The Worst Movies of 2023: A Year of Terrible Films Produced an Amazing Ten Beyond Awful!

The film industry is a dynamic and ever-evolving landscape where success is measured not only by box office revenue but also by critical acclaim. While some years witness the triumph of cinematic excellence, others are marred by a string of disappointments and lackluster performances at the box office. Before we dive into the awfulness that has been this year, let’s first examine the worst periods of theatrical quality of the recent past… and unfortunately, I have to say we’ve surpassed it in 2023. And not for the better!

The Mid-2000s Slump (2004-2006):

The mid-2000s marked a challenging period for the film industry, with a noticeable decline in both box office revenue and critical acclaim. While a few standout films managed to capture audiences, a significant number of releases failed to meet expectations. The industry struggled to find its footing, leading to lackluster performances across various genres.

• • Key Contributors:
    • High-budget productions with poor critical reception.
    • Sequels and franchise installments that failed to recapture the magic of their predecessors.
    • An over-use of very bad CGI, often leaving films extremely dated.

The Pandemic Plunge (2020):

The year 2020 will be remembered as one of the most challenging periods for the film industry. The COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread theater closures, postponements, and disruptions in film releases. While streaming services gained traction, the traditional box office suffered immensely, impacting both revenue and critical acclaim.

• • Pandemic-Related Challenges:
    • Delayed releases and disrupted production schedules.
    • Limited theatrical releases and increased dependence on streaming platforms.

The history of the film industry is marked by peaks and valleys, and not every year can be a blockbuster success. Factors such as franchise fatigue, over-reliance on visual effects, and unforeseen events like a global pandemic can contribute to disappointing years in terms of box office performance and critical reception. However, the industry’s resilience and ability to adapt have always allowed it to bounce back, ensuring that every setback is followed by opportunities for innovation and growth. As the landscape continues to evolve, the film industry will undoubtedly face new challenges, but it will also find new avenues for success and artistic achievement.

All of that said, 2023 has produced some of the absolute worst quality we’ve ever seen without much in redeeming content (despite a few standouts).

Here’s my list for the bottom of the barrel in 2023:

10. Expend4bles

• Released: September 22, 2023
• Directed by: Scott Waugh

Frankly, Expend4bles just shouldn’t have been made. While I love Sylvester Stallone, this one just doesn’t work and I think even he would agree. It’s not time for Sly to hang it up, but this is probably a franchise that has outlived its usefulness for him.

9. Freelance

• Released: August 18, 2023
• Directed by: Pierre Morel

If you’ve seen this, John Cena owes you an apology more than he did to the Chinese people. Seriously, this film is like if you gave Chat GPT the Terminator Script and then told it to rewrite it with emphasis on all the worst possible parts. It’s dumb, it’s cliche, it’s painful to watch.

8. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3

• Released: September 8, 2023
• Directed by: Nia Vardalos

As soon as I saw the trailer for Greek Wedding 3, I was worried. Having seen it, I can say that it somehow underwhelms even my lowest of expectations. Not only is it impressive that they drudged up a formerly successful franchise to slaughter it like a Greek pig before a banquet, but they also somehow managed to make a flop with a budget that should have kept it impossible ($39.7 million production budget). The film managed to have a sub-30% Rotten Tomatoes Score and vanished from theaters to make way for The Marvels and Hunger Games. And when theaters would rather have The Marvels on, you’ve achieved the impossible. And yet… The Marvels was worse.

7. The Flash

• Released: June 16, 2023
• Directed by: Andy Muschietti

In any other year, The Flash would have been the biggest failure any studio produced. Yet Disney managed to overcome every hurdle to make sure we all forget just how abysmal Barry had been. The Flash proves that not even the best of memberberries can save a film led by someone who needs serious help. Nor can a decade-long development and budget-busting production cost save the day. Audiences ran from The Flash faster than The Flash could limp through a deeply weak attempt.

6. Wish

• Released: November 22, 2023
• Directed by: Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn

The animation is bad, the character design is boring, the songs are forgettable, the consequences underwhelming. Wish manages to bring itself into Strange World comparisons, even as it was supposed to be the 100th anniversary celebration film. And yet the princess Asha is about as much fun as the nearly monochromatic water color backgrounds that are so boring that barely a single frame of the film could be used for marketing without adjusting the colors. Yes, Disney, your butt did that.

5. The Marvels

• Released: November 10, 2023
• Directed by: Nia DaCosta

The Marvels is sort of what happens when you make fans angry about a character due to your bait and switch marking tactics… and then years later you decide to lead a film with said character. Add to that the character is played by an actress who has been less than kind to said fans, features a script that is juvenile and uninspired, and then market said movie with a cat cafe. As you might imagine, that doesn’t go well.

4. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

• Released: February 17, 2023
• Directed by: Peyton Reed

It was the first real bomb of 2023 and the first flop Marvel had faced in such a public way since Incredible Hulk back in 2008. Sure, other films had cost Disney money in the last few years, but those could be blamed on the pandemic, or streaming, or a new IP. Quantumania was the first time that Marvel couldn’t hide behind any excuse. It was the first time the mainstream had to admit that the “fringe” wasn’t the minority after all.

3. Haunted Mansion

• Released: July 28, 2023
• Directed by: Justin Simien

It’s not just a bad movie with plenty of very annoying actors. It’s also a film that should have released near Halloween but had to be bumped to a new slot to try to save The Marvels. That didn’t work. It’s also a film that has a budget four times what this film should have been permitted to receive. It’s also a film that once again had Disney shills trying to claim that streaming viewership is maybe even more important than box office returns. But in the end, Haunted Mansion is a forgettable, non-fungible red X on the budget line of Disney.

2. Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey

• Released: February 15, 2023
• Directed by: Rhys Frake-Waterfield

There’s shock media and movies — we all understand the genre. But even shock media needs some sort of purpose for existence beyond just shock. Otherwise, stop at the trailer. In the case of Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, you can literally just stop with the trailer. There’s nothing more than the fun of being shocked for five seconds. Will we get a sequel? Probably. But I’ll be shocked if it does well. After all, the shock is gone.

1. Magic Mike’s Last Dance

• Released: February 10, 2023
• Directed by: Steven Soderbergh

Thank goodness it’s over. A silly hedonism franchise that was somehow supposed to be a stand-in for female empowerment managed somehow to get worse with each iteration. That’s like lowering the bar to the point you need a back how to dig beneath it. By 2023, Mike had lost all magic, all appeal, and I for one am glad it’s his last dance. It’s only too predictable that it was a cash grab over the sputtering final gasps of an aged-out bygone era. Let’s hope it stays there.

Honorable Mention: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

You all know it belongs on the list. It was awful. But it’s John Williams’ last movie he’ll ever do the music for… so just plug it in where you believe it deserves. It’s simply too sad for me to have to pick a place with such a great composer. Thanks, Kathleen Kennedy and James Mangold.