After editing, most movies end up with a similar run time, which is to be expected. After all, we as audience members can’t be expected to pay a ticket for a five minute movie, or to sit through an eight hour epic without breaks. Yet, some movies do end up on the lengthy side of the spectrum, and not everyone can stay hooked for that long.

Among the most challenged to sit through such ordeals, are the elderly. Not because they can’t understand the film, but because they need more frequent breaks than most of us; age takes its toll, after all. These films aren’t bad by any means, but they are better seen from the comfort of home, rather than at the cinema.

The Brutalist

Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist immediately became known for its massive runtime, complete with an actual intermission during some screenings. At well over three hours long, it practically dares audiences to prove their attention span still exists.

Killers of the Flower Moon

Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon runs well past the three-hour mark while telling a slow-burning historical crime story. Even many fans admitted they needed strategic snack planning before sitting through the entire experience.

Oppenheimer

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer packed physics, politics, hearings, and existential dread into a three-hour biographical epic. Despite massive success, some viewers joked they needed a college lecture schedule just to mentally prepare for the runtime.

The Irishman

Clocking in at over three and a half hours, The Irishman became one of Netflix’s biggest “I’ll finish it later” movies. The de-aging technology discussions almost competed with conversations about how long the film actually felt.

Avatar: The Way of Water

James Cameron’s sequel spends enormous amounts of time exploring Pandora’s oceans and visual spectacle. Even audiences impressed by the effects often joked they felt like they physically aged alongside the characters during the marathon runtime.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League

At four hours long, Zack Snyder’s version of Justice League feels less like a movie and more like an entire television miniseries glued together. Fans celebrated it, while others wondered whether bathroom breaks counted as intermissions.

Lawrence of Arabia

David Lean’s desert epic remains legendary not only for its scale but also for its intimidating runtime. Watching it in one sitting still feels like a cinematic endurance challenge, especially for modern audiences raised on shorter entertainment.

Ben-Hur

The 1959 version of Ben-Hur runs for well over three hours and includes an overture and intermission. It remains one of the classic examples of Hollywood epics that truly committed to exhausting viewers through sheer scale.

Gone with the Wind

Despite being one of Hollywood’s most famous classics, Gone with the Wind is famously enormous in length. Between romance, war, reconstruction, and melodrama, the movie practically becomes a full-day historical event.

Once Upon a Time in America

Sergio Leone’s crime epic stretches close to four hours in its longest version, unfolding slowly across decades of betrayal and regret. Its deliberate pacing makes it critically respected but undeniably demanding for casual movie nights.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Extended Edition)

The theatrical cut already pushed audiences past three hours, but the extended edition goes even further. By the multiple endings, even devoted fantasy fans sometimes start mentally preparing for retirement before the credits finally arrive.

Babylon

Damien Chazelle’s Babylon runs over three hours while throwing nonstop chaos, excess, and Hollywood decadence at viewers. The movie’s exhausting energy became part of the experience, especially during its loud and relentless party sequences.

King Kong (2005)

Peter Jackson’s remake spends so much time building toward Skull Island that audiences sometimes joke the movie contains three separate films stitched together. Once the dinosaurs appear, viewers are already deep into a marathon-length commitment.

Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles

Frequently cited as one of the greatest films ever made, Jeanne Dielman also has a reputation for testing patience. Its nearly three-and-a-half-hour runtime focuses heavily on repetitive daily routines and extremely deliberate pacing.

There’s a reality in our lives that we need to accept: we spend more time on the internet than doing anything else. That means, inevitably, that we spend more time sharing memes about movies than watching them, oftentimes having us sharing pictures of films we will never see.

With the limited time we have on this Earth, that’s fine, since most of these films aren’t worth our time either way. We can thank the brave souls that saw them in theaters for the jokes we share today, and know that, at the end of the day, that’s all they were good for.

Morbius

Almost nobody actually watched Morbius, yet the internet transformed it into one of the biggest movie memes in years. Fake quotes like “It’s Morbin’ Time” became more culturally relevant than the film itself ever managed.

The Room

Tommy Wiseau’s The Room became infinitely more famous through memes, reaction clips, and internet jokes than through traditional audiences. Even people who never watched the movie probably recognize “You’re tearing me apart, Lisa!” immediately.

Birdemic: Shock and Terror

The hilariously bad visual effects in Birdemic turned the movie into meme material long after release. Endless screenshots of badly animated attacking birds spread online far more successfully than the film ever did in theaters.

Cats

The 2019 version of Cats became a social media phenomenon almost entirely because audiences could not believe the CGI designs were real. For many people, the memes became the entire viewing experience.

Sharknado

The Sharknado movies thrived less because audiences genuinely loved them and more because the absurd concept generated endless internet jokes. Flying sharks became a meme long before most people watched an entire installment.

Cool Cat Saves the Kids

Derek Savage’s Cool Cat Saves the Kids became infamous online through reaction videos and internet mockery. The movie’s awkward performances and strange anti-bullying message turned it into meme material far more than an actual family hit.

The Happening

M. Night Shyamalan’s thriller became meme gold thanks to awkward dialogue and confused performances. Mark Wahlberg talking to plants or asking “What? No!” spread online far more widely than the movie’s original audience.

Madame Web

Even before release, Madame Web became a meme factory through awkward trailers and bizarre line deliveries. Online jokes and reaction images arguably generated more interest than the actual superhero movie itself.

