Top 10 Worst Movies of 2023
#10: “Peter Pan & Wendy” (2023)
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Remember how the animated classic features Peter’s courage, Wendy’s likable charm, and Neverland’s awe-inspiring appeal? Throw all that out the window and you have 2023’s “Peter Pan & Wendy.” Far from sharing his animated counterpart’s love for adventure, the live-action Peter is more of a villain than Captain Hook ever is. Meanwhile, Wendy’s role is reduced to nagging and complaining, destroying any chemistry she might have shared with Peter. There’s not much to redeem the movie after watching them argue for most of its runtime. The drab, dreary camera filter also turns Neverland into the most boring place to be. “Peter Pan & Wendy” attempts a new spin on the 1953 film – at the cost of robbing the story of any sense of fun.
#9: “Life Upside Down” (2023)
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A movie that essentially misses the mark, “Life Upside Down” is about couples trapped during COVID-19 lockdown. Forced to spend most of their time together, they start to feel stifled in their individual lives. While the choice to direct the film with a lowkey camera style is interesting, it starts to feel just as limited as the characters’ personalities. Despite the well-known cast, it’s hard to root for the protagonists when they keep behaving in shallow, superficial ways. Instead, we’re left waiting for some genuine character development that never comes. With previous lockdown movies like “Malcolm & Marie” treading similar themes, “Life Upside Down” just doesn’t add much.
#8: “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” (2023)
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The MCU’s heyday saw the franchise deliver one hit after the next. However, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” hit a critical low, garnering pretty much the worst reviews of the franchise until that point. It’s easy to see why, as the film removes everything that made the earlier “Ant-Man'' films great. Rather than fun-filled sequences like Luis’ quirky recaps, “Quantumania” features boring scenes tacked on for the sake of exposition. Despite being billed as a Thanos-level threat, Kang’s plans are easily thwarted. Main characters Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne are a shell of their former selves, with little onscreen presence. While the MCU’s tried-and-tested template has been successful, “Quantumania’s” failure is another piece of evidence that suggests it really is time for a revamp.
#7: “You People” (2023)
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Back in the day, films like “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” offered social commentary wrapped in a comedic blanket. But far more recent releases like “You People” take this formula and make it more offensive than enlightening. The relationship between Jonah Hill and Lauren London’s characters hits a snag because of culture clashes. Their parents’ objections are played for laughs, but most of the jokes fail to land. Despite being a romantic comedy, the lack of a solid dynamic between the cast means “You People” isn’t really romantic or funny. Uneven pacing saddles the film further, failing to justify its runtime long before the finale arrives. A talented set of actors only goes so far, as shoddy execution of a weak script brings “You People” down big-time.
#6: “The Expendables 4” (2023)
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A sequel almost a decade too late, with a glorified cameo from the series star, doesn’t exactly hype things up. But that’s how it is with "The Expendables 4," which arrived far after audiences stopped really caring about the franchise. The early exit of Sylvester Stallone’s Barney Ross makes things worse, robbing “The Expendables 4” of a solid hook. While Jason Statham does well in the lead, there’s little to no substance in the story. The group looks to prevent WWIII in what is a generic outline for an action movie. In the end, the true villains are the mindless violence, lame one-liners, and poor special effects that almost every scene carries in abundance. With no support from fans and critics, “The Expendables 4” became one of 2023’s biggest flops.
#5: “Knights of the Zodiac” (2023)
Stories about an average person finding their true destiny aren’t too fresh anymore. Still, effective plot execution goes a long way if done right. Unfortunately for “Knights of the Zodiac,” the storytelling is basically non-existent. Main character Seiya discovers he’s the Pegasus Knight and guards the reincarnated form of the goddess Athena. Although based on a popular anime, the film goes for a standard “zero to hero” outline without fleshing out any characterizations. It’s an entirely predictable film – all the way from the lackluster performances to the standard Sean Bean death scene. “Knights of the Zodiac” tries to dazzle audiences with visual effects, but these
#4: “The Exorcist: Believer” (2023)
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By this point, it’s clear this franchise won’t be allowed to rest, as another sequel tries and fails to replicate the 1973 film. “Exorcist: Believer” features original cast members Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair, but wastes their presence with limited screen time. For the most part, we watch new characters go through what is essentially a louder take on the original entry’s premise. Instead of one, two girls are possessed this time. And rather than being subtle with its horror, characters in “Believer” simply scream at the screen hoping it scares the audience. Marketed as the first in a trilogy, the ending is just as soulless as the rest of the film, failing to spark any hint of genuine interest.
#3: “65” (2023)
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Adam Driver versus dinosaurs in the past? That sounds promising on paper. It’s a shame, then, that “65” is just so… boring. The protagonists have a few hours before the cataclysmic asteroid ravages Earth. With a minimal cast in a survival story, the film needed some incredible thrills to captivate viewers. But what we get is Driver’s character meandering along with another survivor in repetitive sequences. Although the actors do their best, they’re hampered by a simplistic script that doesn’t really take chances with its narrative. It’s entirely clear where the story is headed from the get-go, and the absence of any plot twists hurts “65” further. Despite its potential, the film flubs its premise and ends up as a sci-fi thriller that’s easy to forget.
#2: “Ghosted” (2023)
Formulaic and lacking in charm, “Ghosted” settles for surface-level entertainment that’s been seen many times before. There’s nothing wrong with a breezy action comedy. But throwing together half-hearted jokes, pointless cameos, and a thin plotline insults the audience’s intelligence. “Ghosted” shamelessly borrows from films like “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” and “True Lies” and hopes no one would notice. Chris Evans’ character is stuck in a comedy of errors after a brief romance with Ana de Armas’ character lands him into trouble. The rest of the film sees the main characters jumping from one place to another evading their enemies. And that’s pretty much it. If you’ve seen any action comedy, you’ve already seen “Ghosted,” making it unnecessary to begin with.
#1: “Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey” (2023)
No matter what, Winnie-the-Pooh will never be scary. This bizarre slasher film leaves no doubt about that. In a plot that’s still hard to believe, Pooh and his friends become savage killers after Christopher Robin abandons them. Pooh’s group gets revenge by tormenting Christopher and some college students. Textbook slasher kills and over-the-top acting does the film no favors. It’s as ridiculous as it sounds, yet the film keeps trying to be anything but the satire it should’ve been. While it is unintentionally funny in places, it’s more absurd than anything else. Despite bombing with critics, “Blood and Honey’s” commercial success probably means we’re in for more of this silliness in the future.
