30 Must-See ‘So-Bad-It’s-Good’ Movies
If you know a movie is terrible but love it anyway, is it really a bad movie? There is something wonderful about laughing out loud during a scene that is supposed to be dramatic or settling into a rom-com, even though you know exactly what will happen. Many of the bad movies on this list feel like unintentional comedies and will have audiences laughing sometimes for the right reasons but mainly for the wrong ones. Finding a great bad movie feels fun. Some movies are just so bad that they are good — or rather that they are enjoyable to watch. All the films on this list are made to watch in big groups, at midnight showings with fans, or themed movie nights. Dressing up, making jokes, and experiencing them with people who love camp and dreck are what make these types of movies special. If you have no love for low production values, some bad taste and plot holes, this list probably isn't for you.
Top Bad MoviesWhile bad movies exist in every genre, romances, action, sci-fi films and horror movies tend to nail the "so-bad-it's-good" quality more often than other genres. "Bad movies" is a subjective category. However, to try to define it, all the films on this have below a 50% by critics on Rotten Tomatoes. This isn't a perfect metric. While some of the movies on this list shouldn't have been critiqued so harshly, it generally captures films that aren't beloved for their "quality." Unfortunately, this metric excludes films like Plan 9 from Outer Space and Deep Blue Sea, (which are often seen as staples of the "so-bad" genre) as they are too well-reviewed.
This list specifically ranks these films by how fun they are to watch and not quality. It is also made up of theatrically released movies; if Hallmark-type and TV movies were included, this would be a much longer list. This list also doesn't seek to 'punch down' on low-budget filmmaking. While some of these films were made on shoestring budgets, many of the best bad movies are actually made with high budgets and known actors.
Manos: The Hands of Fate is poorly edited, has synchronization issues, weird acting and several scenes that don't seemingly connect to the rest of the movie. It almost makes sense that it was made by a total novice on a bet, with a cast and crew that had almost no experience. But something about it is spellbinding, and the film has a dedicated cult audience.
Directed by Harold P. Warren, Manos follows a family who runs into pagan cultists in the desert. The film was only originally shown in West Texas and New Mexico and was largely forgotten before being featured in a 1993 episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Honestly, it might be better just to watch the MST3K episode rather than the original film, given that the film has a 0% on Rotten Tomatoes . It is currently streaming for free on Plex .
There is a strange, almost micro-genre of Netflix original films: romcoms that feel like they were partially sponsored by a tourism board. Some are better than others, but Love is in the Air is among the worst. All of these films are fairly formulaic, but Love is in the Air's premise is so odd that formulaic seems like the wrong word.
The film follows a Queensland-based seaplane pilot struggling to keep her family business afloat and a white-collar worker sent to shut it down as they fall in love... in the air. The production value and acting feel more competent than many schmaltz romance movies; however, the dialogue is pretty ridiculous. The film stars Delta Goodrem, Joshua Sasse and Roy Billing. The film only has a 25% on Rotten Tomatoes, but like all the films in this micro-genre, Love is in the Air is an easy and enjoyable watch for romance mega fans. Love is in the Air is streaming on Netflix .
Phil Tucker's Robot Monster follows a gorilla-like monster who has almost wiped out humanity as he hunts the final survivors only to fall in love with one. While many science fiction B movies are called "bad" due to their dated special effects, Robot Monster is terrible for many more reasons. Even contemporary reviews laughed at the monster and called the film bizarre.
Robot Monster has a confusing plot and bad acting, even by B-movie standards, but it's still really entertaining. The film stars George Nader, Claudia Barrett and George Barrows. It has a 33% on Rotten Tomatoes and is streaming for free on Tubi .
The Last Witch Hunter is based on Vin Diesel's real-life Dungeons and Dragons role-play character, Melkor the Witch-Hunter. The movie is perplexing. It follows a man cursed to live forever as he must kill a resurrected witch.