The Fanatic

John Travolta’s bizarre performance in The Fanatic quickly spread online through clips and screenshots. Most people familiar with the movie know it because of memes surrounding its awkward dialogue and unintentionally funny scenes.

Troll 2

The “They’re eating her!” scene transformed Troll 2 into a permanent internet fixture. The bizarre acting and confusing plot turned the movie into meme history despite most audiences never watching it start to finish.

Battlefield Earth

John Travolta’s sci-fi flop became famous online through memes mocking its bizarre costumes, tilted camera angles, and absurd dialogue. The internet kept the movie alive largely as shorthand for catastrophic filmmaking decisions.

The Wicker Man (2006)

Nicolas Cage screaming about bees became so widespread online that many people only know The Wicker Man remake through reaction gifs and meme compilations rather than the actual horror movie.

Fateful Findings

Neil Breen’s surreal thriller achieved cult meme status thanks to awkward editing, bizarre dialogue, and incomprehensible storytelling. Entire YouTube communities formed around laughing at scenes most viewers would never organically discover themselves.

Foodfight!

This animated disaster became notorious online because of its unfinished-looking CGI and chaotic production history. Clips and screenshots circulated for years as examples of how unbelievably broken a movie could look.

Jupiter Ascending

The Wachowskis’ ambitious sci-fi epic struggled at the box office, but internet memes kept it alive for years. Eddie Redmayne’s whisper-screaming performance especially became far more famous online than the movie itself.

What we can do nowadays with digital effects is really a thing of wonder, with entire movies planned around actors interacting with impossible things. The problem with these effects is that, more often than not, they don’t land as well as practical effects, particularly when actors have nothing to use as reference.

The problem doesn’t only involve fake spaces, however, since it also has an uncanny effect on certain visuals. Superhero films in particular replace practical costumes with CGI ones, often making actors feel like floating heads on unreal bodies. These are the films that overused CGI the most.

The Flash

The Flash became notorious for unfinished-looking CGI during several multiverse and speed-force sequences. Even emotional cameos were overshadowed by the strange digital recreations, leaving audiences distracted by the effects instead of the story itself.

Cats

The 2019 adaptation of Cats relied almost entirely on bizarre CGI fur technology to transform actors into human-cat hybrids. Instead of solving the challenge of adapting the musical, the effects became the movie’s biggest source of ridicule.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Fans criticized the fourth Indiana Jones film for replacing much of the franchise’s practical stunt work with excessive CGI. The infamous jungle chase and swinging monkeys especially became shorthand for effects overwhelming storytelling.

The Hobbit Trilogy

Peter Jackson’s Hobbit films leaned far more heavily on CGI environments and characters than The Lord of the Rings. Many viewers felt the overuse of digital effects made Middle-earth feel less grounded and immersive.

Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones

George Lucas embraced digital filmmaking so aggressively in Attack of the Clones that entire scenes felt detached from reality. Massive green-screen usage often left actors looking disconnected from their own environments.

Green Lantern

Ryan Reynolds’ Green Lantern attempted to build an entire superhero universe through heavy CGI, including a fully digital costume. Instead of looking futuristic, many effects quickly became dated and unintentionally distracting.

Justice League

The theatrical version of Justice League became infamous for awkward CGI, especially the digitally altered upper lip used to remove Henry Cavill’s mustache. The visual effects controversy overshadowed much of the actual movie itself.

The Mummy Returns

While much of The Mummy Returns worked well as pulpy adventure fun, the fully digital Scorpion King climax became legendary for the wrong reasons. Even audiences in 2001 noticed how unfinished the creature looked.

Wonder Woman 1984

Wonder Woman 1984 received criticism for relying too heavily on CGI spectacle during major action scenes, especially the finale involving Maxwell Lord and Cheetah. Many viewers felt the digital effects overwhelmed the stronger character-driven moments from the first film.

Black Panther

Despite widespread praise for the film overall, Black Panther received criticism for its rushed CGI during the final battle. The underground train fight especially looked noticeably unfinished compared to the movie’s stronger practical scenes.

Spider-Man 3

Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 sometimes buried emotional moments beneath oversized digital spectacle. Sandman’s effects impressed audiences initially, but the climax became overloaded with CGI-heavy chaos involving multiple villains and collapsing environments.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Michael Bay doubled down on giant CGI destruction in Revenge of the Fallen, creating action scenes so visually overwhelming that many viewers struggled to understand what was even happening onscreen during robot fights.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

The later Pirates sequels increasingly relied on digital effects to escalate action and undead designs. By Dead Men Tell No Tales, many fans missed the practical charm and grounded feel of the original trilogy.

The Matrix Reloaded

While revolutionary in some areas, The Matrix Reloaded also pushed CGI so hard that certain sequences aged poorly. The Burly Brawl featuring dozens of Agent Smith copies often looks more like a video game than live action.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Marvel’s Quantumania surrounded its characters with nearly nonstop digital environments and creatures inside the Quantum Realm. Critics and audiences frequently commented that the overwhelming CGI made the movie feel strangely artificial and visually exhausting.

A diverse cast is always something good in a show, letting us see different perspectives of the same setting. To have such diversity, the cast needs to involve multiple people, but some shows take this a step too far. Particularly with shows sporting multiple seasons, keeping track of who’s who becomes virtually impossible.

This becomes a problem when you’re not as invested in side characters as you are on the main plot. With a condensed cast, these side characters add flavor, but in the cases discussed here, they feel like they are in the way of the plot. These are the shows that could’ve learned something from the phrase “less is more.”

