Welcome back to the blog readers. Well, here it is folks. 2024 is over and done with and it turned out to be a hell of a year when it was all said and done. We wound up seeing some great films in 2024, but we have also gotten some real stinkers and disappointments in this year. And since we are going to talk about the good, it only seems fair that we talk about the bad as well. Just like Thanos said, perfectly balanced as all things should be. So with that being said, what would I think are the 15 worst films of 2024? Stick around to find out.
NOTE: I cannot promise that I will not use spoilers on this list, so read this post at your own peril. This is your official spoiler warning; you have been warned. And most important of all, this ranking is just my opinion. Feel free to discuss and share your least favorite films of 2024 in the comments.
Dishonorable Mentions
The Beekeeper
If you have been following me for any period of time whether on this blog or in real life, you would know that I do not think Jason Statham is a good actor at all. Other than his role as Deckard Shaw, all of his performances are lifeless. I even caught a brief look at an old film of his named Crank: High Voltage (2009) and was bored to tears (especially with him). Even though I thought positively of this film when I saw it, I did not think it held up. And I still think Statham's performance (wherein he just kills people and broods with minimal talking) is the perfect one for him. Play to his strengths, David Ayer.
Longlegs
Horror is a genre that I will always have a love/hate relationship with, and this film is no different. Going into this film, we were promised a truly terrifying experience that would leave us on the edge of our seats, but in reality we got a truly disappointing horror film in the end that is scarce on the scares and focuses more on character moments. But if there is one sole reason keeping this film out of the actual list, it is the brilliant and creepy-as-fuck performance from Nicolas Cage. Who knew him singing could be so creepy (and so memeable)?
Blink Twice
While not a horror film, I believe I have come to the same conclusion for thriller films that I did for horror. I do like Zoë Kravitz as an actor (she was great in The Batman (2022) as Catwoman), I feel as if directing is not something she is the absolute best at quite yet. While Channing Tatum excelled in his role of a tech billionaire that owns an island and does some fucked-up shit on said island, I think the message they try to convey about sexual assault is pretty muddled and is not executed as well as I would have liked for them to. Plus, it felt a bit too long for my liking.
Mufasa: The Lion King
I was a pretty big fan of The Lion King (2019), especially having never seen the original. So going into this film, I had some pretty high expectations but found the lack of enthusiasm to be a bit troublesome. This would have to go in as one of the biggest disappointments of the year, especially because I love so many of the individual aspects of the film. The music is absolutely the weakest aspect of the film and the story is pretty cut and dry (and feels derivative of a film I will be discussing in my Best Films list). I did enjoy the lead vocal performances from Aaron Pierre and kelvin Harrison Jr., and Timon and Pumbaa were the highlights once again.
Now, with these "Dishonorable Mentions" out of the way, here is my official list of the top 15 worst films of 2024.
15. The Critic
In case you somehow did not know this, Sir Ian McKellen is one of the greats of the industry and he basically has his pickings on which roles he can take. It is nice to know he has no plans on retiring any time soon, so we can continue to get incredible award-baity performances from him in the future. Unfortunately, this is not the vehicle for that to happen for him.
While he does give a great performance as a gay film critic that blackmails an up and coming actor to seducing his former boss so he will be hired back (as does Gemma Arterton who plays this actor), the rest of the film feels contrived and the biggest sinner of them all is the contrarian script. It feels too much like White Noise (2023) and not enough like something handled with the utmost respect.
What I can appreciate about this film aside from the acting is the fact that everyone involved actually tried to make a good film. Unfortunately, it inevitably feels like a muddled mess that really left me disappointed, even though I learned of this film's existence 20 minutes before I saw it and therefore had no expectations. Hopefully the next project McKellen has will be the one that will bring him the acclaim he so rightfully deserves.
14. Trap
Here's the thing about M. Night Shyamalan. We truthfully have treated the guy like crap despite making some crappy films over the last 15 years. He has been trying to make a comeback with films like Old (2021) and Knock at the Cabin (2023), so when I heard he was making a thriller film with Josh Hartnett as the lead, I immediately got excited for this film despite knowing what it could be.
And if I will be honest with you, the thing that prevents this film from being higher on this list is the fantastic performance from Hartnett as the serial killer trying to get away and get away with his crimes. When we are in the stadium at the concert, I am at the edge of my seat because we are seeing a real cat-and-mouse game play out between all involved parties. Once we get to his house, however, things start to fall apart and fast.
