30 Movies so Bad They’re Actually Very Good
Despite the headline you see above, for the most part I don’t believe that movies can be so bad that they’re actually good. If a movie is good, isn’t it just…good? However, there is no doubt that films can succeed even if they fail.
Ed Wood is a glaring but wonderful example of a director who never achieved what he set out to achieve with any of his films, but nevertheless created cinematic magic out of enthusiasm, shamelessness and no small amount of self-deception. Things like this are always better than trying to achieve the same effect. Think of “Sharknado” – the movie is funny, but it tries so hard to achieve stupidity that you can see it’s sweating. The best “so bad it’s good” movies end up there completely by accident. Personally, I almost always prefer to watch an interesting failure than a boring success – sometimes because the passion is contagious, and just as often because it’s truly WTF-level. fiasco is a rare and glorious thing. Here are 30 of them.
Skidoo (1968)
Imagine a crazy, trippy counterculture LSD movie made by one of the luminaries of classic Hollywood, starring mostly older actors with names like Jackie Gleason, Carol Channing, Mickey Rooney and Groucho Marx (as a gangster called “God” who can also be God).
It’s about… well, okay, I’ve watched it at least three times and have no idea what it’s about, but after some heists and a few acid trips, it culminates with Channing’s character (in the slightly mischievous naval admiral). uniform) leading a flotilla of hippies to storm God’s yacht before Nilsson (the film’s composer) sings the entire closing credits. Some might say Anatomy of a Murder or Laura are director Otto Preminger’s masterpieces, but this is an unprecedented triumph of weirdness.
Where to watch: Plex
Battle Beyond the Stars (1980)
It’s clear that the Battle filmmakers were in on the joke, at least to some extent. After all, one of the film’s central models is “Nell”, an organic spaceship that deliberately looks like a pair of breasts attached to a set of ovaries.
However, the space opera, created by Roger Corman, is an uneasy mix of silly and serious, with an impressive cast (Richard Thomas, Robert Vaughn, George Peppard, John Saxon, etc.) who give their all to bring it to life. to life Star Wars , which the film only partially commits to. However, this tension is a hallmark of the so-bad-it’s-good genre.
Where to watch: Peacock, Tubi, The Roku Channel, Freevee, Shout Factory TV.
Batman and Robin (1997)
I’ve yet to see a convincing, revisionist view that Batman & Robin is some kind of misunderstood masterpiece, although it’s tempting. The flamboyant styling and pronounced nipples suggest a misunderstood kinky classic in the near future… but it’s both too much and not enough.
Despite everything going on, the film still has dull moments, and the comic book-inspired palette tends toward the cheap and ugly. And still! It’s a fascinating misfire, reminiscent of the time when a major studio spent a ton of money on something so strange and idiosyncratic. And while it ultimately didn’t work out, it was the last time Batman on the big screen was any fun.
Where to stream: Max
Fear (1996)
On a surface level, this is heavy material: gaslighting, abuse, sexual assault and manipulation revolving around teenage relationships. However, it’s all done in such an over-the-top style that it’s almost impossible to take it all seriously—judging by the film’s conclusion, Mark Wahlberg’s hard-to-kill David might as well be Michael Myers. These elements, along with a soon-to-be A-list cast, explain why a movie with the plot of an average Lifetime movie has become a minor cult classic.
Where to watch: Netflix
Cats (2019)
If “camp” can be defined as seriousness gone wrong, then “Cats” is a prime example of this form. The talent here is extraordinary: the Oscar-winning director leads a cast to die for, performing numbers from one of the most popular Broadway musicals ever. It’s clear that everyone involved thought they were participating in a prestige film made specifically for awards season.
No sooner had we released the first trailer than those hopes were dashed: the suspension of disbelief experienced by costumed performers on a theater stage disappeared entirely into the eerie valley of feline bodies and digitally enhanced sets. What should have been charming has become vaguely nightmarish, but this gap between what was intended and the end result is a sure sign that Cats , given a little more time, is guaranteed to take a place in the canon of deeply trippy cult classics. classics.
Where to watch: Netflix
Mommy Dearest (1981)
As with Cats , it was clear from the start that audiences did not take Mommie Dearest the way it was intended. What should have been a deeply serious biopic and examination of child abuse was instead treated as a high-camp black comedy. Paramount wisely switched gears and changed the film’s marketing to emphasize its more extravagant elements – adding wire hangers to the posters and promising “…the biggest MOTHER of them all!” as if to reassure the audience that they were in on the joke, which they most certainly were not during production.