Game of Thrones

By the later seasons, Game of Thrones had so many noble families, allies, enemies, and side characters that many viewers needed online maps just to remember who belonged to which kingdom or why two characters hated each other.

Lost

Between flashbacks, flash-forwards, mysterious newcomers, and constantly expanding mythology, Lost became increasingly difficult to track. Entire online communities formed just to organize theories and remember who everyone actually was.

Grey’s Anatomy

After running for decades with rotating interns, doctors, surgeons, patients, and love interests, Grey’s Anatomy eventually reached the point where many viewers forgot half the cast had even existed.

The Walking Dead

As communities multiplied across the apocalypse, The Walking Dead introduced wave after wave of survivors, villains, and temporary allies. Keeping track of everyone became especially difficult once entire groups started disappearing between seasons.

Once Upon a Time

Combining fairy tales, alternate timelines, curses, and multiple versions of the same characters made Once Upon a Time increasingly overwhelming. By later seasons, viewers practically needed genealogy charts to follow the relationships.

Heroes

The first season of Heroes balanced its large ensemble surprisingly well, but later seasons kept introducing more superpowered characters and storylines until many viewers struggled remembering who half the cast even was anymore.

The Wire

Praised for realism and complexity, The Wire constantly shifted focus between police, politicians, dock workers, teachers, journalists, and drug crews. The giant cast helped build Baltimore’s world but could overwhelm first-time viewers.

Westworld

Westworld already demanded close attention because of its timelines and mysteries, but the enormous rotating cast of hosts, humans, and duplicates made the story even harder to follow as the series continued.

The Vampire Diaries

Between vampires, witches, doppelgängers, hybrids, and supernatural family trees, The Vampire Diaries kept introducing new faces and ancient bloodlines until many viewers gave up trying to remember everyone’s connection.

Yellowstone

The Yellowstone universe constantly expands through ranch hands, rival families, politicians, businessmen, and spin-offs introducing even more relatives. Keeping track of the Dutton family tree alone sometimes feels harder than following the actual plot.

Boardwalk Empire

HBO’s gangster drama featured politicians, bootleggers, mob bosses, federal agents, and historical figures spread across multiple cities. The massive cast added authenticity, though viewers often needed refreshers on who was betraying whom.

The 100

What began as a relatively simple survival series gradually introduced dozens of factions, commanders, clans, artificial intelligences, and space survivors. By the final seasons, many viewers struggled to remember which group everyone was fighting for anymore.

The Expanse

With multiple factions spread across Earth, Mars, and the Belt, The Expanse introduced politicians, soldiers, rebels, and scientists at a relentless pace. The detailed world-building rewarded attention but punished casual viewing.

True Blood

By later seasons, True Blood had accumulated vampires, werewolves, fairies, shapeshifters, witches, and countless supporting characters. The supernatural chaos eventually became so crowded that major characters sometimes vanished for long stretches unnoticed.

Downton Abbey

Between the Crawley family, servants, romantic partners, visiting aristocrats, and changing staff members, Downton Abbey quietly built a surprisingly huge cast. Casual viewers could easily lose track of who belonged upstairs or downstairs.

What fictional characters go through is, as expected, far removed from what happens in reality. This is due to a show needing drama, stakes and a continued source of conflict in order to last many seasons, and oddly enough, it works. Until you give the show a rewatch.

Now, viewing these couples again, we start to have second thoughts. In some cases, we overlooked obvious power imbalances involving teachers, bosses, or massive age gaps. Other couples simply spent years emotionally destroying each other while the show insisted they were meant to be together. These are the TV couples that we don’t think work anymore.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy and Angel

At the time, Buffy and Angel were treated like an epic supernatural romance. In retrospect, the relationship involves a centuries-old vampire emotionally bonding with a high school student, which feels considerably stranger watching it today.

Pretty Little Liars, Aria and Ezra

What the show framed as a passionate forbidden romance now reads deeply uncomfortable to many viewers. Ezra was Aria’s English teacher when their relationship began, creating a massive power imbalance the series rarely treated seriously enough.

Friends, Ross and Rachel

Ross and Rachel became one of television’s defining couples, but revisiting the relationship reveals nonstop jealousy, manipulation, and exhausting breakups. Their inability to communicate normally somehow fueled an entire decade of sitcom storytelling.

How I Met Your Mother, Ted and Robin

The series repeatedly insisted Ted and Robin were destined for each other despite years of evidence suggesting otherwise. By the finale, many viewers felt the relationship ignored both characters’ growth simply to force the original ending.

Twin Peaks, Audrey and Agent Cooper

Audrey Horne openly flirted with Agent Cooper throughout Twin Peaks while still a teenager in high school. Although Cooper resisted the relationship, the show still played portions of the dynamic with surprising romantic energy.

Gossip Girl, Chuck and Blair

Chuck and Blair became fan favorites despite a relationship filled with manipulation, emotional cruelty, and betrayal. Some storylines involving Chuck’s behavior feel especially uncomfortable in retrospect given how romantically the series framed the couple overall.

Riverdale, Archie and Ms. Grundy

The first season of Riverdale treated Archie’s relationship with his teacher Ms. Grundy as scandalous drama rather than predatory abuse. Modern audiences were especially disturbed by how the show initially romanticized the situation.

That ’70s Show, Jackie and Kelso

Jackie and Kelso were presented as a chaotic but lovable sitcom couple, yet their relationship constantly involved cheating, manipulation, and emotional immaturity. Rewatching the series makes their nonstop dysfunction much harder to ignore.

