Reddit Users Pick the 6 Worst Movies That the World Inexplicably Loves

Contents:
They won Oscars, raked in millions at the box office, and earned rave reviews. But Reddit sparked its own debate: which films became universally beloved yet left individual viewers feeling disappointed?

A recent thread featured Oscar-winning "La La Land," mega-popular "Barbie," the new "The Batman," and even the horror flick "The Black Phone" starring Ethan Hawke. What's wrong with these movies? Redditors tell all:

La La Land (2016)

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

An ambitious actress and a jazz pianist in Los Angeles fall in love while trying to balance their relationship with their dreams — knowing that success demands sacrifices.
La La Land trailer
Damien Chazelle's musical swept up six Oscars, but some viewers couldn't even make it halfway through. The Reddit thread starter godgamesgov admitted: "I love musicals, but I hated this one. Everyone's raving about it, and I nearly fell asleep."

The Babadook (2014)

Starring: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

A widow and her son face a monster from a children's book; fear becomes a metaphor for unprocessed grief.
The Babadook trailer
Many viewers call this horror one of the genre's best. But Reddit fans are complaining:
I totally get the allegory, but I can't get past the fact that it's just a couple hours of two people screaming at each other.
Reddit user Misternogo

Barbie (2023)

Starring: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%

Perfect Barbieland crumbles when Barbie travels to the real world and Ken discovers the patriarchy — both must rethink their "roles" and identities.
Actors Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie as Ken and Barbie driving in a car
Scene from Barbie
Source:
2023's most talked-about movie, but many viewers think it's overhyped. The film got tangled up in its own message. "The buzz around how the main themes and message were supposedly handled didn't match how it was actually executed, and that really disappointed me," writes user Morphos1.

The themes of female empowerment and patriarchy satire felt underdeveloped to many viewers.

The Batman (2022)

Starring: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%

Batman hunts down the serial killer Riddler and exposes a web of corruption in Gotham; a noir investigation with Wayne's personal secrets.
The Batman (2022) Trailer
This dark detective noir didn't work for everyone. "This isn't a Batman movie, it's The Crow remake," users snark. They criticized the weak plot, poorly developed Riddler, and "wooden" Alfred played by Andy Serkis.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Lee Curtis

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

A laundromat owner suddenly awakens multiverse abilities and must save the world — and her family — by embracing the chaos of her own life.
Everything Everywhere All at Once Teaser
The 2023 Oscar-winning hit. But for some viewers, it was just "visual chaos without soul." "I tried watching it again to convince myself that maybe I just didn't get it, but no. Stopped halfway through the movie," admits jcde7ago.

The Black Phone (2021)

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%

A kidnapped teenager communicates through a mysterious disconnected phone with the ghosts of past victims — and searches for a way to escape from a maniac.
The Black Phone Movie Clip
Scott Derrickson's horror was expected to be the new genre classic. But Reddit users say the film turned out generic. All that hype — and not a drop of freshness.
This movie broke my heart. I love Ethan Hawke, and this movie looked really good. And then it all turned into a kid talking to dead people, and there was nothing really scary about it, and I got a bit bored.
Reddit user v1rojon
Here's what's interesting — almost every one of these films was once called a "masterpiece" and won awards. But Reddit viewers reminded us of a simple truth: no ratings or reviews guarantee you'll actually like the movie. Earlier on zoomboola.com, we covered Reddit users' favorite romantic comedies.