Directed by Breck Eisner, the movie stars Diesel, Elijah Wood, Michael Caine, Rose Leslie and Julie Engelbrecht. It is cliche but has a charm that makes it fun to watch, especially for fans of fantasy. It currently holds an 18% on Rotten Tomatoes . The Last Witch Hunter is currently streaming on Max .
There are a couple of films that are in what could be considered Gary Marshall's "Holiday" franchise. While Valentine's Day isn't that bad, and Mother's Day is truly bizarre, New Year's Eve is kind of the best of both worlds. It's terrible, but it moves fast and has enough "Wait, what?" moments that make it fun to watch in a big group.
New Year's Eve features the same "many interconnecting stories around a holiday plot" as Love, Actually and Valentine's Day, but this time it's Dec. 31st. The film features a truly stacked ensemble cast of Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi, Abigail Breslin, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Zac Efron, Héctor Elizondo, Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Seth Meyers, Lea Michele, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sarah Paulson, Michelle Pfeiffer, Hilary Swank and Sofía Vergara. It was nominated for five Razzie awards and currently has a 7% on Rotten Tomatoes . It is available to rent on YouTube , Google Play , Apple TV and Amazon Prime .
Battlefield Earth is a Scientologist movie about a human in the year 3000 who must battle the evil psychlos. The film is based on the 1982 L. Ron Hubbard novel of the same name. It stars John Travolta, who had been trying to adapt the novel since the mid-1990s but couldn't secure funding due to studios' concerns over the source material's ties to Scientology.
Directed by Roger Christian, the film also stars Forest Whitaker and Barry Pepper. In a review for the New York Times , Elvis Mitchell wrote, "It may be a bit early to make such judgments, but Battlefield Earth may well turn out to be the worst movie of this century." The film went on to win the Razzie for Worst Picture of the Decade. The film is terrible, but something intriguing and strange about it makes it fun to watch with a big group. It currently has a 3% on Rotten Tomatoes . It is currently streaming for free on Tubi .
The Beautician and the Beast sounds like a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and in some ways, it is, but it also has a lot in common with The King and I and Sound of Music. The film follows a beautician as she is mistakenly hired to teach the children of an Eastern European dictator.
The political implications of this film are wild, but that is only part of what makes it ridiculous. The film stars Timothy Dalton and Fran Drescher in a strangely similar role to her titular character on the sitcom The Nanny. The Beautician and the Beast is somehow both formulaic and completely out of left field, but watching it feels strangely comforting, especially for rom-com fans. It has a 22% on Rotten Tomatoes . It is streaming for free on Pluto TV .
Most people think of Plan Nine from Outer Space when they think about "so-bad-that-they-are-good" films from the legendary cult film director Ed Wood. However, Glen or Glenda is a must-watch for fans of Wood's low-budget directing style. Unlike much of Wood's work, Glen or Glenda is not a sci-fi film; rather, it is about a "cross-dresser" who feels he must tell his fiancé before they are married.
The film is largely autobiographical as Wood was also a cross-dresser, and his perspective feels radical in its call for acceptance in the 1950s. Wood also starred in the film under the name Daniel Davis. The film also stars Bela Lugosi, Timothy Farrell and Dolores Fuller (Wood's then girlfriend.) While the film's themes are very touching, the film itself has all of the mistakes, lousy acting and strangeness of a Wood film (in this case, he used seemingly unrelated stock footage in the second half). It currently has a 39% on Rotten Tomatoes .
Before the MCU and Chris Evans, there was 1990's Captain America. Captain America maybe shouldn't count for this list, given that it was released direct-to-video in the U.S. However, it was theatrically shown internationally.
It is a bizarre take on the comic book hero and follows Steve Rogers after he is unfrozen and has to save the President from a crime family. Directed by Albert Pyun, the film stars Matt Salinger (the son of writer J.D. Salinger), Scott Paulin, Ronny Cox and Ned Beatty. It has a 12% on Rotten Tomatoes . It is available to rent on Amazon Prime .