The Office, Michael and Jan

Michael and Jan’s relationship gradually transformed into one of television’s most uncomfortable romances. Between emotional manipulation, explosive arguments, and total instability, the dynamic often felt more disturbing than comedic during later episodes.

Sex and the City, Carrie and Big

Carrie and Big defined much of Sex and the City, but revisiting the relationship highlights years of dishonesty, emotional games, and commitment issues. Many viewers now question why the series treated them as an aspirational romance.

Gilmore Girls, Paris and Asher Fleming

Paris dating much older Yale professor Asher Fleming was played surprisingly casually within Gilmore Girls. In retrospect, the relationship’s age gap and academic power imbalance make the storyline far more uncomfortable than the show seemed to realize.

Dawson’s Creek, Pacey and Tamara

Pacey’s affair with his adult teacher Tamara was presented as mature and exciting during early episodes. Today, many viewers see the storyline very differently given the obvious legal and ethical problems surrounding the relationship.

One Tree Hill, Brooke and Felix

Brooke and Felix were framed as a dramatic teen romance, but Felix’s controlling behavior and repeated manipulation made the relationship deeply unpleasant. Even longtime fans often consider him one of the show’s most disliked love interests.

Grey’s Anatomy, Meredith and Derek

Meredith and Derek became one of television’s biggest couples, yet the relationship regularly involved workplace favoritism, emotional manipulation, and poor communication. Derek especially gets viewed much more critically by modern audiences during rewatches.

House, House and Cuddy

Fans spent years wanting House and Cuddy together, but the actual relationship quickly became toxic and unstable. The storyline eventually escalated so badly that House literally drove a car through Cuddy’s dining room wall.

If you grew up with parents who loved movies, chances are you were eventually forced to sit down and watch at least one “classic” from the 1970s. Thrillers, epics, musicals, or even sci-fi adventures, these films became essential family viewing for an entire generation.

Parents quoted them endlessly, insisted modern movies could never compare, and treated every rewatch like a major cultural event. Most of these movies hold up to scrutiny, no matter the time that has passed. They became the kinds of films younger audiences watched because their parents refused to let them skip them.

Jaws

For countless families, Jaws became mandatory viewing whenever someone claimed modern movies were scarier. Parents loved introducing younger audiences to Spielberg’s shark thriller while proudly reminding everyone how terrifying it was in theaters during 1975.

Rocky

Parents who grew up in the late ’70s practically treated Rocky like required life education. Between the underdog story, iconic training montage, and emotional ending, it became one of those movies families insisted “everyone needs to see once.”

Star Wars

Long before it became a giant franchise, the original Star Wars was the movie parents eagerly passed down to younger generations. Many kids first watched it because somebody’s dad insisted modern blockbusters “just aren’t the same anymore.”

Grease

Whether viewers wanted it or not, Grease became a staple of family movie nights thanks to endlessly replayed songs and nostalgic appeal. Parents who grew up with it often knew nearly every line and lyric by heart.

The Godfather

At some point, nearly every movie-loving parent sat their kids down and declared it was finally time to watch The Godfather. Even younger viewers uninterested in mafia dramas usually recognized its iconic scenes beforehand through sheer cultural exposure.

Saturday Night Fever

Disco nostalgia alone kept Saturday Night Fever alive in countless households. Parents frequently revisited it to relive the music, dancing, and John Travolta’s breakout performance while explaining how huge disco culture once was.

Superman

Richard Donner’s Superman became one of the definitive “you have to watch this” movies for parents raised in the late ’70s. Christopher Reeve’s performance especially remained beloved long after newer superhero movies dominated theaters.

Alien

Many parents introduced Alien as proof older science fiction movies could still outperform modern horror. Watching younger viewers react to the chestburster scene became almost a family tradition for longtime fans of Ridley Scott’s classic.

National Lampoon’s Animal House

Parents who loved rebellious college comedies often treated Animal House like a rite of passage movie. Its chaotic humor and party scenes became legendary enough that many younger viewers recognized references before seeing the actual film.

Apocalypse Now

Some parents insisted Apocalypse Now was more than a war movie and practically assigned it like homework. Between the surreal imagery and famous quotes, the film became a common “serious cinema” recommendation passed between generations.

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

Although technically released in 1971, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory survived for decades through endless rewatches. Parents loved introducing kids to Gene Wilder’s bizarre performance and watching them get unexpectedly disturbed by the tunnel sequence.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Spielberg’s alien-contact drama became another classic parents regularly revisited to show younger audiences “real” science fiction filmmaking. Its slower pacing often surprised modern viewers raised on louder and faster blockbuster storytelling.

Smokey and the Bandit

Fast cars, CB radios, and Burt Reynolds’ effortless charm made Smokey and the Bandit endlessly replayable for many parents. The movie became especially beloved among families who grew up during the height of 1970s car culture.

The Deer Hunter

Parents who valued emotionally heavy dramas often pushed The Deer Hunter onto younger viewers as an important Vietnam War film. Its intense tone and infamous Russian roulette scenes made it unforgettable, even for reluctant audiences.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Many kids discovered absurd British comedy because their parents endlessly quoted Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Entire families eventually memorized scenes involving killer rabbits, coconuts, and the endlessly repeated “Ni!” jokes.

You’d be forgiven for not knowing this, but Mexico isn’t covered in yellow tint. This is a myth propagated by popular media, since they insist on using the filter when showing scenes happening within the country. The alleged reason is that it helps inform the audience where a scene is taking place at a given time, but you don’t see the same technique being used when jumping around different USA states.

