The 10 WORST Movies of the 2020s (2020-2024)
Hey everyone, Jack Drees here! If you have followed this blog for a long time, you would know that I enjoy doing recaps of my best and worst films of the year once that specific period comes to a close. 2024 is no different. But when 2020 started, I also put out my best and worst films of the 2010s. I did two separate countdowns and I had a lot of fun doing those. I figured given how we are halfway through the decade, why not do a halftime report? This is not going to be as grand as the countdowns I did recapping the entire 2010s. There is no video content on top of everything else. I figured I would keep the summaries simple and as much to point as possible. For this list, I am going to be talking about the 10 worst films throughout the first half of the 2020s per my opinion. Few reminders, this is a subjective list based on movies I have seen. The movies also have to be theatrical releases. No streaming exclusives, no straight to DVD titles, no straight to TV titles. Well, actually, there is one exception to that rule, and I will explain why when I get to it. Also, this list is going to be in alphabetical order. I figured since there is a chance that I could do a 10 year recap in 2030, I will maintain some mystery and not rank my worst films of the decade from most tolerable to least tolerable or vice versa. With that in mind, let’s get straight to the list. No honorable mentions, just the 10 stinkers right off the bat! These are the 10 WORST movies of first half of the 2020s.
I have played my fair share of video games, although I have never played any of the “Borderlands” titles. After seeing the “Borderlands” movie, I am not sure if I have any plans to play any of those games given the bad taste this film left in my mouth. This film is essentially “Guardians of the Galaxy” if you allowed someone who lacked the competence of James Gunn to oversee it. This film has green screen backgrounds that are about as real as Bigfoot. It also has special effects that would perhaps be barely tolerable in the early 2000s. To have these effects now is almost a criminal offense! This film has a lot of big stars in it like Cate Blanchett, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Kevin Hart. But the bigger the names are, the harder this movie falls. Trust me when I say, this movie shook the ground with its lack of quality. Did I mention Jack Black’s horribly realized voice performance as Claptrap? Jack Black has at least one tolerable video game movie on his resume, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” and he was easily the highlight of said film as Bowser. So it is only fitting he has a movie on the opposite side of the spectrum that comes off as a fine example of the video game adaptation curse.
Cinderella (2021)
One of my favorite comedies of the 2010s was “Blockers,” directed by Kay Cannon. I was excited to see whatever she would pump out next. I did not think it would be something as bad as “Cinderella.” This film is kind of a parody on the “Cinderella” tale. It is a jukebox musical that takes a satirical approach on the formula, but the problem is the movie is simply not that funny. I do not remember laughing once throughout the entire runtime. As much as I do not want to be on his enemies list, this film has something in common with a lot of other movies I did not enjoy in recent years. Specifically, the presence of James Corden. I do not know who his agent is, but I think his resume suggests that he could probably find a better one between this film, “The Emoji Movie,” and “Cats” just to name a few. I do not know if he is just wasted or simply not that funny. I never really watched his late night show when it was on. If I were up at that hour, chances are I would be watching “Late Night with Seth Meyers.” Just my personal taste. As a musical, I was barely entertained by some of the numbers at best, perhaps straight up annoyed at worst. Conceptually, this film has promise by setting a character like Cinderella in a modern society where women are more independent, but as far as the execution goes, I thought it could have been better. I still like Kay Cannon though and I am curious to see what she does next.
After many years of being the dominant face in the MCU, Robert Downey Jr. moved onto his first big project following the gargantuan success of “Avengers: Endgame,” and let’s just say the movie did very little to impress me. “Dolittle” is not just a waste of Robert Downey Jr. in addition to a fairly talented supporting cast, it just so happens to be one of the most forgettable family films I have ever seen. Well, for the most part. There are some parts I’d rather forget, but much to my disappointment, that is simply impossible. In recent years, I have come to totally despise the term “kids movie.” It is not an entirely unusable phrase, but sometimes it is kind of like the term “chick flick.” It is more or less used as an excuse to put a movie in a box for its lack of quality. “Dolittle” is a movie that some kids can probably enjoy for its visuals, but I do not think this film will age well for every viewer who watches it at a young age. Maybe they’ll have some nostalgic attachment to it when they are older. But it does not change the fact that the film itself is sloppily written, badly directed, and is not as funny as they are trying to convince people it is.