Yes, the Jason movie where he goes to space. Jason Voorhees had already taken Manhattan and gone to hell, so it was only natural to send the undead slasher icon to space for his tenth film. Roger Ebert quoted the movie in his review, writing, "This sucks on so many levels."
Jason X takes place in 2455 after Jason is cryogenically frozen and a group of space explorers find him. It was directed by Jim Isaac and stars Kane Hodder, Jason Lexa Doig, Lisa Ryder, Chuck Campbell, Peter Mensah and David Cronenberg. The film's novel premise is fun (even if it could have been taken further at times), and it works well as a kind of horror/sci-fi pastiche in its best moments. It is available to rent on YouTube , Google Play , Amazon Prime and Apple TV .
The Sweetest Thing is dumb, but it really isn't meant for you to take it that seriously. Come on, it has an unexplained musical number. Warning: this film is very raunchy and sex-positive, which may turn off some viewers. However, it feels like a novelty to have a female-led sex comedy from this era.
Directed by Roger Kumble, the movie stars Cameron Diaz, Christina Applegate, Selma Blair, Thomas Jane, Jason Bateman and Parker Posey. The film follows a woman who road trips with her friends in search of a guy she thinks might be Mr. Right. While it only has a 26% on Rotten Tomatoes , many have called it criminally underrated . It is currently streaming on Netflix .
While the first Book Club movie is a perfectly okay film, the second film, Book Club: The Next Chapter, is nothing but fluffy fun. Directed by Bill Holderman, the film follows four book club members as they travel to Italy after being locked down in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The movie stars Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Andy García and Don Johnson. From 80 for Brady to Wild Oats to Summer Camp, there is something infectious about older female friends having a good time, and Book Club: The Next Chapter really delivers on that premise. The film currently has a 46% on Rotten Tomatoes and is currently streaming on Peacock.
Not the Bees! 1973's The Wicker Man is a cult classic for the right reasons. Its 2006 remake is a cult classic for all the wrong reasons. While it is supposed to be a horror movie about a detective who must investigate a cult on a secluded island, it feels like a comedy.
Written and directed by Neil LaBute, the film stars Nicolas Cage, whose acting choices in this film feel unhinged. It also features Ellen Burstyn, Frances Conroy, Molly Parker and Leelee Sobieski. The film currently has a 15% on Rotten Tomatoes . It is available to rent on Google Play , Apple TV and Amazon Prime .
Spice World has a pretty threadbare plot and inconsistent acting; however, it makes up for it with fun visuals and a surprisingly funny and quotable script with lines like, "You know, I'm always gonna be seen as Baby Spice, even when I'm...30." Even so, the film made Roger Ebert's Most Hated List.
Spice World is the Spice Girls take on A Hard Day's Night concept. The film follows the band as they go on tour in their double-decker tour bus. While the film only has a 35% on Rotten Tomatoes , it is more self-aware than it's given credit for. Directed by Bob Spiers, the film stars Posh, Baby, Scary, Sporty, and Ginger (aka Victoria Beckham, Emma Bunton, Mel B, Mel B and Geri Halliwell.) The film also features Richard E. Grant and Alan Cumming. The film is still the top-grossing movie based on a Musical Group in the UK (beating out The Beatles' Help). Unfortunately, it is currently not on streaming.
Roger Ebert once said, "'B.A.P.S.' is jaw-droppingly bad, a movie so misconceived I wonder why anyone involved wanted to make it." However, 20 years later, that feels unfair. It's a cult classic , especially in the black community, with some great fashion and hilarious lines, even with its truly zany premise. It has 15% on Rotten Tomatoe s, but more importantly for this list, it's just a fun watch.
The film follows two best friends from Georgia who travel to L.A. to be in a music video. However, they become caregivers for a wealthy white man, making them Black American Princesses. B.A.P.S was directed by Robert Townsend and stars Halle Berry, Natalie Desselle and Martin Landau. It also features cameos by LL Cool J, Leon Robinson, Heavy D and Dennis Rodman. Who cares if it was a box office bomb; "Some things are just priceless, you know, Mick?" It is available to rent on Amazon Prime , YouTube , Google Play and Apple TV .
