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Image via Federico Napoli
Netflix has set itself up to be one of the biggest juggernauts of the streaming space, with a high number of incredible original films and series that it has released over the years. However, part of what has made Netflix so successful is its tendency to focus on a high quantity of original movies, and with such a high number of films being made, a select few were always going to be on the lower side of quality. Netflix's massive success makes their mistakes and misfires that much more egregious, making them easy targets when they release some of the worst films in recent memory.
In terms of seeing exactly which of Netflix's many misfires is considered the worst by modern film fans, there's frankly no better outlet than the Letterboxd community. Just as Netflix revolutionized and changed the game of movies and television through its implementation of the internet, Letterboxd changed the game of modern discussion and dialogue about films through the internet. As the defacto modern community and hub for film fans talking about modern movies, it makes for the perfect match to see exactly which Netflix films are failing to meet the bar of quality the most.
20 'Brazen' (2022)
Letterboxd Average Rating: 1.66/5
Image via Netflix
A barebones murder mystery film that is easily one of the worst thrillers of the 2020s so far, Brazen is about as generic and formulaic as it gets when it comes to its procedural murder mystery. The film follows mystery writer Grace Miller (Alyssa Milano), who despite being famous for writing murder mystery novels, faces difficulties when she suddenly finds herself at the center of a real-life murder mystery. Grace's sister ends up being murdered, and the uncovering of her mysterious past as an online dominatrix ends up enticing Grace to delve deeper into the culprit behind the murder.
As a thriller, Brazen systematically fails due to having minimal stakes and a deeply uninteresting execution that fails to even come close to engaging an audience with its twist and mysteries. Combined with an array of painfully obvious red herrings and a comically uninformed interpretation of webcam sex culture, the film more often than not becomes a comical caricature of itself than an actual thriller to take seriously.
Brazen
Release Date January 13, 2022
Director Monika Mitchell
Runtime 94 minutes
19 'Dangerous Liaisons' (2022)
Letterboxd Average Rating: 1.65/5
Dangerous Liaisons was a monumental literary work that has been adapted and evolved into film and television a multitude of times, yet this French, social-media-focused heartthrob approach actively spits in the face of the original masterpiece. The film follows innocent young Celene, who ends up fostering an unexpected crush with the new surfer bro who has just arrived at her school, Tristan. However, Celene is none the wiser for the fact that she is the subject of a bet between Tristan and a massive Instagram influencer named Vanessa.
Any modern-day romantic comedy that's attempting to adapt Dangerous Liaisons immediately draws comparisons to the various other adaptations, most notably the 90s classic Cruel Intentions. With these comparisons in mind, it's immediately apparent that this modern take on the story completely downplays the character elements and nuance of the story, only worried about having attractive young actors in a flurry of social media-centric drama.
18 'Mother of the Bride' (2024)
Letterboxd Average Rating: 1.64/5
Image via Netflix
While Mother of the Bride presents itself as yet another by-the-numbers romantic comedy by Netflix, going slightly beyond the surface level of its premise creates deeply uncomfortable and unnerving implications. The film sees a duo of families coming together for an unexpected wedding in Thailand, yet drama quickly ensues when the mother of the bride and the father of the groom reveal that they had previously dated decades ago. Despite initially hesitant, the undeniable sparks of their connection begin to soar once again, putting their children's wedding in peril.
Even outside the film's blatant overuse of clichés and tropes to create an underwhelming rom-com experience, the very essence and conceit of this film make it a sour and unenjoyable watch for Letterboxd users. It's clear from the get-go that these former lovers will connect and fall in love by the end, something that while cute at first, proves to be unintentionally confusing when it means that their soon-to-be married children are now step-siblings with one another. It's an inevitable thought that instantly comes to mind when viewing the film and largely makes any slight positives the film may carry null and void.
Release Date May 9, 2024
Runtime 88 Minutes
17 'Noise' (2023)
Letterboxd Average Rating: 1.63/5
One of the lowest-rated and largely maligned dramas to be released on the platform, Noise is a Belgian relationship drama that follows the story of Matt, an influencer and young parent to his newborn son, Julius. However, dark secrets involving the past of Matt's father begin to reveal themselves, exciting him to investigate the drama and secrets his family has kept away from him for so long. As his wife becomes increasingly concerned with Matt's research, the journey threatens to tear apart the new life Matt has built for himself.
