25 of the most universally despised films ever made Sofia VossWed, July 8, 2026 at 1:45 PM UTC 58 Actors Christopher Reeve and Mariel Hemingway dance during filming of 'Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.' The 25 most widely watched but universally hated movies of all time Every now and again, Hollywood turns out a film that just about everyone loves to hate. In 2025, movie watchers panned flops like "War of the Worlds," the liveaction remake of "Snow White," and "The Electric State.
25 of the most universally despised films ever made
Sofia VossWed, July 8, 2026 at 1:45 PM UTC
58
Actors Christopher Reeve and Mariel Hemingway dance during filming of 'Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.' -
The 25 most widely watched but universally hated movies of all time
Every now and again, Hollywood turns out a film that just about everyone loves to hate. In 2025, movie watchers panned flops like "War of the Worlds," the live-action remake of "Snow White," and "The Electric State." Despite having A-list stars like Ice Cube, backing from a major studio like Disney, or established directors like the Russo brothers, these films still managed to disappoint critics and audiences alike. All three of the aforementioned movies were up for the dubious honor of Worst Picture at the 2026 Golden Raspberry Awards—better known as the Razzies—but on March 14, 2026, it was "War of the Worlds" and Ice Cube who earned the top ignominious trophies.
Notably, many universally disliked movies are either sequels or adaptations, proving that attempts at continuing franchises often fall flat on their faces. For example, Maggie Gyllenhaal's 2026 reimagining of the 1935 classic "The Bride of Frankenstein," simply titled "The Bride!", bombed at the box office and earned just 57% with critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, over the years, sequels and reboots have garnered enormous attention despite—or most often because of—their sheer terribleness.
In honor of truly despised bad cinema, Stacker has accumulated a list of the most widely watched but universally hated movies of all time. For the data, Stacker searched IMDb for movies with over 50,000 user ratings and ranked the top 25 films, counting down from worse to worst. Ties were broken by votes.
You will find plenty of franchise entries on this list, along with multiple examples of video game adaptations. With that said, some of these movies still have their fair share of fans today, an important reminder that some of the movies critics consider the worst are far from hated when it comes to everyone else.
Without further delay, here are the most widely watched but universally hated movies of all time.
Eddie Murphy in ‘Norbit’. -
#25. Norbit (2007)
- Director: Brian Robbins - IMDb user rating: 4.1 - Metascore: 27 - Runtime: 102 minutes
In 2008, "Norbit" was simultaneously nominated for eight different Golden Raspberry Awards (Razzies), including Worst Actor, Worst Director, and Worst Picture, while also being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Makeup. The comedy stars Eddie Murphy as Norbit, a likable orphan; Murphy as Rasputia, Norbit's overweight wife; and Murphy as Mr. Wong, an orphanage owner. While Murphy is undeniably funny, The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the comedy of the film features "painfully predictable jokes [that] revolve around just about every lame stereotype in the book."
Jean-Claude Van Damme in a scene from ‘Street Fighter’. -
#24. Street Fighter (1994)
- Director: Steven E. de Souza - IMDb user rating: 4.0 - Metascore: 34 - Runtime: 102 minutes
"Street Fighter" was another video game adaptation of the '90s, but unfortunately, this film was received as poorly as the infamous "Super Mario Bros." a year prior. Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as Colonel Guile, a hero of the Allied Forces, "Street Fighter" tracks the rise of the evil General Bison (Raul Julia), who blackmails the government for $20 billion. The film's tone strays from the game, coming across as campy in both humor and visuals, which only ostracizes its core audience—however, Julia's performance is leagues above those of his co-stars and makes the film almost worth watching.
Mike Myers in 'The Cat in the Hat.' -
#23. The Cat in the Hat (2003)
- Director: Bo Welch - IMDb user rating: 4.0 - Metascore: 19 - Runtime: 82 minutes
Shortly after Ron Howard's "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" came this obnoxious Dr. Seuss adaptation from Bo Welch. The former was box office gold. The latter was a critical flop, with the Golden Raspberry Award to show for it. Lauded primarily for its crude content, over-the-top performances, and ADD-like pacing, it butchered the story's legacy in more or less every single frame.
