1990: The Final Sacrifice (2.1/10)
We kick off our worst movies from IMDb list with The Final Sacrifice. You’ll notice a trend through this piece — as there are inevitably a bunch of horror films which make this list. The genre is tricky, where it teeters on a fine line between being brilliant and refreshing…though potentially also cheesy and downright terrible.
This film scored a bad IMDb rating from users. To be fair, this movie had a tiny budget of less than $2,000. It was also reportedly a project from a film student studying in Canada. The scenery in rural Alberta is quite nice — though the rest of the film leaves a lot to be desired.
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1991: Cool as Ice (2.9/10)
Oh boy. Yes, there was a time where Vanilla Ice was actually a popular entity. One team of producers thought it would naturally be wise to capitalize on Ice’s charisma by making him the lead in an utterly ridiculous film. Naturally, Ice plays a rapper in a small, quaint community. He of course meets a girl from what he thinks is a run-of-the-mill suburban family.
After a few of Ice’s musical numbers, we realize the love interest actually comes from a family in the witness protection program. Somehow the movie morphs from a love story into a pseudo-thriller with crime and corruption. The whole movie might not be worth watching, though the trailers will give you some unintended laughs.
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1992: Ax ‘Em (1.2/10)
There was a time in which the horror genre loved the backdrop of the woods and camping. From the ’80’s to the late ’90’s, this was a common setting. It’s no different here, as we get a classic low-budget slasher film featuring people who are targeted by one psychotic guy from their childhood past.
The plot isn’t overly original, and the script is uninspiring. However, what makes this movie utterly tough to watch is its production value. We’re talking about a serious lack of resources, experience, and knowledge of the industry.
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1993: Mr. Nanny (3.8/10)
You’ll probably get lured into the movie by the lead duo of Hulk Hogan and comedic icon Sherman Hemsley. This is where the appeal starts and ends. Naturally, Hulk plays an ex-wrestler who is hired to be the pseudo-babysitter of two highly mischievous kids. The kids bond with Hulk — as their tech-heavy dad is essentially an absent father.
With that said, a rival tech guy aims to steal a very important piece of technology from the kids’ dad. The kids get kidnapped, Hulk uses his brute force to get them back, and all becomes well. As you can see, the plot of this story doesn’t exactly scream “Academy Award-winning film.”
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1994: Car 54, Where Are You? (2.5/10)
This film was actually an adaptation of a sitcom which ran more than 30 years prior. On the surface, this cast actually had some promise. Fran Drescher (The Nanny), John C. McGinley (Scrubs), Jeremy Piven (Entourage), Tone Loc, Penn and Teller, and Rosie O’Donnell were all a part of the ensemble.
Let’s just say that the television show was far better, far funnier, and much better from an execution standpoint. The film was a mess — from its script to over-the-top unfunny acting performances. Fortunately for many of these performers, this movie didn’t derail their future careers in the business.
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1995: Werewolf (1.6/10)
If you like the mythical creature that is the werewolf, I guess you’ll find this B-horror flick entertaining? An archaeological dig turns deadly when one of the participants morphs into a werewolf after being ‘scratched’ by the skeleton. As you’d expect, more people within the film also turn into the feral animal — where the goal is to attack and kill.
One genius (this is said sarcastically for those following) decided to try and capture one of them in order to profit off of it via some planned exhibition. Guess how that turned out? Also — there’s even a storyline where two werewolves fall in love. Sounds captivating, right?
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1996: Merlin’s Shop of Mystical Wonders (2/10)
Ernest Borgnine is a national treasure. He’s had a wonderful acting career which spanned over 50 years. Though no fault of his own, this was not one of his better movies. In fact, it was a colossal dumpster fire of a picture. This was a horror film broken up into two vignettes — where the whimsical fun nature of Merlin was replaced with some depressing stuff.
Without getting too much into the weeds of the story, there are some intended twists and turns along the way which are aimed to shock the audience. We aren’t so sure if they shocked as opposed to confused those who watched. Also — why does Merlin operate a store in what was present-day 1996?
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1997: Pocket Ninjas (1.4/10)
Though made in 1994, it wasn’t released to audiences domestically until 1997. In all actuality, maybe it shouldn’t have been released at all considering the 1.4/10 IMDb users have given the film. Robert Z’Dar is the noteworthy actor here — as most of his career was spent starring in martial arts-based/action films. This specific movie was thought to be made for children and families.
Many of these ‘actors’ are not trained, and it shows very visibly. The production and sound quality of the film is also objectively poor. Calling this movie a ‘trainwreck’ might be putting it too nicely.
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1998: Die Hard Dracula (1.7/10)
We’ve seen countless examples and iterations of Dracula-based movies throughout the years. Some have been good, some have been mediocre, and some have been atrocious. Based upon the IMDB ratings of users, this movie falls in the latter category.