While this writer would argue that Showgirls is actually good, full stop, its 23% on Rotten Tomatoes tells a different story. Whether Showgirls is either a terrible film or a deeply misunderstood one doesn't really matter in the end because Showgirls is an entertaining movie. It is almost made for ironic watch parties and drinking games, so put out the doggy chow and Evian.
The film, directed by Paul Verhoeven, stars Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan and Gina Gershon. It was nominated for 13 Golden Raspberry Awards, a record it maintains. The film follows Nomi, a young hopeful-showgirl, who moves to Las Vegas to make her dreams of American excess come true. It is currently streaming for free on Tubi and Pluto TV .
From A Cinderella Story to Sydney White, many movie interpretations of modern-day fairy tale could have arguably made this list, but Beastly is the weirdest. Beastly is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast in the Twilight era. It is a strange and messy film with an infectious watchability that feels made for being made fun of at a girls' night in. While it isn't meant to be a comedy, it's hard not to laugh at the bizarre nature of trying to fit in the enchantress, curse and imprisonment of the original fairytale into the modern New York setting.
Based on the novel of the same name, Beastly follows the vain Kyle Kingson as he is transformed into a beast and must secure the love of the beautiful Lindy before she leaves on a school trip to Machu Picchu. Directed by Daniel Barnz, the movie stars Vanessa Hudgens, Alex Pettyfer, Mary-Kate Olsen, Peter Krause, Lisa Gay Hamilton and Neil Patrick Harris. It currently holds 21% on Rotten Tomatoes and is streaming for free on Pluto TV or with a subscription on Paramount+ .
James Nguyen's Birdemic: Shock and Terror is half Hitchcock's The Birds and half one of the worst films ever made. Surprisingly, it was also inspired by the documentary An Inconvenient Truth. The film follows mutated birds as they cause havoc in the small town of Half Moon Bay, California.
The film has all the hallmarks of a low-budget horror film, including bad effects, poor acting and inconsistent pacing, but it kind of works. While the film only boasts an 18% on Rotten Tomatoes , it was mentioned on Bloody Disgusting's list of the best films of 2009, saying it was the "Best Worst Film You'll See in 2010." It is streaming for free on Tubi , Peacock , Pluto TV , Plex and Amazon Prime .
"What? No!" The Happening is a baffling horror film by M. Night Shyamalan. While some of his other films, like The Village and Trap, stir debate on whether they are "so bad they are good" or just "fun and not taking movie making too seriously," The Happening is truly bad. With an 18% on Rotten Tomatoes , The Happening is not actually his lowest-rated film (however, 2010's The Last Airbender isn't fun-bad. It's just bad.)
The film follows a high school science teacher who has to get to the bottom of a rash of mass suicides caused by a neurotoxin and escape with his family. The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel and John Leguizamo in some of their strangest performances. The film has many weird cuts, choices and plot points, making it most watchable in the making fun of or drinking game contexts. It is available to rent on YouTube , Google Play , Apple TV and Amazon Prime .
The Ghoulies franchise is often seen as a cheap Gremlins rip-off. The 1980s seemingly were full of films that ripped off popular sci-fi/horror films, such as 1988's Hobgoblins (a rip-off of Gremlins) and 1988's Mac and Me (a bizarre take on E.T.) However, Ghoulies is less of a direct dupe than these other films. The original 1985 film Ghoulies led to several sequels. There is some debate about which is the best; however, if you are going to watch one, make it Ghoulies II.
The film follows the titular tiny monsters as they stow away on a traveling carnival and take over a haunted house attraction. It stars Damon Martin, Royal Dano, J. Downing and Phil Fondacaro. While the film only has a 13% on Rotten Tomatoes , it is pure fun for horror comedy fans. It is currently streaming for free on Tubi , Pluto TV , The Roku Channel and Amazon Prime .
