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From shameless cash grabs to CGI nightmares, these recent movies made us wish we'd stayed home! Join us as we count down the cinematic disasters that have plagued theaters since 2020. From Disney's soulless remakes to bizarre horror reboots and Marvel misfires, these films remind us that big budgets don't guarantee quality.
Transcript
00:00You had a lot of other suitors, didn't you?
00:02Yeah.
00:03You know, the whole near-death thing is very, very chic.
00:08Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at the films that have stunk up the big screen since the beginning
00:13of the 2020s.
00:14You guys, this is so freaky.
00:16Who are you? What is going on?
00:21I can see the future.
00:24Number 20, Pinocchio.
00:26I see a lost soul, an insect of no fixed address, an aimless vagabond hopping from hearth to hearth, with
00:33no direction, no job, no prospects, and no purpose in life.
00:36By the start of the decade, Disney dove all in on live-action remakes of its animated classics.
00:41Suffice it to say, the results have been incredibly mixed.
00:44With names like Tom Hanks and Robert Zemeckis attached, Pinocchio was pushed as a major prestige event, only to sink
00:50on arrival.
00:50Slammed by both fans and critics, the remake lacks the heart and soul of the original.
00:55The flat, lifeless color grading that's plagued other Disney remakes only makes things worse, as each scene appears just as
01:01stiff and artificial as its wooden protagonist.
01:03With the misfortune of arriving in the same year as Guillermo del Toro's Oscar-winning epic, the Disney version became
01:08a textbook example of how not to make a beloved classic.
01:11What's happening, Jiminy?
01:14Looks like some sort of fairy magic.
01:17Kind of on the nose, if you ask me.
01:19Number 19, Snow White.
01:20You were saying...
01:23It's just...
01:25Your Majesty, people are struggling.
01:28And it may not be much, but when I was young, my parents and I would pick apples.
01:34We'd take them and make pies and go out into the village.
01:37Pies?
01:37Pies are luxuries. They don't need luxuries.
01:40Amazing Spider-Man director Mark Webb's live-action Snow White staggered into cinemas already bleeding from a thousand controversies.
01:47These include, but definitely aren't limited to, Rachel Zegler's perceived jabs at the 1937 classic, and Israeli star Gal Gadot's
01:55participation amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
01:57It's a human.
01:58Well, yes, what did you think I was?
02:00Nothing.
02:01Ghost?
02:02Well, where did you come from?
02:03Are you hungry? Can we be friends?
02:05Well, what's your name?
02:06Why is everyone being so cordial?
02:07The only human things that come into the forest anymore are bandits who claim to fight the king's name.
02:13None of that would have mattered had the film actually worked, but it doesn't.
02:17Webb's Snow White suffers from uncanny CGI, flat musical numbers, and a script so sanitized, it strips the fairy tale
02:24of every trace of peril or wonder.
02:26However, saddled with a jaw-dropping near $300 million budget, Snow White clawed back only a little over $200 million
02:33worldwide, proving that even Disney magic can curdle when the apples rot into the core.
02:38I believe you're looking for me.
02:41As a matter of fact, I believe it is you who's looking for me.
02:47Number 18.
02:48Home Sweet Home Alone.
02:49Disney missing the mark with legacy franchises is clearly a recurring pattern this decade.
02:53Home Sweet Home Alone did little to reverse that reputation, reminding everyone exactly why the franchise should have stayed in
02:59the attic.
03:00We are doing this.
03:02We are doing it.
03:04We'll be in and out before you-
03:08This is not going well!
03:12Marketed as a successor to the originals, the film strips away most of the chaos, hilarity, and wholesome quality that
03:18made the series a holiday staple.
03:20Instead, we get a bratty protagonist, burglars who are somehow far more likable, and traps that don't even appear until
03:26well past the halfway point.
03:27The movie exists purely to cash in on its franchise name, leaving all of its feel-good charm firmly in
03:32the 90s.
03:33Ugh, this is garbage.
03:36I don't know why they're always trying to remake the classics.
03:39Never as good as the originals.
03:40Number 17.
03:42Joker Fully A Deux.
03:43There is no Joker.