While the music is good and the performances are as well, that third act completely sends this film from being a pretty good one to a pretty disappointing one. If by some way a sequel is made, I hope Shamhammer takes what worked in this film and amplifies those while dialing back on its weaknesses. Also side note: Shamhammer's daughter was the musical act Lady Raven. Nice to see people supporting her.
13. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
This one is probably going to be pretty controversial to a lot of people, and I'm here to tell you we do not care. I was a pretty mild fan of Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) when it came out because I thought it was so thrilling and the action was so deserved. When I learned about a spinoff prequel centered around the character of Furiosa, I thought it was both a good and a questionable idea.
While I do appreciate the performances of Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa and Chris Hemsworth as Dementus, I thought everything else in this film felt like a gimmick. Everybody else was overacting, the action was not as inspired as it was in Fury Road, and the cinematography is a bit bonkers and all over the place here. Also, let me just remind you for a second about some of the visual shots. Holy hell, that one car scene with Hemsworth is brutal.
I understand that all art is subjective (and that does include films) and everybody has a different opinion than everybody else, but how people can call this a top 10 film of the year when there is very little to sink your teeth into is insane in my eyes. It feels like a cheap rehashing of Fury Road, and the nine years between films did not feel warranted at all. I really hope the other prequel in development never happens because it is time for this franchise to die.
12. Afraid
I told you horror was on and off in any year. While I do believe that the rapid embracing of artificial intelligence is a major threat to our society (and a horror film revolving around this concept is admittedly a brilliant idea), some things are better left on the cutting room floor, because this film is a bad excuse of a horror film for a few different reasons (none of them are particularly good).
While I did appreciate the performance of John Cho as the father trying to protect his family from a malevolent AI, not much else was present to gravitate towards. The rest of the performances are not anything to write home about (and David Dastmalchian is wasted in yet another role). The writing is formulaic and generic at best. And it commits the cardinal sin of horror films: not being scary enough.
I know the topic of artificial intelligence is a slippery slope for a lot of people, and I am aware that not everyone feels the same way about it that I do. I was just hoping that we could get something worthy of the threat. Also, why did we have to have the AI win in the end? As if this nonsensical film needed any more logic gaps. Seems like the message really wasn't about the threat of AI now, is it?
11. Bad Boys: Ride or Die
For directors Adil & Bilall, I am pretty mixed on the pair. I really enjoyed their episodes of Ms. Marvel (2022), but Bad Boys for Life (2020) was not a good film at all. And I know Batgirl nay not have worked, but jeez. We didn't have to go back to the well of this franchise that's on IR. And some may even argue that Will Smith has not gotten over his infamous Oscars slap yet. I am of the opposite mindset in that regard.
The performances were not really anything to ride home about, but the fact that the jokes weren't funny at all didn't help them not look like total goofs. Especially Martin Lawrence, what happened to you in this film? Will Smith came off as the straight man, but the rest of the performances were crap. And don't even get me started on those damn drone shots and camera angles.
I understand in entertainment sometimes that you have to suspend your disbelief in certain things sometimes, but for some of the things we see in this film (like following a gun from the perspective of the gun as it is being thrown from one person to another) it can be nauseating and unbearable to watch. There are rumblings of a sequel that I hope never happens because of how dumb it will inevitably be.
10. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
I have never seen Beetlejuice (1989) and really cannot have an opinion on it, but I know how popular and beloved that film is and that is something I will never hold against its fans. I really wanted to love this film because I love a lot of the individual pieces involved. Jenna Ortega was great in Scream (2022) and Scream VI (2023), and who doesn't love Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton?
Unfortunately, I was bored to fucking tears with this film. All of the performances in this film are lackluster at best as they all seemed bored in their roles. The only performance I somewhat gravitated towards was Keaton's because he seemed like he was having fun. Jenna Ortega was bored, Winona Ryder was bored, Catherine O'Hara was bored, everyone was bored. And don't get me started on the horrible script.
The comedy in this film was not funny and made a lot of the scenes in the film uncomfortable to watch. And one of the most mind-boggling scenes of the year is in the church in the finale. There is too much that goes on in that scene and it makes watching it a chore. How this film made $450 million is baffling to say the least, because this franchise needs to go six feet under real quick (and stay there).
9. Heretic
Like I have already said, horror is subjective, and 2024 was a much better year for horror than most of them. Here is the main issue that I have with this film: everyone who has seen this film loves it for its portrayal of conflicting religious views and its allegory on religion as a whole. What is the issue then if everyone else is singing its praises? I saw none of that and was bored to tears the entire time watching the film.
While I do really like Hugh Grant's performance in the film (and think he deserves his Critic's Choice nomination), nothing else felt right about the film. And unfortunately, Grant's Golden Globe-nominated performance in MUSICAL OR COMEDY (peep my rant on the Golden Globes here) was not enough to save this film from absolute boredom. And the other two actors (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) could not convince me enough.
