2017 was one heck of a year for the box office and though there were many bright spots, 2017 just wasn’t able to pull it together, and it’s quite possibly because of a handful of titles on this list of theworst movies of the yearaccording to Rotten Tomatoes. It’s important to note that these are all according to the metrics over at Rotten Tomatoes and not our perspective on movies that took a lot of work and money to get made.
Movies likeGhost in the ShellandJustice League, which were also berated by critics, however, still hold strong as the best of the worst movies of 2017 and are in the top 20 worst movies released that year as per Rotten Tomatoes.
However, this list is reserved for the top 10 worst movies of 2017 and there are a few staggeringly bad films on this particular listing.
Updated June 2023: To keep this article fresh and relevant by adding more information and entries, this article has been updated byGaurav Krishnanto feature the worst movies of 2017 according to Rotten Tomatoes.
10All Eyez on Me - 18%
It doesn’t get more reminiscent of vintage hip-hop than with a film depicting the legendary Tupac Shakur. Tupac defined the hip-hop scene of the ’90s, especially the West Coast rap scene and movement when he was alive, and he remains a revered and fondly remembered figure to this day.
All Eyez on Me, a biopic on the legendary rapper directed by Benny Boom, however, was a complete disaster. While trying to portray Tupac’s life from his humble and troubled beginnings, financial struggles, and personal life apart from his music, acting, imprisonment, and the gang wars he was a part of which ultimately led to his untimely death, the film was supposed to be a revelatory portrayal of the prolific rapper’s life, but it was poorly conceived and executed despite Demetrius Shipp Jr.’s commendable performance as Tupac.
Related:Worst Movies by Great Hollywood Directors
The movie received significant backlash from friends and family close to the late rapper and was adjudged to be under-dramatizedand historically inaccurate. The film also barely delved into the inner workings of Tupac’s mind and his perspective and how the events in his life shaped the person he became.
9The House - 17%
The Will Ferrell-ledThe Housecould be deemed a cult favorite in the years since its release. However, it only received a 17% rating on Rotten Tomatoes in 2017. The film explores the story of how a couple starts an underground casino in their friend’s house in order to pay for their daughter’s education.
Will Farrell puts in a typical Will Farell performance alongside Amy Poehler, which does make the film more interesting because of the pair’s on-screen chemistry and comedic prowess, but the film tanked at the box office that year grossing only $34 million worldwide against a budget of $40 million. Jeremy Renner also features in the film, but none of the cast could save the film from the snares of mediocrity.
8The Dark Tower - 16%
Directed by Nikolaj ArcelThe Dark Toweris based on Stephen King’s eight-part novel series of the same name, which could have a TV reboot in the works as per the latest reports. The film was originally intended to be the first installment in a series of films depicting the books, however, it underwhelmed at the box office and received poor reviews and ratings.
Rated 16% on Rotten Tomatoes in 2017, the film stars Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey in what is a Western science fantasy action film set in futuristic New York City and a parallel reality called Mid-world, and the story revolves around a mythological structure called the Dark Tower, which can alter and control multiple realities. Despitereceiving negative reviews from most critics, Elba’s performance drew plaudits, and the film grossed $113 million globally against a budget of $66 million, which was its only saving grace.
7The Mummy - 16%
The 2017The Mummyreboot had a lot of things going for it at the time of production especially considering it starred Tom Cruise apart from the likes of Annabelle Wallis and Russel Crowe. It was meant to reinvigorate and kickstart the next phase of the Mummy franchise and the Dark Universe following the old Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz films of the early 2000s.
Directed by Alex Kurtzman,the film spectacularly flopped and was heavily lambastedby critics, and received terrible reviews. It also didn’t break even at the box office. Even the stellar cast and elaborate CGI couldn’t rescue this film from tanking and Kurtzman would later concede in 2022 that the film was “probably the biggest failure of [his] life.”
6Transformers: The Last Knight - 15%
While the plot line was seemingly intriguing in conception for the next edition of theTransformersseries inTransformers:The Last Knight, which centered around ancient English mythology and the likes of King Arthur and Merlin and their tryst with the Transformers along with WWII underpinnings, the film should have done better than it actually did in 2017.
Directed again by returning director Michael Bay, the story follows Cade (Mark Wahlberg) and Bumblebee whose paths intersect with Sir Edmund Burton (Anthony Hopkins), the keeper of a talisman that can help Cade and the Transformers save the world from the Autobots. The film was a disaster at the box office and received heavy criticism for being one of the worst reinventions and retellings of Arthurian legend, considered far worse than Guy Ritchie’sKing Arthur: Legend of the Swordwhich was also released that year.
5The Emoji Movie - 9%
Coming to the bottom five worst films of 2017, the animated filmTheEmoji Moviewas an absolute abomination. It debuted with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 0%, and it’s rather surprising that it ended up with a rating of 9% in the end. The film had quite a divisive reception because it was commercially successful grossing over $217 million at the box office but was absolutely reviled by critics all over the world and criticized heavily across the spectrum. While it does primarily cater to younger audiences, it’s still widely rated asone of the worst animated filmsof all time.
4The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature - 9%
Yet another animated film on this list isThe Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature. While there’s really not much to say about this movie, other than the fact that it’s a poorly executed animated film with arguably B-grade animation and flat jokes along with no memorable characters and just a poorly conceived story, it surely competes withThe Emoji Movefor the title of the worst animated movie ever made. The animated flick was one of the worst films of 2017 and failed to impress audiences or critics and whileThe Emoji Moviewas at least commercially successful,The Nut Job 2was a complete and utter debacle.
3Rings - 7%
There have been so many follow-ups to the originalThe Ringhorror film that it’s hard to keep count. The 2017 extension of the series,Rings,was nowhere near any of its predecessors in terms of depiction and impact and also borrowed the same storyline of the cursed tapeand the evil ghost Samara. Surely it’s time for that particular plotline to change because it’s rather overdone by now.
Related:Worst Rated Superhero Movies of All Time, Ranked
The film was unnecessarily dragged and rather than being a frightening and scary horror flick, it was just monotonous and exhausting. In the end, the film grossed $81 million at the box office against a $25 million budget, but it’s still a poor film overall.
2Tyler Perry’s Boo! 2: A Madea Halloween - 6%
Coming to number two on this list is a film that even the most ardent Tyler Perry fans (if there are any) would insist is rubbish.Boo! 2is a total failure from acting to direction and screenplay and even the humor is drab, dry, and falls flat in several instances. It’s fairly certain that most people who watched the film in theaters would surely want their money back. With a rating of 6% Rotten Tomatoes has rightly rated the film as one of the worst of 2017, and it should actually be number one on the list.
1Just Getting Started - 5%
Just Getting Startedis an absolute stinker from start to finish. You’d think that a film starring Morgan Freemanand Tommy Lee Joneswith their formidable on-screen presence would at least be somewhat interesting. However, even the fabled pair of actors couldn’t save the day for the film as they look uninterested and unimpressed by the abysmal screenplay and direction; it can almost be seen on Jones and Freeman’s faces.
The movie goes nowhere and is as boring and lacking in life as it gets. Rated at 5%Just Getting Startedis the worst move of 2017 according to Rotten Tomatoes, but in hindsight, it should be number two behindBoo! 2.
