Film critics have named the top 5 worst films of the past year, all of which are now competing for the "Golden Raspberry" award. Each of them is considered a quintessential box office flop, and their plots are only discussed in a negative light. Here's a look at what makes these nominees so bad.
Reagan
The film about the life of the 40th U.S. president was an ambitious attempt at a biographical drama, but critics and audiences agreed that it failed to meet expectations.
One of the major flaws was the attempt to idealize the character: Reagan’s portrayal felt too superficial, focusing too much on heroism, which even annoyed his fans. The dialogue came off as unnatural, and Dennis Quaid’s performance didn’t save the film, earning him a nomination as well.
Borderlands
The adaptation of the popular video game, eagerly awaited by millions of fans worldwide, left gamers realizing they should fear their own wishes.
The film lost the wild spirit of the game, with a superficial plot aimed at children, failing to capture the beauty of this strange universe. In an attempt to please fans, the directors overloaded the film with loud visual effects, turning it into a chaotic kaleidoscope. Interestingly, Cate Blanchett was also nominated for a "Golden Raspberry" for her role in the film.
Megalopolis
A long-suffering project for which Francis Ford Coppola even sold his vineyards, it was one of the most anticipated films of the year, but it garnered a lot of negative reviews -no wonder sponsors hesitated to invest their money.
The weaknesses: Coppola aimed to create an epic masterpiece, but the overload of details and grandeur stripped the film of emotional depth. While teens enjoy making TikToks from scenes, the plot of Megalopolis was too convoluted and packed with philosophical musings, preventing the audience from emotionally connecting. At least Adam Driver managed to avoid making the list of worst actors.
Joker: Folie à Deux
The sequel to the cult film about Gotham's criminal kingpin sparked a lot of debate, with both critics and audiences unanimously agreeing that it failed to meet expectations and turned out to be a pale shadow of the original.
The main drawback: an overemphasis on musicality. The attempt to turn it into a musical felt out of place in 2024 and ruined the atmosphere of the first film. The relationship between the Joker and Harley Quinn also failed to captivate the audience, and their development seemed illogical.
The dark aesthetic of the original was replaced by excessive theatricality, which didn’t sit well with fans of the first film. As a result, Joaquin Phoenix might also be in the running for a “Golden Raspberry.”
Madam Web
After the release of Morbius, many thought it was rock bottom, but then something worse came along: a movie about a lesser-known Marvel heroine became one of the most criticized comic book films of the year.
The plot felt like a collection of superhero movie cliches, lacking any fresh ideas. The story was uninspired, with predictable twists and a lack of dramatic depth. Dakota Johnson will be competing with Blanchett for the statuette.