It's rare for this type of slow, somber drama to be the target of such malign and low ratings on online communities like Letterboxd, which makes it all the more interesting that Noise is rated so lowly. A big portion of the hate and disappointment surrounding the film has to do with its pacing, where very little happens and the film doesn't feel like it begins until an hour in. As if this film wasn't forgettable enough, the previous year already saw a Netflix original film by the same title, except that series was a critical success and is one of Netflix's highest-rated original films on Letterboxd.
16 'The Kissing Booth' (2018)
Letterboxd Average Rating: 1.62/5
Image via Netflix
Alongside the original To All the Boys I've Loved Before, the first Kissing Booth film is often cited as a type of ground zero for this style of cheesy, over-the-top teen romance films on Netflix. And while the first To All the Boys film works fairly well as a sweet love letter to the genre, The Kissing Booth is very blatant in its attempts to be nothing more but an avenue for attractive young stars to look pretty on-screen. The film mostly follows a classic plot of a young girl, played by Joey King, starting a budding romance with Noah Flynn (Jacob Elordi), despite being best friends with his younger brother, Lee (Joel Courtney).
Alongside its sequels, The Kissing Booth has become the face of this style of low-effort teenage romantic comedy trend that flooded Netflix during the late 2010s and early 2020s, with the series receiving the vast majority of users' hatred and vitriol. However, the series also has an increasing number of fans who have fallen in love with the campy, so-bad-it's-good nature of the entire series, although this serves to only further add to the film's increasingly low rating on the site.
Release Date May 11, 2018
Director Vince Marcello
Runtime 110 minutes
15 'Love & Gelato' (2022)
Letterboxd Average Rating: 1.60/5
One of many cookie-cutter teenage romcoms that have dominated Netflix's algorithm over the years, Love & Gelato follows the same trends and conventions of its predecessors, only adding the twist of taking place in Rome. The film follows Lina, a young girl about to graduate high school with her sights set on going to MIT, but after her mom gets sick, ends up being convinced to spend her last teenage summer in Rome. While in Rome, she ends up doing what she can to fulfill the dreams of her mother, exploring the world of glorious food and budding romance in the magical city.
It's clear from the get-go that Love & Gelato is simply an attempt by Netflix to find similar success that they had with Emily in Paris, hoping to use a beautiful European locale and a romantic comedy plot to work its magic into success. However, Letterboxd's users were quick to see through the facade and view the film for what it truly is, a barrage of unlikable characters, underwhelming romance, and a plot that served to only annoy audiences more than charm.
Love & Gelato
Release Date June 22, 2022
Director Brandon Camp
Cast Susanna Skaggs , Tobia De Angelis , Darren Boyd Owen McDonnell , Valentina Lodovini
Runtime
14 'Sierra Burgess Is a Loser' (2018)
Letterboxd Average Rating: 1.55/5
Image by Netflix
While both The Kissing Booth and To All the Boys were successful enough to earn complete trilogies, Sierra Burgess Is a Loser was so widely hated upon release that it never got the chance, despite being in a similar camp of popularity and release as the others. The film follows the story of the titular Sierra Burgess (Shannon Purser), a social outcast who has completely given up hope of finding a relationship in high school. However, after her biggest crush mistakes her writing for someone else, Sierra teams up with a popular girl to finally get a chance at love.
While inquisitive audiences may recognize the film as a modern teenage adaptation of the story of Cyrano, the liberties and changes made to modernize the tale only serve to detract and make Sierra more unlikable as a protagonist. Her actions are much more problematic and uncomfortable in the film, ranging from physically kissing her crush without them knowing to an even worse scale of lying and mass manipulation. It makes the entire viewing experience highly uncomfortable, ironically making the film's biggest problem something that it spells out in its very title.
Sierra Burgess Is a Loser
Release Date September 7, 2018
Director Ian Samuels
Runtime 105 Minutes
13 'Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie' (2024)
Letterboxd Average Rating: 1.54/5
Image via Netflix
SpongeBob SquarePants is one of the most prominent and iconic animated characters of the 21st century, with an array of beloved and iconic cinematic outings to his name. However, Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie does a major disservice to the series as a whole, easily acting as the low point of the entire franchise. The film sees Sandy Cheeks and SpongeBob having to team up and travel to Texas to save the citizens of Bikini Bottom after the entire town is kidnapped by an evil team of scientists.