Road House is about a bouncer and the bar he protects from fights and a corrupt businessman. The film was nominated for five Razzies but became a cult favorite. Directed by Rowdy Herrington, the film stars Patrick Swayze, Ben Gazzara, Kelly Lynch and Sam Elliott.
The film is cheesy, but it also feels very 1980s, which actually works in its favor. Roger Ebert said of the film, "Road House is the kind of movie that leaves reality so far behind that you have to accept it on its own terms." It currently has a 44% on Rotten Tomatoes . Road House spawned a direct-to-video sequel in 2006 and a remake in 2024, but the original is the most fun. It is currently streaming with Cinemax .
Directed by Dorian Walker, Teen Witch was initially conceived as a female Teen Wolf, but it was reworked to be its own coming-of-age film and a much stranger one. The film is a musical featuring several numbers including one famously cringe rap. However, it's a camp masterpiece with an infectious energy and has become a cult mega-hit.
Teen Witch follows a nerd who uses her newfound magical abilities to become popular, get back at bullies and get a date with a jock. The film stars Robyn Lively, Zelda Rubinstein and Dan Gauthier. The film is perfectly 80s, so what could top that? It is currently streaming on Tubi , Pluto TV and The Roku Channel .
Batman & Robin is a masterpiece in many ways. It captures a version of the caped crusader perfectly; however, that version isn't the one that most Batman film fans like or are even very familiar with. Batman & Robin is a love letter to Adam West's Batman and some of the comics from the 1950s and 1960s. It is goofy, homoerotic and campy, but fully does these things on purpose.
Batman & Robin follows the titular superhero duo and Batgirl as they take on Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy and Bane. Directed by Joel Schumacher, it stars George Clooney, Chris O'Donnell, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Uma Thurman and Alicia Silverstone. The film currently holds a 12% on Rotten Tomatoes . It is currently streaming on Max .
There are so many "so bad they are good" movies based on video games (Super Mario Bros. and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider especially come to mind), but there is something so zanily wonderful about Street Fighter. It was Raul Julia's last theatrical film, and his performance as M. Bison alone makes this film a must-watch (having one actor giving 110% is a bit of a hallmark of the films on this list).
The film follows a group of fighters who must rescue a group of relief workers from Bison. The film stars Jean-Claude Van Damme, Julia, Ming-Na Wen, Damian Chapa and Kylie Minogue. From crazy political implications to terrible special effects, Street Fighter is a true unintentional comedy. It was a disappointment for fans of the iconic game that it's based on (partially given how little street fighting is actually in it) and garnered an 11% on Rotten Tomatoes . Street Fighter is currently streaming on Netflix .
With a 49% on Rotten Tomatoes , Twilight is the best-reviewed film on this list, but don't let that fool you. Twilight got a lot of hate when it came out. While some of that may be from how we see media aimed at teenage girls, Twilight is also a bad film. The acting is strange, and the dialogue, while often taken from the book it is based on, is robotic (Really? "Hold on Tight, Spider Monkey"?).
The film is the first in a five-part film franchise that one as a whole could be described as "so bad it's good" (except the second movie, New Moon, which is just kind of bad.) Twilight follows a girl who falls in love with a vampire. The film is super watchable and has a dedicated following. It stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Cam Gigandet, Taylor Lautner and Anna Kendrick, who famously " forgot " that she was in the film. Twilight is available to rent on YouTube , Google Play , Apple TV and Amazon Prime .
Making a film version of the 1980s mega-hit musical Cats would always be an uphill battle. The stage musical it is based on doesn't have a lot of plot and is usually carried by the performances, songs and costumes. Translating it into film is difficult, but somehow, Cats (2019) made it seem even harder.