03:47It's just me.
03:48Joaquin Phoenix's Oscar-winning original became a runaway hit, grossing over $1 billion at the worldwide box office.
03:55So how did the sequel follow up?
03:56By turning the Clown Prince of Crime story into a musical, of course.
03:59The social commentary about class struggles and equality is replaced by a jukebox soundtrack that drains every ounce of tension
04:05from each scene.
04:06If you thought that's bad, the film proves it can do much worse, having its titular character renounce everything that
04:12makes him who he is.
04:13Although intended as a bold subversion of audience expectations, Joker 2's careless disregard for fan investment undoes any illusion of
04:20brilliance it shoots for.
04:21All we had was the fantasy, and you gave up.
04:25Number 16.
04:26After We Fell.
04:27So what, is that it then?
04:30I mean, yeah.
04:34With a collective gross of nearly $170 million at the box office across five films, and with further in development,
04:40the After series keeps its dedicated fanbase coming back for more.
04:43But while we can't appreciate its audience's loyalty, each entry has still been ravaged by critics.
04:48By After We Fell, the franchise seems to have stopped trying altogether.
04:52Rather than focusing on any form of storytelling, the film is happier doubling as a teen erotic drama with the
04:57thinnest of plotlines.
04:58From its hilariously melodramatic tone to sloppy direction, it's as if the movie can't decide if it wants to be
05:04Dawson's Creek, She's All That, or both, and ends up being neither.
05:07Pardon me, Ms. Christian's son.
05:11Number 15.
05:12Megamind vs. The Doom Syndicate.
05:14What an unpleasant surprise!
05:17For over a decade, fans clamored for a Megamind sequel, but considering the film we got, they might have been
05:22better off simply waiting.
05:23By director Eric Fogel's own admission, the movie was made on a minuscule budget.
05:28Even then, it's hard not to wonder where all the money went.
05:30The absence of franchise star Will Ferrell is painfully noticeable, and the new Megamind seems more content trying to imitate
05:36Ferrell than acting character.
05:38Instead of a proper sequel, it plays out more like an episode from a bargain bin superhero TV series.
05:43Incredibly low effort from start to finish, it's no surprise the film conveniently serves as a launching pad for the
05:48series.
05:49Megamind rules.
05:50Chum, this is beyond embarrassing!
05:53Sorry, sir.
05:54Number 14.
05:55Doolittle.
05:56We've no choice but to embark on this perilous journey.
05:59For over a decade, Robert Downey Jr. ruled Hollywood thanks to his blockbuster run in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
06:05But all that goodwill nearly came undone with the abject failure of Doolittle.
06:09Despite a star-studded voice cast, the film devolves into juvenile humor aimed exclusively at the youngest of viewers.
06:15Although it tries to dazzle with big-budget visuals, it's hard to look past the over-the-top and friendly
06:20gross-out fart jokes posing as comedy.
06:22With a disastrous 15% Rotten Tomatoes rating and a reported $100 million loss, its failure even forced Downey to
06:29reconsider his career.
06:30It would take an Oscar-winning turn for 2023's Oppenheimer for the actor to fully restore his reputation, and for
06:35audiences to forgive him for ever attempting a Welsh accent.
06:38Don't embarrass me in front of the crew.
06:40I'm sparing you embarrassment.
06:43Number 13.
06:44Bridehard.
06:45You guys, tonight is going to be the best bachelorette party ever.
06:49Because it was organized by my oldest friend, Sam!
06:56Something's come up.
06:57I just have to go.
06:58What?
06:58Sam!
07:00Hey, boys and girls.
07:01Operations happening tonight.
07:02I'm going to get the package.
07:04Hey, remember how great Die Hard was?
07:06Or how Bridesmaids nailed cringey chaotic nuptials?
07:09Bridehard tries to fuse the two, and promptly trips over its train.
07:13Sorry to interrupt the happy occasion, folks.
07:15We're here for one reason.
07:17Hey, you are not supposed to be in here.
07:20Did I miss the wedding?
07:26Is this normal for an American wedding?