Another reason is to denote temperature, with a blue filter for cold climates and a yellow one for hot. If that’s the case, we’ve never seen Miami being depicted with yellow, or Toronto with blue. In any case, here are some examples of extreme yellow filter usage.

Traffic

Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic became one of the most famous examples of the “Mexico filter.” Scenes set across the border were heavily tinted yellow and dusty, visually separating Mexico from the cooler, ‘cleaner’ American sequences.

Breaking Bad

Whenever Breaking Bad shifted to cartel-related scenes in Mexico, the series dramatically increased its yellow and sepia tones. The visual style became so recognizable that viewers started jokingly calling it the unofficial “Mexico filter.”

Spectre

The opening Mexico City sequence in Spectre used warm yellow grading that many viewers immediately associated with the long-running Hollywood trope. The contrast stood out even more because the Day of the Dead setting was already visually colorful.

Extraction

Netflix’s Extraction leaned heavily into dusty yellow cinematography during its Mexico-set opening scenes. Like many action thrillers before it, the film used color grading to exaggerate heat, danger, and chaos south of the border.

Saw X

Although much of Saw X takes place in Mexico City, the movie often applies warm yellow tones associated with the stereotype. Viewers quickly noticed the familiar grading style that Hollywood frequently uses for Mexican locations.

Sicario

Denis Villeneuve’s Sicario frequently used desaturated yellows and harsh sunlight during scenes set around the U.S.-Mexico border. The visual approach helped create tension, though many audiences also recognized the familiar “Mexico equals yellow” cinematic shorthand.

Man on Fire

Tony Scott’s Man on Fire drenched its Mexico City scenes in intense warm tones and stylized filters. The aggressive color grading matched the film’s frantic editing style while reinforcing Hollywood’s long-running visual stereotype of Mexico.

Once Upon a Time in Mexico

Robert Rodriguez intentionally leaned into exaggerated yellow and orange tones throughout Once Upon a Time in Mexico. Unlike some examples, the stylized look partly reflected Rodriguez’s hyper-stylized action aesthetic rather than strict realism.

Savages

Oliver Stone’s Savages used heavily sunbaked cinematography during its cartel-related Mexico sequences. The movie amplified dusty yellows and harsh lighting to create an atmosphere of violence and instability tied directly to its borderland setting.

Get the Gring

Mel Gibson’s Get the Gring takes place largely inside a Mexican prison and uses warm, dirty yellow grading throughout. The movie visually follows the same established Hollywood shorthand for portraying danger and disorder in Mexico.

Desperado

Robert Rodriguez’s Desperado embraced a gritty yellow-tinted look for many of its Mexican settings. The stylized cinematography became influential enough that later action movies copied similar color palettes when depicting Latin American locations.

The Counselor

Ridley Scott’s The Counselor used muted yellows and dusty cinematography during cartel-related scenes connected to Mexico. The visual treatment fit neatly into Hollywood’s recurring habit of portraying the country through harsh desert-like color grading.

Miss Bala

Both the original Mexican version and the American remake of Miss Bala depict cartel violence, but the 2019 Hollywood adaptation especially leaned into warm yellow tones during many Mexico-based scenes, reinforcing a now very recognizable visual cliché.

Clear and Present Danger

Though focused partly on Colombia, Clear and Present Danger also uses warm yellow-tinted cinematography during several Mexico and border-related sequences. The film helped cement the visual language later copied by countless cartel and drug-war thrillers.

Narcos: Mexico

Narcos: Mexico frequently used dusty yellow grading throughout cartel scenes. The visual style matched the broader crime-drama trend established by productions like Traffic and later copied across countless border-related thrillers.

Games are meant to be entertainment above all else, no matter what your idea of fun is. As such, there are certain video games that, for one reason or another, we don’t believe most people that say they played them, actually did.

On the one hand, you have games known for being bad, broken, or oftentimes ‘unplayable,’ with only the most dedicated of gamers being able to push through them for one reason or another. On the other hand, you have games that are so hard, the level of dedication required to finish them often doesn’t align with having a job or career. These are the games we don’t believe most people finished.

Bubsy 3D

Often listed among the worst platformers ever made, Bubsy 3D became infamous for awkward controls, terrible camera angles, and bizarre voice lines. Finishing it feels less like beating a game and more like surviving a punishment challenge.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Yes, people absolutely finished Sekiro, but the game’s brutal bosses and precision-heavy combat convinced countless players they simply were not built for victory. Every win feels earned through equal parts skill, stubbornness, and emotional damage.

Superman 64

Between endless fog, broken controls, and infamous ring-flying missions, Superman 64 gained a reputation as one of gaming’s most miserable experiences. Many players rented it out of curiosity and likely gave up before reaching the ending.

Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy

Designed specifically to frustrate players, Getting Over It punishes mistakes by sending you crashing backward through hours of progress. The combination of brutal physics and sarcastic narration turned rage-quitting into the entire appeal.

Dark Souls

The original Dark Souls became legendary for difficulty so punishing that many players bounced off entirely. Fans love the challenge, but outsiders still look at late-game bosses and wonder whether anyone finished it without losing their sanity.

Ride to Hell: Retribution

This biker action game became notorious for broken combat, awkward dialogue, and bizarrely unfinished cutscenes. Critics destroyed it on release, and its reputation became so bad many people joke nobody ever willingly completed the entire thing.

