Top 10 Dramatic Movie Scenes RUINED by Terrible Acting

#10: Nomi’s Tantrum

“Showgirls” (1995)

Nomi’s dreams of making it big in LA get majorly derailed when she’s robbed on her very first day in the city. It’s only natural she’s at her wits end here, but Elizabeth Berkley makes some questionable choices that turn Nomi’s breaking point into a cringey mess. It’s especially glaring opposite Gina Ravera’s Molly, who calmly offers the main character a place to crash. We don’t know why, since all Nomi does is throw french fries and pout in extremely unconvincing fashion. It’s one thing to be upset, but Berkeley goes so over-the-top, it’s hard to view this as anything other than embarrassing.

#9: Dad?

“The Godfather Part III” (1990)

One of the most infamous cases of Hollywood nepotism, Francis Ford Coppola cast his own daughter, Sofia, in a pivotal role in the final “Godfather” film. Too bad for him, he didn’t check whether she was a good actress or not. The movie hinges upon Mary Carleone’s death, but unfortunately, Sofia’s flat delivery doesn’t muster much in terms of emotion. The way she utters her last words is somehow dull and overdramatic at the same time, which is honestly kind of impressive. While the production had to scramble for a replacement when Winona Ryder dropped out of the role, surely they could’ve found someone better than Sofia Coppola.

#8: Confronting His Mother

“Alexander” (2004)

Let’s be clear; Colin Farrell is a great actor. He isn’t Oscar-nominated for nothing! But, whether it’s due to the script or direction, his work in “Alexander” is… dubious, to put it nicely. In this scene, Alexander is confronting his mother about her role in his father’s death. Sounds intense, right? Well, in Farrell’s miscast hands, all it results in is a lot of weird inflections and arm-waving. While Angelia Jolie’s Olympias doesn’t give him a ton to work with, the blame ultimately lies on Farrell as the leading man. Sadly, the gravitas of Alexander’s plight is completely lost in this middling screen adaptation.

#7: What? No!

“The Happening” (2008)

Given the world-ending stakes of this sci-fi thriller, you’d think Mark Wahlberg would be able to conjure up a little urgency. Instead, he utters each line like he’s in a bad parody. When Mrs. Jones accuses him of plotting to hurt her, his response is so unbelievably awkward… Well, listen for yourself. For the record, Wahlberg’s character isn’t actually trying to hurt her, he just sounds like that. So, we don’t even blame Mrs. Jones for being suspicious. If someone answered a question as timidly as Wahlberg did here, we’d think they were up to something, too! In this case, though, it’s just a case of tremendously poor casting.

#6: Terl’s Rage

“Battlefield Earth” (2000)

It’s alarming to say that, of all the things wrong with this dumpsterfire, John Travolta’s horribly misguided performance might be the absolute worst. He aims for sophisticated alien, and lands somewhere between hammy-moustache twirler and vaguely-british middle-school kid. The accent - if you can even call it that - just doesn’t work. Not that he can maintain it for long. The moment we see Terl in a true rage is supposed to be chilling, but with everything working against him, it feels laughable instead. It’d be right at home in a campy B-movie. But, something tells us that wasn’t Travolta’s intention.

#5: Cooper Is the Butcher

“Trap” (2024)

Another day, another director casting their daughter in a major motion picture. This one didn’t work out any better than Sofia Coppola in “The Godfather.” In fact, it might be even worse. Playing a pop-star who gets caught up in a killer’s clutches, Saleka Night Shyamalan is given one of the film’s greatest lines, and proceeds to absolutely butcher it. Telling a woman her husband is a notorious criminal should be an actor’s dream. For Saleka, though, it sounds like she’s in an SNL skit. Her awful line-read single-handedly destroys all of “Trap’s” tension. Although, it did create some awesome memes, so there’s that.

#4: Oh my Goooood!

“Troll 2” (1990)

Beleaguered by a shoestring budget, language barriers, and inexperienced actors, it’s really no wonder “Troll 2” wound up one of the most awful movies ever made. At the very least, it falls into the category of “so-bad-it’s-good,” particularly when Arnold discovers the titular monsters. His exclamation has zero impact, fear, or shock in the slightest. And, in a way, that’s what makes it iconic. In a more refined actor’s hand, this could’ve established the real horror of the trolls. Then again, considering the rest of the film, an unintentionally hilarious death scene was probably the best legacy Arnold could’ve hoped for.

#3: Oh God, Oh Man!

“Tough Guys Don't Dance” (1987)

Tim’s having a really rough day. He discovers his wife is having an affair, and rightfully breaks down… or, at least, that’s what we think is happening. In reality, Ryan O’Neal stomps around a lot saying the same four words over and over. It’s not exactly moving, that’s for sure. O’Neal comes off as a bad improviser who isn’t sure how to continue the story, and instead just keeps repeating the same beat. To make matters worse, O’Neal’s so-called grief is way too over-the-top to hit its mark. As the emotional climax of “Tough Guys Don’t Dance,” it’s a shame you walk away more confused than upset.

#2: Dr. Christmas Jones' Expertise

“The World Is Not Enough” (1999)

To give credit where it’s due, this isn’t a Denise Richards issue as much as it’s a casting blunder. There’s just no buying her as a nuclear scientist. She’s the spitting image of a Bond Girl, but instead of playing up those strengths, “The World Is Not Enough” saddles her with a ton of scientific jargon that sounds utterly ridiculous coming out of her mouth. You can tell Richards has no idea what she’s actually saying, and it grinds the entire story to an absolute halt. The acting is so flimsy, it completely takes you out of the movie, and doesn’t let you back in for the rest of the runtime.

#1: You're Tearing Me Apart, Lisa!

“The Room” (2003)

No one can say Tommy Wiseau lacks passion! He certainly brings energy to his iconic movie, “The Room.” Unfortunately for him, emphasizing words is not the same as acting. Wiseau's character makes it very clear Lisa’s betrayal is tearing him up. But, all the performance gets across is he really likes yelling. While there’s a bevy of poorly-performed scenes in this infamous film, Wiseau’s meltdown lives on as the most damning example of what happens when you don’t have trained actors. It’s overblown, completely nonsensical, and only served to cement “The Room” as the laughing stock of cinema for generations.

What’s the worst acting you’ve ever seen in a pivotal movie scene? Let us know in the comments below!