It was a low budget film which aspired to be horror-esque in nature — yet somehow evolved midway through into a comedy. The set design was — shall we say — problematic. When then delving into the storylines and dialogue, it’s a total mess.
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1999: Baby Geniuses (2.5/10)
This is a movie which shouldn’t have been made (for a myriad of reasons). The whole talking-baby thing had a brief moment of popularity (primarily through commercials). Well, there were multiple attempts to transform those into television pilots and films. Shocker: None panned out well!
Baby Geniuses actually did feature some big actors (Kathleen Turner, Kim Cattrall, Christopher Lloyd, Peter MacNicol, Dom DeLouise). That’s where the credibility ended. Who thought it be a good idea to have a plot revolving around talking baby geniuses who stage a coup to escape a lab run by fully grown adults? It’s even better when toddlers take down fully-grown men via the usage of karate moves.
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2000: Da Hip Hop Witch (1.4/10)
I mean…with a title Da Hip Hop Witch, you at least have to give this movie a viewing. It’s even better when considering the who’s who of rapper talent appearing in the film. This was largely a spoof of The Blair Witch Project with guerilla-like filming techniques.
The whole premise revolves around a supernatural entity which attacks rappers. Featuring real-life rappers, surely the movie was made with the hopes that the real-life personalities would draw some revenue. Reportedly, Eminem’s legal team tried to get his scenes removed from the movie before being released. Whether this corresponded with his newfound fame — or the fact he didn’t want to be attached to this project — who knows.
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2001: Glitter (2.3/10)
On paper, this movie had a chance to work. Mariah Carey is highly popular and wickedly talented. Whenever she has a chance to display her phenomenal vocal talents, people stop and listen. This film was supposed to showcase her range as a performer. Even Da Brat and Terrence Howard couldn’t help save this film from being an unmitigated disaster.
Fun fact: Padma Lakshmi (of Top Chef) had a supporting role in this film. It was supposed to be a love story mixed with music. Instead we received something that was clunky and uninspiring.
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2002: Ben & Arthur (1.8/10)
This movie was equally as bizarre as it is strange. We see a gay couple who hope to be married legally in Hawaii. Things don’t pan out, and one of the men is forced to seek financial help from his estranged brother (who is very much against homosexuality).
Well, the brother is somehow kicked out of his church over affiliation with his gay brother. As a means to reenter the church, he seeks the help of his local Priest — who will readmit him assuming he hires a hitman to kill his brother and his brother’s lover. Even more strange, the Priest is the one to recommend said hitman which has been used in the past to kill other gay individuals. There are more plot points not even worth delving into. As you’d suspect, it was universally panned as a horrible movie.
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2003: From Justin to Kelly (1.9/10)
You probably remember this film — if for nothing else this was the time period in which American Idol really took off as a massive hit. Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini were two products of the competition show. Both were immensely well-liked, and thus had big followings. As such, Hollywood decided to combine their likability factor with their singing talents.
It was not a great idea! The film lacked depth, and even more so a credible script. Things were forced, songs were sung, and beach party stereotypes were enforced. On a budget of $12 million, the film made less than $5 million in total.
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2004: Superbabies — Baby Geniuses 2 (1.5/10)
Yes, they actually made a sequel to the original movie. This time, it stars Jon Voight, Scott Baio, Justin Chatwin, and Vanessa Angel. Again we have a figurehead trying to ‘translate baby talk’ with the hopes some sort of advantage can be achieved. One baby in particular has superhuman powers which he then proceeds to bestow to a group of other babies.
The leader of the super babies has a goal of rescuing all other orphanage babies around the world so they can escape and live their lives…as babies? Then, somehow Voight is the television villain hoping to manipulate all babies and kids to stay inside with some complicated hypnotizing act. Yeah…we’re confused, too.
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2005: Son of the Mask (2.2/10)
There are some movies which should just be left alone as singular entities. Trying to recreate the initial magic with sequels can be really foolish. Case-in point this choice. Son of the Mark was technically a follow-up to Jim Carrey’s beloved The Mask. The late Bob Hoskins, Jamie Kennedy, Kal Penn, and Alan Cumming all were a part of this film.
Even with those talents, it was a disaster. It got horrible reviews from most of the major media publications. Along with that, it certainly didn’t live up to the original’s expectations set forth by Carrey. It was a jumbled, convoluted script with little in the way of enjoyment.
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2006: Pledge This! (1.6/10)
Remember when Paris Hilton was a thing? By thing we mean one of the pioneers in ushering in the reality TV movement. To her credit she was highly popular (and continues to have a following to this day). Pledge This! is a National Lampoon’s film. You know what you’re going to get with this — especially when set in college/revolving around sorority life.
