The 2010s were a decade of iconic films, rising cinematic universes, and resurrected franchises that broke the box office while also achieving critical acclaim. However, among these many praiseworthy films also existed numerous movies so bad, that they united audiences and critics in pure hatred.
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes very rarely gives a film a rating of 0% approval, yet such an occurrence is not impossible. In fact, during the 2010s, thirteen films were given this dishonorable distinction, going down in infamy as some of the worst movies ever made.
The Nutcracker In 3D (2010)
A cast that includes Elle Fanning, John Turturro, Nathan Lane, and Richard E. Grant would have every reason to become a success. This, however, was not the case for the 2010 retelling of Tchaikovsky's iconic ballet. The Nutcracker in 3D was a financial failure, a shortcoming made worse by the universally negative reviews that blasted the film on several levels.
The film was called "misguided, misconceived, and misbegotten on every level" by Rotten Tomatoes, with the accompanying audience score of 27% doing very little to redeem the film, which has since been largely forgotten by the general public and the cast alike.
Dark Tide (2012)
Halle Berry is one of the few actresses who has won both an Oscar and a Razzie award during her career. Her 2012 film Dark Tide did not earn the recognition of either organization, with the action horror film fizzling from the cultural zeitgeist as quickly as it had arrived.
Rotten Tomatoes called Dark Tide "shallow and brackish" upon its release, with audiences largely agreeing with the critical analysis of this box office flop, giving the film a 16% audience rating. The film ultimately barely cracked $1 million at the worldwide box office, becoming one of the worst flops of the decade.
A Thousand Words (2012)
Eddie Murphy, Kerry Washington, and Alison Janney starred in 2012's A Thousand Words, a comedy film about a literary agent who discovers that his life has become tied to that of a tree, which loses one leaf with every word he speaks.
A Thousand Words was utterly hated by critics, including those affiliated with Rotten Tomatoes, who point out that the movie completely wastes Murphy's talents by having him remain silent for much of the film. The film was eventually nominated for three Golden Raspberry Awards of dishonor, including Worst Picture, but lost all three, only insulting the film further.
Left Behind (2014)
Left Behind, starring Nicholas Cage, Chad Michael Murray, and Cassi Thompson is the 2014 remake of the early-2000s film trilogy based on the Christian apocalyptic series of the same name by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. The film follows several characters after they are "left behind" in the Rapture, forcing them to survive in a world that has now entered the Tribulation.
70 critics on Rotten Tomatoes all agree that Left Behind missed the mark, comparing the film to "a plague of locusts" that leave a "scourge of devastation" on Cage's career. Fans seem to agree, with over 10,000 users settling on a score of 4% on the website, indicating massive distaste for the property. Nevertheless, a sequel, Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist, is set to release later this year, albeit with an entirely new cast.
The Ridiculous 6 (2015)
The Ridiculous Six, the first of several team-ups between Adam Sandler and Netflix, did not establish a winning reputation for the pairing. The comedy western united Sandler with other major stars including Terry Crews, Taylor Lautner, and Rob Schneider in an ensemble film that certainly lived up to its title.
The Ridiculous Six is far from Sandler's best work, uniting critics in utter hatred for the film. Reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes called the film "lazily offensive," encouraging any film enthusiast to avoid watching the movie entirely. Despite universally negative reviews from both fans and critics, Sandler has continued a very lucrative partnership with the streaming giant in the years since The Ridiculous Six's release.
Cabin Fever (2016)
The 2016 horror film Cabin Fever was a remake of the original Eli Roth film from 2002. With Roth returning to help pen the script, the reboot quickly went off the rails, proving underwhelming to both critics and audiences, failing to produce interest of any kind at the box office.
Rotten Tomatoes called the film an "inert remake," confident in the fact that no viewers would take to this soulless reboot. The accompanying audience score confirms the site's suspicions, offering up a measly 12% approval rating from viewers, who similarly found the film to be lacking in any originality or nuance.