SpongeBob SquarePants as a franchise is largely defined by its absurdity and effective sense of humor, making it all the more egregious when this film completely fails in the comedy department. Instead of effective visual gags and quotable dialogue, Saving Bikini Bottom's overreliance on annoying side characters and egregiously bad visual effects made it a sour experience for many long-time fans of the franchise.
Release Date August 2, 2024
Runtime 82 Minutes
12 'The Tearsmith' (2024)
Letterboxd Average Rating: 1.52/5
It's rare for such a recent release to immediately shoot up the charts and become one of Netflix's lowest-rated films in the eyes of Letterboxd, yet The Tearsmith managed to do anything and everything wrong. The film is an Italian teen romance film that follows the blossoming love between Nica and Rigel, two young souls who were adopted together after they shared a tough childhood in an orphanage. Despite their familial ties, they simply can't ignore the feelings and passion that they feel towards one another.
It isn't exactly surprising that a film whose core premise is "step-sibling romance" would be seen as largely disturbing and uncomfortable by Letterboxd users, with The Tearsmith playing its chaotic premise completely straight. Even outside of the more unnerving aspects of its plot, The Tearsmith follows the same tired trends and conventions of other sultry romance films of the era, feeling like a strange off-kilter riff on the After films or even Fifty Shades of Grey.
11 'Death Note' (2017)
Letterboxd Average Rating: 1.49/5
Image via Netflix
Adapted from the legendary anime series, Death Note follows the story of Light Turner, an innocuous young student who miraculously finds himself in possession of the "Death Note." The notebook is incredibly powerful, killing anyone whose name is written down inside it, and it doesn't take long before Light goes mad with his newfound power, beginning to shape the world in his own vision. However, as the body count continues to rise, a group of detectives, including the mysterious L, are hot on the case and on the verge of finding out Light's identity.
While the original anime is often lauded for being one of the greatest animated shows of all time, this live-action remake simply founders at every opportunity to give the original story justice. The film was already facing an uphill battle, attempting to adapt the majority of an entire series into a single 100-minute film, yet even with that in mind, the pacing and character work pales in comparison to the original. While the film certainly has some qualities, such as the performance of Willem Dafoe as Ryuk, the multitude of bad changes from the original left a sour taste in many viewers' mouths.
Death Note
Release Date August 25, 2017
Runtime 101 minutes
10 'The Kissing Booth 2' (2020)
Letterboxd Average Rating: 1.47/5
The sequel to the original Netflix romcom smash hit, The Kissing Booth 2 continues the story of Elle as she attempts to balance her long-distance romance with Noah with her now complicated friendship with Lee. Tensions are already high about Elle's choice to continue to be in a relationship with Noah, since he's Lee's older brother now off at college, as Elle is forced to consider her own options for college. The situation finds a way to get even more tricky when a new classmate begins catching Elle's attention.
Romantic comedies as a genre are rarely ever explored when it comes to franchises and sequels, for pretty good reason, as they fundamentally wrap things up and fall in love by the end. The original Kissing Booth was already a massive, easy target for people looking to slam and roast the film for its awkward performances, basic and formulaic storyline, and focus on hot young stars over anything else. The Kissing Booth 2 manages to only double down on everything that people didn't like about the first film, with the added negative of acting as a completely unwarranted addition that adds nothing to the original.
The Kissing Booth 2
Release Date July 24, 2020
Director Vince Marcello
Runtime 131 minutes
9 'The Open House' (2018)
Letterboxd Average Rating: 1.44/5
Image via Netflix
The Open House is a horror film that follows teenage boy Logan and his mother Naomi, who, after the father of the family is killed in a car crash, the duo move out into a secluded mountain house as an escape. However, their planned escape from the world proves to not be what they envisioned, as a collection of strange and unexplainable supernatural occurrences begin terrorizing the duo at every waking moment that they spend in the house.
Horror movies as a whole live and die by their ability to ramp up suspense and thrills into an exciting and enthralling payoff, which is something where The Open House massively fails. The film at the most basic and fundamental levels is simply unable to conjure anything close to genuine scares or excitement, creating what is easily one of the most boring horror movie experiences of all time. Combined with a terrible ending that does the film no favors and leaves audiences on a bad note, it's no surprise that Letterboxd users have completely ripped the film to shreds.
