10 Worst Movies That Are Confusing in a Bad Way, Ranked

No one ever sets out to make a bad movie, as even the most disappointing films were probably sparked by at least one good idea. Film is a medium that often asks for its artists to take risks, so there’s certainly something to respect when storytellers attempt to make a bold statement that has some ambiguous qualities.

Although it's true that not every film can be an all-time classic, it is very frustrating when the creative teams involved seem to not have any respect for the audiences. Leaving a theater confused is not a good experience, as it can be very irritating if the story was not laid out in an identifiable way, or if there were several glaring plot holes that collapsed the internal logic. Here are the ten worst movies that are confusing in a bad way, ranked.

10 ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ (2016)

Directed by Roland Emmerich

A group government employees looking out with shock and disarray on their faces in 'Independence Day: Resurgence' — Image via 20th Century Fox

Independence Day: Resurgence was a highly anticipated sequel to the original 1996 classic, which is often hailed as one of the greatest science fiction disaster films of all-time. While the original film was a terrific blockbuster because of its simplicity, Independence Day: Resurgence developed a convoluted narrative about why the aliens tried to invade Earth the second time, and how it became part of an intergalactic conflict.

There was seemingly no point in attempting to turn the Independence Day franchise into Star Trek, as the universe was far less complicated, and did not need as many exterior characters. This confusion was amplified by the lack of Will Smith, whose character was killed off in an off-screen incident that is explained in the most haphazard way possible. Independence Day: Resurgence seemed to have no idea why anyone liked the first film at all.

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9 ‘Star Trek V: The Final Frontier’ (1989)

Directed by William Shatner

Laurence Luckinbill as Sybok and George Takei as Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. — Image via Paramount Pictures

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier isn’t just the worst Star Trek movie, but one of the single most embarrassing directorial debuts of all-time. The original series Star Trek star Leonard Nimoy has found great success in directing both Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, both of which were greeted with positive reviews and box office success. However, the future of the franchise became much dicier when William Shatner was given the reins to direct Star Trek: The Final Frontier.

The fifth installment of the Star Trek series doesn’t even really feel like a science fiction movie, as there’s a high amount of slapstick comedy and an attempt at developing religious commentary that simply doesn’t work. It’s rare to see a franchise fumble a string of success and find such disappointing results.

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8 ‘Exorcist II: The Heretic’ (1977)

Directed by John Boorman

Linda Blair as Regan with wires attached to her temples in 'Exorcist II: The Heretic' — Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Exorcist II: Heretic is one of the worst horror sequels of all-time, as the original The Exorcist director William Friedkin was so enraged by the film that he effectively launched a campaign against it.

What’s most confusing is that Exorcist II: The Heretic seems to ignore everything that had made the first film effective; there is no sense of grounded character dynamics, no creepy tension revolving around demonic spirits, and no real cohesion to the story. Rarely has a film seemed to be “making it up as it goes along” quite like Exorcist II: The Heretic, as it is even challenging to determine who the singular protagonist is. Director John Boorman is a talented filmmaker behind such classics as Point Blank and Deliverance, which makes it all the more confusing why he could be responsible for a sequel that completely destroyed the franchise for over a decade.

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7 ‘Jupiter Ascending’ (2015)

Directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski

Caine and Jupiter facing each other in Jupiter Ascending — Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Jupiter Ascending certainly cannot be faulted for its ambition, as the Wachowski sisters seemed inspired by the success of their work on The Matrix trilogy, and wanted to make another science fiction franchise with an intense mythology and extravagant world building.

The issue with Jupiter Ascending is that learning all of the characters, planets, and societal edicts becomes very confusing, as it feels like the viewer needs to do homework before they invest in any of the emotional stakes. Beyond the fact that Jupiter Ascending has some very strange ideas about monarchies and genetics, it’s very hard to follow a film that doesn’t take the time to slowly immerse the viewer into its very strange world. The baffling failure of Jupiter Ascending, coupled with the underwhelming responses to other Wachowski projects, led some film fans to wonder if the success of The Matrix had all just been a fluke.

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6 ‘The Legend of Hercules’ (2014)

Directed by Renny Harlin

The Legend of Hercules managed to mess up a timeless story from Greek mythology that did not have to end up being as confusing as it was. Renny Harlin attempted to recontextualize the rise of the hero Hercules (Kellan Lutz) as a story similar to Gladiator or 300, but did a very poor job at fleshing out the interesting mythology that inspired it.

It’s frustrating that Hollywood doesn’t know how to make Greek mythology interesting when translated to the screen, as it serves as the inspiration for many of the superhero films that are popular today. Ironically, 2014 also saw the release of another disappointing Hercules film starring Dwayne Johnson that was directed by Brett Ratner, but it was nowhere near as confusing, illogical, and insulting to the viewers as what Harlin was trying to do with The Legend of Hercules.

