As the world gears up to bid farewell to a year that introduced us to great cinema, we have a lot to look back at, including the good and the bad. Movie lovers across the world have several reasons to celebrate the masterful pieces of cinema that graced silver screens this year.
With superhit movies like ‘Barbie‘, ‘Oppenheimer‘, ‘Killers of the Flower Moon‘, and ‘Maestro‘ among many others, the charts saw a new name every month. However, like every coin has two sides, some movies had a lot riding on them but turned out to be a major disappointment. Here is a sneak peek into the worst movies made in 2023 – from superhero mishaps to Wes Anderson’s questionable choice.
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Ghosted
‘Ghosted‘, which arguably falls into the superhero genre, went wrong when its makers attempted to turn it into a romantic espionage action comedy. The movie features Ana de Armas and Chris Evans in a romantic dynamic that comes off more like a fast-food fusion than a cinematic delight. Director Dexter Fletcher has seemingly thrown random elements into a blender, that gave out an exhausting flavor, leaving the viewers wondering what genre the movie falls into.
Asteroid City
Wes Anderson’s unmistakable indie aesthetic takes a rather claustrophobic turn in ‘Asteroid City’. Though he seemingly tried his best to induce his diorama-style design into the movie, it only went down as a suffocating backdrop. The film basically tripled down on its fetishistic storytelling. In this particular movie, Anderson’s typical aesthetic came off more like an overdone business, 25 years after the director aced it every time he tried it before.
Your Place Or Mine
The Netflix film ‘Your Place or Mine’, is an unmistakable remake of ‘When Harry Met Sally‘ — except it’s not as good. The romantic comedy starring Ashton Kutcher and Reese Witherspoon fails to deliver what it promises from the looks of it. The narrative starts with the two leads swapping apartments, which later turns into a mess of romantic clichés, airport confessions, and misplaced attempts at establishing depth in their relationship. The Aline Brosh McKenna film makes the audience feel like they are served with several bad movies rolled into one.
Magic Mike’s Last Dance
The fans of the once electrifying ‘Magic Mike‘ franchise were heavily disappointed by the sequel, ‘Magic Mike’s Last Dance’. The movie revolves around the journey of the lead character, played by Channing Tatum, from being a Tampa stripper to a soft-hearted savior of London theaters. Though the plot may sound appealing, it has certainly failed to deliver. The film clearly attempts a let’s-put-on-a-show plot which gives more of a Disney vibe, and totally ruins the reputation the franchise carries.
Heart Of Stone
Starring Gal Gadot alongside some other popular faces, the movie ‘Heart of Stone’ has come off as a joyless thriller that overdid the made-for-streaming approach. The film’s plot is built on uninteresting MacGuffins, which is perhaps the main reason for the overkill that has now become synonymous with Netflix originals. The movie certainly made a lot of its audience wonder if the streaming approach is really that good of an idea.
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Winnie The Pooh: Blood And Honey
Directed by Rhys Frake Waterfield, ‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey’ takes its audiences back to the 100 Acre Wood. The movie has, to say the least, harmed the image of the beloved character of Winnie The Pooh. Not just Pooh, it has also thoroughly exploited all the beloved characters of the franchise. It makes the audience wonder if it is a horrifying precedent for what awaits popular creations as they enter the public domain.
Carmen
Benjamin Millepied’s directing debut ‘Carmen‘ fails at delivering both as a piece of fine cinema as well as that of dancing as an art form. The movie falls short of both imagination and chemistry. It comes off mostly as a clumsy dance movie without enough dance in it. Millepied has also tried to make a political statement about U.S.-Mexico border enforcement through the movie. Well, the statement could have gotten across well if it was not for the lack of creativity and artless execution in the film.
The Flash
‘The Flash‘ is another superhero movie that brought more fatigue than it brought a thrill to the screen in 2023. Despite Ezra Miller’s charisma, the film comes off only as an exhausting movie with an infinite-loop plot. The subpar visual effects in the movie makes director Andy Muschietti’s attempt to join the multiverse a wasted one.
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Paint
‘Paint‘, supposed to get laughs from its audience as an indie comedy, fails to elicit even a chuckle from its easy-target subject. Starring Owen Wilson as the Bob Ross-like Carl Nargle, the movie failed to find any humor in its own premise – the only thing it seemingly aimed at achieving. The film just leaves its viewers wondering how such a lackluster comedy can ever serve its purpose.
Caligula: The Ultimate Cut
‘Caligula: The Ultimate Cut’ is nothing more than a misguided attempt to reconstruct an infamous adult movie. Through this film, director Thomas Negovan has attempted to remove the transgressive novelty. In what seems to be an attempt to make the movie subtle, the director has just ended up replacing the sensuality with insufferable scenery chewing. The audience was left with — let’s just say — the worst of both worlds in this movie.
So there they are, the cinematic misfires of 2023 that left its audience heavily disappointed. While bad movies may not be fun to watch, we certainly had fun skewering them. And you now know what NOT to watch as the holiday season approaches.
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