The concept of a “so bad it’s good” movie existed before 2003’sThe Room, but it’s hard to denyTommy Wiseau’santi-masterpiece popularized the act of enjoying something bad. A whole new generation was introduced to things like interactive screenings, incompetent filmmaking, and the act of celebrating something that’s not good because of how not good it is.The Roomhas endured because of how magical watching it is, and its legacy was solidified with amovie released in 2017about how it was made. It may be a 1/10 movie, but watching it in the right circumstances can be a 10/10 experience.
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The following 10 films might not offer quite the same level of entertainment asThe Room, but they are notably bad (and potentially fun) movies in their own right. When watched with the right mindset, or with the right group of people, they could all be incredibly enjoyable… or maybe a little torturous. A word of warning: your mileage may vary when it comes to this list of gloriously bad films.
Gotti(2018)
2018’sGottiis a crime film that featuresJohn Travoltaplaying the infamous New York City mob boss,John Gotti. It follows his life over multiple decades, trying to pull off aScorsese-esque rise and fall crime epic, but fails pretty miserably in the process.
ToTravolta’scredit, he is committing to the lead role inGotti, but the subpar script, flat visuals, and the overall lack of excitement in the plot don’t do him any favors at all. It has value in showing how not to make a crime film, and when watched as some sort of accidental parody of mob film classics, there’s certainly some entertainment to be had.
2025: The World Enslaved By A Virus(2021)
2025: The World Enslaved By A Virusis so shockingly bizarre and over-the-top that if it was actually made as satire, it deserves an apology. If the laughs it delivers were all intentional, and it was parodying the kind of movie it at first seems to be, then it might actually be a work of genius.
As it stands, it’s probably not, and its spot as the lowest-rated film on thefilm social media app Letterboxd is well-deserved. Depicting a ridiculously unbelievable future where the coronavirus has somehow forced a worldwide communist party to take over the world (and ban ice cream!),2025: The World Enslaved By A Virusdepicts a group of youths “fighting back” by spray-painting graffiti everywhere and getting into very slow car chases with the authorities, among other things. It needs to be seen to be believed.
Left Behind(2014)
This infamousNicolas Cage-led movie gives the iconic actor another very unusual role to add to hisvaried and ever-growing filmography. InLeft Behind, a group of people on a plane need to survive after millions are raptured in some sort of apocalypse, causing the rest of the world to be plunged into chaos.
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It’s sort of like the HBO showThe Leftovers, except not good. Ridiculous characters and terrible production values add to the out-there, poorly executed story. It’s a mess of a film for sure, but a somewhat glorious one, and it’s wonderfully stupid to boot.
Fateful Findings(2013)
Neil Breenis an auteur filmmaker with a vision and style that is unmistakably his own. It’s an awkward style, sure, but it’s distinct at least, and he also can’t be faulted for his work ethic, as he’s starred in, written, and directed five films within the last 15 or so years, with a sixth slated for release soon.
Fateful Findingsis probably his most celebrated, having already earned areputation for being a fantastic bad movie. To summarize the plot is almost impossible, but the important thing is it contains amazingly quotable dialogue, overwrought melodrama, hilariously shocking bursts of violence, and wonderfully flat acting. It’s genuinely a riot from start to finish.
Cool Cat Saves the Kids(2015)
A misguided and laughably awkward kids' film that aims to promote good behavior and criticize bullying,Cool Cat Saves the Kidspretty much misses every mark it tries to hit, in the process becoming a fantastic watch for a host of unintended reasons.
From the title character’s cold, unblinking eyes, to the non-existent production value, to the clumsily handled themes around bullying, to the bizarre cameos from actorsVivica A. FoxandErik Estrada,Cool Cat Saves the Kidsis great for an ironic watch if you’re an adult, but runs the risk of causing harm if shown to children… its intended audience.
Verotika(2019)
Verotikais an anthology horror film that tells several stories across its runtime. As the title might imply, it aims to be both erotic and scary through its adult-themed horror tales and fails quite spectacularly at both of those things.
Verotikaends up being so flat, off-putting, and frequently dull (despite its gory and lurid subject matter) that it becomes its own kind of mesmerizing. It’s genuinely hard to recommend because of how hard it fails, and it’s not as entertaining as many other terrible movies are, but it’s great to unpack and attempt to analyze just why it fails. In trying to appeal to some of the most basic human emotions,Verotikamisses completely. It might even miss more than any other horror film ever made, and for that, it has its own strange sort of value.
Saving Christmas(2014)
InSaving Christmas,Kirk Cameronattempts to save Christmas, unsurprisingly. How he does it is the surprising part, though, crafting an odd mix of documentary-ish essay film, family comedy, and sentimental melodrama.
Saving Christmasis very, very preachy, to a sometimes hilarious extent.Kirk Cameroncomes across as someone who really believes in what he’s saying, but the execution makes the intended message hilarious, and it ensures thatSaving Christmaswould make for an excellent anti-Christmas film for anyone who needs one, come December.
Birdemic: Shock and Terror(2010)
Birdemicis an infamous knock-off/homage toAlfred Hitchcock’s1963 film,The Birds. The plots in each are similar, with a small group of survivors working together to survive waves of killer birds that are inexplicably targeting a small town in America.
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The execution is whereBirdemicdiffers greatly fromThe Birds. None of it is scary, and a huge part of that is because, for the most part, the birds themselves look like GIFs, and poorly animated ones at that. The survivors fighting for their lives is therefore never tense or believable: it’s usually hilarious, and of course, the acting and dialogue don’t help much either.
Ratatoing(2007)
Ratatoingis arguably one of the most blatant rip-offs in film history, and also one of the worst kids' movies in history. With its awkward, incredibly poor animation, it has thepotential to traumatize anyone who watches it, young or old.
The plot is basicallyRatatouille, with a cooking rat and all… it just lacks charm, fun characters, good animation, and originality. It’s an animated nightmare of a movie, but at the same time, completely fascinating and even likely to be morbidly compelling for those who like awful films.
After Last Season(2009)
IsAfter Last Seasonbad? Is it actually good? If it had been directed byDavid Lynch, would it be considered a masterpiece? Just what is it about? Why does it exist? How did it apparently cost $5 million to make when it was all filmed in one or two rooms, features a tiny cast, has little to no sets or other production values, and contains insanely cheap-looking special effects?
All these questions and more await anyone who chooses to watchAfter Last Season. Some say it’s the most boring film ever made. Others say it’s unintentionally hilarious. Others say it’s misunderstood and genuinely works as a surreal psychological drama. Where will you fall, if you choose to take the plunge intoAfter Last Season? For better or worse, it’s undeniably a film like no other.