The impeccable retro design is a huge part of the appeal here, as is Faye Dunaway’s wild, completely over-the-top performance. It’s her commitment to a serious performance that makes it so brilliant and funny.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Supergirl (1984)
Speaking of Faye Dunaway, she delivers another delightful performance in this twisted spin-off, an early attempt at creating a superhero cinematic universe. Supergirl wisely tries to move away from the sci-fi trappings of the Superman films and toward something more fantasy-inspired, but it feels like a bunch of set pieces that never quite add up to anything coherent. Still, Dunaway is fun to watch, and Helen Slater is great as Kara Zor-El, even if the film is only sporadic.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Paths Tang (2001)
Writer-director Louis C.K.’s name no longer has the name recognition it once did, and it’s reasonable that he and his work are met with some resentment. However, the films are so closely related that it’s hard to know where to draw the line. Mileage will definitely vary. As for Pootie Tang , it’s stupid as hell, full of garbage, but that stupidity is often inspired by, parodies 70’s blaxploitation films, and relies on performances from some incredibly talented and genuinely funny people, including Wanda Sykes, J.B. Smoove. , Chris Rock, Reg E. Cathey and Jennifer Coolidge (who, as always, steals every scene she’s in). It’s also very quotable, especially if you saw it at a particularly impressionable and often stoned age.
Where to stream: Max
Gods of Egypt (2016)
Alex Proyas is responsible for The Crow and Dark City , two of the most creative films of the last few decades. He also directed… other films. Proyas’s vision of an alternative Ancient Egypt in which gods walk among mortals is ultimately deeply stupid… and (with the exception of Chadwick Boseman) overwhelmingly white.
However, all that aside, it does manage to capture Proyas’ impressive visual imagination and idiosyncrasies. In this at least, it does a good job as an antidote to the current glut of more coherent but also much duller superhero films.
Where to watch: USA, TNT, TBS, Tru TV, AMC+.
Dune (1984)
The appearance of Denis Villeneuve’s two-part adaptation naturally drew attention to the 1984 version made by popular director Alan Smithee, the pseudonym David Lynch used to disavow the film (or at least the longer television series). cut). He’s not wrong to be disappointed: the film is not a misunderstood masterpiece, but a gripping curiosity with moments of real power that occasionally reflect essential elements of Frank Herbert’s novel. Ultimately, Lynch’s vision was probably too clear to ever make it suitable for this type of adaptation, and the studio’s interference further jeopardized a project that was already a tough sell.
Where to stream: Max
Masters of the Universe (1987)
Feelings are running high about He-Man, as we’ve learned recently, and only a little less so in the pre-Internet days of the late ’80s. Moving the action from Eternia to Earth and adding a few teenage sidekicks was never going to appeal to fans of the hugely popular cartoon, and there was virtually no one to cheer for what was supposed to be a flop.
Its status as an adaptation of the show, as it happens, is its biggest problem. Viewed as a standalone mid-80s fantasy film, it works much better. It’s still incredibly silly, but enhanced by Frank Langella’s scenery-chewing and some Jack Kirby-inspired character designs that give the film a visual identity.
Where to watch: Tubi, MGM+, The Roku Channel.
Grease 2 (1982)
The merits of the first Grease film are debatable, but it was undoubtedly a mega-hit that became an instant classic among audiences. Honestly, I like Grease 2 better, even though it’s a much less polished film. Musical numbers are all over the place, many of them seemingly just thrown into the film at random (like the ode to bowling). Michelle Pfeiffer’s starring Stephanie is, on the surface, the coolest character in any of the films, but she lacks any motivation other than wanting a tough guy. It’s all pretty casual, but the actors are clearly having fun and the whole thing is so friendly and lively that it’s hard to hate.
Where to watch: Paramount+
Lost (1983)
Staying momentarily in ill-conceived sequel territory, we rejoin John Travolta’s Tony Manero as he continues the quest for dance stardom that began in the disco classic Saturday Night Fever . There’s not really a plot here, but there are some very fun dance numbers and impressive costumes, and a self-seriousness that borders on being fun if you’re in the right mood.
Where to watch: Paramount+
Xanadu (1980)
A fantasy disco musical starring Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly? What could possibly go wrong?! It turns out that Xanadu fails on almost every level: the dance numbers are dated and spectacular, the effects are pretty terrible (even by 1980 standards), and the acting isn’t very good. Given that there wasn’t much of a plot, it should have been a spectacle, but it wasn’t – even inspiring the infamous Golden Raspberry Award.
However, a film can be a critical and box office failure and still achieve cult status. It’s a complete weirdness – it’s a draw (Gene Kelly? Really?) and can be a lot of fun if you’re willing to answer the question, “What were they thinking?” for 90 minutes or so.
Where to watch: Criterion Channel.
Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959)
Ed Wood, of course, reigns as the patron saint of cult cinema – a director with such passion and seriousness that he doesn’t even seem to realize that he’s making films that are not just terrible, but so terrible that they have achieved immortality. . In that sense , Plan 9 is his magnum opus, a film about alien invaders in which we hope we don’t notice that Bela Lugosi was replaced mid-production by a much taller chiropractor. The thing is, we noticed it, and we like it even more.
