There’s nothing worse than feeling like a premise or character within a movie has been forced. It wreaks havoc on our senses. Woke movies are on the rise, and while some of them are well-received, others are painfully uncomfortable to watch. Let’s take a look at 18 woke movies that were met with poor (terrible!) reviews.
Ghostbusters (2016)
Ghostbusters, 1984 was considered the perfect comedy by many. The 2016 reboot was a box office flop. What went wrong? The gender swap was too obvious and the comedy fell flat. The focus was wrong; even the hilarious Melissa McCarthy couldn’t save it.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
Powerful young female characters intimidating their male counterparts was a bridge too far for lovers of the franchise. Throw in an evil depiction of the rich, and the movie overlooks its true purpose; to entertain! May the will to live be with you.
Tomb Raider (2018)
Tomb Rader star Alicia Vikader was devastated when a sequel was denied due to low ratings. The remake failed on many levels with some stating that the focus was very much on Lara Croft’s de-sexualization and increased athleticism. Under-sexualizing to counter over-sexualizing. Erm, right!
Birds Of Prey (2020)
All that we loved about Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad was lost in this sequel. Granted, studio bosses felt pressured into presenting a hardcore female lead in the wake of representative inclusivity but too many feminist-inspired one-liners, references to a vagina, and even a shout-out to Bernie Sanders made this a royal flop.
The Marvels (2023)
It’s not the first time Disney has been shrouded in a shower of ‘woke’ controversy. Right-wing critics have called out the casting of three women, including several of color, as yet another move towards Disney’s female-led projects that are overlooking the point of storytelling. An unfunny script didn’t help either.
Charlies Angels (2019)
Director Elizabeth Banks admitted that her diverse casting choices were aimed at creating some feminine manifesto. The movie failed miserably, and Kristin Stewarts’ portrayal of Sabrina as homosexual was entirely unnecessary to the plot.
Music (2021)
Sinnger-songwriter Sia’s directorial debut may well have been her last. Kate Hudson’s, Zu becomes guardian to her autistic half-sister, Music and it all goes downhill from there. The fact that Sia had to publicly apologize for her poor representation of autism and the ‘use of restraint’ on autistic people says it all.
Strange World (2022)
A Disney action-comedy featuring a gay, bi-racial teenager called Ethan. Given that the story is about a family that discovers a land beyond their world, we can’t quite see the relevance of Ethan’s sexuality.
What Men Want (2019)
Aimed solely at redressing the balance, What Men Want was nothing more than a finger up to the comedy hit, What Women Want. A female protagonist who can hear men’s thoughts. Original.
The Hustle (2019)
A remake of the legendary comedy, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels featuring, wait for it, an all-female cast! Shocker. The actors lacked charisma, chemistry and the jokes fell flat. Steve Martin, we miss you!
Men In Black: International (2019)
Someone decided that the box office hit Men In Black needed a shake-up. We’re talking about the movie that gave Will Smith his superstar status. Box office gold. Tessa Thompson’s constant feminist put-downs were tiresome, and she and her partner Chris Hemsworth had the chemistry of a gnat.
Lightyear (2022)
When Lightyear hit the screen, fans of the Toy Story franchise had high hopes. When a lesbian character shared a kiss with her wife, subsequently leading to the ban of the film in several countries, many were left confused. It was wholly unnecessary. It’s a cartoon.
No Time To Die (2021)
You can’t remove every aspect of a firmly established, world-renowned character and expect it to wash. James Bond’s womanizing, bad-boy attitude is integral to the role but 007 bosses decided to appease the few. The changes didn’t go well and the movie is rumored to have run at a loss.
Mulan (2020)
Based on the 1962 novel by Madeleine L’Engle, the story became a controversial children’s story due to its strong theme of Christianity. When movie screenwriter, Jennifer Lee chose to scrap all religious themes and a few key characters, book lovers were in uproar. Suffice to say, this Disney-backed movie was a flop.
Don’t Worry Darling (2022)
While the movie wasn’t entirely terrible, it sparked more controversy surrounding the top-secret-but-not-a-secret-at-all relationship between its stars, Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles. That wasn’t all, the movie epitomized the domineering male and suppressed wife, and it was a bit much. The box office agreed.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2000)
Gal Gadot won our hearts with her portrayal of Wonder Woman as an action goddess with a heart. The sequel came at us with female testosterone aplenty and featured an overly domineering Gal Gadot. Back up a bit.
Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
Linda Hamilton became a celebrated action hero following her portrayal of Sarah Connor in The Terminator, 1984. This poorly received sequel focused solely on powerful women which detracted from the story. It didn’t need to. The work had already been done. Waste of a story.
Oceans Eight
We get the fact that Ocean’s Eleven comprised a predominantly male cast. And Ocean’s Twelve. And Ocean’s Thirteen. The movies featured an all-star cast that coalesced flawlessly. With its all-female casting, Oceans Eight seemed like more of a lazy yet dubious gender swap than a feminist win. Why doesn’t Hollywood just create new movies with blinding female leads? You don’t always have to make a point.
