Behind every cinematic success story lies a cautionary tale of filmmaking fiascos. We uncover the top 16 directorial disasters of the 2010s. From production nightmares to creative clashes, these tales serve as sobering reminders of the unpredictable nature of the film industry. Join us as we explore the highs, lows, and invaluable lessons learned from these unforgettable missteps in filmmaking history
1. Furry Vengeance
Usually, it’s people who protest against real estate development encroaching on woodlands. In “Furry Vengeance” it’s the animals that put up a fight. This could be a good family movie, yet it’s spoilt by an onslaught of toilet humor throughout the film. The acting is decent but the plot is a little thin.
2. Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore
When “Cats and Dogs” came out, it was something unique, fresh and fun. However, this sequel is full of cliches and doesn’t have the same appeal as the original. The characters are abysmal and the CGI is bad. It’s definitely a movie that went to the dogs (or should it be cats?).
3. Marmaduke
Marmaduke is awesome as a cartoon strip, but deciding to turn it into a film doesn’t work. The issue is that the script doesn’t do justice to the source material. Lazy dialogue is another challenge this movie suffers from. A critic wrote “This movie was a real disappointment. Even my 8 and 9 year olds thought it was horrible!! Instead of focusing on the goofy, lovable antics of the comic-strip Marmaduke we know and love, we’re subjected to another lame doggy love story.”
4. Time You Change
That could be the catchphrase for this movie in that “Maybe it’s time you change to a different film that’s worth watching.” This is a biographical film about the German rapper, Bushido. The movie lacks any structure, so you are left wondering what the storyline is. Then you have Bushido trying to act tough. It’s a testament to the ego of the rapper. Avoid this at all costs.
5. Killers
A couple gets married and then finds out their neighbors are assassins who have been paid to kill them. This is an action, comedy, and romance yet the movie doesn’t know which of the three it wants to be, so you are left confused. The acting is on the verge of flatlining and the jokes are forced. The whole movie is just a snooze-fest. “If your bored and all your doing is sitting and counting tiles on the floor and Killers is on TV… keep counting the tiles,” one reviewer suggests.
6. Clash of the Titans
Here is a movie inspired by Greek mythology. The son of Zeus battles the minions of Hades. Sounds good on paper, but the execution fell short. It’s a remake of the 1981 original and, well, the first one was far superior in story and graphics. The 2010 version comes across as misogynistic in that the female characters are portrayed as weak and helpless. “Whoever made this movie stole my money and they should never make another movie again,” a reviewer decried.
7. Grown Ups
A bunch of old high school friends reunite for the Fourth of July holiday. It’s supposed to be a comedy, but it’s not funny. The acting is atrocious and there is no plot. Though it had some big names like Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, and Kevin James they didn’t add anything of substance to the movie. It’s simply a movie that flounders for around 2 hours.
8. Jonah Hex
This movie starts well with good backstories about the characters. After that, it goes nowhere. The jokes in the plot are massive and will have you astounded as to how anyone made this junk. “Try to avoid this movie, it is bad for your health. Both mentally and physically,” one critic wrote.
9. Valentine’s Day
Here is a romcom that is minus the com and has somewhat of the rom. Throughout the film, some characters just have no purpose of being in the movie. Men are demonized as villains and people to avoid. There is nothing of real value that “Valentine’s Day” offers. An online review hits the nail on the head by stating “It was like listening to pretentious American teenage/20-something girls’ accent for two hours. The script was horrible, the acting was awful. Everything and everyone in the movie seems so pretentious. It was very hard to finish this movie.” You have been warned…
10. I Spit On Your Grave
A writer goes to a cabin for a retreat and is attacked. She then seeks revenge on those who abused her. The horror is graphic and there is a rape scene that is also hard to watch. What makes this movie even worse than the gratuity (which is supposed to make up for the lack of a real plot), is the nonsense that a weak female suddenly becomes a powerful killer. “I Spit on Your Grave” is a spit in the face of decent movie-making.
11. Kidnapped
“Kidnapped” has a confused opening, and then the movie descends into a depressing state of affairs. The family that is the center of the kidnapping (which is more of an extortion) is passive. Just watching that is enough to make you get frustrated and yell at the TV screen. Don’t allow your time to be kidnapped watching this waste of celluloid. “Disappointing overall, I left the cinema feeling a bit cheated,” a reviewer wrote.
12. The Last Airbender
When “The Sixth Sense” came out, it pushed M. Night Shyamalan into the limelight. After that, he released a couple more movies that were awesome, but then he lost his way. “The Last Airbender” is one example of Shyamalan struggling to make a decent film. It’s adapted from a popular cartoon series, yet it fails to capture the essence of the original material. As one Airbender fan puts it “I understand that adaptations are difficult to reflect in the same light as the original content but the direction style, casting, writing, acting, and animation of this movie was lazy, disrespectful, and devalued the core ideals of the series.”
13. The Back-up Plan
A back-up plan is something you will definitely need once you start watching this poor excuse of a movie. It’s about a woman who has twins through artificial insemination and then comes across the man of her dreams on the same day. It’s a romcom, yet if you have seen the trailers then you have seen all the funny parts. The movie is not only predictable, but it’s also full of unrealistic situations that will have you shaking your head in disbelief.
14. Season of the Witch
A witch is transported to a monastery in 14th-century England, and she is considered to be the cause of the Black Plague. That’s not a terrible idea. Yet, it is ruined by a bad script and historical errors. The result is “…it seems like they took several movies and stitched them together to put out some medieval-action-mystery-horror-flick, using low-budget style fx, bad CGI and a rather clumsy story, topped by some nasty goofs and plot holes so big you can drive the Nimitz through.”
15. Legion
The premise of the movie was good: angels that come to save people attacked by demonic forces. However, the execution and delivery completely ruin the potential. The acting is passable but the plot leaves so many questions unanswered. We’ve given you a couple of reasons (out of a legion of them) as to why you should not watch this.
16. Yogi Bear
Many have fond childhood memories of watching Yogi Bear on TV. This movie adaptation pales in comparison. The jokes are lame (and you’ve probably heard them all before) and the plot is bland. One individual who saw this at the theatre mentions “The cinema was in complete silence during the “funny” scenes and many even walked out from the cinema.” That’s a heads-up for you all about the quality of this film.