Where to watch: Tubi, The Roku Channel, Hoopla, Mubi, Freevee.
Troll 2 (1990)
We have to mention Troll 2 , a notoriously problematic film that was the subject of a documentary ( Best Worst Movie ) exploring the reasons for its popularity in the face of its highly debatable merits as a film. It’s unclear how much of the film is supposed to be funny, given the language barrier between the Italian-speaking writer/director and crew and the English-speaking cast, but it certainly deserves its status as a film whose flaws make it that much more interesting. what it could have been if it had been successful.
Oh, and don’t worry if you’re chilling, this isn’t actually a sequel to anything… the producers just wanted to capitalize on the relative popularity of the 1986 film Troll .
Where to watch: Tubi, Redbox, Freevee
Room (2003)
The autobiographical passion project of writer-director-producer Tommy Wiseau, The Room ranks in the bad-movie hall of fame, alternating between incomprehensible monologues and sub-porn-level dialogue, while throwing in a couple of truly bizarre sex scenes.
The thing is, the successful The Room , which resembled whatever the hell Wiseau had in mind when he conceived the thing, probably couldn’t have been more entertaining than the finished product. No amount of deliberate parody can ever replicate the pure entertainment value of trying to figure out what exactly is going on in this movie from moment to moment.
Where to watch: Tommy Wiseau posted the video on Archive.org.
Roadhouse (1989)
Road House , I won’t lie, is my favorite Patrick Swayze film, especially because of its rather elevated view of life among bouncers in Missouri. It’s practically an opera, including many more explosions than you’d expect in a typical roadside bar, and plenty of deadly fights. It also has some truly laughable dialogue and some dead-end plots, but that makes it all the more great.
Where to watch: Max, Prime Video
Anaconda (1997)
“Anaconda” goes to plan here, as it’s clearly intended to be a little ridiculous, but also achieves something through over-the-top acting and tricky special effects that elevate it above a more typical jungle monster movie. Sorry for the spoiler, but watching Jon Voight get eaten by a giant CGI snake is a treat in itself.
Where to watch: Netflix
Showgirls (1995)
Paul Verhoeven is a complete mystery to me. While his Starship Troopers is often considered unintentionally hilarious, I have no doubt that he knew exactly what he was doing with this film. I’m not so sure about this notorious erotic drama—I’ve taken it upon myself not to include intentional camp on this list, but I’m honestly not sure how much of Showgirls’ stilted weirdness is intentional and how much is accidental. Either way, it’s damn interesting.
Where to watch: The Criterion Channel, Tubi.
Samurai Cop (1991)
Joe Marshall (Matthew Karedas, credited as Matt Hannon here) may be a white LAPD cop, but he’s ACTUALLY into Japanese culture and practically qualifies as a samurai, considering he spent time in Japan and knows how to use a sword . Luckily, he’s there when the Yakuza crime gang makes its presence known in Los Angeles, leading to an extravagant martial arts brawl in the parking lot of Carlos’n Charlie’s. The fights themselves aren’t bad, but all the sound was done to ADR after filming wrapped and most of the actors didn’t return, so most of the voices are the same pair of actors but with different delivery; as a result, most of them sound like robots. The landing shots were taken in one empty office, so the reaction shots often don’t match up. This is “Plan 9” from the 80s and 90s action films from outer space .
Where to watch: Tubi, Hoopla, Pluto TV.
Moonfall (2022)
It largely depends on your tolerance for dumb action films in the style of Roland Emmerich – or, in this case, literally Roland Emmerich. Its latest stars Halle Berry and Patrick Wilson, who are tasked with stopping the moon from falling to Earth. Because it is empty and filled with aliens bent on destruction. Or something? Plot is definitely unimportant, and neither is scientific accuracy: astrophysicist and professional scolder Neil deGrasse Tyson said the film “broke more laws of physics per minute than any movie I’ve ever seen.” But it’s never boring!
Where to stream: USA, Fubo
The Wicker Man (2006)
Nicolas Cage insists the comedy in this remake of the ’70s cult classic was largely intentional and the film is outlandish enough to make him believe. “No, not bees! Not bees! (in the scene during which Cage’s character Malus is tortured by bees, naturally) Nicolas Cage is par excellence and has surpassed the film as a meme. But it’s even better when Malus, disguised in a bear costume, punches Ellen Basrtin in the face. For some reason the film is also dedicated to Johnny Ramone.
Where to watch: Criterion Channel.