07:29Despite a stacked cast that includes Rebel Wilson, Honest Camp, and Klumski, as well as Oscar winner Divine Joy Randolph,
07:36this genre mashup is a tonal mess, lurching between slapstick and shootouts with all the grace of a tipsy maid
07:42of honor.
07:43Critics weren't fooled, either.
07:44William Bibiani of The Wrap called it a pile of celluloid chopped up randomly and reassembled.
07:50And it definitely shows.
07:51This one should have been left at the altar.
07:53I know I've let you down as a friend.
07:55I did kill a bunch of dudes for you.
07:59That means a lot to me.
08:04Right, how does this thing work?
08:05What? I thought Secret Agents knew how to drive everything.
08:08Not female Secret Agents!
08:10What? I'm just kidding.
08:11Oh, here we go!
08:12Number 12. Rebel Moon Part 2 The Scargiver.
08:15They should see there's no shame in our being here.
08:18It's not every day a film flops so badly that it cancels out the entire franchise.
08:22Conceived as a six-parter, the Rebel Moon series permanently hit the brakes with its second entry.
08:27After the original also sank with critics, The Scargiver was positioned as a change of course meant to steady the
08:32ship.
08:32Instead, the wildly inconsistent tone turned the space opera into a test of endurance, with audiences waiting across two hours
08:40for a payoff that never comes.
08:42With a blend of violence, provocativeness, and awkward messaging, The Scargiver doesn't exactly know what it's doing.
08:47Outside the most die-hard fans of Zack Snyder's directorial style, this is a movie that might be best understood
08:53by inhabitants of its own mother world.
08:55Is that right?
08:58We'll see.
09:00When the job is done.
09:02Number 11. Jeepers Creepers Reborn
09:07Despite a sequel hook at the end of the second and third films, the Jeepers Creepers series went for a
09:11reboot instead.
09:12Although the films were never known for their production values, Reborn takes things to a new low.
09:17Appearing less like a studio release and more like a student film project, everything looks laughably low scale.
09:23From B-level visuals to painfully bad acting and a ridiculous plot, Reborn feels like a parody of the movies
09:29that came before it.
09:30Almost completely devoid of any genuine scares, it doesn't even cross into so bad it's good territory.
09:35With a 0% Rotten Tomatoes Critics Rating and a 7% audience score, the bigger question is who enjoyed
09:41it at all.
09:42Well, they're not just going to ignore a 911 call, right?
09:46Oh, my sweet summer child.
09:47Number 10. Artemis Fowl
09:49Another Disney Plus starter project that went nowhere, Artemis Fowl overloaded on proven names without earning audience goodwill in return.
09:57I'll have your badge for this.
09:58That's a bit harsh, isn't it?
09:59Shut up fully or I'll have yours too.
10:01Despite featuring the likes of Judi Dench, Colin Farrell, Josh Gad, and director Kenneth Branagh, the film landed firmly in
10:08the forgettable pile of young adult adaptations.
10:11More interested in flashy visuals and CGI than an actual story, it leaves fans of the source material lamenting the
10:17wasted potential from the award-winning 2001 novel.
10:20Similar to several other Disney Plus exclusives, Artemis Fowl isn't so much a filmmaking effort as it is a glossy
10:26sales pitch for Disney's then-brand-new streaming service.
10:29Where are we going?
10:30To finish this.
10:32You think I'm ready?
10:33Oh, I know you're ready.
10:35Number 9. The Electric State
10:37You took your freaking time, didn't you?
10:46Cool your jets, I was in power save mode.
10:48It might sound harsh, but over five years removed from Avengers Endgame, we've come to expect disappointment from Anthony and
10:54Joe Russo.
10:55Since their Marvel peak, the directing duo have stumbled from one misfire to the next, and unfortunately, the Electric State
11:02is no exception.
11:03How'd you two meet?
11:05We actually met in a war.
11:06Were you supposed to be killing each other?
11:08We tried.
11:10Bots had my whole platoon surrounded, broke my leg in two.
11:15Ten men circled up, finished off the job.
11:18I look up, I see this big dumb construction bot peering down at me.
11:22I close my eyes, get ready to die, and instead he just lifts me up, carries me out.