Noah Ringer in 'The Last Airbender.' -
#22. The Last Airbender (2010)
- Director: M. Night Shyamalan - IMDb user rating: 4.0 - Metascore: 20 - Runtime: 103 minutes
M. Night Shyamalan's "The Last Airbender" represented a departure for the director, best known for thrillers with twist endings. Yet it still fell into many of the same traps as his worst efforts to date. Among the gravest offenses was that, despite an intriguing premise and visually enticing trailer, the film was utterly boring.
Sandra Bullock and Jason Patric in ‘Speed 2: Cruise Control’. -
#21. Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)
- Director: Jan de Bont - IMDb user rating: 3.9 - Metascore: 23 - Runtime: 121 minutes
The absence of Keanu Reeves was greatly felt in this maligned sequel, which put the action at sea and relied on far too many cliches. Pair that with blatantly bad dialogue, and you end up with a movie that should have called it quits as soon as Reeves did.
Mike Myers, Jessica Alba, and Manu Narayan in ‘The Love Guru’. -
#20. The Love Guru (2008)
- Director: Marco Schnabel - IMDb user rating: 3.8 - Metascore: 24 - Runtime: 87 minutes
"The Love Guru" has its place in the quirky-character-played-by-Mike-Myers canon, although unlike "Austin Powers," this installment fell flat on its face. Myers plays Guru Pitka, a spiritual leader trained in India despite his American heritage, who becomes involved with the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team to fix the star player's failed marriage. The plot was buried beneath layers and layers of sex-based jokes. There were a surprising amount of bigger-name actors in the film, including Sir Ben Kingsley, Jessica Alba, Justin Timberlake, and of course, uncomfortable cameos from Val Kilmer and Mariska Hargitay.
Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder in 'Superman IV.' -
#19. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
- Director: Sidney J. Furie - IMDb user rating: 3.7 - Metascore: 24 - Runtime: 90 minutes
Middle-aged adults who enjoyed this film as kids are in for quite the disappointment should they choose to revisit it. Loaded with bad special effects, it pits the titular man of steel (Christopher Reeve) against a radioactive nemesis named Nuclear Man. Anyone not wearing Superman underwear has no excuse for sticking around until the end credits.
Nicolas Cage and Molly Parker in ‘The Wicker Man’. -
#18. The Wicker Man (2006)
- Director: Neil LaBute - IMDb user rating: 3.7 - Metascore: 36 - Runtime: 102 minutes
The original "The Wicker Man" from 1973 earned its place in cinema history as an exemplary piece of folk horror—2006's "The Wicker Man," however, falls flat as horror and instead becomes a lackluster dig at other religions. The basic plot between the two is the same: a young girl goes missing on an isolated island, and the protagonist comes to investigate. LaBute's film stars Nicolas Cage, the officer in search of a young girl. His performance in the film is notoriously unhinged, leading to his character's quote, "No, not the bees! Not the bees!" becoming an internet meme.
Alicia Silverstone, George Clooney and Chris O'Donnell in a scene from ‘Batman & Robin’. -
#17. Batman & Robin (1997)
- Director: Joel Schumacher - IMDb user rating: 3.7 - Metascore: 28 - Runtime: 125 minutes
"Batman & Robin" is the fourth installment in the '90s "Batman" series, yet it has a distinctly different tone than Tim Burton's first two films. Joel Schumacher's vision opted for the colorful stylized camp of the superhero's 1960s television show as opposed to the darker violent world of Burton—one has to imagine this change was to make the film more marketable to all ages. Unfortunately, this film failed to perform upon release and was destroyed critically, causing this franchise to come to a grinding halt until eight years later when Christian Bale's version of the anti-hero restored the franchise's viability.
Musetta Vander in a scene from 'Mortal Kombat: Annihilation’ -
#16. Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997)
- Director: John R. Leonetti - IMDb user rating: 3.6 - Metascore: 11 - Runtime: 95 minutes
By staying true to its source, 1995's "Mortal Kombat" was among the better video game-to-film adaptations of its time. The sequel, however, was a pure cash grab brimming with bad graphics and redundant action sequences. Extreme fighting never felt so monotonous as it does here, no matter how much cheesy electronic music is involved.