Battletoads

The infamous Turbo Tunnel alone probably stopped generations of players from ever seeing the ending. Battletoads mixed fun co-op chaos with difficulty spikes so cruel that finishing it became a badge of honor.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

This NES game confused players for decades thanks to strange mechanics, punishing enemy placement, and almost incomprehensible progression. Many likely spent more time wondering how it worked than actually making progress toward the ending.

Lion King

Disney’s The Lion King became famous for crushing difficulty, especially the monkey puzzle and platforming sections. Plenty of kids rented it expecting a friendly Disney adventure and instead discovered psychological warfare disguised as a platformer.

Cuphead

With nonstop boss fights and unforgiving timing, Cuphead turned old-school animation into a modern endurance test. The beautiful art style attracted huge audiences, but the difficulty probably scared away plenty before the credits rolled.

Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing

Big Rigs barely functions as a video game, featuring broken physics, unfinished AI, and races opponents literally cannot win. The game became internet-famous precisely because completing it feels almost meaningless given how incomplete it is.

Ghosts ’n Goblins

Not only is Ghosts ’n Goblins brutally difficult, but after finally beating it, the game famously demands players finish the entire thing again for the “real” ending. Countless people probably stopped right there out of pure disbelief.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

The Atari adaptation became a gaming legend thanks to confusing gameplay and endless falling into pits. Its reputation grew so disastrous that unsold cartridges were famously buried in a landfill, which somehow feels perfectly appropriate.

Ninja Gaiden

The NES version of Ninja Gaiden remains notorious for punishing enemy placement and brutal late-game difficulty. Reaching the final levels only to get thrown backward after dying felt specifically designed to destroy players emotionally.

Fear & Hunger

This indie RPG intentionally embraces cruelty, throwing players into brutal survival mechanics, permanent consequences, and horrifying encounters. Its reputation for relentless punishment makes many curious players wonder whether anyone finishes it without consulting guides or completely breaking down.

Scientology has maintained ties to Hollywood for decades, partly through its aggressive celebrity outreach and dedicated Celebrity Centre in Los Angeles. Over the years, a surprising number of actors, musicians, and television stars have been publicly linked to the organization, sometimes openly defending it and other times trying to keep the connection quiet.

Many of these celebrities remained among its most visible supporters for years. Because of the controversy surrounding the church, celebrity involvement often attracts intense public attention whenever it resurfaces. These stars became some of the most recognizable names associated with Scientology, but you might not know of their involvement until now.

Tom Cruise

No celebrity is more closely associated with Scientology than Tom Cruise. He joined in the 1980s and became one of the organization’s most visible supporters, frequently discussing its impact on his life and career.

John Travolta

John Travolta has publicly supported Scientology for decades and often credited it with helping him through personal tragedies. His longtime connection to the church made him one of its most recognizable Hollywood members.

Elisabeth Moss

Despite starring in The Handmaid’s Tale, Elisabeth Moss has remained linked to Scientology throughout her career. Raised within the church, she has occasionally addressed the topic while largely keeping her personal beliefs private.

Nancy Cartwright

Best known as the voice of Bart Simpson, Nancy Cartwright has been a longtime Scientologist and reportedly donated heavily to church-related causes over the years. Many fans remain surprised by her involvement because of her animation career.

Jenna Elfman

Jenna Elfman has openly discussed Scientology in interviews and remained one of the organization’s more public celebrity supporters. The Dharma & Greg star has defended the church multiple times throughout her television career.

Giovanni Ribisi

Character actor Giovanni Ribisi has long been associated with Scientology and frequently appears on lists of active celebrity members. Despite a lower public profile than Cruise or Travolta, his involvement has been well documented for years.

Michael Peña

Michael Peña has spoken positively about Scientology in interviews, even crediting it with helping his acting career and personal outlook. His involvement often surprises audiences familiar with him mainly through blockbuster action and superhero films.

Kirstie Alley

Before her death, Kirstie Alley was one of Scientology’s most outspoken celebrity defenders. The Cheers actress regularly discussed her faith publicly and remained closely associated with the organization for decades.

Danny Masterson

Danny Masterson was one of Scientology’s highest-profile younger celebrity members during the height of That ’70s Show. His later criminal conviction brought renewed scrutiny to both him and the church’s celebrity culture.

Juliette Lewis

Oscar-nominated actress Juliette Lewis publicly defended Scientology for years and spoke positively about its anti-drug messaging. Her involvement became widely known during the 1990s and 2000s alongside other celebrity members.

Isaac Hayes

Legendary musician Isaac Hayes was a Scientologist for many years and famously left South Park after the show mocked Scientology beliefs. His departure became one of the organization’s biggest entertainment-related controversies.

Erika Christensen

Erika Christensen has openly acknowledged being raised in Scientology and has defended her experiences within the church during interviews. Many viewers mainly know her from Parenthood and other mainstream television dramas.

Jason Dohring

Known for Veronica Mars, Jason Dohring comes from a Scientology-connected family and has long been identified as part of the church. His association became more widely discussed as interest in Scientology celebrity members grew online.

Acting is the art of portraying something you’re not, at least most of the time. While that often means the character’s profession or family history, it can also translate to nationality, something most audiences overlook when enjoying their films.

And it makes sense that they overlook it, particularly on the Hollywood scene, since most actors that appear on screen are American. But you’d be surprised at how many of them are from (or were raised in) different countries with their own accents, making these performers even more outstanding when you think about it.

