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Metacritic Names the Worst Films of 2025 — What Fell Flat and Why
Metacritic has released its annual lowlight reel: the platform’s official list of the lowest-rated films of 2025. The headline grabber is War of the Worlds starring Ice Cube, which landed an astonishing 6 out of 100 — a score so rare it demands a closer look. According to aggregated critic reviews, the film’s production during the pandemic, heavy-handed product placements, and perceived role as a long commercial for a major streaming retailer hurt its credibility.
The list reads like a who’s-who of high-profile misfires and unexpected flops. Comedies and star-led projects appear alongside franchise installments and big-budget sci-fi, proving that name recognition and box office muscle don’t guarantee critical goodwill.
Notable entries and surprising placements
Second on the list is the comedy Playdate, featuring Kevin James and Alan Ritchson, which scored a 20. Nicolas Cage’s Gunslingers also landed at 20, reinforcing a trend: Cage’s prolific output continues to divide critics — some of his smaller projects charm niche audiences while others are widely panned. Sylvester Stallone’s Alarum and Rebel Wilson’s Bride Hard each scored 23, rounding out a top five dominated by established stars who couldn’t translate celebrity into critical acclaim this year.
Further down, mainstream tentpoles and franchises took hits. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 — despite topping the box office shortly before the list’s publication — sits at 26, illustrating how commercial success can be decoupled from critical consensus. Shadow Force, directed by Joe Carnahan and starring Omar Sy, scored 27. Renny Harlin’s The Strangers: Chapter 2 earned a 28, adding to a string of franchise sequels that disappointed reviewers.
The Russos’ much-hyped The Electric State, a sci-fi picture reportedly made with a $320 million budget, finished with a surprisingly low 30. Meanwhile, The Weeknd’s personal film Hurry Up Tomorrow posted a 29 — a reminder that star power from music doesn’t always translate into cinematic acclaim.
Mid and lower-tier critics’ darlings — or not
In the 11–15 bracket are Juliet & Romeo and the Rihanna-voiced Smurfs (both 31), Johnny Depp's Modi (32), Josh Boone’s adaptation Regretting You (33), and Simon West’s Old Guy featuring Christoph Waltz and Cooper Hoffman (33). Rounding out the 16–20 stretch are titles like The Ritual (33), actioner Love Hurts (34), Audrey Diwan’s Emmanuelle reboot (35), Harmony Korine’s Baby Invasion (36), and Star Trek: Section 31 (37).
Context matters: 2025 saw studios experiment with established IP, celebrity directors, and pandemic-era productions. Critics frequently flagged uneven scripts, tonal confusion, and overt commercialism. The disconnect between box office and critical scores — Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 being the clearest example — also underlines changing audience behaviors: spectacle drives ticket sales, while critics often reward narrative coherence and originality.
"This list is less about a single bad year and more about the industry doubling down on safe bets that sometimes feel hollow," says film critic Anna Kovacs. "When studios prioritize IP and branding over cohesive storytelling, outcomes like these are almost inevitable — even with big budgets and star names."
Trivia and behind-the-scenes notes: War of the Worlds' pandemic-era shoot involved tight scheduling and remote post-production workflows; The Electric State’s large budget fueled expectations that may have amplified critical disappointment. Fan reaction has been mixed — some titles have cult defenders online, while others attract near-universal derision.
Whether you view Metacritic’s list as a definitive ranking or a conversation starter, it highlights an important lesson for filmmakers: star power and budgets can’t replace clear storytelling and tonal discipline. For curious moviegoers, this roster offers a cautionary tour of 2025’s most talked-about missteps and a few guilty-pleasure contenders worth sampling for yourself.
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