Maximum Overdrive (1986)
The Stephen King adaptation genre includes more cinematic classics and a lot of crap. But! Among King’s lesser-loved films are some exciting guilty pleasures, none of which are crazier than the only film King directed himself. While no one would want to discount the author’s substance abuse problems in the 1980s, King was pretty honest about the extent to which he was “crazy throughout the entire movie.” The film is about a comet that turns cars on Earth evil, leading to Emilio Estevez and company being terrorized by, say, a vending machine that shoots soda shells. It’s an absolutely mean-spirited mess, but also very silly, with a killer AC/DC soundtrack.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Ice Pirates (1984)
Robert Urich (best known as Spencer: For Hire for Anyone Under 40) leads an ’80s-style cast in this sci-fi spectacle(?) that tries to appeal to Star Wars fans with a story set in in the distant future where water is scarce. , but only because a group called the Templars of Mithra is hoarding everything available and destroying worlds with natural reserves of this material to ensure it remains a scarce commodity (it’s nice to know that American-style capitalism will outlive us). Intended to be a blockbuster, the film’s budget was cut by more than half early in development, so it was decided to salvage the production by turning it into a comedy, a tonal shift that makes the final product both sillier and more chaotic than it otherwise might have been. it was different. Bonus: The cast is well-chosen: Anjelica Huston, Ron Perlman, Bruce Vilanch (!), John Carradine and Mary Crosby from Dallas are all stars.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Wild Mountain Thyme (2020)
Writer and director John Patrick Shanley won an Oscar and a Tony Award; his play Doubt won a Pulitzer Prize, and his script for Moonstruck is both moving and memorable. The film adaptation of his well-received play Beyond Mullingar is so stunning that it undoes all that goodwill. Bringing the story to the screen, the film gets lost in a sentimental pseudo-Irish atmosphere, both enhanced and weakened by Christopher Walken’s terrible Irish accent (just try to imagine it). The rom-com setup is pretty standard: it’s about two people on neighboring farms who stay apart for no particular good reason until they come together… also for no particular good reason. But then comes the totally cool ending that I guarantee you won’t see.
Where to watch: Hulu
Mac and Me (1988)
This movie definitely doesn’t copy Steven Spielberg’s E.T. Here “MAC” stands for “Mysterious Alien Creature”, which is obviously something completely different. It also has a much smaller budget, and while ET famously did much of the product placement for Reece’s Pieces, Mac and Me’s commercial instincts are more finely honed: Mac is also a reference to Big Mac, as in the burger from the film’s main sponsor – McDonald’s company, and we must not forget about it. It’s mostly silly fun, the highlight of which is a carefully choreographed but somewhat impromptu dance number at McDonald’s, which includes a cameo from Ronald himself.
Where to watch: Tubi, MGM+, Fugo, Pluto TV.
The Boy Next Door (2015)
An erotic thriller in the not-so-venerable Boy Next Door genre, starring Jennifer Lopez as Claire Peterson, a classics teacher in a troubled marriage who finds herself staring into the eyes of the new kid on the block, Noah. (played by then 27-year-old Ryan Guzman). They are connected by a mutual love for… The Iliad , Noah’s only noticeable personality trait (except for his biceps). The deal is done when he gives Claire a COPY OF THE FIRST EDITION. THE ILIADS. They sleep together, but she worries about it, especially after school starts and he turns out to be in her class. The chase ensues, Kristin Chenoweth gets knocked out, and it’s all very stupid because it’s trying to be very serious.
Where to stream: Max
Zandali (1991)
As mentioned elsewhere, camp is sometimes described as seriousness gone wrong, which is why the erotic thriller so often lends itself to this form. These films are usually deadly serious, but only occasionally manage to avoid leaning into parody. Take Zandalee, a deep Nicolas Cage character if there ever was one. It’s about a young woman who runs a boutique in New Orleans. She is deeply sexually frustrated by her failed marriage to Judge Reinhold, and this is alleviated by the appearance of Cage, who does not hold back in embodying a certain kind of masculinity. And if you’re starring in a mindless thriller that puts you in a love triangle with Judge Reinhold, why would you do it? Cage’s performance aside, just try to get through the “seductive” (not even remotely seductive) dialogue with a straight face.
Where to watch: Tubi
Silent Night, Deadly Night, Part 2 (1987)
Discussions about “so bad they’re good” films are always highly subjective – many of John Waters’ films have all the superficial hallmarks of bad filmmaking, but he is rightfully considered one of our most important artists. “Silent night, deadly night. Part 2” is bad in the generally accepted sense. Here, the brother of the killer from the first film goes on a murderous holiday rampage of his own, and that earlier film is summed up by no less than 30 minutes of transferred footage. The filmmaking is amateurish, but Eric Freeman’s lead performance involves so many surprising and deeply convoluted decisions that it never becomes uninteresting to watch. His crazy reading of the line: “Garbage day!” It even became something of a meme.
Where to watch: Shudder, Tubi, Freevee