peter Farrelly admitted its unworthy origin around the time of its release. Upon its premiere, everyone lambasted the finished project. From poor writing and awkward acting to offensive gags, not even the film’s stars remember Movie 43 fondly.

Maximum Overdrive (1986)

No matter how many directors share credits for a film, none have topped Stephen King’s only directorial effort, Maximum Overdrive. After years of dominating the literary world, King looked into filmmaking in the 1980s. Signing a three-picture deal with De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, King snorted and drank his way through Maximum Overdrive.

Though fans consistently associate Stephen King with brilliant horror writing, they can’t do the same for Maximum Overdrive. The film failed to deliver frights; it succeeded in disappointing anyone who bought a ticket. Nominated for two Golden Raspberry Awards, Maximum Overdrive failed tremendously due to its campy humor and weak direction.

King fought addiction in the 1980s, which contributed to the film’s discouraging outcome. The film deal with De Laurentiis fell apart after, leaving King to return to composing novels and short stories.

Super Mario Bros. (1993)

Since children love movies, video game adaptations surely guarantee fun for the whole family. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) became an instant hit because it stuck close to the source material. So how did the cinema transport audiences to an entirely different kind of Mario in 1993 with Super Mario Bros.? A Mario so unique that it developed a “so bad, it’s good” status years after failing at the box office?

Despite its cult following, Super Mario Bros. deviates almost entirely away from Nintendo’s vibrant video games. Inconsistency in tone, mismatched writing, and creepy-looking Goombas all shoulder blame. It’s a cheap byproduct of the action movie rush in the 1990s, best reserved for brainless nights at home with some friends.

Jack and Jill (2011)

Adam Sandler’s name alone sells tickets for any movie, especially in the 1990s and 2000s. Add director Dennis Dugan to a project, and audiences are in for a comedic good time. The pair tickled many funny bones with Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, and Grown Ups while unsuccessfully attracting critics with I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry and Just Go with It. For Jack and Jill, it really could’ve gone either way.

When Jack and Jill released, many believed Sandler and Dugan had reached a new low. Unfunny humor, absurd acting, and sluggish direction contributed to the film’s “3%” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. After Grown Ups 2, Sandler and Dugan never collaborated on another film project. Once Jack and Jill went up the hill, Dugan fell into unknown territory in the entertainment world. The director has yet to supervise another comedy in entertainment.

Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (2015)

Although audiences have a particular stretch of expectation when walking into a Dennis Dugan-directed comedy, horror fans carry the same energy when checking out thrilling franchises. Modern franchises like Saw and the rebooted Halloween films keep horror fans interested. However, regarding the Paranormal Activity series, the enthusiasm continuously died with each passing motion picture.

Serving as the sixth installment in the Paranormal Activity series, The Ghost Dimension spoiled the franchise’s found footage formula. Previous entries juiced out all clever filmmaking tricks introduced by Oren Peli in 2007 with the original Paranormal Activity. By the time The Ghost Dimension hit cinemas, the scares had become stale and the frights monotonous.

Madame Web (2024)

Indeed, movie franchises come and go, as exhibited by the Paranormal Activity series, though Sony remains persistent. After finding a light of success with Venom, Sony launched its Spider-Man Universe, differentiating itself from the established Marvel Cinematic Universe. By introducing new live-action ventures with Venom and Morbius, Sony wished to capture lightning in a bottle with Madame Web.

Noting the financial troubles associated with Morbius, many predicted Madame Web would lose money, only for expectations to come true. Madame Web feels pointless, mixed with lazy writing, poor Dakota Johnson acting, and frustrating disconnectivity with other Marvel projects. Critics and audiences denounced the film, thus igniting superhero fatigue in the cinema.

Morbius (2022)

Speaking of Sony, it’s only fair to talk about Morbius. The Jared Leto-led adaptation came after the success of Venom, with Sony possessing intense interest with dollar signs for eyes. As fate foretold, Morbius released with little expectations for moviegoers.

Any hopes for a good Spider-Man universe without the Friendly Neighborhood superhero bled away when Morbius launched in theaters. Doing little to entertain audiences, Morbius generated unfavorable reviews and mockery on social media. Delivered as a lazy vampire flick, the Sony-produced comic book movie became the laughingstock in 2022. Fans hated the film so much that Sony believed it was a joke and rereleased it with little results to bring home.

Son of the Mask (2005)

Jim Carrey’s Stanley Ipkiss in 1994’s The Mask proved the comedian capable of starring in hilarious moving wonders in film. So, when New Line Cinema announced the sequel years later, many speculated about disappointing numbers when Jamie Kennedy took over as lead. Though the plotline suggests Ipkiss is optional, Son of the Mask desperately attempts to win over audiences.

Sadly, the results speak volumes to the Son of the Mask‘s underperformance at the box office. Not only did it bomb, but all expectations of a solid comedy flew out the door. Film critic legends Richard Roeper and Roger Ebert both despised the finished product, with the former coming close to walking out of a theater. Nevertheless, New Line Cinema shelved The Mask franchise, leaving its legacy to dwindle into a forgetful domain of entertainment.