11:26Their second outing for Netflix even reunites them with MCU regulars Chris Pratt and Anthony Mackie.
11:31But star power can't salvage this overstuffed slog, which ends up coming across as content, rather than a bona fide
11:37movie.
11:38The Russo brothers' bloated behemoth fails to light a spark, all while burning through a staggering $300 million budget.
11:45Epic in scale, maybe, but in every other way, it's no shock that the Electric State is better left unplugged.
11:50You got me. You got Herm. Pretty sure we're not the only ones.
11:58When did you stop being a...
12:01No, I didn't. I just got a haircut.
12:03Number 8. Marmaduke
12:04It had been a while since the heyday of animal-led comedies like Cats and Dogs, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, and
12:092010's Marmaduke.
12:10But not many were begging for a revival, either.
12:13And if 2022's Marmaduke's horrifying animation accomplished anything, it was reminding us why this genre works better in live action.
12:19Our job's a loser!
12:22Even if you can look past its uncanny art style, its simplistic plot almost feels like an insult.
12:27So formulaic that even young viewers know what's coming.
12:30Marmaduke is happier settling for crude gags and potty humor.
12:33Its only notable achievement, Pete Davidson somehow bagging a Razzie Award nomination for Worst Actor for a voice role.
12:44Number 7. 365 Days
12:46You had 365 days.
12:51I'll do anything so you can't fall in love with me.
12:54If next year on your birthday nothing changes, I'll set you free.
12:58Anyone who's seen posters and trailers for this erotic thriller knows exactly what they've signed up for.
13:03So, can you blame the filmmakers for putting zero effort into it?
13:06Still, if there were ever such a thing as negative effort, then this would be it.
13:10Taking a page from the Fifty Shades of Grey playbook,
13:12the film is basically an excuse to flash skin in all kinds of ways.
13:16But while Fifty Shades at least knows where to toe the line,
13:19365 Days was blasted for romanticizing problematic elements.
13:22Shortly after release, outraged filmmakers and feminist groups publicly condemned the film.
13:27However, the added publicity may have worked in its favor,
13:30giving us two more equally lambasted sequels soon after.
13:32What's going on? Did you kill him?
13:35It's none of your business.
13:36You killed him.
13:37I shot his ass.
13:38Number 6. War of the Worlds
13:40Just when you thought Snow White would be the worst movie of 2025,
13:44this disaster piece was delivered via Amazon Prime Air.
13:47How could you, man?
13:48How could you?
13:49My own son is hacking the government.
13:52You know, for someone who spends their life watching, you sure do miss a lot.
13:55The Razzies may need to create a category for most shameless product placement
13:59just to give this film one more reward.
14:01Wait, wait, give him an Amazon gift card for a thousand bucks.
14:0420 years after Steven Spielberg's adaptation of the H.G. Wells classic
14:08put the characters at the center of the chaos,
14:10Rich Lee gives us a version that mainly takes place in front of a computer screen,
14:14with the protagonist mostly away from the alien invasion.
14:17So what do you want to do?
14:18We use the data sensors they've connected to as bait
14:20and plan an old school rabbit virus to infect the data they're eating.
14:23That could work with a charismatic actor, but we're stuck with Ice Cube.
14:27Keep your eyes on me. Focus on me.
14:29Yeah, it was filmed during COVID, although that's no excuse.
14:32We've seen TikTok videos shot during lockdown that were more cinematic than this.
14:37Number 5. Tyler Perry's Duplicity
14:40From the guy who won't stop making Madea movies comes...
14:43a drama about police brutality and racial profiling? Uh-oh.
14:47Hey, back to the scene. Me, I drove all the way out here, man. Come on in.
14:50Come on, let's go.
14:51To be fair, the subject matter is clearly important to Tyler Perry,
14:55who, at first, seems like he might bring some nuance to Duplicity.
14:58Between Straw and this film, though, it's clear that Perry doesn't do nuanced.
15:02Be it comedy or drama, everything he touches is over the top.
15:06Duplicity doesn't just deteriorate into a soap opera.
15:08It has a twist so ludicrous that the film winds up being more empathic
15:12toward trigger-happy white officers than the families of black shooting victims.