The tropes, gags, jokes, and stereotypes are laid on very thick in this film. Of course, so is the bad acting. Interestingly enough, this movie did feature a handful of people who’ve gone on to enjoy solid careers in Hollywood. We’re talking about Paula Garces, Carmen Electra, Simon Rex, Geoffrey Arend, and Sofia Vergara (yes, from Modern Family).
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2007: Transmorphers (1.6/10)
This isn’t the Shia LaBeouf/Megan Fox gem Transformers. Rather, it’s Transmorphers — a Sci-Fi movie starring a cast of people you’ve probably never heard of before. Whenever you’ve got a low-budget movie attempting to utilize CGI-like qualities without the actual big-move funding, things can get dicey.
It takes the most obvious angles of all robot vs. humanity movies we’ve seen leading up to this one…and just fails to come close to showing any semblance of authenticity. Do yourself a favor and stick to the Transformers series (even the one starring Mark Wahlberg).
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2008: Disaster Movie (1.9/10)
If you’re paying attention to the image below, you’ll see that Kim Kardashian actually starred in this movie right around when she first became a massive global icon. Still, even Kim couldn’t prevent this film from living up to its name. Essentially it was one of those spoofs hoping to mimic popular trends of the time — whether it be high school movies, slasher films, and the usage of an ensemble celebrity-driven cast.
Even though the film technically did make money, it truly is hard to watch. The forced nature of gag jokes and dialogue insults even the most immature of people. It managed to get viewers based upon its cast (Kardashian, Carmen Electra, Vanessa Minnillo, Ike Barinholtz, Nicole Parker). Still, this isn’t a cinematic masterpiece by any stretch.
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2009: Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience (1.6/10)
We were surprised to see this flick rated so lowly. We’re guessing that opponents of the band flooded the voting process with negative reviews. Regardless, the brothers Jonas continue to be a highly-popular entity today — whether it be by singing, acting, or hosting shows.
This was shot as a documentary-style project. It followed the family during one of their major tours the year prior. People criticized it for not being more inclusive of those who aren’t huge fans of the band. But truthfully, if you’re not a huge fan of the band, why would you watch this in the first place?
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2010: Titanic II (1.6/10)
Did you know Titanic actually had a sequel?! Well, it’s not technically a sequel to James Cameron’s masterpiece. It’s another one of those ill-fated disaster movies in which a boat crash (spoiler!) is used as the primary antagonist.
Veteran actor Bruce Davison is likely the most well-known member of the film. Brooke Burns is also a prominent individual in the movie. Still, those two couldn’t save a plot which included people riding on a Titanic-like boat during the 100th anniversary of its initial launch. As fate would have it, natural disasters in the form of icebergs and tsunamis would make this journey an unpleasant one.
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2011: Justin Bieber — Rise to Fame (1.0/10)
Similar to the Jonas Brothers, we suspect that this rating has been largely accomplished by those who don’t find Bieber overly appealing. Still, we can’t deny the talent this man has — from his voice to his ability to play virtually any instrument. We also give Bieber credit for building such a lucrative empire before he’s even hit the age of 30.
As the title of the project would suggest, this film speaks about Bieber’s rise from being an obscure musician in Canada to being one of the most recognizable figures on the planet. For the record, he has multiple YouTube music videos with billions of views.
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2012: Foodfight! (1.3/10)
It’s very common nowadays for celebrities to go behind the mic and voice cartoons. The gig is much easier compared to shooting a feature film, and it can also be finished far quicker in comparison. Plus, there’s a huge market to tap into with merchandise, multi-film spin-offs, and all of the residuals (ask anyone voicing a Disney hit film). From the jump, Foodfight! just looks a bit off from an animation standpoint.
The plot of the movie is also a bit irregular, as cartoon food brands fight against an evil supermarket conglomerate. Whomever thought this would appeal to kids must’ve not done their research. The obvious product placement took away from the film’s shaky script and unappealing vibe. It was a colossal failure despite featuring voiceover work from Eva Longoria, Charlie Sheen, Christopher Lloyd, Hilary Duff, and Wayne Brady.
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2013: Birdemic 2: The Resurrection (1.5/10)
It’s hard to believe that there was an original one made with the decision to double up on the proverbial fun. You’ve got your classic B-horror low-budget fare, with an apocalyptic bird attack targeting those living in Los Angeles.
Not only that, but somehow zombies and killer cavemen are brought into the mix. The director/writer’s aim was actually to bring awareness to global warming (which is noble). The movie also happened to be show in 3D. Suffice it to say, but this wasn’t a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination.
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2014: Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas (1.3/10)
Kirk Cameron was once the wisecracking, charming Mike Seaver from the family friendly sitcom Growing Pains. As his career has progressed, his focus has become far more faith-based in nature. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. His projects seem to have smaller budgets than others, and they are more dialogue-driven rather than relying on CGI and other Hollywood tricks.
