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Which Movies Do People Love to Hate? A Statistical Analysis (statsignificant.com)

(Thursday March 13, 2025 @12:05PM (msmash) from the closer-look dept.)


A new statistical analysis has identified the films audiences "love to hate," with Battlefield Earth, Morbius, Grease 2, and Cats topping the list of cinema's most detested productions. The [1]study , published by data analyst Daniel Parris, examined review data from MovieLens to calculate both the percentage of one-star reviews and total disapproval magnitude for each release.

A common thread among these widely derided titles: many were adaptations of popular books or shows, or attempted to capitalize on once-beloved franchises. Adam Sandler leads the actors most frequently appearing in widely disliked films, followed by comedians and action stars who have starred in productions with high one-star review rates.

The research also reveals an industry trend toward increasing one-star reviews over time, with family-oriented fare and horror films receiving disproportionately negative ratings despite consistent box office profitability - suggesting studios have prioritized risk-averse, commercially viable projects over critical acclaim.



[1] https://www.statsignificant.com/p/which-movies-do-people-love-to-hate



Manos (Score:2)

by The-Ixian ( 168184 )

The hands of fate

Re: (Score:2)

by Chris Mattern ( 191822 )

Ah, who can ever forget the "Haunting Torgo Theme."

ThE mAsTeR wOuLd NoT aPpRoVe.

Re:Manos (Score:4, Funny)

by Gilmoure ( 18428 )

"Every frame of this movie looks like someone's last know location photo"

-Crow

Re: (Score:3)

by Pseudonymous Powers ( 4097097 )

SERVO: So, uh... Manos.

CROW: The Hands of Fate?

SERVO: Yes.

Suggesting..? (Score:2)

by Rinnon ( 1474161 )

> suggesting studios have prioritized risk-averse, commercially viable projects over critical acclaim.

Aren't we well past this being an established fact?

Re: (Score:2)

by phantomfive ( 622387 )

I'm not sure "critical acclaim" is a particularly valuable goal. Creating a great work of art is an excellent goal, but critics as a class are unable to recognize great works of art. They have different goals.

The English Patient (Score:1)

by wytten ( 163159 )

(mic drop)

Anything (Score:2)

by Valgrus Thunderaxe ( 8769977 )

with Chuck Norris.

Re: (Score:2)

by Brain-Fu ( 1274756 )

Chuck Norris doesn't do push-ups. He lifts the world.

Re: (Score:2)

by Gilmoure ( 18428 )

Earth Downs

Mixed Bag (Score:4, Interesting)

by jacks smirking reven ( 909048 )

Films like Battlefield Earth and Morbious work because they veer into the "so-bad-its-good" territory where as I have never, ever heard of people saying the same about M.Night's The Last Airbender because that movie is just so-bad-it's-bad.

It's a tricky place to land but a huge portion of it is if the filmmakers at the time were genuinely trying to make something good and failed. The audience can feel that earnestness as opposed to a soulless cash-grab which fails or worse, when the filmmakers are "in-on-the-joke".

Re: Mixed Bag (Score:2)

by Slashythenkilly ( 7027842 )

Let me just recommend Slotherhouse and show myself out.

Re: (Score:2)

by jacks smirking reven ( 909048 )

See now we're talking about "bad movies" to enjoy.

I have not seen Slotherhouse but it's reminding me of [1]Llamageddon [imdb.com] which was a fun watch so am always down for a "innocuous animals start murdering everyone"

[1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4642970/

Re: (Score:2)

by The-Ixian ( 168184 )

I watched this with my wife, it's an alright "bad movie".

The best ones, though, are those that are earnestly trying to be good movies but fail.

Re: (Score:2)

by Ksevio ( 865461 )

The problem with The Last Airbender was it was a mediocre movie for people not familiar with the franchise and a bad movie for existing fans. If it were a great or bad movie then it might have something

Re: (Score:2)

by jacks smirking reven ( 909048 )

Yeah to be fair I have only seen clips of it but anyone I have come across discussing it says the same: if you were a fan already it was annoying in the liberties it took. If you were coming in fresh it's just boring and ugly to look at, both a couple of the worst things a movie can really be.

Re: (Score:2)

by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

It's interesting which movies *aren't* on the list. While very, very vocal, it seems that the people who hate the new Star Wars movies are a minority. Same with the recent Marvel stuff.

Adaptations of books? (Score:2)

by thegarbz ( 1787294 )

What a useless statement that is. Most cinema is an adaptations of books. It's like saying "many used video cameras in production".

Re: (Score:2)

by jacks smirking reven ( 909048 )

Seems as though they are drawing a correlation that adaptations of books tend to end up in the hated category more often than original screenplays, which if you actually think about it makes sense as you have an entire cohort of your audience with predetermined expectations that will trend them to be extra critical.

Oh, I don't know. (Score:2)

by greytree ( 7124971 )

I guess it's that obscure 60s French art-house thing I saw in an indie cinema in Madrid.

What, you've never heard of it, let alone seen it?

What ? Wait, I loved it! The direction, the lighting !

Re: (Score:2)

by Gilmoure ( 18428 )

Ah, an Asterix and The Goths fan.

I liked Cats (Score:2)

by mccalli ( 323026 )

There, I said it. I thought it was good at showing what it actually was - not a narrative film, but a 70s style stage production that had a camera pointed at it*. Oddly I'd never have dreamed of going to the theatre to see it, but if you think "musical stage production for you to look at on screen" rather than something that was meant to show a more normal film...I thought it worked.

* Yes, am aware the stage production was 81 not 70s, but by then it would have been in development a while and honestly it

Re: (Score:2)

by bill_mcgonigle ( 4333 ) *

Agreed - I haven't seen the film but I saw the play at the Wintergarden Theater in the 80's.

It was mostly spectacle in the theatrical sense. Not much energy or emotion.

Definitely a 70's vibe. Mama Mia would be in the same category. Discrete songs with little connective tissue.

Les Mis pulled off both spectacle and a good story with a score with a through-line. But that came later and everything evolves including theatre.

Even so ALW scores are very popular, though they bore me to sleep.

I can't imagine spe

Disagree - Wrong metrics (Score:2)

by will4 ( 7250692 )

People have a higher affinity for music, movies, TV that they experience during their teenager years. Later in life, they benchmark new music, movies and TV to the "memory" of experiencing entertainment in their teenage years.

It's why movie and music online reviews skew towards 5 star fanatics reviews since they are most engaged with the entertainment.

If you were 15 when 2001 came out, would you rate it a 5 star amazing and the progressively rate successive movies lower due to benchmarking newer moves ver

Re: (Score:2)

by war4peace ( 1628283 )

You are probably right, but you forgot one important word:

"People generally have a higher affinity for music, movies, TV that they experience during their teenager years"

Because from the short list you posted, the only movie I didn't really like was Cloud Atlas.

My Cousin Vinny (Score:2)

by zawarski ( 1381571 )

I hate every frame of that friggin film.

Armashitten (Score:2)

by whitroth ( 9367 )

My kids dragged me to see it. I managed to wait for it to be over, and out to the parking lot, before I started ranting and cursing.

Unfuck Bruce Willis.

We are governed not by armies and police but by ideas.
-- Mona Caird, 1892