15:16We're in the area at the least amount of crime.
15:18I think you're complaining, rookie. You complaining?
15:22No, sir. It's just...
15:24What? Say it.
15:25That likely wasn't Perry's intent, but we have no idea what his intent was,
15:29even when the confused message is spelled out in the end.
15:31No, I'll, um...
15:33You guys go ahead.
15:35I'll see you at home.
15:38Baby.
15:40Baby, I'll see you at home.
15:49What am I supposed to do with this?
15:51Eyebrows were raised and shoulders were shrugged when this project was announced,
15:55with many wondering how a movie centered on a side character from Spider-Man lore would work.
15:59Some were convinced that Sony Pictures was cooking up something special,
16:02but looks like they were just throwing stuff on the wall and hoping something would stick.
16:06As it turned out, Madam Webb's ceiling was destined to be a punchline at the end of a bad joke.
16:10It wasn't long before lead star Dakota Johnson distanced herself from the film,
16:14admitting it started out as something and turned into something else.
16:17If by that she meant odd dialogue, meme-worthy moments, and over-the-top camp,
16:21and she was bang on the money.
16:22But it wasn't that bad. It wasn't, like, I mean, obviously it was bad, but you know...
16:27Number 3. Winnie the Pooh of Blood and Honey
16:29Lots of people have imaginary friends as children.
16:32They're not imaginary, man.
16:34There are times when you simply need to stop to ask a single question.
16:38Why?
16:38And for many, this film would have stirred up such bewilderment.
16:42After all, why would anyone want to see Winnie the Pooh and his friends reimagined as feral woodland murderers?
16:47And yet, not only did it happen, but it also grossed over $7 million at the box office.
16:52Conceived as a violent take on characters from children's media,
16:55the filmmakers wasted no time the moment the original Winnie the Pooh book entered the public domain.
17:00The result is as far-fetched and unhinged as you'd imagine.
17:03But with audiences turning out for Christopher Robin's reckoning against his former friends,
17:06it's no wonder the series has spun off into the aptly-named Twisted Childhood Universe.
17:11Pooh, Pooh, Pooh, you need to help me, please.
17:13There's something wrong with Bigler.
17:15He just killed my wife.
17:17Please.
17:18Number 2. Music.
17:19Over the years, the Golden Globe Awards have garnered much criticism over accusations of bias,
17:24and music's nomination for Best Picture did little to quell those doubts.
17:34Months before release, the film was widely condemned by organizations like the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network
17:40for its offensive portrayal of its titular character.
17:43Beyond the backlash, the movie was also torn apart by critics for using autism as a lazy storytelling technique.
17:48Director Sia, yeah, that Sia, was harshly criticized for inauthentic casting
17:53and failing to remove a controversial restraint scene despite promising to do so.
17:57All in all, music was largely drowned out by negative buzz,
18:00and the weak final product only proved every criticism right.
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18:27Number 1. Morbius.
18:29After making a joke out of himself in the DC Universe,
18:32Jared Leto switched over to Marvel and proved he could do it all over again.
18:35Many walked out of Morbius unsure what it was about,
18:38but don't worry, even its own characters can't figure it out.
18:40I feel a kinship with these creatures.
18:42They would tear anyone else apart, but they welcomed me.
18:48Like a brother.
18:49Featuring one of the wall crawler's most obscure villains as a lead,
18:53Morbius somehow comes across as a dollar store 90s B-movie, released in 2022.
18:57Between its stilted script, hammy dialogue, and overacting,
19:01it's best enjoyed as an all-out comedy of errors.
19:04Of course, the film did provide audiences with an endless supply of memes.
19:07After all, not every movie gets to unleash its Morbentime and Morb all over theaters worldwide.
19:12Look what you've become.
19:15Everything I am, I am because of you.
19:16I looked up to you my whole life.
19:19I will never leave you.
19:21And I will not go back.
19:23Is there a 2020s film you think deserves to be trashed?
19:26Sound off in the comments.
19:29Lost in the comments.
19:30I will not recover.
19:31I feel a lot of fun.
19:32I wish I was a hero in the comments.
19:32Loose it deve- preucking you.
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