The Open House
Release Date January 19, 2018
Director Matt Angel , Suzanne Coote
8 'Tall Girl 2' (2022)
Letterboxd Average Rating: 1.39/5
Image via Netflix
The sequel to the already infamous teen movie, Tall Girl 2 continues the misadventures of Jodi Kreyman, the girl who was previously a complete social outcast because of her massive height. However, now that Jodi has been graced with a new wave of popularity, she begins to live the high life at her high school with her new relationship, seemingly on top of the world. However, all the pressure of popularity begins to crash down on Jodi, combined with the stress of an upcoming performance and miscommunication among her friends, she begins to ironically feel as small as ever.
The original Tall Girl was already deemed a complete joke of a film by most of the internet, Letterboxd included, as its premise was simply too nonsensical and comical to take remotely seriously. While the sequel moves steps in the right direction to be more self-aware and not harp too much on the logistics of being bullied because of being tall, it's still a generic and by-the-numbers coming-of-age film. While the original film had a glowing so-bad-it's-good quality about itself, Tall Girl 2 course corrects too much to the point of becoming boring and uninteresting.
Tall Girl 2
Release Date February 11, 2022
Director Emily Ting
Runtime 97 minutes
7 'Uglies' (2024)
Letterboxd Average Rating: 1.38/5
Image via Netflix
Uglies is so unabashedly lacking in self-awareness that it at times feels like a genuine parody made to make fun of dystopian movie tropes, yet is instead simply decades out of date in its execution. The film takes place in a futuristic world where children are sent off to a holding facility where they await the day they are old enough to undergo mandatory cosmetic surgery to adhere to society's enforced beauty standards. While young Tally has been awaiting her transformation for her entire life, she soon gets a taste of the bitter truth of her world after traveling outside the confines of safety to save her friend.
Uglies has a fundamental misunderstanding of the inherent social revolution that makes dystopian films so effective, and messes up its own thematic messaging and goals at every opportunity. It's hard to take a film about inner beauty and free will seriously when the supposedly "ugly" members of society are still top-of-the-line, beautiful Hollywood stars. Even despite just recently being released, Uglies has made a name for itself as one of the worst dystopian movies of all time.
Release Date September 13, 2024
6 'Tall Girl' (2019)
Letterboxd Average Rating: 1.32/5
Easily one of the most tone-deaf and infamous films that Netflix has ever created, Tall Girl follows the story of Jodi Kreyman, the tallest girl in her high school who has lived her life as a laughingstock because of it. She's filled with crippling anxiety and self-destructive thoughts because of how she's been perceived by her peers, and now sick of living this closeted life, she decides to make an effort to have confidence in herself. This manages to line up perfectly with the arrival of new foreign exchange student Stig, who is both immediately popular and takes a liking to Jodi for her inner beauty.
There's a level of innocent and wholesome yet completely misplaced energy surrounding Tall Girl and its premise that makes the entire experience hard to not laugh at. It's wild that anyone believed that the film would work, taking a relatable story of bullying and a judgmental high school climate yet finding a way to remove all the agency and reliability, leaving the film as nothing but a husk. Few Netflix films have become as infamous for their low quality as much as Tall Girl, as it continues to confound and bewilder people to this day with its laughably bad premise and textbook execution.
Tall Girl
Release Date September 13, 2019
Director Nzingha Stewart
Runtime 102minutes
5 'Marmaduke' (2022)
Letterboxd Average Rating: 1.29/5
Image via Netflix
One of the worst animated movies of the 2020s so far, Marmaduke is a modern-animated adaptation of the classic comic strip character, following the misadventures of the titular misbehaving Great Dane. Despite his rambunctions and troublemaking nature, a world-famous dog trainer sees potential in Marmaduke, and begins training him to compete in a legendary dog show. However, the elite world of dog shows has as high stakes as ever, and Marmaduke will have to work harder than he's ever worked in the past if he wants a chance to win.
While Marmaduke is technically only a Netflix original film in the United States, with it having been released by SC Films in international countries, its abhorrent quality earns it a well-deserved spot on the list. The film feels like a combination of every painful trend that plagued animated films throughout the previous decade, with an overreliance on gross-out humor, stilted animation quality, and a bare-bones plot. Even with a half-decent vocal cast including the likes of Pete Davidson and J.K. Simmons, the film is simply too terrible to be salvaged in any meaningful way.
Marmaduke (2022)
Release Date May 6, 2022
Runtime 88 Minutes
Main Genre Comedy
4 'The Kissing Booth 3' (2021)
Letterboxd Average Rating: 1.27/5
Image via Netflix
The finale of the Kissing Booth trilogy, The Kissing Booth 3 sees Elle attempting to make the most out of the final summer before she heads off to college. She devises a plan after she discovers a long-lost "best summer ever list" that she and Lee made when they were children, hoping to do everything on the list before she goes off and is forced to say goodbye. However, there's still a fair bit of drama, as Elle is forced to confront all the unresolved relationship drama and tie up all the loose ends before she can go off and live her own new and exciting life.