Dark Crimes (2016)
Jim Carey is a star that has often proven to be a lucrative man to work with, but Dark Crimes prove that even he is unable to save a bland script and uninspired story. The 2016 true crime drama alienated audiences, who felt it poorly handled its sensitive subject matter, making Dark Crimes one of Jim Carey's worst movies ever.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, Jim Carey's "committed" performance wasn't enough to save Dark Crimes, which critics on the site called "rote" and "unpleasant." While Carey and the supporting cast of the film were generally applauded for a commendable effort, nothing could keep Dark Crimes from its complete and utter failure.
The Disappointments Room (2016)
The Disappointments Room is a 2016 psychological horror film starring Kate Beckinsale and Mel Raido. The film tells the unremarkable and completely derivative story of a couple who discovers that there is a secret and dark history to their new house, uncovering the horrors within.
The film was a box office disaster, failing to make back more than one-third of its production budget. Rotten Tomatoes called the film a "thrill-free thriller" and lamented the choice made by its stars to appear in such a low-quality project. Unlike many horror films that flopped at the box office, The Disappointments Room disappeared from the cultural psyche, failing to even pick up a cult following in the years since its release.
Max Steel (2016)
Filmmakers were hoping to launch the next Transformers-level franchise with 2016's Max Steel, a film based on the Mattel toy of the same name. The superhero film starring Ben Winchell was a flop in every sense of the word, earning a measly $6 million at the global box office.
Max Steel was panned by critics on a universal level, with Rotten Tomatoes roasting the film as lacking even any of the "childhood imagination" that made the toys a success. The film has since been swept under the rug by just about everyone involved in its production, with no discussions of a sequel or reboot whatsoever.
Precious Cargo (2016)
Though Bruce Willis appeared in several Oscar-worthy roles during his career, the actor has since slipped into a string of poorly-received action B-films, the worst of which is Precious Cargo, a 2016 team-up between Willis and director Max Adams. The film was hated by critics and failed to excite even the most diehard of Willis's fanbase.
Rotten Tomatoes neglected to even comment on its consensus to grant a 0% rating for Precious Cargo upon its release. Ultimately, the film struggled to gross a profit of any kind, failing to make back any more than half of its production budget.
Stratton (2017)
With a cast full of up-and-coming actors ready to make a name for themselves on the big screen, Stratton was a 2017 action thriller that could have been a major success had there been any level of competency from its filmmakers. The Dominic Cooper-led film was forgotten as soon as it was released, becoming just one of many unremarkable action films that failed to resonate with its audience.
Critics panned Stratton on Rotten Tomatoes, granting the film the rare dishonor of uniting critics in universal hatred, who laid waste to the film's "derivative story, misguided casting, and... low-budget feel." While many of the stars therein survived Stratton's massive flop, their careers were certainly hindered by the film.
Gotti (2018)
The 2018 biographical crime film Gotti, starring John Travolta as the titular mobster John Gotti, was never going to be a success. After a years-long struggle to even finish production, the film cost far more than it would eventually make back, barely scrounging up half of its production budget from its theatrical release.
Gotti quickly became a laughingstock among critics and audiences alike. When writing a consensus for the film, Rotten Tomatoes simply offered a single word: "Fuhggedaboutdit." The film would go on to be nominated for several Razzie Awards, including worst picture.
London Fields (2018)
Sporting a star-studded cast consisting of Billy Bob Thornton, Amber Heard, and Jason Isaacs, among others, and beloved source material in the Martin Amis novel of the same name, the neo-mystery London Fields should have been a colossal hit. However, after years of development hell after behind-the-scenes controversies, the film opened to critical and commercial failure on every level.
By the time of the film's heavily-delayed release, star Amber Heard and her ex-husband, Johnny Depp, who makes a cameo therein, had already become embroiled in one of the biggest legal battles in Hollywood history, adding to the sour taste that London Fields left in viewers' mouths. Rotten Tomatoes appropriately panned the film, calling it "only of interest to the morbidly curious."