Tommy Wiseau in 'The Room.' -
#15. The Room (2003)
- Director: Tommy Wiseau - IMDb user rating: 3.6 - Metascore: 9 - Runtime: 99 minutes
Tommy Wiseau's famous folly is shrouded in mystery, such as how it ever found an audience. The story involves a sex-packed love triangle between three urban dwellers or something like that. Bankrolled by Wiseau himself, it grossed just $5.3 million worldwide according to Box Office Mojo.
Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan in a scene from 'Scary Movie V.' -
#14. Scary Movie V (2013)
- Directors: Malcolm D. Lee, David Zucker - IMDb user rating: 3.5 - Metascore: 11 - Runtime: 86 minutes
Advertisement
The "Scary Movie" franchise reached an embarrassing nadir with this crude collage of cheap pop culture references. Parodying "Paranormal Activity" and other horror flicks, it conjures neither scares nor laughs. What isscary is that the film earned just under $80 million at the worldwide box office.
An animated frame from 'The Emoji Movie.' -
#13. The Emoji Movie (2017)
- Director: Tony Leondis - IMDb user rating: 3.4 - Metascore: 12 - Runtime: 86 minutes
As it turns out, movies featuring talking emojis don't make for the greatest of films. "The Emoji Movie" learned that the hard way, evidenced by its ultra-low IMDB score of 3.4. According to actor T.J. Miller, it was the "fastest-produced animated film in history." Well, it showed.
Halle Berry in 'Catwoman.' -
#12. Catwoman (2004)
- Director: Pitof - IMDb user rating: 3.4 - Metascore: 27 - Runtime: 104 minutes
Halle Berry's star power wasn't enough to save this action flick from the doldrums of bad moviemaking. Thanks to inane dialogue and clunky directing, the naughty comic book character landed on the screen with a dull thud. Berry regrets nothing and certainly not the paycheck.
Adam Sandler and Katie Holmes in a scene from 'Jack and Jill.' -
#11. Jack and Jill (2011)
- Director: Dennis Dugan - IMDb user rating: 3.3 - Metascore: 23 - Runtime: 91 minutes
No stranger to making terrible movies for lots of money, Adam Sandler delivered his worst one to date. Tackling dual roles, he plays both a middle-of-the-road family man and the man's overbearing sister. Films don't get much more cloying than this one.
Anna-Maria Sieklucka and Michele Morrone in ‘365 Days’. -
#10. 365 Days (2020)
- Directors: Barbara Bialowas, Tomasz Mandes - IMDb user rating: 3.3 - Metascore: data not available - Runtime: 114 minutes
In what seems to be a twisted version of the fairytale "Beauty and the Beast," Netflix's "365 Days" follows a woman named Laura (Anna-Maria Sieklucka) getting kidnapped by Mafia lord Massimo (Michele Morrone) for 365 days until she falls in love with him. This is no thriller, however, and is instead billed as a sensual romance frequently compared to the "Fifty Shades of Gray" franchise, except with more graphic nudity and sexual assault. "365 Days'' broke several Netflix records due to the sheer amount of people watching across the globe, but is still one of the only movies to ever receive a zero in critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.
Taylor Swift in 'Cats.' -
#9. Cats (2019)
- Director: Tom Hooper - IMDb user rating: 2.8 - Metascore: 32 - Runtime: 110 minutes
Based on an award-winning musical, this epic misfire depicts a humanlike cat tribe and their bizarre annual tradition. Something called "digital fur technology" helped turn the actors into cats and set the stage for a disastrous marketing rollout. The only viewers who weren't disappointed were the ones who went in expecting awfulness...and even they had occasional complaints.
Adam Campbell and Alyson Hannigan in a scene from 'Date Movie.' -
#8. Date Movie (2006)
- Directors: Aaron Seltzer, Jason Friedberg - IMDb user rating: 2.8 - Metascore: 11 - Runtime: 83 minutes
There was once a time when parodies were actually funny. The 2000s was not that time. Take "Date Movie" for instance, which puts romantic comedies in its crosshairs and misses the target by a wide margin. Despite the poor reviews, it still took in nearly $50 million at the domestic box office on an estimated budget of $20 million.