By this point in the Kissing Booth franchise, they've accepted and become completely aware of their status as the butt of every joke when it comes to generic modern streaming service romantic comedies. Knowing this, the film decides to completely lean into the absurdity and nonsense that it had been building up in the previous two films, making for a campy, hilariously bad film that almost revels in its own stupidity. While it certainly can be a lot of chaotic fun to watch these characters dress up as Mario characters and go go-karting, it's still the farthest thing from actually being good.
Release Date August 11, 2021
Director Vince Marcello
Runtime 112minutes
3 'He's All That' (2021)
Letterboxd Average Rating: 1.21/5
Image via Netflix
A modern-day gender-swapped remake of the teen rom-com classic, She's All That, He's All That follows popular influencer star Padgett Sawyer (Addison Rae) having just been dumped by her all-star boyfriend. In a plot to get revenge against him, Padgett hatches a scheme to charm and transform one of the most unpopular boys at her school, Cameron Kweller, into prom king material. However, her plan soon begins to fall apart as she begins to form a real connection and feelings for Cameron.
The original plot of She's All That was already dated and mocked when it came out in 1999, yet got by thanks to its ingenious charm and the charisma of Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachael Leigh Cook. Comparatively, He's All That removes all the inherent charm and grace of the original film, replacing it with sleazy product placement and forced implementation of social media apps like TikTok. The only thing that the film truly accomplishes is staking claim to being one of the worst movie remakes in recent memory.
He's All That
Release Date August 27, 2021
Cast Tanner Buchanan , Annie Jacob , Addison Rae , Isabella Crovetti , Rachael Leigh Cook , Peyton Meyer , matthew lillard , Myra Molloy , Madison Pettis
Runtime 88 minutes
2 'The Next 365 Days' (2022)
Letterboxd Average Rating: 1.20/5
Image via Netflix
The final film in the infamous 365 Days trilogy, The Next 365 Days sees Laura and Massimo's relationship facing new hurdles as they attempt to overcome their ever-present trust issues. However, Nacho continues to do everything that he can to drive a wedge between Laura and Massimo, attempting to keep Laura all to himself. Laura soon finds herself tasked with a dangerous and difficult decision to decide how she wants to spend the rest of her life.
The plot of The Next 365 Days doesn't actually matter all that much, as, like the previous films in the trilogy, it's nothing more than a backward excuse for more sleazy, tasteless erotic scenes. The film fails to find anything close to a conclusion and finale for these already awful and unlikable characters and just continues to drive this entire trilogy even further down the deep rabbit hole of disappointment and hatred that the Letterboxd community holds for the franchise as a whole.
The Next 365 Days
Release Date August 19, 2022
Director Barbara Bialowas , Tomasz Mandes
Cast Anna-Maria Sieklucka , Michele Morrone , Simone Susinna , Magdalena Lamparska , Otar Saralidze , Ewa Kasprzyk , Dariusz Jakubowski , Ramón Langa
Runtime 112 Minutes
1 '365 Days: This Day' (2022)
Letterboxd Average Rating: 1.06/5
Image via Netflix
The sequel to the largely maligned 365 Days, 365 Days: This Day continues to follow the forbidden romance of Laura, who previously lived a relatively boring life, and Massimo, the millionaire hunk with ties to the mafia. However, while the couple initially is relieved to be reunited and continue their expressions of love, several betrayals and misunderstandings begin to form a divide in their relationship. To make things worse, a mysterious third party is attempting to steal away Laura's love and attention, forcing her to choose between the two.
[I]t only continues to perpetuate the same harmful and problematic storylines and themes of the original film...
The entire 365 Days trilogy has been actively lambasted and reviled by Letterboxd as a whole, who consider the trilogy to easily be the worst movies of the 2020s so far. 365 Days: This Day is no exception, as it only continues to perpetuate the same harmful and problematic storylines and themes of the original film, only caring about its sexual content. While the original 365 Days film has a lower score on Letterboxd, the original film is technically not a Netflix original movie, as the film only gained massive popularity and its reputation on Netflix, leading to them producing the rest of the trilogy.Watch on Netflix
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