Over the last decade, Netflix has become an original content juggernaut, both commercially and critically; eight of their original films have been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. However, there are also plenty of duds in their catalog. For every Marriage Story, there’s a Thunder Force (or two).
Redditors have repeatedly gotten together on r/movies, the largest film subreddit, to discuss Netflix’s worst films. These are some of the titles that come up again and again. 2018 seemed to be a particularly rough year for Netflix creatively, as fully half the movies on this list came out then.
10 ‘The Outsider’ (2018)
The Outsider looked promising: a gangster epic set in post-World War II Japan, with Jared Leto in the lead role. He plays Nick Lowell, a former American soldier jailed in a Japanese prison, where he becomes involved with the Yakuza. It was directed by Martin Zandvliet, whose previous war film Land of Mine had been critically acclaimed.
Unfortunately, the movie mostly just rehashes worn-out gangster tropes and underutilizes its intriguing setting. “The Outsider images made it seem like [Leto] was gonna be a badass samurai assassin. So disappointed,” said user Itscommonsensebro.
9 ‘The Do-Over’ (2016)
The Do-Over stars Adam Sandler and David Spade star as Max and Charlie, two friends who fake their own deaths and adopt new identities, setting off a chain of events that sends them on a dangerous adventure. It’s a mistaken identity comedy lacking the charm of a Dumb and Dumber or Date Night.
Sandler and Spade can be hilarious, but they are underwhelming here, to say the least. “It’s Adam Sandler at his worst,” said one Redditor. Not even the presence of talented supporting actors like Kathryn Hahn and Sean Astin can salvage this stale retread.
8 ‘A Classic Horror Story’ (2021)
A Classic Horror Story is an Italian horror movie about five strangers on a road trip through the countryside who become trapped in a remote forest after a mysterious accident. Seeking refuge in a seemingly abandoned house, they soon realize it holds dark secrets involving a sinister cult.
This is far from a novel premise, but, handled well, it could have been an enjoyable and creepy outing. However, while some of the visuals and ideas received praise, many viewers panned the boring characters and predictable plot. “Truly terrible,” said user Esley7 simply.
7 ‘Mute’ (2018)
Mute is another film that received significant hype before release since it stars Alexander Skarsgård and Paul Rudd. Plus, it was directed by Duncan Jones, the filmmaker behind the phenomenal Moon. It’s a sci-fi thriller about a mute bartender (Skarsgård) whose search for his partner (Seyneb Saleh) leads to a face-off against the mob.
However, Mute received mostly negative reviews, with much critical ire directed at the derivative plot. “[I] couldn’t finish Mute. Dying is preferable to having to sit through the rest of that,” said Redditor KangarooWearingThong. “I love Duncan Jones, but Mute was just awful. Hated it!” added user flifflif.
6 ‘Game Over, Man!’ (2018)
This action comedy centers on three friends, Alexxx (Adam Devine), Darren (Anders Holm), and Joel (Blake Anderson), who work as housekeepers at a luxury hotel. When a terrorist group takes hostages at the hotel during a star-studded event, the three bumbling buddies seize the opportunity to become unlikely heroes and try to save the day.
What Game Over, Man! lacks in actual jokes, it tries to make up for in vulgarity, slapstick stunts, and endless pop culture references. “[One] of the worst films I’ve seen anywhere,” said Redditor Fletch1975. “It failed so hard,” agreed user olliedoodle.
5 ‘How It Ends’ (2018)
After a mysterious cataclysmic event plunges society into turmoil, Will (Theo James) embarks on a cross-country journey to reach his pregnant fiancée, Samantha (Kat Graham). Accompanied by his enigmatic father-in-law-to-be, Tom (Forest Whitaker), Will must navigate a disintegrating world teeming with lawlessness.
Bleak and dull, How It Ends feels like a B-movie version of The Rover. The same post-apocalyptic plot devices have been done many times before, and usually better. “I wish I didn’t know how it ends because that movie was utter garbage,” said user SubstituteStarCaptain.
4 ‘The Ridiculous 6’ (2015)
Adam Sandler appears once again, this time in a comedy Western. Tommy “White Knife” Stockburn is a white man raised by Native Americans who sets out on a quest to rescue his kidnapped father (Nick Nolte). Along the way, Tommy encounters his five eccentric half-brothers, played by Rob Schneider, Taylor Lautner, Jorge Garcia, Luke Wilson, and Terry Crews.
“The Ridiculous 6 [was] the worst I’ve seen,” said Redditor KangarooWearingThong. “Banging my head against a wall would be preferable to watching [it] again.” The movie currently holds a 0% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a dubious honor that only a select few movies can claim.
3 ‘Death Note’ (2017)
Death Note is Netflix’s adaptation of the legendary manga and anime series about a high school student named Light with a supernatural book that can kill any person whose name is written in it. The anime is famed for a reason, but this live-action version is a far cry from the source material.
It deviates from the anime in many ways (like adding a love interest for the main character), but never for the better. Fatally, the movie also inadequately explores Light’s (Nat Wolff) dark side or the morally fraught nature of his actions. “[Netflix’s] Death Note is a crime against humanity,” said user ShillBill49.
2 ‘Thunder Force’ (2021)
Thunder Force is a superhero comedy starring Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer as two friends who gain powers and must take on the nefarious “Miscreants” led by The King (Bobby Cannavale).
Unfortunately, the movie isn’t funny enough to cut it as a comedy or engaging enough to really work as an action flick. Not to mention, the script falls short of the talent of the leads. “It’s mindbogglingly bad,” said user CaineBK.
1 ‘The Open House’ (2018)
After a family tragedy, Naomi (Piercey Dalton) and her teenage son, Logan (Dylan Minnette), temporarily stay in a secluded mountain home that’s up for sale. Unsettling events begin to unfold: there are strange noises in the house, objects move on their own, and a mysterious car idles in their driveway.
In other words, it’s bog-standard horror, poorly executed, and with uninspired acting. “The Open House was awful. Boring, unoriginal, badly written. The characters were not likable at all. Would not recommend,” said Redditor TheConspiracyCat. “Singularly the worst movie my husband and I have ever seen,” added user melindajoyk.