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5 ‘The Gray Man’ (2022)

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

Lloyd Hansen having a drink while sitting on a chair in The Gray Man — Image via Netflix

The Gray Man isn’t just one of the worst attempts at making a big budget blockbuster that Netflix has ever made, but a film so incompetent that it calls Joe and Anthony Russos’ entire body of work into question. The Russo brothers seemed to be on a hot streak after their work with the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame.

Unfortunately, The Gray Man seemed so focused on setting up sequels that it forgot to tell a good story, as there was nothing that the film presented that the vast majority of the audience wasn’t already familiar with if they had watched spy classics like True Lies or Mission: Impossible. Ironically, it doesn’t seem like there will ever be enough enthusiasm for the Russos to answer these questions in a sequel to The Gray Man.

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4 ‘Madame Web’ (2024)

Directed by S.J. Clarkson

Dakota Johnson as Cassie enjoying takeout in Madame Web — Image via Sony

Madame Web is one of the most baffling superhero films ever made, which in some ways makes it worth watching just to see how good audiences are used to having it when it comes to comic book adaptations. Part of the issue with Madame Web is its relationship to the rest of the Marvel universe; although there are several specific references to events and characters from the Spider-Man franchise (including Adam Scott as Ben Parker), the film stops short of ever directly correlating to a larger universe.

Madame Web is filled with incoherent flashbacks, strange instances of overt product placement, and references to superhero characters that never actually appear on screen. While there are some bad comic book movies that can be enjoyed for ironic pleasure, Madame Web is an entirely cynical exercise that doesn’t deserve to get any attention from comic book fans who have come to expect better.

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3 ‘Plan 9 From Outer Space’ (1959)

Directed by Ed Wood

The Old Man/Ghoul Man, played by actor Bela Lugosi, holds up his cape in the graveyard in Plan 9 from Outer Space. — Image via Distributors Corporation of America

Plan 9 From Outer Space is one of the many cult classics directed by Ed Wood, who is often referred to as the greatest “bad movie director” of all-time. Wood’s films were notorious for their poor production values, cheesy acting, and incoherent plots; although he was met with much disdain within his lifetime, Wood eventually became the basis of the 1994 biopic Ed Wood from director Tim Burton that starred Johnny Depp.

Plan 9 From Outer Space is so confusing that it becomes hilarious, as it incoherently tries to merge supernatural, horror, and socio-political commentary into a high stakes action thriller. Plan 9 From Outer Space essentially laid the groundwork for what a “good bad movie” could look like if viewers watched it to laugh, and certainly inspired the cult reception to films like The Room or Sharknado.

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2 ‘Wish Upon’ (2017)

Directed by John R. Leonetti

Joey King as Clare Shannon laying down in bed while holding onto the mysterious and deadly wishing box in 'Wish Upon' (2017)

Wish Upon is one of the worst horror movies of the 2010s, as there is almost nothing about it that could be perceived as scary. While the notion of a “wishing box” that has unintended consequences does seem like it could be the basis of a compelling psychological thriller, Wish Upon becomes increasingly frustrating because the ways in which the “wishes” work form no cohesive logic.

Wish Upon makes for a very frustrating viewing experience, as the characters simply make illogical choices regarding the use of wishes, which will obviously come back to haunt them. The film also has a very incoherent use of technology, as the ways in which the magic affects the characters’ phones is very inconsistent. Although some of the “death” scenes are funny in an ironic sense, it is difficult to take anything that is happening in Wish Upon with any degree of seriousness.

Wish Upon

PG-13

Horror

Fantasy

Thriller

Release Date: July 7, 2017
Runtime: 90

WHERE TO WATCH

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Main Genre: Horror
Studio: Broad Green Pictures
Tagline: Be careful what you wish for
Website: http://wishuponmovie.com/

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1 ‘Hollywood Homicide’ (2003)

Directed by Ron Shelton

Josh Hartnett and Harrison Ford in 'Hollywood Homicide' — Image via Columbia Pictures

Hollywood Homicide may be the single worst film that Harrison Ford has ever starred in, which is actually saying something considering the fact that he has appeared in such notorious flops as Firewall, The Expendables 3, Crossing Over, and Random Hearts. Ford may be known for playing many of the greatest film heroes of all-time, but Hollywood Homicide forced him to team up with Josh Hartnett for a highly forgettable buddy cop adventure mystery set in Los Angeles.

Hollywood Homicide shows no signs that it knows anything about the way that police investigations are handled, but it doesn’t have anything interesting to say about the entertainment industry either. What’s most confusing is why Ford, who is arguably one of the most beloved movie stars of all-time, would ever agree to be in a film as utterly humiliating as Hollywood Homicide.