20 Movies That Bombed Hard Due to Bad Acting

Top 20 Movies That Bombed Hard Due to Bad Acting

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today were counting down our picks for the films that crashed and burned at least in part because of their poor casting.

#20: Cats (2019)

It takes some serious skill to turn one of the longest-running Broadway musicals ever into a box-office dud of epic proportions. Its even more guffawing when you realize the amazing cast they assembled. Youve got Jennifer Hudson. Youve got Dame Judi Dench. You've even got Sir Ian freaking McKellen! And yet, none of them could turn in a halfway decent performance. Whether it was because the performances were too campy - or, perhaps, not campy enough - the fact of the matter is no one was acting well beneath that hideous, CGI fur. Suffice it to say, the only memories we have of Cats are nightmares.

#19: The Last Airbender (2010)

Hoo, boy. Theres a lot to unpack here. Without even delving into the very obvious white-washing, the cast of The Last Airbender is riddled with misfires. To start, their leading man had never acted before. And yes, you can tell. Then theres Kataras actress, whose dad happens to be a billionaire investor. Based on her wooden delivery, theres not a lot of gray area in wondering how she booked the part. We could go on, but you get the point. Part of the reason Avatar remains so popular is because of its compelling, three-dimensional characters. Without them at the core, all youre left with is one of the most egregious live-action adaptations ever made.

#18: Dolittle (2020)

Following up his career-defining work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the world anxiously waited to see what opportunities Robert Downey Jr. would pursue next. All those eyes ended up being a curse when he fell flat on his face in Dolittle. Despite being an alleged passion project, Downey Jr. sounds completely bored in every single scene. Then again, that might just be the horrible accent. Its a far cry from Tony Starks razor-sharp wit, and audiences were not keen. Dolittle wasnt just a box-office disappointment, it was a total trainwreck. Next time Downey Jr. picks a passion project, fingers crossed he shows some of that enthusiasm onscreen.

#17: After Earth (2013)

In what might be the most nepo-baby film of all nepo-baby films, Will Smith didnt just get his son the leading role in a blockbuster. He got them both roles! Sadly, the one thing Will didnt do was put them in acting classes. Jaden sure does a lot of screaming in After Earth, but none of it really connects. Will doesnt fare much better, and in the end, both performances get lost in the overblown special effects. To prove it, Jaden and Will each respectively won Golden Raspberry Awards for worst actor, worst supporting actor, and worst onscreen combo. Next time they want to spend time together, they should choose something less expensive.

#16: Psycho (1998)

Since this 1998 remake is a shot-for-shot copy of Alfred Hitchcock's classic, the only possible reason to see it would be to appreciate a new actors take on these characters. Unfortunately, they cast Anne Heche and Vince Vaughn. In Heches hands, Marion Crane comes across as a shrill shadow of her former self. But, thats nothing compared to what happens to Norman Bates. The fact that Vince Vaughn is now known for raunchy comedies is a good indicator about how this worked out. With just one look, its clear-as-day why this movie was outright rejected by moviegoers.

#15: Catwoman (2004)

You have to feel at least a little bad for Halle Berry here. She was a bonafide A-lister coming off of X-Men and Monsters Ball. But, then, Catwoman had her eat animal food onscreen. Really. The rest of the movie is stuffed full of cat puns and strange story choices that make it feel more like an experimental college show than a big-budget blockbuster. For what its worth, Halle Berry is 100% committed to the bit. Although, thats kind of the issue. She embraces her feline instincts so much, the rest of the movie became the laughing stock of the superhero world.

#14: Alexander (2004)

Is this a movie, or a documentary? Its genuinely hard to tell at points. In fact, theres so little narrative momentum in Alexander, the only thing that could have possibly saved it were some powerhouse performances. Except, we didnt get that. Val Kilmer is given nothing but hokey lines, Angelina Jolie is stuck voguing for three hours, and even leading man Colin Farrell struggles to muster any emotion. Instead of rousing and climactic, their performances make Alexander feel twice as long as it actually is. The movie ended up totally flopping at the box-office, and quite frankly, its justified. Hey, at least all these actors would go on to much better things!