As someone who is not religious in the slightest (and nothing and no one will change that), I was looking for an intellectual debate about the worth of religion that challenged everybody. Unfortunately, the only thing challenging me in this film was the urge to stay awake. So if this is your cup of tea, go for it by all means. Maybe you won't have the same experience as I did.
8. Venom: The Last Dance
Having this film on this list feels so sacrilegious because of how much I enjoyed the first two films in the franchise. While I did not enjoy Let There Be Carnage (2021) as much as Venom (2018), these films were fun and had something for us. However, between the aforementioned Let There Be Carnage and this film, the stinkers known as Morbius (2022) and Madame Web (2024) (more on you later) came out. So I tempered my expectations.
Unfortunately, this is my biggest disappointment of the year and the only thing that works in it is the chemistry between Eddie and Venom. The writing was lazy and felt like a giant exposition dump, the film treads on with Rhys Ifans and his hippie family in the middle, Mrs. Chen was not necessary in this film (and I love Peggy Lu and her performance in these films), and the final act did not really feel earned enough for me. Although Venom dying was a sweet moment.
It looks like I was sadly right to temper my expectations for this film because the Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU) films have been taking a nosedive into the dumpster as of late, and I fear that the upcoming projects: Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse (TBD), Spider-Noir (TBD), and the untitled Spider-Man: No Way Home sequel (2026), will falter because of the inadequacies of Sony to this point.
7. Megalopolis
If I was more excited to see this film than I was, this definitely would have been my biggest disappointment of the year. One of the legends of filmmaking producing a film about how our society is more alike to Rome than we originally thought it was? And the fact that this film has been a passion project of his for four decades? And the fact that it has one of the greatest casts put to film to date? Yawn.
The only two elements of this film that make it worth the price of admission is the performances of Adam Driver and Giancarlo Esposito. All of the other performances are lifeless and lazy as I am when trying to apply for a job. The script is absolutely horrendous and goes totally overboard with its consciousness, worse than White Noise ever could (notice how White Noise is the standard bearer?)
But I think the biggest sin that this film makes is that it in no way is even remotely interesting enough to warrant its existence. Sure, getting a film that analyzes how our society and culture was influenced by and is still influenced by Roman culture today is a brilliant idea on paper. But when Francis Ford Coppola spends decades making this film, "Megaflopolis" is a name that is going to ring in true.
6. Joker: Folie à Deux
Depending on who you are and what your opinions on Joker (2019) are, you may be surprised (or even shocked) when I say what I am about to. I did not hate Joker like some people did, but I also did not love it as much as others do. I thought its message on mental health was kind of muffled under a superficial story, but the ending of the film makes up for everything at the beginning.
I did not feel the same about this film, however. Whereas the first film tried to tell a good story, this film failed miserably to do so. The music, while admittedly not horrible, is horribly used in the story. Not even Lady Gaga (who should have won the Oscar for A Star Is Born (2018) and I will die on that hill) could salvage this thing from the trash heap where it belongs. Not even another great performance from Joaquin Phoenix could either.
I actually did lie about something. If I had loved Joker like certain people did, THIS would have been my biggest disappointment of the year bar none. I may have some blame to take for getting my hopes up a little too high, but the trailers were admittedly awesome for this film. Now I hope this franchise goes exactly how Arthur Fleck did: shanked to death in film prison and never to be resurrected.
5. Kraven the Hunter
Now we are getting to the films that I absolutely despised this year, and doing the fifth through second spots were truly not easy. Based on how things were going in the SSU, I could not find myself getting excited for this film at all, even though Russell Crowe and Ricky Ticky Tacky himself (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) were in the film. Even when some people held out hope, I could not. Turns out, I was right to do so.
Let's get one thing out of the way though. Aaron Taylor-Johnson was great in the role of Kraven and they got the right guy for the role, so none of what I am about to say is his fault or his problem. The script is as bad (if not worse) than Madame Web's and the story is just as dumb and nonsensical as it. I swear, it feels like this film had dissociative identity disorder, because it has no idea what it wants to be.
Then, you add on the fact that none of the other performances make you as invested as Taylor-Johnson's to all of this shit and you have diarrhea of the highest regard. Well, I shouldn't say that because that can be construed as an insult to diarrhea. Some people have liked it, so I guess not everyone shares my opinion on this film. Even with that, still don't watch this trash film for your own good.
