It’s easy to find a good movie that everyone loves. It’s a lot harder to find a bad movie that has still attracted a devoted following of fans. But it happens, especially with the ones on this list that are so bad that they’re good.
The Room
No list of bad movies is complete without mentioning The Room. A bizarre personal and self-funded project, The Room is widely recognized as one of the worst movies ever made. Poor production and script choices lead to a confusing mess of a movie that still manages to attract fans.
Plan 9 from Outer Space
When hostile aliens attack the Earth, their first act is to put Plan 9 into action. This seems pretty normal for a sci-fi movie until you realize that the key element of Plan 9 is resurrecting dead humans to help with their invasion. A strange premise, combined with poor acting and numerous plot holes, led to Plan 9 from Outer Space being dubbed one of the worst movies ever made despite being fun to watch.
Troll 2
Troll 2 features poor acting, an illogical story, and low production values. What it doesn’t feature is a troll. Due to distributors deciding to market this goblin-centric movie as the sequel to Troll, it was always on the back foot, and a production plagued with misunderstandings due to the language barrier didn’t help. Nevertheless, it has gone on to be a cult classic with fans.
Birdemic: Shock and Terror
This romantic horror movie was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds and an environmental documentary called An Inconvenient Truth. The result is a bizarre romp through a town being attacked by birds, with love blossoming between leads Rod (Alan Bagh) and Nathalie (Whitney Moore).
The Happening
Night Shyamalan delivers a sci-fi thriller where unexplained mass suicides are happening all over the world. When contact with the outside world is lost, a group of survivors take shelter together. The absurd plot and lack of atmosphere led to critical reviews, but The Happening still attracted fans who enjoyed it for its B-movie style.
Batman & Robin
Immediately quotable, Batman & Robin was the fourth installment in Warner Bros’ initial Batman franchise, with George Clooney and Chris O’Donnell playing the titular pair. This time, they are going up against Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) in a superhero movie that is loved for its campy script and bizarre plot.
Super Mario Bros.
The first adaption of Nintendo’s popular franchise was also the last for the next few decades after Super Mario Bros. proved to be both confusing and laughable. A critical and financial failure, the movie didn’t seem to have much in common with its source material. Nevertheless, it has stayed popular with a devoted group of fans who love the nostalgia it brings.
Wild Wild West
Steampunk Western Wild Wild West was undoubtedly ambitious in premise but fell short on the delivery, resulting in a more funny than thrilling movie. Featuring characters from the 1960s TV series, Wild Wild West was one of the most expensive movies ever made but was met with critical failure. It has since found new life with those who appreciate its peculiar charm.
Catwoman
This 2004 superhero movie starring Halle Berry as the titular character had little in common with its source material. A critical and commercial failure, it’s difficult to find anything that Catwoman did right. Nevertheless, some people watch this movie purely for the so-bad-it’s-good experience.
Gigli
The romantic comedy Gigli stars Ben Affleck as the titular Larry Gigli, a low-ranking mobster who is commanded to kidnap the brother of a federal prosecutor to gain leverage to free their boss from jail. Despite a budget of $54 million, it was a massive flop, making back just $7.2 million of this. Somehow, it still has fans who appreciate it for its terribleness.
Street Fighter
Based on the popular video game franchise, Street Fighter became known for the ridiculously over-the-top performances given by the actors, in particular Raul Julia as Bison. The confusing plot and bad special effects haven’t stopped people from loving it for its 90s charm and camp dialogue.
The Adventures of Pluto Nash
Starring Eddie Murphy as both Pluto Nash and his clone Rex Crater, this sci-fi action comedy had a strange plot and jokes that often missed the mark. It was a massive box-office bomb, but fans have since picked it up for its oddity and unintentional humor.
Battlefield Earth
Scientologist John Travolta had been trying to get the novel Battlefield Earth by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard adapted for several years before we got this movie in 2000. Battlefield Earth was a critical and commercial flop, with every aspect considered a failure. While it couldn’t be considered to have many fans, people still watch it to enjoy its terribleness.
Xanadu
The musical fantasy Xanadu focuses on a struggling artist meeting a mysterious woman who turns out to be one of the Nine Muses of Olympus. With roller skating and magic, the movie was a flop on release but has since become a cult classic for its catchy soundtrack and distinctive aesthetics.
Howard the Duck
Notorious failure Howard the Duck was based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Originally planned as an animated movie, the transition to live-action due to contractual obligation probably didn’t help its production. But that still doesn’t account for the terrible script and bizarre premise of a duck from outer space. The sheer weirdness of this movie has helped it attract a fanbase.
Mortal Kombat Annihilation
A sequel to the moderately successful Mortal Kombat movie from 1995, Annihilation didn’t live up to expectations. With most of the characters being recast, the movie also suffered from poor dialogue and special effects, ultimately leading to its failure. It remains popular with some video game fans who appreciate its unique charm.
Masters of the Universe
A live-action adaption of the cartoon and toy line, Masters of the Universe, was released to widespread criticism. Frequently deviating from the source material, this fantasy movie remains the only one made in the Masters of the Universe franchise. It has a nostalgic charm, especially for fans who were kids when it came out in 1987.
Congo
The sci-fi movie Congo sends the cast to hunt for blue diamonds to build a communications laser. Along the way, they stumble upon a lost city overrun with hostile gorillas. The absurd plot and cheesy special effects make this campy, over-the-top movie so fun.
Spice World
The pop girl group Spice Girls stars in this surreal musical comedy, which features dream sequences and flashbacks combined with plenty of songs. Although it was confusing and received negative reviews from critics, it was a box-office success and the highest-grossing movie of all time by a musical group.
Highlander II: The Quickening
The sequel to the classic movie Highlander, The Quickening, never enjoyed the same success. This was partly due to it deciding to rewrite the lore of the first movie and partly because it simply wasn’t perfect, with a confusing plot and poor special effects. It still has its fans, with some even enjoying the ambitious storytelling.
Double Team
In this action comedy, anti-terrorist agent Jack Quinn (Jean-Claude Van Damme) and weapons dealer Yaz (Dennis Rodman) team up to rescue Quinn’s wife. Unlikely scenarios and over-the-top action scenes resulted in critical and commercial failure, but audiences still enjoy it for its 90s charm.