#13: Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)

Look, we all love LeBron James. However, an actor, he is not. While the Space Jam formula worked well enough for Michael Jordan back in the day, A New Legacy demands too much from James rudimentary skills. He utters every piece of dialogue like it has a question mark at the end. Considering the movie is centered on James searching for his son, the lack of emotion is a massive hurdle. To make matters worse, James is surrounded by some of the industrys best voice talent bringing the Looney Tunes cast to life. In comparison, James just cant compete.

#12: Swept Away (2002)

Based on the 1974 original, Swept Away is about a spoiled socialite who washes up on a deserted island with her old deckhand. She learns the error of her ways, begins a romantic relationship with him, and leaves as a better person. The movie hinges on the audience buying into Ambers growth. But, when its Madonna spouting off unconvincing insults, the movie would be lucky if viewers took it seriously at all. Unconvincing is a good word for this remake altogether. Theres simply not enough nuance in Madonnas delivery for the movie to land, and as a result, Swept Away sank at the box-office just like Ambers ship.

#11: Dear Evan Hansen (2021)

When Ben Platt originated the role of Evan Hansen on Broadway, he cried his way to a Tony award. But, if you put that same performance on film, it reeks of over-acting. Platt plays to the back row even though the camera is right in his face. It makes Evans tearful soliloquies more uncomfortable than moving. The performance may have worked if Dear Evan Hansen committed to its exaggerated reality. But, the rest of the cast is taking an incredibly grounded approach to the work, which creates a tonal imbalance that tears the whole movie apart. You dont have to ask us, though. The poor box-office speaks for itself.

#10: The Love Guru (2008)

This comedy was not only bad, it arguably helped end Mike Myerss career as a funny live-action leading man. He stars as the titular Love Guru, who must help the best player on the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team get through some personal problems. Myers doesnt shine his brightest in the role, and even won the Razzie Award for Worst Actor. But hes not the only one who disappoints. Many of the movies Razzie nominations were for its acting, with Jessica Alba, Verne Troyer, and Oscar-winner Ben Kingsley also receiving nominations. The Love Guru made a little over $40 million on a $62 million budget, which tells you everything you need to know.

#9: The Mummy (2017)

Tom Cruise doesnt miss often, but when he does, he misses hard. The Mummy served as a reboot of the long-running horror franchise, and it looked to kickstart a brand new shared world centered around the classic Universal Studios Monsters. The films budget reportedly fell between $125-$195 million, and it grossed a seemingly successful $410 million. But it appears no expense was spared on promotion, which meant money was lost in the end. The Mummys failures were many, and critics often pointed to the acting as a particular source of contention. Cruises performance didnt measure up to his career-highs, and he was aided by disappointing showings from the supporting cast, including the Razzie-nominated Russell Crowe and Sofia Boutella.

#8: The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)

Few movies have bombed as hard as The Adventures of Pluto Nash. Its one of the worst-performing releases of all time, grossing a pitiful $7.1 million on a $100 million budget. The fact that disaster was on the horizon was evident from the jump. Both actor Joe Pantoliano and director Ron Underwood have claimed that they knew the film left a lot to be desired even as they were making it. Underwood pointed to his star Eddie Murphy, claiming that he wasn't feeling that funny. This opinion was mirrored by critics, who berated Murphys lead performance and felt it was uncharacteristically dull. Its safe to say its certainly a blemish on the actors otherwise legendary resume.

#7: Snow White (2025)

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, whats the worst casting of all? Well, here it is! While some took issue with the color-blind casting of a princess dubbed the fairest of them all, at least Rachel Zegler can sell a scene. The same cannot be said for Gal Gadots questionable turn as the Evil Queen. Any shred of the characters malice and intrigue is lost in her highly dubious line readings, auto-tuned singing, and inability to move her neck in her costume. Its a baffling performance so bad, its a wonder Disney didnt pull the plug after seeing the dailies. Maybe then they wouldnt have so much money when Snow White flopped.