When it comes to wrestlers-turned-actors, John Cena seems to care more about his range and performances than Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. But just like many other performers, his resume is far from perfect. Case in point, “Freelance.” John Cena comes off as the most likable, nice guy in real life, but Cena unfortunately plays a lead in this film who is honestly the polar opposite. Given some of the dialogue early on in the film, his character, Mason Pettits, seems to dislike his spouse and children. Maybe he respects them deep down, but that is not the first impression I got from watching the character in the film’s earliest scenes. On top of that, he sounds miserable. I get that the film presents this character with an opportunity that could potentially turn his frown upside down, but from everything I gathered in the first 10, 20 minutes of the movie, Cena lacked any and all charisma when it comes to this role. Sure, the film gives a reason for the character’s misery, but I still thought Cena came off more as a moron than anything else. A lack of charisma is something I am not used to seeing with John Cena as an actor. Even in movies I did not enjoy like “Fast X,” I still thought Cena was charming. Not here. If there is one performance I liked in the movie, it would probably Juan Pablo Raba’s performance as the dictator, Venegas. I remember emitting one genuine laugh during the film, and he was the one responsible for it. Does it make up for a bad, somewhat ordinary screenplay? No. Does it make up for some of the characters having nonexistent chemistry? Also, no. Does it make up for a lack of identity as to what the film is supposed to be? Definitely not.
Yyyyyyyup. This is only the umpteenth time in recent memory I had to talk about this abomination against humanity. “Madame Web” is a humongous disgrace on every level. This is just the first culprit in a year of outright inexcusable comic book movies. Thank goodness for “Deadpool & Wolverine,” because otherwise I probably would be in a straight up depression as a fan of this genre. To me, Sony’s Spider-Man Universe was dead on arrival. But for whatever reason the studio just kept pumping out ridiculous crap like this. “Madame Web” is a film about a woman who can see the future. Well, if that is the case, why did she not see this flop coming from a mile away?! Between okay at best action scenes, horrible camerawork, and some of the most annoying characters of all time, “Madame Web” is a horror show. The film even puts its own spin on the “with great power comes great responsibility” line. The delivery of that line comes off like a parent trying to take interest in their children’s hobbies but doing a terrible job at hiding their distaste for them. People can try as hard as they want to convince me that this movie could develop a cult following similar to Tommy Wiseau’s “The Room,” but I will not be part of it. The film is not so bad that it is good. It is so bad that I questioned Sony as to why the heck they were okay with making the film, in addition to bringing back the writers of “Morbius.” Sure, “Morbius” was technically profitable… But it does not change the fact that they wrote a terrible screenplay. Again, I do not have comic book movie fatigue. But I am fatigued by Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. I would be totally happy if they stopped making these films. In fact you know what? I would be totally happy if I could stop talking about these films. I had to review three of these atrocities in 2024, as if doing one them was not already bad enough. I have had it with this film! I have had it with “Kraven the Hunter!” I have had it with the “Venom” movies! Well except the second one, that was actually fun. I have had it with this impractical joke of a cinematic universe! And I would most certainly be happy if I never had to talk about another Sony Spider-Man Universe movie ever again!
So, now that I am done whining about the Sony Spider-Man Universe, let us move onto something el–AW COME ON! …Alright. Let’s trash “Morbius” one more time. I already bashed the screenwriters of this film, so I will at least address a positive by saying that some of the first act was decent. But once that act concludes, the film crashes and burns. It is 104 minutes of images that honestly made me feel nothing. I never once felt excitement, or chills, or wonder. The movie itself comes off as if it were going through the motions. Jared Leto and Matt Smith definitely play up their performances, and the results of that are in fact memeable. But it is not enough to save this nightmare. This movie is centered around science. I am a little suspicious about that. When your film’s characters cannot properly pronounce “Nobel Prize” I think you lost your credibility. The special effects in this film are also amazingly unrealistic by 2022 standards. Maybe they would get by in the early 2000s, but not today. I normally try not to judge a film by a post-credit scene, but this is one where I cannot help myself because it tacks on a promise that sounds so nonsensical it is insane. It promises a team-up I had no interest in checking out. It brings in a character who I honestly have no interest in seeing return because I fear they will be written terribly. It very much feels like Sony saying, “We are out of options.” In case you are not paying attention, “Kraven the Hunter” dodged a bullet. I hated that movie, it would probably be in my top 20 worst of the decade. But I hope that film is the last one we see in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe because the two that did make this list reek of utter incompetence. Perhaps to the point where it is almost being done on purpose.
The Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson (2019) (STILL COUNTS!)