Without saying anything negative about the film, it’s best that you find the trailer somewhere and watch it for yourself. From there, you can make a judgment as to whether it’s something you’d tune into.
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2015: American Poltergeist (2/10)
Ah look — another horror movie! This time we’re treated to a film centered around a creepy house, scary dreams, and the eventual realization that these dreams are more real than they are manifestations of the subconscious. The cast is rather anonymous when it comes to star power, or even a single noteworthy actor. That’s not what essentially dooms the film.
Those who’ve written reviews of the film on IMDB lament over poor direction, an even worse script, questionable acting, and a watery plot. Some also have been critical over the glacial pace present within the movie as a whole.
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2016: Independents’ Day (2.1/10)
This film is not directly tied to Independence Day and its following sequel. Though clearly, it is somewhat functioning as a clear parallel to the Hollywood blockbuster from the mid-90s. This is a classic case of humanity versus alien interruption. Though according to the plot, the aliens actually want to rehabilitate sick humans and offer them passage to another planet far away from what they deem as a dangerous present world on Earth.
Maybe there’s some element of a lesson behind the filmmakers trying to illustrate the tough situations we actually face currently. Regardless, it’s hard to fully illuminate that presence using this platform. Clearly those who watched and voted on the movie agreed. The poor CGI also didn’t help its case very much.
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2017: The Emoji Movie (3.3/10)
The usage of emojis may translate on iPhones, non-iPhones, and all Apple products. Alas, we did learn that it certainly couldn’t live up to its collective billing on the silver screen. Even as a cartoon for kids, this movie bombed from a quality standpoint. It actually managed to make over $200 million at the box office.
As a film, however, many found it to be repulsive. The prospect of building a plot around emojis seemed difficult from the jump — and it proved to be indeed challenging. No one found the writing to be transcendent, and it clearly struggle when put up versus other animated films from the period. Even worse, it wasted the vocal talents of a star-studded cast (Maya Rudolph, James Corden, Christian Aguilera, Jennifer Coolidge, Patrick Stewart, Anna Faris, Sofia Vergara, Rachael Ray, Rob Riggle, Jeff Ross).
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2018: Slender Man (3.2/10)
Joey King and Julia Goldani Telles were the stars of this horror production. The titular villain is a creepy character who is brought to life by four teens who summon him. One of the girls disappears, and the hunt is now on to try and get her back. By this point, you can probably guess where the story is headed.
As each girl gets picked off one by one, the tone of the movie remains somewhat dull. There’s nothing really inventive about the film. It tries to cling onto many themes of more successful projects rooted in the genre. However, it isn’t really able to get there (hence its incredibly low rating).
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2019: Loqueesha (1.5/10)
This is a ridiculous movie with a ridiculous premise. It’s actually shocking to think that it got made within the last few years. A Caucasian bartender can’t get his own radio talk show, so he pretends to be an African-American woman over the radio — eventually getting his own program. Of course, the local area can’t get enough of his show — and the man attempts at all costs to keep his identity hidden so he can pay for his son’s pricey private school.
The stereotypical voice used by the main actor is both offensive and racist in nature. The acting is terrible, and the script is horrific. Do yourself a favor and skip this controversial movie.
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2020: Jiu Jitsu (2.9/10)
It’s hard to knock any movie starring Nic Cage. It doesn’t even matter what the story is about or if the script is well written. Cage steals practically every scene he’s in. Jiu Jitsu, however, was objectively not a great movie. The fate of mankind is hanging in the proverbial balance as a wounded Cage must relearn his karate background before squaring off with an Alien who’s trying to take over the planet.
Being a low-budget movie, there are a number of visible goofs as it pertains to the stunt work and everything else. It cheaply stole elements from other films, and was rather unabashed about it. Suffice it to say, it didn’t earn a ton of fans in the process.
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2021: Karen (2.8/10)
This actually is a somewhat interesting presence, though it lacked the execution. We have a commentary here on a ‘Karen’ (played by Taryn Manning) — a Caucasian woman living in the deep South who doesn’t like the fact that an African-American couple has moved into her neighborhood.
As such, she does everything in her power to make her neighbors’ lives miserable. She even gets her cop brother involved in the plot to get the couple away from the area. We get the aim here, which is to show an unhinged racist person depicting the real-life version (whom many refer to as a ‘Karen’). However, it just wasn’t done in a way which people enjoyed (as evidenced by the ratings on IMDb).
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2022: 365 Days — This Day (2.6/10)
This is technically a sequel of a trilogy series originally crafted after a group of novels. It’s also the first Netflix original movie featured on this list (and likely won’t be the last as the platform produces more films). It’s a love story at its core, featuring elements of deceit, organized crime, misunderstanding, and everything you’d encounter in a bad over-the-top soap opera.
It’s also technically classified as an erotic film — though the flimsy premise really doesn’t do the film any favors.
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