Cats was directed by Tom Hopper and stars ballerina Francesca Hayward, Judi Dench, Jennifer Hudson, James Corden, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift and Rebel Wilson. While some of the performances are good, the CGI -ed visual effects make this film an uncanny valley nightmare. However, Cats' true appeal also comes from the bizarre choices made during its production when viewed as a comedy. While the film only has a 19% on Rotten Tomatoes , it is perfect watch party fodder in a disturbing and delightful way. It is currently available to stream on Netflix .
"They're eating her... and then they're going to eat me... OH MY GOD." Troll 2 is technically a sequel to the 1986 film Troll ; however, it was originally made as an unrelated film and was retitled and marketed as a sequel by its American distributors. Troll 2 is a bizarre film that follows a teen who goes on a vacation to a town called Nilbog, only to find that its name is Goblin backward and the town is overrun with bloodthirsty monsters. (However, maybe the town should be called llort.)
The film was directed by Claudio Fragasso and stars Michael Stephenson, George Hardy, Connie McFarland and Jason Wright. Troll 2 is a kind of camp masterpiece that is pure fun (and may have been intended as a comedy all along). It has amassed a large cult following. The film's production led to the 2009 documentary Best Worst Movie. It is currently streaming for free on Tubi and The Roku Channel .
Burlesque asks the question, what if 1995's Showgirls wasn't ironic? Fans of the "young talent moves to a new city to rise to the top of a niche nightlife experience," a la Showgirls, Coyote Ugly, Cocktail, etc., will love Burlesque. The film follows a young singer whose powerhouse voice might be the key to saving a struggling Burlesque club.
Burlesque walks the line between formulaic and incredibly strange. It's worth watching for the costumes and performances, but don't be fooled into thinking it's a good movie. The film currently holds a 37% on Rotten Tomatoes . Directed by Steven Antin, the surprisingly good cast features Christina Aguilera, Cher, Stanley Tucci, Kristen Bell, Eric Dane, Cam Gigandet, Julianne Hough, Alan Cumming and Peter Gallagher which will have you saying, "Wagon Wheel Watusi!" It is available to rent on Amazon Prime , YouTube , Google Play and Apple TV .
While Sony's Spiderman Universe film Morbius became a meme in 2022, it's kind of just bad. However, Sony's comic book follow-up film, Madame Web, loops back around to being highly entertaining. With a budget of $80 million , Madame Web is one of the biggest budget films on this list, but you would not know that by watching it. Dakota Johnson and the film's hilarious press tour led many to watch the film only to find out that is comically and iconically bad.
The film currently has an 11% on Rotten Tomatoes ; however, when it was added to Netflix, it quickly made it to the Top 10 Global and U.S. Movies charts. The film follows a New York City paramedic as her psychic powers lead her to become the protector of three teenage girls from a man who "was in the Amazon with my mom when she was researching spiders just before she died." The film stars Dakota Johnson, Adam Scott, Tahar Rahim, Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced and Celeste O'Connor. The film makes some truly weird and hilarious choices, like ADRing most of Rahim's lines and having its main character hit multiple people with a car in fight scenes. Madame Web is currently streaming on Netflix .
"Oh, hi Mark." The poster child for "so bad it's good" movies, The Room, is a low-budget phenomenon. Part of its draw is its mysterious director, producer, writer and star, Tommy Wiseau. Wiseau is famously secretive about his life, and his age, source of income and background are still largely unknown. The Room also stars Greg Sestero and Juliette Danielle.
The Room is a melodrama about a love triangle in a San Francisco apartment building. Entertainment Weekly once called it "the Citizen Kane of bad movies." While the film only has a 24% on Rotten Tomatoes , it has a dedicated cult following that watches it as a dark comedy, often at midnight and themed showings. The film and Sestero's memoir inspired the 2017 film The Disaster Artist, an Oscar-nominated film about the making of The Room. It is currently not available on streaming; however, it is routinely screened in person which is also the best way to experience it.
Bottom Line
Sometimes, bad movies are good. While these films aren't winning any Oscars, there is something weird and wonderful about each. From unintentional comedy to bizarre production choices, these movies deliver on fun and isn't that what makes a movie a good watch experience in the end?
