The streaming platform Netflix has been delighting hundreds of millions of subscribers worldwide for nine years with a wide variety of content, ranging from children's shows to thrillers and blockbuster films with multi-million dollar budgets. However, even such giants are not immune to producing content that fails to resonate with viewers or outright disappoints them. The resource Screen Crush has compiled a list of films that, despite their promotions and thrilling trailers, turned out to be underwhelming. If you're unsure which films are not worth your time, here’s a selection of the worst movies of 2024.
"Lift" is an American action-comedy directed by F. Gary Gray. An ex-girlfriend and an Interpol agent turn to a professional thief and ask him to pull off the most grand heist to prevent a terrorist act. They need to steal gold bars worth $100 million being transported on a passenger Boeing 777 from London to Zurich.
The film features Kevin Hart, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Vincent D'Onofrio, Ursula Corbero, Billy Magnussen, Jacob Batalon, Jean Reno, and Sam Worthington.
According to critics, it is "one of the worst films, driven by clichéd Mad Libs storylines and embarrassingly unfunny witty dialogues."
"Even a cast including Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Jacob Batalon can't save it from itself," they summarize.
On the aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 30%.
"Damsel" is a dark fantasy film directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, based on a screenplay by Dan Mazeau. The lead role is played by "Stranger Things" star Millie Bobby Brown, who attempts to elevate her career after the success of the cult series. On screen, the actress portrays Elodie, a young princess, the daughter of a typical fantasy kingdom, who suffers from cold and hunger. The only hope for her ruler is to marry off his daughter profitably to a prince from a prosperous kingdom. The girl happily agrees, but she is betrayed on her wedding night and offered as a sacrifice to a bloodthirsty dragon. However, the deceived princess is not willing to give up easily and has no desire to be devoured by a monster that has become fond of royal brides. Ultimately, it results in a "damsel in distress" story, but in reverse.
"The plot is quite predictable, but such a story needs convincing special effects to convey it to the audience, and 'Damsel' simply lacks the flair. Brown could be a capable action heroine, perhaps even a great one, in a film that allows her to do much more than this," critics believe. Add to this a budget of $70 million.
The film's rating on Rotten Tomatoes is 56%.
"Irish Dream" is an American romantic fantasy comedy of 2024, directed by Janine Damian based on a screenplay by Kirsten Hansen. The film's main character is manuscript editor Maddy (Lindsay Lohan), who flies to her best friend's wedding. In distant Ireland, something terrible happens to Maddy – she manages to fall in love with the groom, a rather mediocre author whose work she has often improved significantly. The girl desperately wants to take the bride's place, and it seems that higher powers have heard her. The main character inhabits her friend's body. Very quickly, Maddy realizes that she isn’t as in love with this guy as she thought.
"It's a lovely premise, but due to truly wooden acting and the flashy car advertisements characteristic of Netflix romantic comedies, it becomes hardly watchable," critics summarize.
The film's rating on Rotten Tomatoes is 42%.
"Rebel Moon: The Scarring Gift" is a sci-fi film by Zack Snyder, the second installment in the "Rebel Moon" series. It is a direct continuation of the film "Rebel Moon: Child of Fire." Kora, the film's main character, has deserted from the armies of the Mother World and is now at the top of the most wanted criminals list of the empire. She is joined by warriors she met in the first part. They face both new and old enemies. However, they are all unaware of the plans of Balasaria, the newly appointed ruler of the Mother World, who is the adoptive father of the runaway warrior.
"At least the first part of 'Rebel Moon' allowed us to glimpse some cool sci-fi planets while we dozed off due to its incredibly dull story. The second part drops our eclectic ensemble of characters back onto the most tedious planet in the galaxy and forces them to fight over, quite literally, a field of wheat. The evil empire is taking grain from humble farmers!" reads one review. The authors add that this installment is also off-putting with its choppy editing and inconsistent scenes.
The film's rating on Rotten Tomatoes is 16%.
"Without Glaze" is an American comedy film of 2024, directed by Jerry Seinfeld based on a screenplay co-written with his team of writers, including Spike Feresten, Barry Marder, and Andy Robin.
The plot takes viewers back to 1963, when the cereal company Kellogg's from Battle Creek, Michigan, tries to outdo its competitor Post in the market with revolutionary breakfast pastries.
The film, featuring Seinfeld, Melissa McCarthy, Hugh Grant, and Amy Schumer, is based on the captivating story behind the creation of Pop-Tarts, sounding like a winner.
"Unfortunately, the jokes turn out to be as flat as the pastries that can be heated in a toaster. It seems they crammed all the short and slightly funny moments they could think of into 90 minutes, with hardly any substance. A grand disappointment for Pop-Tart fans worldwide," notes the review.
The film's rating on Rotten Tomatoes is 40%.
"Ugly" is an American sci-fi film of 2024, directed by McG based on a screenplay by Jacob Forman, Vanessa Taylor, and Wita Anderson. The film's plot is based on the 2005 novel of the same name by Scott Westerfeld, set in a post-apocalyptic future.
The story centers around Tally, a teenage girl living in a world that has descended into chaos after the depletion of fossil resources. To save humanity, scientists first created genetically modified orchids that serve as a new energy source, and then developed a surgical procedure to enhance people's appearance and physical form to prevent discrimination based on looks. "Ugly" teenagers undergo surgery when they turn 16 before being allowed to become part of the "beautiful" city, immersed in a continuous celebration.
"As silly as it may sound, 'Ugly' will remind you why Hollywood stopped adapting teenage dystopia in the mid-2010s... After a charmingly silly first hour, a slew of teenage dystopian tropes starts to wear thin, making you long for the blood-soaked arena of 'The Hunger Games' or the cool tattooed warrior kids from 'Divergent'," warn cinephiles.
The film's rating on Rotten Tomatoes is 16%.
"Liberation" is an American horror film directed by Lee Daniels based on a screenplay by David Koggeshall and Elijah Bainum. Based on the true story of the Emmons ghost in Gary, Indiana, the film tells of a mother who is an alcoholic and claims to have become possessed by demons after moving into a new home with her three children and elderly mother. The family barely makes ends meet, the mother is undergoing chemotherapy, so Ebony tries not to drink, though she sometimes relapses. Soon new problems arise — strange things begin to happen in the house, and a social worker becomes very interested in the origin of the strange bruises on the children.
"It's worth watching just to see Glenn Close deliver lines that would make Pazuzu blush," the reviewer succinctly concludes.
The film's rating on Rotten Tomatoes is 34%.