Actors perform a scene from 'Meet the Spartans.' -
#7. Meet the Spartans (2008)
- Directors: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer - IMDb user rating: 2.8 - Metascore: 9 - Runtime: 87 minutes
Poking fun at movies like "300" and other sword-and-sandal epics, "Meet the Spartans" is yet another sterile parody from Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. In addition to the obvious homages, it freely tosses in a healthy mix of pop culture references. Naturally, it made money.
Sharad Kelkar in ‘Laxmii’. -
#6. Laxmii (2020)
- Directors: Raghava Lawrence, Balakrishnan Thevar - IMDb user rating: 2.5 - Metascore: data not available - Runtime: 141 minutes
While "Laxmii" should be acknowledged for foregrounding a transgender character/storyline, which is especially rare in Hindi cinema, the film is not a golden standard of representation. "Laxmii" is a horror comedy following a decidedly skeptical man named Asif (Akshay Kumar) who becomes possessed by Laxmii, a transgender woman insistent on revenge. This film fails to hit both its comedic beats and its scary beats, and the plot is weakened by unnecessary side stories and weak dialogue, making it a difficult watch despite its best intentions.
Emmy Rossum and Justin Chatwin in ‘Dragonball Evolution’. -
#5. Dragonball Evolution (2009)
- Director: James Wong - IMDb user rating: 2.5 - Metascore: 45 - Runtime: 85 minutes
Based on the popular Japanese manga "Dragon Ball," "Dragonball Evolution" had big shoes to fill and a loyal yet protectivefanbase to satisfy: needless to say, because it's on this list, it failed. Most notably, "Dragonball Evolution" whitewashed the characters, with the protagonist Goku, the side character Bulma, and the antagonist King Piccolo all being played by white actors. While there are several prominent Asian characters, they're forced to exist within the somewhat racist world of Asian stereotypes—not aided by the clunky dialogue and poorly-executed action sequences.
John Travolta in ‘Battlefield Earth’. -
#4. Battlefield Earth (2000)
- Director: Roger Christian - IMDb user rating: 2.5 - Metascore: 9 - Runtime: 118 minutes
John Travolta didn't do Scientology any favors when he produced and starred in 2000's epic failure, "Battlefield Earth." The movie deals with mankind's enslavement to a futuristic alien race. Ultimately, it was the audience who felt tortured.
Actors perform in a scene from 'Epic Movie.' -
#3. Epic Movie (2007)
- Directors: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer - IMDb user rating: 2.4 - Metascore: 17 - Runtime: 86 minutes
Like all the other parodies from Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, "Epic Movie" earns its terrible reputation one lame joke at a time. It takes on the big franchises of its era and musters nary a laugh. Future historians might one day see this abomination and wonder if our society was suffering from some sort of cultural dementia. Then they'll notice that "Epic Movie" actually made money and have their suspicions confirmed.
Jamie Kennedy in 'Son of the Mask.' -
#2. Son of the Mask (2005)
- Director: Lawrence Guterman - IMDb user rating: 2.2 - Metascore: 20 - Runtime: 94 minutes
They say like father, like son, but "Son of the Mask" argues otherwise. The aggressively stupid sequel to 1994's "The Mask" sees Jamie Kennedy trying to fill Jim Carrey's shoes and failing miserably. No cult following in the world can put this box office dud in the black.
Actors perform a scene from 'Disaster Movie.' -
#1. Disaster Movie (2008)
- Directors: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer - IMDb user rating: 1.9 - Metascore: 15 - Runtime: 87 minutes
The team behind all the other insufferable 2000s parodies finally delivered a film worthy of its name: "Disaster Movie." This shoddy attempt at cinema tries to mock disaster flicks but mostly ends up mocking itself. An appearance by Kim Kardashian just makes a bad thing that much worse.
Data reporting by Lucas Hicks. Story editing by Carren Jao. Copy editing by Robert Wickwire. Photo selection by Elizabeth Ciano.
Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: Entertainment
Published: July 8, 2026 at 10:45PM on Source: RED MAG
#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle
