In recent years, Netflix has proven to be capable of competing with major networks and studios. In fact, they now primarily focus on developing original content, and this initiative has transformed the service from a simple arbiter of entertainment to a pioneer of modern media consumption.
Meanwhile, several other Netflix movies have also achieved critical acclaim, although the Cannes Film Festival has banned Netflix movies from competition altogether. While some Netflix films proved to be praise-worthy, others have left critics scratching their heads.
Updated on January 20th, 2022, by Tanner Fox: Netflix releases more original content than ever these days and while some scored things like Oscar nominations, others get lambasted by critics. However, a lot of these poorly received movies are actually adored by casual audiences who are often just looking to have a good time. In fact, some people even want to know about the worst movies on Netflix because they enjoy a good bad film. The critics have spoken and looking at the ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, some Netflix movies stand out as the worst of the bunch
20 The Cloverfield Paradox (2018) – 21%
Almost everyone can enjoy a great sci-fi flick, and, initially, The Cloverfield Paradox looked quite promising. After all, the film was produced by J.J. Abrams, the very same man who resurrected the Star Trek franchise. He is also responsible for creating hit shows such as Alias, Lost, and the sci-fi series Fringe.
In The Cloverfield Paradox, Abrams introduces fans to the idea that the Earth can disappear from space without warning. Unfortunately, the premise required a lot of explanation, and the characters came across as underdeveloped. Some also argue that the plot feels rushed.
19 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword Of Destiny (2016) – 20%
This is a sequel to the influential movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which garnered several Academy Award nominations and a few victories too. It also became one of the most culturally influential movies of all time.
For the follow-up movie on Netflix, actress Michelle Yeoh returned to reprise her role as Yu Shu Lien. While the fight scenes were incredible, the plot itself was considered underwhelming. In the end, it failed to measure up to the original, proving that it’s among the Asian films that are impossible to remake in America.
18 Game Over, Man (2018) – 18%
Suddenly caught up in a hostage situation in a Los Angeles hotel, three nobodies must band together to save the day in a comedy film that seems eager to push all sorts of extremes. It’s like a combination of The Hangover and Die Hard but critics feel it lacks the intrigue of the latter and the humor of the former.
Audiences were unimpressed, and critics totally reviled this 2018 Netflix original. While it may offer something to those looking to totally turn their brains off for a bit, Game Over, Man is pretty much the bottom-of-the-barrel when it comes to Netflix comedies.
17 The Outsider (2018) – 17%
This Netflix Original movie is led by none other than Oscar winner Jared Leto. He portrays an American POW who stays in Japan and works his way up to become a member of the Yakuza crime organization.
Based on the plot alone, this movie had the potential to be great. However, critics were left completely disappointed. Variety has referred to the film as “dull, flavorless, and fundamentally incurious,” and it was also noted that Leto’s acting appeared “disengaged.”
16 How It Ends (2018) – 17%
How It Ends is a 2018 disaster movie starring Forest Whitaker that concerns a man searching for his missing wife during the end of the world. It’s a solid if clichéd premise, but the grim scenarios and hammy acting and dialogue make for a movie that takes itself too seriously.
The biggest fault with How It Ends, however, is that it doesn’t have an ending. It quite literally wraps in the middle of an escape sequence. It’s a shoddy film through and through, with critics and audiences agreeing that How It Ends isn’t worth beginning.
15 The Kissing Booth (2018) – 17%
Romantic comedies are perfect for those looking for something relaxing that won’t demand a ton of thought or emotional investment. That said, fans of the genre may want to consider other options before they decide to stream Netflix’s The Kissing Booth.
Critics couldn’t care less about this film; for them, The Kissing Booth is just a continuous showcase of every romantic cliché audience have ever heard. Meanwhile, rom-com connoisseurs might also be interested to know that the film wasn’t received all that well by general viewers. In fact, it’s ranked as one of the worst rom-coms of the 2010s.
14 Special Correspondents (2016) – 17%
This Netflix movie from Ricky Gervais is another low-rated original from the streaming service. The film follows two characters in radio journalism (Gervais and Eric Bana) who decide to fake their kidnapping while on assignment in South America.
Although it seems that viewers might have enjoyed this one more than the official reviews, it still has a low Rotten Tomatoes score, with critics and audiences agreeing that the writing falls flat and the characters feel one-dimensional.
13 A Fall From Grace (2020) – 16%
A Fall from Grace is a Netflix original movie from Tyler Perry, and, while it was popular among fans of his work, it didn’t impress audiences or critics at large, garnering a lame 16% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The movie attempts to present a web of conspiracies and tries to hook its audience into solving the mysteries. It follows a woman, played by Crystal Fox, who is put on trial for the murder of her husband and her attorney, attempting to figure out the true story behind her husband’s death.
12 Sextuplets (2019) – 14%
As the title suggests, the story is about a father-to-be who learns that he is soon going to be welcoming sextuplets into the world. That expecting father happens to be played by Marlon Wayans, an actor who is known for his comedic chops.
In the movie, Wayans also portrays several of the film’s characters, just like Tyler Perry would in his Madea movies. However, critics were still less than impressed. Some noted that the jokes just weren’t funny, while others have flat out said that this film is a waste of time.
11 The Open House (2018) – 13%
The Open House is a low-rated Netflix horror movie that follows a mother (Piercey Dalton) and her son (Dylan Minnette) moving into a house to take care of it until it sells—and quickly being haunted by a stalking presence.
There’s a weekly open house, hence the title of the movie, and the two try to figure out what’s happening at night after each public showing. While there are some decent scares, it all quickly goes downhill when the true villain is revealed and the ending seems to fall flat.
10 The Do-Over (2016) – 9%
The premise behind this movie doesn’t sound original, but, because it stars Adam Sandler, David Spade, and Paula Patton, audiences and critics decided to give it a chance. Sadly, The Do-Over would only leave Netflix subscribers dumbfounded.
In the movie, Sandler and Spade play two men who decide to fake their own deaths. As viewers may have guessed, however, the new identities they assume only make their lives more miserable. With every passing minute, though, the film left critics increasingly miserable, and it went down as yet another flop in Sandler’s Netflix career.
9 The Last Thing He Wanted (2020) – 5%
When it comes to star power, this Netflix original has it in spades; the cast is led by Oscar winners Anne Hathaway and Ben Affleck alongside recognizable faces like Willem Dafoe and Rosie Perez. In The Last Thing He Wanted, Hathaway plays a D.C. journalist who puts her reputation on the line to help her father broker an arms deal.
The plot may sound solid, even riveting, but critics have noted that the film is simply “confusing” and “frustrating,” according to reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. But, there are some interesting details that are easy to miss in the movie.
8 Naked (2017) – 0%
Naked is a Netflix movie that attempts the typical Groundhog Day plot that sees a character re-live a particular moment in their life over and over again until they’re able to solve whatever is holding them in the time loop.
The movie follows a man—Marlon Wayans in his second sordid Netflix appearance—on his wedding day, but he wakes up in an elevator without any clothes over and over again. It sounds promising, but most agree that the Netflix original was a dud.
7 The Last Days Of American Crime (2020) – 0%
This Netflix action movie falls completely flat and has a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film sets up a group of characters who are planning a heist, but, instead of focusing on the action and attempting to be creative with fight choreography, it just goes through the motions.
Another complaint of the movie is that it’s longer than it should be at almost 2 hours and 30 minutes and focuses far too much on trying to build a complicated and drawn-out plot that fans and critics obviously didn’t enjoy.
6 The Ridiculous 6 (2015) – 0%
Netflix subscribers have come to wonder why Sandler’s Netflix movies are so bad. These films often boast of a lot of star power, and, in The Ridiculous 6, Sandler is joined by Rob Schneider, Luke Wilson, David Spade, Steve Buscemi, Danny Trejo, and even Blake Shelton.
All this talent also means that the film is among Netflix’s most expensive original movies according to the production budget. Sadly, it’s also one of the very worst original movies ever to premiere on Netflix, and that’s mostly to do with the ever-controversial hammy acting of Sandler.
5 The True Memoirs Of An International Assassin (2016) – 0%
It was only going to be a matter of time before more stars decide to appear on Netflix. That said, The True Memoirs of an International Assassin seemed to be the perfect Netflix vehicle for comedian Kevin James.
In this movie, James is a novelist who is mistaken for a real assassin after his book is published as a true story. That’s how he comes face to face with Andy Garcia’s El Toro, who is like a modern-day Che Guevara. In the end, though, critics have said that the movie is neither funny nor interesting.
4 Father Of The Year (2018) – 0%
This Netflix original combines the comedic chops of Spade and Nat Faxon. Produced by Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions, the premise of the film is a drunken debate between college graduates as they argue whose dad would win when pitted against another dad.
Ultimately, this rivalry is taken seriously, and the whole film unravels from there. Some critics have accused the film of being utterly unfunny, while others have regarded the film as forgettable. RogerEbert.com even said that “you’ll forget you saw it before it’s even over.”
3 The After Party (2018) – 0%
The After Party represents an interesting split between critics and audience members. While fans praised the movie and afforded it a praiseworthy 86% score, critics despised it, saddling it with a perfectly terrible zero on Rotten Tomatoes.
A film about an aspiring rapper making a name for himself at a New York City afterparty, The After Party celebrates hip hop music and culture, and it features quite a few cameos from prominent people in the scene.
2 Drive (2018) – 0%
2018’s Drive wants to be a celebration of Indian filmmaking, but it ends up as a shallow, cheap imitation of big-budget Hollywood blockbusters like Fast and Furious. Glitzy to the point of absurdity, tedious, and overly long, Drive is seen as an absolute slog, even for those with a deep appreciation for foreign film.
Those going into it hoping for the 2011 Ryan Gosling-led masterpiece of the same name will be gravely disappointed, and even those hoping for a dumbed-down action romp will be left wanting. It’s one of few Netflix original films to earn a zero from critics.
1 Enter The Anime (2019) – 0%
Pitched as a documentary about the creation and development of anime, Netflix’s Enter The Anime seems to lack any kind of cohesion and more or less boils down to random clips of cosplayers, J-pop groups, and small bits of anime series already available to stream on Netflix. It’s essentially an hour-long advertisement meant to promote the fact that anime is available on Netflix, but it almost seems more interested in shaming fans than extolling the art.
A vapid method of shilling a product to which viewers are already subscribed, Enter The Anime is a total flop that managed to earn a flat zero on Rotten Tomatoes.
