The 21 Worst Movies of the 21st Century, Ranked

The 21 Worst Movies of the 21st Century, Ranked

Not every movie can be a masterpiece — but some go so far off the rails that they become legendary for all the wrong reasons. The 21st century has given us stunning visual effects, unforgettable performances, and groundbreaking stories… but it’s also blessed us with cinematic disasters that make you wonder, “Who approved this?”

1. Movie 43 (2013)

What happens when you give dozens of A-list actors a script that feels like a middle school dare? You get Movie 43, a collection of offensive sketches that made even its cast publicly apologize.

The film tries to shock you with gross-out humor, but instead it shocks you with how unfunny it is. Watching Kate Winslet and Hugh Jackman act through a scene involving an unfortunate body part gag feels more like punishment than comedy.

Despite its star power, critics shredded the film, calling it one of the worst comedies ever made. It’s the kind of movie that makes you question everyone’s decision-making — from the writers to the producers to the audience members who actually stayed until the end.

2. Cats (2019)

Few films have achieved meme status faster than Cats. What should have been a magical musical turned into an uncanny valley nightmare of fur-covered celebrities prancing through empty digital streets.

Director Tom Hooper’s ambitious CGI turned beloved Broadway characters into something that haunted dreams instead of inspiring applause. The cast — which included Taylor Swift, Judi Dench, and Idris Elba — did their best, but not even raw talent could save this fever dream.

The movie’s bizarre blend of realism and fantasy confused everyone, and audiences couldn’t look away (mostly out of disbelief). Watching Cats is less like seeing a musical and more like attending a cult ritual with glitter and jazz hands.

3. The Last Airbender (2010)

Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender waited eagerly for a live-action adaptation — and what they got still gives them nightmares. M. Night Shyamalan’s film stripped away the show’s humor, heart, and logic, leaving behind a cold, joyless mess.

From wooden acting to butchered names (“Ong”? Really?), every creative choice felt like an insult to fans. Even the special effects — which could have redeemed it — looked unfinished, making the bending battles awkward instead of epic.

The result wasn’t just a bad movie; it was a betrayal of one of the most beloved animated series ever made. Even casual viewers could tell something had gone terribly wrong. It’s the kind of movie that proves source material loyalty matters — deeply.

4. Jack and Jill (2011)

Even by Adam Sandler standards, Jack and Jill hit a new low. Playing both twin siblings, Sandler delivers twice the screen time and half the laughs.

The movie leans on loud humor and cheap gags, making you feel like you’re trapped in a bad sketch that never ends. Al Pacino, of all people, appears in a Dunkaccino commercial that somehow became the most infamous part of the entire film.

While some fans defend it as “so bad it’s good,” most agree it’s just plain exhausting. Jack and Jill is one of those rare comedies that makes you nostalgic for silence.

5. The Room (2003)

Calling The Room bad doesn’t do it justice — it’s an experience. Tommy Wiseau’s self-financed disaster became a cult classic precisely because it’s so incomprehensible.

The acting feels alien, the dialogue sounds like it was translated through three languages, and the plot… well, no one truly knows what’s going on. Yet somehow, it’s mesmerizing.

Audiences now attend midnight screenings, throwing spoons and quoting lines like “You’re tearing me apart, Lisa!” The Room went from being a cinematic train wreck to a phenomenon. It’s proof that sometimes failure can turn into bizarre success.

6. Battlefield Earth (2000)

John Travolta thought he was creating the next Star Wars. Instead, he unleashed Battlefield Earth, a sci-fi catastrophe filled with Dutch angles, neon lighting, and incomprehensible dialogue.

The story, based on L. Ron Hubbard’s novel, follows enslaved humans rebelling against giant alien overlords — but you’ll struggle to follow anything beyond the headache-inducing visuals.

Critics called it “a monumental disaster,” and audiences agreed. Even years later, it’s studied in film schools as a case study in what not to do. Battlefield Earth is one of those movies that makes you grateful for the fast-forward button.

7. Gigli (2003)

Before “Bennifer” was cool again, Gigli nearly ended both Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s careers. Marketed as a romantic comedy, it turned out to be neither romantic nor funny.

The plot involves kidnapping, mobsters, and forced chemistry that simply doesn’t exist. Every scene feels painfully awkward, as if the actors are counting down to their next paycheck.

Even the film’s title became shorthand for failure in Hollywood. Despite its A-list leads, Gigli proved that star power can’t save a terrible script. Some movies are forgettable — this one is unforgettable for all the wrong reasons.

8. The Love Guru (2008)

Mike Myers returned to comedy hoping to recapture his Austin Powers glory, but The Love Guru was anything but groovy.

Playing a self-help “guru” with an accent that made audiences cringe, Myers leaned on stereotypes and lazy jokes. Instead of laughter, viewers felt secondhand embarrassment. Even Justin Timberlake and Jessica Alba couldn’t save it.

After the backlash, Myers retreated from Hollywood for nearly a decade. That’s how bad this movie was — it didn’t just bomb; it ended a career (temporarily). The Love Guru is one of those films you wish could be cleansed from your memory.

9. Dragonball Evolution (2009)

Anime fans had high hopes — and Dragonball Evolution crushed them in record time. The live-action adaptation of the iconic series managed to strip away everything that made Dragon Ball special.

The characters were unrecognizable, the dialogue was painfully awkward, and the fight scenes lacked the energy that defined the original. Fans were furious, and rightfully so.

It’s rare for a movie to unite an entire fandom in outrage, but this one did. Even the film’s own writer publicly apologized years later. Dragonball Evolution didn’t just fail — it became a symbol of how Hollywood misunderstands anime.

10. Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (2010)

Talking animals can be cute. Talking animals fighting secret spy wars? Not so much. The Revenge of Kitty Galore is the unnecessary sequel nobody asked for.

The humor feels recycled from 2001’s Cats & Dogs, but this time without any charm or originality. The CGI animals deliver dialogue that lands flatter than a saucer of milk.

Even kids found it dull, and that says everything. It’s one of those sequels that feels like it was made just to fill a summer release slot — not to entertain.

11. Wild Wild West (1999)

Yes, it technically came out right before the millennium, but it deserves a spot here because its cringe lasted well into the 2000s. Wild Wild West was supposed to be a fun steampunk adventure starring Will Smith — instead, it was mechanical chaos.

Giant robotic spiders, nonsensical gadgets, and an uncomfortable script made this one of the strangest blockbusters ever. Smith himself has since apologized for turning down The Matrix to make this.

The movie’s only saving grace is its theme song — and even that can’t erase the memory of the confusing plot. Wild Wild West is what happens when creativity and chaos collide without supervision.

12. Jupiter Ascending (2015)

Visually, Jupiter Ascending is stunning. Story-wise, it’s a space opera that’s completely lost in orbit.

Channing Tatum plays a wolf-human hybrid who rollerblades through space, while Mila Kunis discovers she’s galactic royalty. It sounds wild, and it is — but not in a good way.

Despite the Wachowskis’ ambition, the film is bogged down by clunky dialogue and absurd exposition. It’s a sci-fi fairy tale that forgot to make sense. Jupiter Ascending is proof that even visionary directors can miss the mark spectacularly.

13. The Emoji Movie (2017)

When your movie is literally based on phone emojis, you’re already fighting an uphill battle. The Emoji Movie didn’t just climb that hill — it fell off it completely.

The story follows a “meh” emoji on a journey of self-discovery inside a smartphone, but what could’ve been a clever satire became a blatant ad for tech companies.

Critics panned it for being soulless and creatively bankrupt, calling it “the death of art.” Kids deserved better — and parents definitely did too. It’s the kind of movie that makes you want to put your phone on airplane mode forever.

14. The Happening (2008)

M. Night Shyamalan strikes again — and not in a good way. The Happening follows people trying to escape a mysterious force that turns humans suicidal. The twist? The villain is… plants.

Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel deliver strangely robotic performances, as if they too were hypnotized by pollen. The dialogue, especially “What? No!”, became instant meme material.

The movie tries to be a cautionary tale about the environment but ends up being a comedy of errors. It’s suspenseful for all the wrong reasons — mainly because you’re wondering if it’ll ever end.

15. Fantastic Four (2015)

Reboots are tough, but this one didn’t stand a chance. Fantastic Four was dark, joyless, and shockingly boring for a superhero film.

Despite having talented actors like Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller, the film felt like a group project that nobody wanted to lead. The tone was uneven, and the story never took off.

Even fans of the earlier, cheesy 2000s version admitted it was more fun. Fantastic Four was supposed to revive the franchise — instead, it buried it for good.

16. Suicide Squad (2016)

With its killer soundtrack and flashy trailers, Suicide Squad promised chaos and charm. What audiences got was confusion and disappointment.

The editing felt like it was done by multiple people who never met. Characters appeared, disappeared, and reappeared without explanation. Even Jared Leto’s Joker felt misplaced in his own movie.

While Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn stood out, everything else fell apart. Suicide Squad is the perfect example of how not to make a team movie — stylish, loud, and completely hollow.

17. Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)

When the world’s most talked-about book hit the big screen, expectations were sky-high. Unfortunately, chemistry was not.

Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson looked like two people forced to share an elevator for two hours. The dialogue made viewers cringe, and the attempt at sensuality often felt unintentionally hilarious.

Even with sleek visuals, Fifty Shades of Grey lacked passion — ironic for a movie built entirely around it. It’s less steamy romance, more awkward HR violation.

18. Cats & Dogs 3: Paws Unite! (2020)

Just when you thought the franchise was done, Cats & Dogs 3 showed up anyway. But without the original cast or charm, it felt like a direct-to-DVD afterthought.

The story about pets saving the world (again) barely holds together, and the animation looks years behind its time. Even children tuned out halfway through.

It’s proof that some franchises should’ve been left at the pound. Paws Unite! is the cinematic equivalent of a cat coughing up a hairball and calling it a sequel.

19. Morbius (2022)

“It’s Morbin’ time!” became an ironic meme after Morbius flopped — twice.

Jared Leto stars as a vampire doctor in Sony’s attempt to expand its Marvel universe, but the result was an uninspired, lifeless film. The pacing drags, the dialogue clunks, and the CGI looks unfinished.

It’s so bad it got re-released in theaters because executives thought it had ironic popularity — and it flopped again. Morbius might just be the first movie to fail twice in one year.

20. House of the Dead (2003)

Uwe Boll’s name is synonymous with terrible video game movies, and House of the Dead might be his crowning disaster.

The editing is so frantic it feels like a music video filmed by someone with no plan. Random footage from the actual video game appears mid-scene for no reason at all.

The result is a disorienting, low-budget zombie film that somehow manages to be both boring and chaotic. Even diehard horror fans couldn’t stomach it.

21. The Master of Disguise (2002)

Dana Carvey’s return to comedy should’ve been a triumph — instead, it was a cringe-fest in disguise.

The movie’s paper-thin plot and obnoxious impressions make it nearly unwatchable. Even the famous “turtle club” scene has become a meme for all the wrong reasons.

Carvey deserved better, and so did audiences. The Master of Disguise feels like an extended SNL skit that forgot to end. It’s the kind of movie you finish just to make sure it really happened.