The definitive list of movies that looked sh*t but were actually good.

You know the ones.

The ones where the movie trailers had you eliciting an enthusiastic “Shit, No” and were never thought of again.

But it turns out those terrible movies that have been relegated to your personal blacklist deserve a re-visit because you might be missing out on some gold.

These films might have bombed at the box office and they might have been snubbed for every award (except the Razzies) — but don’t be turned off. These are the classics that our team thought were going to be train wrecks but are now our favourites.

1. Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.

Seriously. Never say never to watching this film. Yes, the movie poster might make you want to punch Bieber‘s little bangs off and yes, the tag line ‘find out what’s possible if you never give up’ might make you throw up in your mouth a little. But persevere, people! Watching the Biebs transform from a two-year-old musical prodigy into a astronomical star is actually riveting. And this was filmed BEFORE he turned into douche canoe, which helps.

2. 21 Jump Street.

This do-over of the 1987 classic follows two police officers (Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill) who are forced to return high school as undercover students to catch the suppliers of a new synthetic drug.

One of our Editors Amy says, “I loved the original series so I thought I was going to HATE this. I watched it so reluctantly. But then I LOVED IT. I became evangelical about it and told everyone I knew. I sometimes still watch clips from it when I’m sad.” 

And she is 100% right. If you’re aren’t struggling to breath because you are laughing so hard then there is legitimately something wrong with you. There is no saving your joyless soul. Oh and even better? The sequel is just as good.

3. Stardust.

It looks like a whacked-out, cheesy, kids’ fantasy film but this oddball movie is actually incredibly charming, funny and entertaining with a stellar cast. It tells the story of Tristan Thorne, a bit of a nobody who ventures into a supernatural parallel universe to find a fallen star for the prettiest gal in the village. This plan hits a snag when the star is a glittery Clare Danes and various other snags including a run in with a cross-dressing pirate (Robert De Niro) and a beautifully insane witch (Michelle Pfeiffer). If you’re a fan of The Princess Bride but with a Brothers Grimm edge — get amongst it.

4. Spy

Melissa McCarthy plays a desk-bound CIA analyst who steps up to go undercover after her partner (Jude Law) falls off the grid and the other top agent (Jason Statham) is compromised. We’ll be honest, the trailer look a little blah but pretty much everyone says Spy is the funniest film ever.

“After seeing a preview, this movie did not interest me at all. But with movie vouchers to use, a free Friday night and a 100% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes (it is now at 94%), I hesitantly gave the action-comedy a shot,” our news writer Emily says.

“Now, I am a full-blown, raving convert. I cried actual tears in the cinema, then was momentarily concerned that I was really sad, but then realised I had just used up all my laughs.”

5. Step Brothers.

Yes this movie is silly, disgusting and crass, but that stuff is straight-up hilarious sometimes. And this is definitely one of those times. Step Brothers is about 39-year-old Brennan Huff (Will Ferrell) and 40-year-old Dale Doback (John C. Reilly), two unemployed, juvenile and self centred men who refuse to move out of their respective parents home. But when their parents marry each-other and move everyone in together, shit gets real. Like tea-bagging drum kits and using bicycles as weapons kind of real.

6. Wild, Wild West.

This bizarre and generally offensive film was pretty widely panned by critics and audiences. But if you ignore the gaping plot holes (African-American Will Smith is playing an undercover spy in the deep south during the civil war) and the ridiculous spider obsessed, half robot villain (poor Kenneth Branagh) — then you can legitimately enjoy this movie for the nonsense that it is.

7. The Lego Movie.

This movie is, dare we say it, AWESOME. EVERYTHING IS AWESOME. We swear, it’s not just a kids’ movie– adults will seriously enjoy its amazing voice cast and surprisingly thoughtful (but still hilarious) story.

8. The Mummy.

It might look like a kinda crappy action movie and while it’s no Oscar winner it’s a lot more entertaining than you’d expect. Brendan Fraser (where has that guy gone?!) plays an “American expatriate who has joined the foreign legion” (what?) who — along with an amateur archeologist played by Rachel Weiz– disturb a Mummy’s tomb. Obviously all hell breaks loose, had they never watched a Scooby Doo episode in their life?

9. Mean Girls.

90 minutes of high school girls being bitches to each other? You’re probably thinking, no thank you. But trust us, this one is funnier, smarter and wittier than your average teen comedy. Opening to lukewarm reviews, this hilarious (and spot on) take on the high school experience– written by Tina Fey and starring Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams and Amanda Seyfried to name a few– has since become a cult phenomenon. We are obsessed.

After some more bad movies? Coming right up. According to Rotten Tomatoes these are the 10 worst movies of the last 10 years. 

 

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