Rotten Tomatoes’ 25 Worst Movies of All Time

Though critiquing movies is a highly subjective business, some are just so good that critics can’t help but agree about them—like 12 Angry Men (1957) and Toy Story (1995), both of which have 100 percent “fresh” ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. But it’s not only perfect films that foster unity among critics: Really awful ones can have the same effect.

Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever, which Roger Ebert called “a chaotic mess,” is a prime example. The 2002 action film, starring Antonio Banderas and Lucy Liu, placed first on Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the worst movies of all time. A film had to have at least 20 reviews to qualify for the list at all, and those with the same score were then ranked by number of reviews. In other words, not only does Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever have a score of 0 percent, but more reviewers were compelled to vouch for how bad it was than they were for any other 0-percenter on the list—and there are quite a few of them.

Of the top 25 worst films, all have 0 percent scores except the 1988 family film Mac and Me, which came in 22nd place with 4 percent. This suggests that a few kind critics have submitted positive reviews since Rotten Tomatoes published the list, or else there’s an additional variable in the ranking algorithm.

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If there’s one clear takeaway, it’s that acclaimed Hollywood A-listers aren’t always enough to keep a flop afloat. In fact, most of the films on the list feature one or more venerable actors, including Eddie Murphy (2012’s A Thousand Words ranked third), Michael Caine (1987’s Jaws: The Revenge took ninth place), and Diane Keaton (1993’s Look Who’s Talking Now landed in the 23rd spot). John Travolta starred in an impressive three: Look Who’s Talking Now, Staying Alive (1983), and Gotti (2018).

While there aren’t any movies in the top 25 that predate the early 1980s, it’s not because undeniable stinkers didn’t exist before then—according to Rotten Tomatoes, it’s simply because movie reviews have been on the rise in the last few decades. Read on to find out how many of the worst movies you’ve suffered through, and see Rotten Tomatoes’ full list of 100 here.

Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever (2002) // 0 percent

One Missed Call (2008) // 0 percent

A Thousand Words (2012) // 0 percent

Gotti (2018) // 0 percent

Pinocchio (2002) // 0 percent

Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004) // 0 percent

Lady Killers (2003) // 0 percent

The Last Days of American Crime (2020) // 0 percent

Jaws: The Revenge (1987) // 0 percent

Dark Crimes (2018) // 0 percent

The Ridiculous 6 (2015) // 0 percent

Stratton (2018) // 0 percent

London Fields (2018) // 0 percent

The Nutcracker in 3D (2010) // 0 percent

Return to the Blue Lagoon (1991) // 0 percent

Problem Child (1990) // 0 percent

Wagons East! (1994) // 0 percent

3 Strikes (2000) // 0 percent

Shadow Conspiracy (1997) // 0 percent

Cabin Fever (2016) // 0 percent

Redline (2007) // 0 percent

Mac and Me (1988) // 4 percent

Look Who’s Talking Now (1993) // 0 percent

Staying Alive (1983) // 0 percent

The Disappointments Room (2016) // 0 percent

A version of this story ran in 2020; it has been updated for 2021.

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