8 “Good” Bad Movies That Are Fun To Watch
June 12, 2021 | Benjamin Carpenter
Everyone loves to watch a great movie. We hope to leave the movie theater feeling inspired by the enjoyable movie experience. Sometimes though, instead of watching something award-winning, it’s more entertaining for us to watch something bad. A “good” bad movie can sometimes be more entertaining than the most critically acclaimed movies. To be more specific, a “good” bad movie is a movie that is unintentionally bad yet hilarious to watch. The Room is one such example of this cinematic gem. The romance drama is seen as a comedy because of the terrible dialogue, acting, writing, and everything in between. Today, we are going to go through 8 movies that are so bad… they are good.
8. The Wicker Man
Nicolas Cage is a lightning rod for movies that are so bad they’re good. His tendency for over-the-top acting along with the bizarre scripts he receives makes his performances extremely memorable. The Wicker Man is one of the best examples of Cage elevating a movie to new heights. The movie was written as a horror but comes off as a complete comedy. The terrible writing, badly delivered lines, and Cage’s explosive anger combine to make a movie worth watching repeatedly. If you’re looking for a fun movie to watch, this should be at the top of your list.
Where To Watch The Wicker Man From $2.99
Prime Video
Google Play Movies & TV
Vudu
YouTube
Apple TV
7. Batman and Robin
When you look at the superhero movies coming out today, it’s strange to look back at the Batman movies that were coming out of the 90s. The difference in tone is like night and day. The Joel Schumacher Batman movies were known to be campy and over the top, but Batman and Robin took it to a whole new level. The colorful art direction, ridiculous lines, and exaggerated performances make Batman and Robin feel less like a movie and more like a Broadway play. I mean that in the best possible way. Batman and Robin is terrible in all of the right ways.
Where To Watch Batman and Robin
6. The Twilight Saga
The Twilight movies were an interesting phenomenon. They were some of the most divisive movies of the 2010s. Critics hated them and audiences, young girls specifically, loved them. Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2 actually broke box office records when it was first released. Over time, the Twilight movies have become less known for their stellar quality and more known for their entertainment value. The movies are full of nonsensical lines and awkward acting. The best part about the movies is that they take themselves completely seriously. The Twilight series is one of the best “good” bad movies to watch. Whether you have the time to watch all five movies or just one.
Where To Watch The Twilight Saga
5. Troll 2
Troll 2 is a classic 20th-century creature feature. It is largely recognized as the worst movie ever made. The plot is nonsensical and the acting is awful but that’s what makes Troll 2 so great. Troll 2 is about a family that goes on vacation in a town that is secretly inhabited by goblins. There’s really not a lot to say about Troll 2. It’s just bad in every aspect but in a way that is very enjoyable. Troll 2 is the perfect movie to watch if you’re looking for a so bad they’re good movie. Make sure to watch it with friends because the entertaining movie experience is something you’ll want to share with others.
Where To Watch Troll 2
4. Howard The Duck
Howard The Duck was actually the first live-action movie adapted from Marvel comics. Although the movie is inspired by Marvel comics, Howard The Duck is not a movie for children. Released in 1986, the movie is about a duck who is inexplicably transported from his world full of intelligent ducks to our world and follows his quest to return to where he came from. Howard The Duck received a lot of criticism when it was first released, but the movie has developed a cult following that appreciates the movie for what it is – a dumb fun movie that is completely ridiculous. This is a movie that you turn your brain off to watch. It’s more fun that way.
Where To Watch Howard The Duck
3. Battlefield Earth
Battlefield Earth is a movie adaptation of a fictional book written by Ron L. Hubbard, the leader of the church of Scientology. John Travolta is a member of the church of Scientology and was one of Battlefield Earth’s biggest cheerleaders before the movie’s release. Travolta plays the antagonist and is also the one who spearheaded the creation of the movie. He has been quoted saying Battlefield Earth would be better than Star Wars IV: A New Hope and will be the Schindler’s List of Sci-Fi. Unfortunately, Battlefield Earth did not live up to Travolta’s hype. With a 3% on Rotten Tomatoes, Battlefield Earth proved to be a huge disappointment. The movie, however, has gained a new reputation over the years as one of the greatest so bad they’re good movies ever made. The terrible CGI and unbelievable art direction resemble a Syfy TV movie rather than a cinematic blockbuster. You’ll spend most of this movie confused by the directing choices and intrigued by the serious intentions behind this feature.
Where To Watch Battlefield Earth
YouTube
Google Play & Movies
Apple TV
Prime Video
2. The Happening
The range of quality that comes from M. Night Shyamalan is truly amazing. The Oscar-nominated director can create classics like The Sixth Sense and Split while at the same time creating movies like The Last Airbender and After Earth. The Happening, however, is one of the greatest creations by M. Night Shyamalan. Don’t let critics tell you differently. Intended to be an apocalyptic thriller, The Happening is about a mysterious plague that causes those infected to kill themselves. The premise sounds terrifying and the movie starts with promise, but it quickly devolves into something difficult to take seriously. The badly delivered lines and bizarre writing choices will have you questioning if M. Night Shyamalan was creating a parody — he was not.
Where To Watch The Happening
1. Showgirls
Showgirls is one of the most glorious calamities to exist in cinema. When Showgirls first came out in 1995, it was violently rejected by critics and audiences alike. The movie was credited with destroying Elizabeth Berkley’s acting career. Now, Showgirls is being looked at as an ingenious movie that was misunderstood by audiences on first release. The movie follows a young drifter as she arrives in Las Vegas and claws her way to the top of the Vegas showgirls. The new fanbase that has emerged for Showgirls in recent years sees the movie as a satire of the over-the-top style that exists in Las Vegas. It’s unclear whether that was Verhoeven’s original intention, but the terrible acting, writing, and dialogue forced us to put Showgirls at the top of our list.
Where To Watch Showgirls
The Art Behind “Good” Bad Movies
There are 2 types of bad movies. The ones that are forgettable and the ones that are memorable. We’ve all seen bad movies that we forget about minutes after leaving the theater. I’d argue most bad movies are forgettable, but then we have the memorable bad movies. The movies that are bad in all of the right ways. These movies comfort us and give us instant therapy. Most important of all, these movies cannot be made intentionally bad. They are happy accidents and these 8 movies are the best of the bad.
Originally published on June 12th, 2021, updated on March 23rd, 2022
Be the first to discover the latest releases, reviews, and updates!