The 10 Worst Movies of 2024: From Box Office Bombs to Critical Flops

From Disastrous Sequels to Misguided Blockbusters: The Films That Flopped in 2024.

Published

December 24, 2024

As 2024 has brought its share of cinematic highs and lows, some films have just plain missed the mark, leaving audiences feeling disappointed at best, frustrated at worst, or completely baffled for good measure. Either through a lack of respect for source material, misguided storytelling, or failed attempts at fireworks, these movies rightfully earned their place on this infamous list. So, here’s the countdown of the ten movies that have not turned out to be the best in 2024, so far, with one that (almost) everyone agrees should never have even been made at all, starting with the mildly disappointing and ending with that very thing.

10. Back to Black

Back to Black - The 10 Worst Movies of 2024 — Focus Features

Biopics can make for sizzling tributes, but Back to Black, which depicts the turbulent life of Amy Winehouse, fell well short. The film was again criticized for a lack of depth in its script and a sensationalist approach to Winehouse’s struggles, albeit with a “soulful performance” from the lead. What should have been a moving tribute instead felt like a missed chance to pay proper respect to one of music’s most iconic voices.

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9. Borderlands

Touted as the next big video game adaptation, Borderlands was anything but. Despite a star-filled cast with an Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchet included, the film generally failed to do justice to the preposterousness and dark humor of its source material. The franchise fans were not very pleased with the fact that the storytelling was heavy-handed, and we didn’t really care about the characters. The backlash to this was swift and fierce and is new proof that audiences demand authenticity from their beloved franchises.

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8. Kraven the Hunter

Hollywood’s ongoing villain experiment continues to miss the mark, and Kraven the Hunter is a notable misfire from Sony’s efforts. But the prospect of delving into Spider-Man’s rogues’ gallery was much more entertaining than the movie itself, which didn’t provide enough compelling narrative to justify its existence. No offense to Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who we wish well, but Munch is missing the hero who holds these villains in common. The film’s so-so box office returns and tepid reviews prove that audiences are growing weary of the villain-mania trend. This is the film that ended Sony Marvel Spider-Man-less films.

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7. Argylle

Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle was supposed to be the next giant spy franchise, but it hit the ground not running but stumbling. Overpromising in its marketing and “meh” in its script, this potential mega-hit landed in the “who cares?” column. Even with an appealing cast and flashy visuals, the movie’s messy plotline and tired twists failed to impress audiences. This underwhelming debut extinguishes Vaughn’s franchise aspirations.

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6. Saturday Night

A film that had the chance to replicate the spirit of Saturday Night Live should have effectively become a cinematic goldmine, yet Saturday Night proved ineffective. The film’s real-time storytelling gimmick turns out more of a liability than a hook, undermining the rich comedic history upon which its source material was based. Sure, it had some funny moments, but that’s not enough to save an awkward and unrealized concept when what we needed was a celebration of the genius that made SNL the legend it became.

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5. Civil War

Sam Esmail’s Civil War wanted to be a heady conversation piece about the political divides churning in American society, to little engagement. The film’s rambling narrative and clunky messaging left audiences wondering how they should care about its lofty ideas. While it tried to address relevant issues, the narrative cohesion wasn’t there, and thus it became a disappointing misfire in the end.

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4. Megalopolis

Francis Ford Coppola’s ambitious passion project, Megalopolis, has the dubious distinction of reminding us that even legends can stumble. The film’s themes of unity and utopia are admirable, its execution is a chaotic mess. Disruptive editing, clunky dialogue, and overeager narrative conspired to make it one of Coppola’s most disadvantaged films in technical terms. It would be too easy to dismiss Megalopolis as a mess, but for its many shortcomings, it deserves some credit as an audacious vision that didn’t quite stick the landing.

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3. Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver

Zack Snyder’s cosmic epic has proved divisive for audiences, and The Scargiver only exacerbated the series’ problems. Despite stunning visuals, the film’s bloated runtime and winding plot left many members of the audience feeling disengaged. Netflix’s rackety release strategy, which included pointless “director’s cuts,” didn’t help either. Fans of Snyder’s work might see glimmers of brilliance, but for the most part, Rebel Moon played like the wasted opportunity it was.

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2. Madame Web

Madame Web was another big flop in Sony’s Spider-Man universe despite Dakota Johnson’s best efforts. The film couldn’t find its identity, establishing either the character depth of a truly character-driven story or the action-packed spectacle that fans anticipate from superhero films. Its tenuous ties to Spider-Man only served to alienate audiences further, solidifying Madame Web as one of the year’s biggest disappointments. I mean, not even Sydney Sweeney could save this movie.

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1. Joker: Folie à Deux

The 2024 title for the worst movie goes to Joker: Folie à Deux. The sequel to Todd Phillips’ 2019 Joker — a movie already in Oscar contention when it became a cultural juggernaut — leaned into everything that the original Joker eschewed. Exchanging the raw, emotional storytelling of its predecessor for a disjointed musical experiment, the movie left fans baffled and feeling betrayed. Folie à Deux is a cautionary tale for why not every successful film needs a sequel, certainly not one written this amiss.

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