Bad movies get made for all sorts of reasons. Someone has a crazy idea, someone funds it, and it’s not good. However, this shortlist of off-the-wall feature films isn't just your average "bad movie" list, this is a "so-bad, its great" movie list.
Money is the driving factor behind most major productions, and sometimes no amount of dough is enough to save a script that should have never left the writer's desk.
Sometimes it’s the mediocre choice of actors that are cast, sometimes it's the crappy visual effects or unbelievable dialogue, and sometimes it's all of the above. Movies this bad, typically have a quirk about them that sets them apart from other films. The over-the-top acting, the set or costume design, a relatable theme or plot line are the reason movies like these are ahead of their time. If we look past some of the blemishes, there is a good movie under there, somewhere. Well, maybe not always.
So without further ado, here is our list of bad movies that are actually good.
1. Hoodwinked (2005)
A surprisingly good movie. You truly must suspend your disbelief for this one and just give it a chance. Little Red (Anne Hathaway) embarks on an intense adventure to uncover the true mystery behind who has been stealing recipes from her grandmother’s bakery. The unexpected beauty in this film is the underlying message about capitalism and escaping middle-class America.
2. The Fountain (2006)
An epic romantic drama with serious budget issues, part of the reason this movie did not do well. Three separate storylines are interwoven to create a story about a man (Hugh Jackman) on a search for immortality and the inevitable loss of his wife (Rachel Weisz). This movie explores interesting themes of universal patterns and love that transcends time and space if you can get past the unfocused, hokey writing.
3. The Wicker Man (2006)
A remake of the 1973 movie, and a truly terrible one at that. A cop (Nic Cage) and his ex (Kate Beahan) search for their missing daughter who was kidnapped by neo-pagans. The best way to enjoy this movie is to get drunk and laugh at the unintentionally hilarious overacting from Nic Cage.
4. Jupiter Ascending (2015)
From the creators of The Matrix, this film revolves around Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) as she grapples with her newfound destiny to save the universe with her “unlikely” partner Channing Tatum. This sci-fi movie is held up by the beautifully crafted interstellar world. It’s a huge world, over the top and sometimes incoherent, but beautiful. A great sci-fi movie to make you go, what is going on?
5. The Happening (2008)
This movie has an interesting plot that examines grief and mental health. People inexplicably start committing suicide all over the world. Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg), a plant scientist, makes it his mission to find out what is happening. It could be the unbelievability of Wahlberg as a scientist, but this movie just missed the mark. What could have been an amazing story was cut short by bad acting. Also starring Zooey Deschanel.
6. Deep Blue Sea (1999)
Watch this movie for LL Cool J alone. A team of research scientists are in an underwater facility trying to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease when multiple genetically engineered sharks go berserk in a blood-thirsty rage, destroying the facility. A wild adventure that received two subsequent films. A great movie for suspense and unanticipated humor.
7. The Core (2003)
A sci-fi disaster. Another team of scientists drill to the center of the earth to restart the rotation of the Earth’s core. A truly intense film with terrible writing on top of terrible acting. This movie wants to be good so bad. It has so much potential but falls short with its bumbling and confusing plot. It’s a good film if you’re out of anything sci-fi to watch.
8. Con Air (1997)
With an insane cast, you would assume this movie is amazing: John Cusack, John Malkovich, Steve Buscemi. Ving Rhames?! All packed into this action thriller about Cameron Poe (Nic Cage) as he finds himself trapped on a transport plane that has been hijacked by the very prisoners it was transporting. The all-star cast made this movie a monetary success, but the overstated subject matter ultimately confused people, as well as Nic Cage’s yelling.
9. Waterworld (1995)
One of the best, terrible post-apocalyptic movies ever made, also one of the most expensive. It brings an interesting idea about a future where our planet is covered in water. Kevin Costner stars in this epic journey about love and perseverance in a future that is not unlike one that is predicted. The uninteresting dialogue drives home the image of a planet ravaged by global warming and the effects it has on a population.
10. Demolition Man (1993)
John Spartan (Sylvester Stallone) is on a manhunt for the deadliest crime lord on earth, Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes) in this sci-fi action movie. Many people praise this film as one of Stallone’s best, but what makes this movie terrible is the excessive violence and explosions, which detract from the interesting social commentary the movie is trying to portray. A great movie with a pointless and empty plot.
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