I know some would say “The Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson” is a 2019 film, but in the United States it released in 2020, so I am counting it here. Regardless, this is a terrible movie. The one positive in the movie is perhaps Mena Suvari, who like everyone else, is working with abominable material, but it does not erase the other negatives. When I look at some of the cast members alongside Suvari, they sound like they are overacting. I could not buy into their performances even for a second! This film is directed by Daniel Farrands, and this is not the only film he has done in relation to famous figures who died in a tragic manner. Not long before this film came out, audiences were also subjected to “The Haunting of Sharon Tate.” It is actually amazing how close in quality, or lack thereof, these movies happen to be. “The Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson” is both so bad that you want it to be over instantaneously, and yet, I am under the impression that this 82 minute film perhaps overstuffs itself by the end of it. By the final 10 minutes, I just questioned why I was watching this movie. Maybe I just hate myself. It is possible.
Music (2021)
This was my worst movie of 2021, and it still stands. “Music” is a cinematic disaster. It advertises itself as a movie championing the autistic community. But as someone who has connections to and has been around people in said community for a good portion of my life, this is not a movie that best represents them. You could make the argument that maybe it has something in its story for caretakers of autistic people, but it also displays actions that if you speak to autistic people, they probably would disapprove if somebody else were to engage in them. The film itself is stereotypical, poorly paced, and horribly directed. I feel bad for Maddie Ziegler because for all I know she is talented, but she was not given good material to work with in this film. Honestly, her performance is almost offensive, but I more or less blame the film’s director, Sia, for letting this picture come to be in the first place. Kate Hudson gives an okay performance, but it is not enough. Say what you want about the Golden Globes having any meaning whatsoever. But the fact that this film even got a Best Picture nomination from that voting body is one of the all greatest insults to cinema I have ever seen. Kate Hudson getting nominated for Best Actress? I mean, it is not my first choice, but okay… But Best Picture?! Go home, you’re drunk!
Skinamarink (2023)
Out of all the movies on this list, this is the only one I did not put on one of my worst of the year countdowns. But if I did, I would say “Skinamarink” is probably the worst horror film I have seen all decade. This film is not just bad, but utterly disappointing at the same time. I am not going to pretend my expectations were as high as say they would be when I walk into a Christopher Nolan movie. But I was intrigued by what this film had to offer. It was an experimental vision unlike anything I had seen. Yet that is exactly what this film feels like. An experiment. A failed one at that. Essentially, the entire film is a series of shots staring at various parts of the inside of a home. The film apparently has a plot, but I could not describe it to you if I tried. Also I mentioned this is a horror movie. It is one of the least scary horror films I have ever seen. Not once did I even shiver or get a bad vibe. I just stared at the screen in awe of how unamusing this travesty turned out to be. I watched this film from home. I wonder if the experience is any different watching it in the cinema, but I missed out on that opportunity so I got to suffer from the comfort of my bedroom.
Remember how I said at the beginning that I would only put movies that were in theaters on this list, with one exception to the rule? Well, here we are. “Superintelligence” released on the streaming service formerly known as HBO Max in 2020. The film was going to hit theaters at one point in 2019 until Warnermedia decided to make it a streaming release. It kind of bends my rules a little, but 2020 kind of bent everyone’s rules a little bit so this is only fitting. This film is a collaboration between Hollywood couple Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy. As if their previous film together, “Life of the Party” was not bad enough, they followed it up with this pile of artificially unintelligent garbage. The screenplay for this film is just plain terrible. Does it get from point a to point b? Sure. But as I watched this film’s protagonist go from one point to the next, never once do I get the impression that any of her outcomes feel earned. Such a thing could be acceptable if the film made me laugh, but unfortunately that concept is about as real as Valve’s chance of ever releasing a video game with the number “3” in its title. My first laugh while watching the film honestly did not come in until the 44 minute mark. The further the film went on, the angrier I became. By the end, I was at a loss for words. For a film called “Superintelligence,” it certainly feels super dumb. Also, once again, shoutout to James Corden’s agent for ruining everything! Apparently Corden makes an appearance in this shoddy mess as well.
Thanks for reading this recap! Coming up next, I am going to be talking about my best films of the decade so far! Expect that post in the next few days! I am just like Thanos, I believe in perfect balance. If I am going to bash 10 films, I will applaud 10 others. It is only fair. If you want to see posts like these and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, what are your worst films of the decade so far? What films do you recommend for properly punishing your enemies? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!
Scene Before 