2018 was a surprisingly wonderful year for movies, and audiences had a vast array of stories to choose from. While there were many great films that were released this year, there were also some incredibly terrible movies as well. When it comes to the year’s best and worst films, there’s a massive gap in quality between the former and the latter. Every year has its fair share of stinkers, but this year in particular saw an unusually high number of big-budget genre disappointments.
This list will focus on the year’s most disappointing superhero, comic book, fantasy, and science fiction films. These are the movies that simply dropped the ball or failed to fulfill audience expectations. Not all of the films on this list are bad. In fact, most of them actually have some redeemable qualities. It’s just not enough for them to be good movies.
RELATED: Superhero Hype’s Top 10 Films of 2018
The most common traits among this year’s choices were poorly executed screenwriting and lackluster performances. And it would be impossible to talk about 2018’s most disappointing movies without at least touching on Venom and Solo. While both films were disappointing on multiple levels, they also managed to be just good enough to simply merit a dishonorable mention. Of course, there’s also Holmes & Watson, which isn’t a genre movie. But it did manage to be so bad that even Netflix didn’t want it.
You can check out Superhero Hype’s countdown of the ten most disappointing films of 2018 in the gallery below! Then make sure to share which 2018 movies disappointed you the most in the comment section! And if you have any counter arguments about our selections, we want to hear those as well.
Top 10 Most Disappointing Movies Of 2018
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10. Ready Player One
Ready Player One is the type of movie that cares more about indulging in nostalgic references to other great movies than it does about telling a good story itself. The script is filled with logical inconsistencies, flat characters, and a third act that completely bungles the resolution.
If it weren’t for Steven Speilberg’s steadfast direction and that brilliantly executed homage to The Shining, Ready Player One could very well have topped this list.
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9. The Meg
The Meg had a ton of potential to be a fun, hard-R throwback to schlocky shark movies like Deep Blue Sea. Instead, it's a PG-13 knockoff of Jaws that took itself way too seriously.
While Jason Statham was an inspired choice for a film like this, he’s ultimately in a completely different movie than everyone else – at least according to Statham himself.
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8. A Wrinkle In Time
On paper, A Wrinkle In Time looked to be a winning combination of a classic children’s novel brought to life by Disney, and directed by an academy award nominee with an eclectic cast. What could go wrong?
As it turns out, a lot, actually. It’s been said in the past that Madeleine L’Engle’s novel was un-filmable. The fact that A Wrinkle in Time exists refutes this notion, while at the same time proving that some stories are better left in their original medium.
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7. Pacific Rim: Uprising
Pacific Rim: Uprising is the most inferior sequel to be released this year. Compared to the massive gap in quality from its predecessor, Steven S. DeKnight’s feature directing debut lacks the personal touch that made Pacific Rim such a success.
Aside from making the case that Charlie Day should never play a villain ever again, the film’s bland characterization and uninspired effects take away anything that was likable about the franchise in the first place.
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6. The Predator
For a movie with so much promise, The Predator is a massive disappointment in execution. Shane Black’s supposed triumphant return to the franchise ended up being a nightmare for the writer/director, proving that some properties are better left in the past.
The Predator’s near-comical application of violence isn’t enough to support a screenplay that features unmemorable and sometimes even offensive character choices that feel childishly naive.
It’s hard to tell how long it will be until the next Predator movie – if we ever get one at all after this mess.
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5. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Compared to its predecessor, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is actually a pretty solid film. Although J.A. Bayona’s stylish direction latches onto the horror roots of the franchise, it isn’t enough to save the film from a terrible screenplay. The script is nothing more than a series of greatest hits moments punctuated with hammy dialogue, stupid motivations, and logic that makes absolutely no sense.
At the end of the day, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is yet another movie that forces viewers to question the legitimacy of the franchise moving forward.
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4. Rampage
It’s hard to find anyone who was actually excited about Rampage when it came out. Based on a 32 year old arcade game that had minor cultural impact, Rampage is the type of movie that no one was really asking for.
Despite these already low expectations, the film managed to be even worse than the lackluster marketing campaign implied. Rampage is also proof that not even Dwayne Johnson can create a franchise when he has so little to work with.
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3. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is undoubtedly the worst thing that Harry Potter maestro J.K. Rowling has ever created. Theoretically, there are some interesting ideas at play. But they’re all just so poorly executed that it begs the question of whether someone else should write the follow-up movie.
Ultimately, the only crime here is the supremely misguided screenplay by Rowling – one that provides half-conceived ideas, terrible characterization, and absolutely no emotional weight whatsoever.
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2. Mute
As a pseudo-sequel to Duncan Jones’ 2009 cult classic Moon, Mute is the director’s long awaited return to science fiction. Even though this movie was obviously a passion project for Jones, it’s also clear that there’s a reason why no traditional studio wanted to make it – it’s a poor Blade Runner knock off.
Paul Rudd’s mustache is a welcome presence in Mute, but the movie is paced so ineffectively that it quickly becomes an absolute snooze-fest. It’s certainly a weird movie. Despite having a vast visual palette, Mute ends up being unfocused, poorly characterized and overwhelmingly dull.
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1. The Cloverfield Paradox
The Cloverfield Paradox is many things, but coherent definitely isn’t one of them. Even though the film’s Super Bowl marketing strategy paid off in terms of surprising audiences, it also managed to be the year’s most disappointing film.
It was obvious from the beginning that this was never intended to be a Cloverfield movie in the first place, and it doesn't live up to that brand. Although The Cloverfield Paradox boasts an impressive cast and concept, the movie quickly devolves into a menagerie of head-scratching sequences that connect in no discernible way.