Tom Holland

Despite becoming closely associated with Spider-Man and other American characters, Tom Holland is actually English. His natural American accent in the Marvel films surprised many viewers who first discovered him through the MCU.

Christian Bale

Christian Bale has played Americans so convincingly for decades that many audiences forget he was born in Wales and raised partly in England. His performances in films like American Psycho and The Dark Knight helped hide his real accent completely.

Hugh Laurie

Before House, many American viewers had no idea Hugh Laurie was British. His convincing accent as Dr. Gregory House impressed producers so much that director Bryan Singer reportedly assumed Laurie was actually American during auditions.

Andrew Garfield

Andrew Garfield was born in Los Angeles but raised in England, and most audiences primarily identify him as British. His American performances in films like The Social Network and The Amazing Spider-Man rarely reveal his natural accent.

Idris Elba

Idris Elba’s roles in The Wire and other American productions fooled countless viewers into believing he was American. His Baltimore accent as Stringer Bell became especially praised for sounding authentic throughout the acclaimed HBO series.

Margot Robbie

Margot Robbie’s performances in The Wolf of Wall Street and Barbie helped many viewers overlook that she is Australian. Her ability to shift accents easily became one of the reasons Hollywood embraced her so quickly.

Henry Cavill

Henry Cavill is strongly associated with Superman, one of America’s most iconic fictional heroes, but the actor himself is English. His polished American accent in multiple action roles often surprises audiences hearing his real voice for the first time.

Millie Bobby Brown

Because of Stranger Things, many viewers assumed Millie Bobby Brown was American for years. In reality, the actress was born in Spain and raised partly in England before adopting an American accent for her breakout Netflix role.

Charlie Hunnam

Charlie Hunnam’s role as Jax Teller in Sons of Anarchy convinced many viewers he was American. The English actor spent years maintaining a rugged California biker accent that became closely tied to the series’ identity.

Damian Lewis

Damian Lewis became famous in America through Band of Brothers, Homeland, and Billions, often playing distinctly American characters. His natural English accent still catches some longtime fans off guard during interviews.

Matthew Rhys

Welsh actor Matthew Rhys became widely recognized for playing an undercover Soviet spy posing as an American in The Americans. Ironically, many viewers were shocked to learn Rhys himself was not American either.

Melanie Lynskey

Melanie Lynskey frequently plays American characters in both television and film, especially in Yellowjackets and The Last of Us. Her real New Zealand accent is much softer and very different from her onscreen performances.

Freddie Highmore

Freddie Highmore spent years starring in The Good Doctor using a convincing American accent, leading many viewers to assume he was from the United States. In reality, the actor was born and raised in London.

Rose McIver

New Zealand actress Rose McIver built much of her television career playing Americans in shows like iZombie and Ghosts. Her natural accent surprises viewers who only know her from American network television.

Daniel Kaluuya

Daniel Kaluuya’s breakout role in Get Out featured such a natural American accent that many audiences were stunned hearing his London voice during interviews and awards speeches afterward.

Taste is subjective, and all in all, that’s what makes us unique. Things that everyone likes we might loath, while stuff we adore can be despised by the general public. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that, although there is a subset of movies that are, if this were possible, objectively bad. And people still love them.

It’s not that they are secret masterpieces, or that the people that enjoy these movies don’t see the mistakes; they see them, celebrate them, and love these films for them. If asked, the people that enjoy these movies will tell you that yes, these pieces of media are bad, and that’s why we enjoy them.

The Room

Tommy Wiseau’s The Room became legendary for awkward dialogue, bizarre acting choices, and scenes that make almost no narrative sense. What should have been a failed drama instead turned into one of cinema’s most beloved “so bad it’s good” experiences.

Troll 2

Despite having no actual trolls, Troll 2 earned cult status through wooden performances, strange line deliveries, and surreal low-budget chaos. Its infamous “They’re eating her!” scene alone helped turn the movie into midnight-screening history.

Birdemic: Shock and Terror

Known for laughably bad visual effects and painfully awkward dialogue, Birdemic somehow became entertaining precisely because of how amateurish everything feels. The attack scenes involving obviously fake birds remain internet-famous among bad movie fans.

Batman & Robin

George Clooney’s Batman & Robin is often mocked for neon visuals, endless ice puns, and absurd costume choices. Yet its campy excess and unapologetic silliness have made it strangely rewatchable over the years.

Samurai Cop

Samurai Cop combines terrible wigs, bizarre editing, awkward romance scenes, and chaotic action into an unforgettable cult movie. Nearly every scene feels unintentionally hilarious, helping the film gain a devoted audience decades after release.

Miami Connection

Martial arts, rock music, ninjas, and unbelievable dialogue somehow collide in Miami Connection. The movie’s complete sincerity makes its ridiculousness oddly charming, especially as every emotional moment becomes funnier than the filmmakers intended.

Showgirls

Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls was initially destroyed by critics for its exaggerated performances and over-the-top melodrama. Over time, however, audiences embraced it as a wildly entertaining spectacle of excess and unintentional comedy.

Plan 9 from Outer Space

Often called one of the worst movies ever made, Ed Wood’s Plan 9 from Outer Space survives through sheer passion and chaos. Cheap sets, continuity errors, and awkward alien plotting somehow became part of its appeal.

Cats

The 2019 adaptation of Cats shocked audiences with its unsettling digital fur effects and bizarre musical presentation. Even viewers who disliked it often could not stop talking about how strangely hypnotic and surreal the experience became.