4. Red One
Now I know when it comes to Christmas and the holidays, I am notorious for being a Grinch (in that I hate that time of year). That doesn't mean I don't like some Christmas films and specials. Just look at Spirited and the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (both 2022). I love the Guardians holiday special way more than I do Spirited, but I hope you guys know what I mean. This film was fucking boring as all hell.
Thank goodness Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson returned to WWE to get some of that "Final Boss" money, because after the sheer brutality of this film, he'll need it. Chris Evans is wasted in yet another post-Avengers: Endgame (2019) slugfest and he is since returning to the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday (2026). The rest of the performances are lifeless and uninspired and they seem like they're just there for the money.
The story is paper-thin and says nothing that has not already been said. For an action comedy, the comedy was unfunny and bland (although that Wonder Woman joke did get me to chuckle). Call me a Level 4 Naughty-Lister all you want because I hate this film, but it really is films like this that make me hate this fucking holiday so much. Where's the next great Presidents' Day film? At least that holiday means more than Christmas does.
3. Borderlands
It goes without saying that the Borderlands series of games is very popular and very beloved by its fanbase. I hope those fans get to really enjoy Borderlands 4 which is expected to release this year. But of course every video game known to man has to be adapted into a series or a film, and Borderlands is yet another example of why these adaptations need to die already.
It was such a shame that the all-star cast was wasted on shit. Two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett acts like she is once again 25 years old with a horrid boyish performance. Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis is wasted in a meaningless role that is a waste of her talents. You know you have it bad when Kevin Hart of all people plays the most serious and down-to-earth character in your film. Jack Black is annoying as the voice of Claptrap as well.
The script is filled with lazy one liners and zingers that do not land at all. The action is uninspired (except for one scene at the end of the second act of the film), and the story is as paper-thin as paper-thin gets. If you want a real good video game adaptation, look for The Last of Us (2023-) (which returns to HBO in April so I am dying for April to come already) for one done right. May no other soul see this atrocity.
2. Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver
If you remember my lists from 2023, you would know how much I loved the first Rebel Moon (2023) film. It was such a great look at power and struggle, and all the characters were...what was that? I wasn't supposed to be putting what I really wanted to feel about Rebel Moon here? Oh yeah, Rebel Moon sucked total ass. How another film was being made is completely beyond me. I was so mad at the first one I waited eight months to see this one.
Unfortunately for me, this film is even worse for me. All of the actors (and I mean ALL OF THEM) were bored making these films, passionless about the product they were in, and tired and weary and just wanted to go home. That's how I felt, even as I was watching this piece of trash from home...in bed. The story is not any better in this film, with the first half being tired old wheels and flashbacks that have no payoff, and the second half being lazy and boring action.
I feel so bad for anyone who had to sit and witness this total shit stain of crap and deal with all the slow-motion. IT IS EVERY OTHER FUCKING SHOT. I WANTED TO SMASH MY TELEVISION EVERY TIME IT HAPPENED. I don't want to see people processing grain in slow-motion, or dying in slow-motion, or shooting a gun five times in slow-motion, or doing anything in slow-motion, or slow-motion at all. I need a therapist after all this ranting.
1. Madame Web
Were any of you surprised that this film would be topping this list? Be honest with yourselves here. While not the worst piece of cinematic garbage that I have ever seen (that honor is reserved for my favorite film of all time Meg 2: The Trench (2023)), this film is right up there for me. And I know how furious this film gets me, so I promise that I will keep my rage-filled thoughts to a minimum here. Someone else can bury this shit.
This has to be one of, if not, the most nonsensical and illogical film I have ever seen. None of the actors cared that they were even on the set of this film (with the exception of the five minutes Adam Scott is on screen). The action we do get is stupid, lazy, and makes you yawn from boredom. The script is stupid, viscerally obnoxious, and absolutely insults our intelligence as comic book/comic book film fans.
I have spoken before about how nonsensical and illogical this film is, and as to not pop a blood vessel, I will only talk about one major points of shit I have with this film. If you have a vision that three women are going to kill you in this apartment, why stay there? Also, how do you gain surveillance footage of these three girls in the present of the film FROM A FUCKING VISION? Make that shit make sense. If you had to watch one film on your way down to hell, please for the love of all that is holy, make sure it is not this one.
Well, as you can clearly see here, not every film released in 2024 got to be a Best Picture contender. Bright side to this story (because there always is one), at least we have some new Worst Picture contenders for the Razzies. If I had a say in that ceremony, I would just give the award as a five-way tie to these top 5 films. Anyway, you've probably heard enough of me, so I will leave you guys to it. Thank you all for reading, and I will see you in hell with the lot of these films here.
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