#6: Kazaam (1996)

Shaquille O'Neal is a spectacular basketball player. But in this case, his acting chops didnt live up to his athletic skill. Kazaam was released in 1996 - the same year ONeal won gold at the Olympics and moved from the Magic to the Lakers. It was a huge year for his career, but he wasnt able to capitalize with Kazaam. He plays the titular character, a genie who grants three wishes to the young Max. ONeals performance was enjoyed by some, including critic Roger Ebert. But most found it uninteresting, and it has since become the target of jokes. The movie bombed, grossing just under its budget of $20 million, and ONeal later admitted that he only did it for the experience and money.

#5: Gigli (2003)

On paper, Gigli is a winner. It was written and directed by the Oscar-nominated Martin Brest and featured a number of A-list celebrities. The cast was led by Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, who starred as the titular Larry Gigli. Despite the duo being a real-life couple when the movie was released, folks felt they lacked on-screen spark, and the movie floundered. Both received Razzies, and they even won one together for Worst Screen Couple. Even fabled actors like Al Pacino and Christopher Walken had nothing to work with, with the latter giving a horribly over-the-top performance as a detective chasing Gigli. The movie made just over $7 million on a $75.6 million budget and effectively ended Brests directing career.

#4: Glitter (2001)

Mariah Carey likely hoped to become a film star with Glitter, but that didnt quite pan out. The movies story feels derivative, with Carey playing an aspiring singer who falls for a DJ. Unoriginal scripts can still work with sharp writing and good performances, but Glitter contained neither. Careys performance is considered particularly egregious. Its been said that she often fails to emote, and many of her scenes come across as painfully awkward. But Carey would be the first to admit that it was bad. She has spoken at length about the movies failure and the toll it took on her. Thankfully, theres always that mega-successful singing career to fall back on!

#3: The Wicker Man (2006)

Is Nicolas Cage the most memed actor of all time? If not, hes certainly up there. The Wicker Man is two things - a remake of a beloved horror movie from 1973, and a gold mine of unintentional laughs. Cage plays Edward Malus, a cop who explores a pagan island off the coast of Washington for a missing girl. He hams it up to an absurd degree, and many people find his role over-acted and hilarious. Look, Cage is a great actor, but not here, not with this level of terrible line delivery. Poor reviews and bad word-of-mouth quickly spread (not to mention the jokes), and the movie failed to meet its $40 million budget.

#2: Showgirls (1995)

Many factors went into the bombing of Showgirls. For one thing, the movie was released with an NC-17 rating, meaning nobody under 17 could be admitted. Most mainstream movies avoid this rating, as its considered a death knell for box office success. For another, it just wasnt considered very good, with most aspects of the production earning criticism. The acting was often singled out for condemnation - especially Elizabeth Berkleys lead performance as Nomi Malone. Showgirls was nominated for a staggering thirteen Razzies, with six coming from the acting categories. Berkley was notably awarded Worst Actress, and the films failure also marked the end of her time with the Creative Artists talent Agency.

#1: Battlefield Earth (2000)

This notorious film seems to have been something of a passion project for John Travolta. A Scientologist since the mid-70s, he hoped to adapt L. Ron Hubbards Battlefield Earth for the big screen. Hubbard had published the novel in 1982, long after founding the Church of Scientology. Travolta even added his own money to the movies budget, which ballooned up to $73 million. Everything backfired, though. Battlefield Earth was widely condemned, with many finding fault in the movies acting. Travoltas gonzo performance was mocked far and wide, as were those of Barry Pepper, Forest Whitaker, and Kelly Preston. Basically, no one came out looking good, and the film grossed just under $30 million. Suffice to say, plans for a sequel film were abandoned.

Which of these movies would you most want to see with a different cast? Let us know in the comments below!