Mortal Kombat: Annihilation

Packed with weak effects, chaotic editing, and nonstop exposition, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation barely resembles coherent storytelling. Yet fans still revisit it because the movie’s ridiculous energy makes it entertaining in completely unintended ways.

Battlefield Earth

John Travolta’s sci-fi disaster became infamous for tilted camera angles, bizarre performances, and confusing storytelling. While critically savaged, its sheer commitment to every strange creative choice turned it into a favorite among bad movie enthusiasts.

Maximum Overdrive

Directed by Stephen King himself, Maximum Overdrive embraces killer machines, absurd violence, and total chaos. The movie’s loud, unhinged energy makes it feel less like a horror film and more like a glorious cinematic accident.

Fateful Findings

Neil Breen’s Fateful Findings became an internet cult phenomenon thanks to its incomprehensible plot, awkward acting, and surreal editing. Watching it feels like trying to understand a dream someone filmed without explaining any context.

The Happening

M. Night Shyamalan’s thriller gained notoriety for awkward dialogue and strangely flat performances during an apocalypse caused by plants. Its serious tone accidentally made many scenes hilarious, giving the movie unexpected cult appeal.

Velocipastor

A priest transforming into a dinosaur to fight ninjas sounds fake, but Velocipastor fully commits to the absurd premise. Unlike many bad movies, it knowingly embraces low-budget chaos, making it a favorite for ironic movie nights.

The cultural success (and impact) of the Harry Potter series can’t be underestimated, making it only natural that studios would want to catch that lightning in a second bottle. However, a big part of Harry Potter’s success comes down to luck, something no amount of money can replicate.

With that, we end up with a plethora of book adaptations looking for their next hit. These works, in their literary form, did find success, but that doesn’t immediately translate to a cinema classic. We aren’t talking about things that carved their own identity, like The Hunger Games, but films that were looking to be the next Boy Who Lived.

The Golden Compass

New Line Cinema clearly hoped The Golden Compass would launch a massive fantasy franchise built around young heroes, magical worlds, and sprawling lore. Despite strong visuals and a popular book series, the planned sequels never materialized after disappointing box office results. The story did find its place in serialized form.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Fox heavily positioned Percy Jackson as a young-adult fantasy franchise mixing mythology, school-age heroes, and destiny-driven storytelling. Comparisons to Harry Potter were immediate, though the movie adaptations struggled to match the books’ popularity or critical reception. The story is now being adapted again in Disney+.

Eragon

With dragons, ancient prophecies, and a teenage chosen one, Eragon arrived looking like a studio-built fantasy phenomenon. Instead, weak reviews and fan disappointment quickly ended hopes of adapting the rest of Christopher Paolini’s bestselling series.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

Studios aggressively pushed The Mortal Instruments as the next major supernatural young-adult franchise after Harry Potter and Twilight. Despite strong source material popularity, the movie underperformed and killed the planned cinematic series almost immediately.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Disney’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice leaned heavily into magical mentorship, hidden wizard societies, and special-effects-driven fantasy. Many viewers saw it as an attempt to capture some of the modern magic-school energy that made Harry Potter such a phenomenon.

Beautiful Creatures

Warner Bros. marketed Beautiful Creatures as another supernatural teen franchise built around hidden powers and forbidden romance. Despite its Southern Gothic angle, the film never generated enough momentum to continue adapting the remaining novels.

Seventh Son

With monster hunters, magical apprentices, and fantasy warfare, Seventh Son clearly aimed for blockbuster franchise status. Instead, production delays and poor reviews turned it into another expensive fantasy movie that failed to launch a cinematic universe.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

Tim Burton’s adaptation combined magical children, secret powers, and an isolated academy-like setting that naturally invited Harry Potter comparisons. While visually distinctive, the film never became the breakout franchise many expected from the bestselling novels.

The Spiderwick Chronicles

Paramount’s adaptation of The Spiderwick Chronicles mixed hidden fantasy worlds with child protagonists uncovering magical secrets. The setup felt perfectly designed for franchise potential, but the movie remained more of a standalone cult favorite.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Disney and Walden Media heavily positioned Narnia as a fantasy blockbuster series capable of rivaling Harry Potter. Although the first film succeeded commercially, later installments gradually lost momentum and failed to sustain the same cultural dominance.

Inkheart

Based on Cornelia Funke’s bestselling novel, Inkheart centered on magical books and fantasy creatures escaping into reality. The family-friendly fantasy tone made comparisons to Harry Potter unavoidable, though audiences never embraced it on the same level.

The Dark Is Rising

Fox adapted Susan Cooper’s beloved fantasy novels with hopes of launching another young-adult fantasy saga. Despite the rich mythology behind the books, the film struggled critically and commercially, quickly ending sequel ambitions.

Artemis Fowl

Disney spent years developing Artemis Fowl as a potential fantasy franchise built around a gifted young protagonist and hidden magical worlds. The long-awaited adaptation ultimately received harsh reviews and failed to become the next family blockbuster series.

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant

Universal tried turning Darren Shan’s popular vampire novels into a long-running fantasy franchise. With magical creatures, chosen-one themes, and teen protagonists, the similarities to other post-Harry Potter adaptations were hard to ignore.

The School for Good and Evil

Netflix’s fantasy adaptation practically embraces the “magical school” formula outright, complete with chosen students and rival academies. While more fairy-tale-focused than Harry Potter, it clearly aims for a similar young fantasy audience and franchise potential.