Usually, bad movies are quickly forgotten by all but the cast and crew. But sometimes they’re so bad they end up being funny and attract a cult following. Here are the movies that are so bad they’re actually good.
Gymkata
A 1985 martial arts film, Gymkata focuses on Olympic gymnast Jonathan Cabot, portrayed by real-life Olympic gymnast Kurt Thomas. Based on the novel The Terrible Game, the movie follows Cabot’s attempt to win a high-stakes game that grants survivors a wish. The dubious premise and low production values make this an unforgettable watch.
Plan 9 from Outer Space
Shot initially as Grave Robbers from Outer Space, Plan 9 is a sci-fi horror movie about extraterrestrials trying to prevent the creation of a doomsday weapon on Earth by resurrecting the dead. Legendary for its so-bad-it’s-good style, Plan 9 also had multiple plot inconsistencies.
The Room
The Room is a confusing melodrama that has achieved cult status for its terrible acting and even worse writing. Conversations don’t follow any kind of order, and seemingly significant revelations are met with no reaction, giving the movie a surreal air.
Troll 2
Originally intended to be called Goblins, Troll 2 was billed as the sequel to Troll despite featuring no trolls. Its strange plot, over-the-top acting, and multiple issues with filming have made it a cult classic.
Birdemic: Shock and Terror
Inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, Birdemic combines this with an environmental message about global warming to give us a distinctly weird premise. Terrible special effects and wooden acting do nothing to change its reputation as one of the worst movies ever.
Sharknado
A made-for-TV movie, Sharknado imagines sharks being swept out of the ocean by a tornado and dumped in the floodwaters of Los Angeles. The result is as ridiculous as it sounds, but Sharknado was still popular enough to spawn several sequels and spin-offs.
Manos: The Hands of Fate
Manos: Hands of Fate was written, directed, and produced by Harold P. Warren, an insurance and fertilizer salesman who made a bet with screenwriter Stirling Silliphant. As a result, it was made with a tiny budget, and the cast and crew had little to no experience. It gained fame after being featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Batman & Robin
The notorious 1997 Batman & Robin movie starred George Clooney as Batman and Chris O’Donnell as Robin. Fast-tracked production shaved a year off filming time, and the movie became known for its campy dialogue and over-the-top acting.
The Happening
Night Shyamalan’s 2008 movie sees the world experiencing mass suicides caused by plants releasing neurotoxins as a defense mechanism. Critics cited the bizarre premise and underwhelming threat as the reason for its failure.
Cool as Ice
Starring Vanilla Ice as Johnny Van Owen, Cool as Ice is a musical teen drama that showcases the best (and worst) of early 90s fashion and hair. With cheesy lines and poor acting, the movie was a critical and box office flop.
The Wicker Man Remake
The original Wicker Man, a 1973 horror movie, is reimagined in this remake starring Nicolas Cage as Edward Malus. On the hunt for his missing daughter, Malus finds himself on an island with neo-pagans he suspects of knowing more about her than they let on. Cage’s exaggerated performance attracts more laughs than scares in this endlessly memeable movie.
Miami Connection
An independent martial arts movie, Miami Connection focuses on a group of musicians who all train in Taekwondo. The story sees them square up to a gang of motorcycle-riding ninjas, culminating in a showdown at the park. Initially disparaged by critics, Miami Connection has since seen a moderately successful re-release.
Tammy and the T-Rex
In Tammy and the T-Rex, high school student Tammy (Denise Richards) is shocked to discover her boyfriend’s brain has been implanted into an animatronic T-Rex. Initially planned as an R-rated comedy horror, the gorier scenes were removed to attract a wider audience.
Mac and Me
A blatant E.T. rip-off, Mac and Me focuses on a Mysterious Alien Creature (MAC) who flees from NASA agents and makes friends with a boy called Eric Cruise (Jade Calegory). It became known for its aggressive product placement, featuring a dance scene with Ronald McDonald. Even the name Mac is a reference to McDonald’s.
Hercules in New York
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s debut movie from 1970 has him portraying Hercules arriving on Earth after a disagreement with his father. An action comedy, it became known for its weird plot and terrible dubbing, attracting a cult following.
Howard the Duck
An official Marvel movie, Howard the Duck is a superhero comedy that was a massive failure. It was nominated for seven Razzie Awards and won four. Reviews criticized the cast’s underwhelming performance and lack of story.
Fateful Findings
Fateful Findings centers around a magical stone that gives Dylan (Neil Breen) magical powers that allow him to hack government databases. Confusing and incomprehensible, poor production values made this amateur movie a cult classic.
Super Mario Bros.
The 1993 movie Super Mario Bros. tried to bring the charm of the video game to the big screen but fell sadly short. It bore little to no resemblance to the source material, and it was so bad that Nintendo refused to license another movie based on the game until 2023.
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
The low-budget Christmas movie Santa Claus Conquers the Martians is considered one of the worst movies ever made. As you would expect, Santa finds himself called upon to battle with the Martians who have kidnapped him. The bizarre plot and cheesy dialogue make it a favorite of bad movie lovers.
The Giant Claw
The Giant Claw features an alien bird made of antimatter attacking the Earth while the protagonists scramble to stop it. The laughably lousy puppet for the monster makes this creature’s feature more funny than scary.
Vampire Cop
Inexplicable and confusing, Vampire Cop tells the story of police officer Lucas (Ed Cannon), who also happens to be a vampire. Seeking to destroy a local crime boss, he joins forces with journalist Melanie Roberts (Melissa Moore) for a weird but fun movie.
Reefer Madness
Reefer Madness features a group of high schoolers who resort to crime and violence after becoming addicted to marijuana. They also suffer from multiple hallucinations and go insane, with the group becoming seriously ill. A church initially financed this exploitation movie as a morality tale, but it sold the premise.
Night of the Lepus
Sometimes simply called Rabbits, the sci-fi horror movie Night of the Lepus sees giant, mutated rabbits terrorize a small town. It attracted criticism for its strange plot and non-threatening monsters but has since become a cult classic.
Hobgoblins
Gremlins rip-off Hobgoblins attempts to follow a similar story to its inspiration but falls short in several areas, notably creature design. It is notoriously terrible and was also featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000.
