We’ve all been there. Whether it be The Room, Cats, or Jupiter Ascending, everyone’s had a great time watching something that they can see is objectively terrible. If you’re in the right mood, these movies can really hit the spot. Movies that are so bad they circle back around to being good again are perfect for movie nights with friends or as a pick-me-up after a long day. When you’re not in the mood for introspection and thought-provoking drama, turning off your brain and laughing at some poorly delivered dialogue is soothing.

But what’s the difference between so bad, it’s good, and so bad, it’s just plain bad? Most of the time when a movie isn’t great, it’s because it doesn’t work for our personal taste. So, it’s interesting that some end up being noticeably bad, but still enjoyable. What are the necessary components for a movie to cross over the threshold from dull to delightful? There needs to be a redeeming quality that means the movie is still enjoyable despite its negative qualities. Of course, this all depends on individual preferences; however, there are a good few movies that consistently get categorized in this way. If you’re wondering what it is about certain movies that land them in the so bad they’re good category, here’s your answer.

Outrageous Ambitions

The Room by Tommy Wiseau
Chloe Productions

A lot of the time, a movie falls into the so bad it’s good category because it had unreasonably high expectations for itself that have clearly not been met. For example, The Wachowskis’ film Jupiter Ascending has a star-studded cast featuring Mila Kunis, Channing Tatum, and Eddie Redmayne. It’s telling a story on an enormous scale with a whopping budget, and none of it lands. The ambition here is evident, and the fact that the cast and crew didn’t succeed in reaching it might be unfortunate, but it does lead to an entertaining watch.

Even when movies aren’t on the same scale as Jupiter Ascending, a gap between expectations and reality can lead to a so bad it’s good situation. One of the most infamous movies of its kind, The Room, might not have been aiming to be a smash hit sci-fi blockbuster, but it certainly didn’t match up to creator Tommy Wiseau’s ambitions. The disparity between what Wiseau thought he was producing and the reality of it is where the comedy develops. His terrible writing and acting in contrast with his deep sincerity produce an absurd and hilarious end product.

Related: 5 "So Bad It's Good" Movies That Are Actually Just Good

Botched Visual Effects

Cats (1)
The Really Useful Group

One of the easiest ways for a movie to make its way into so bad it’s good territory is through botched visual effects. As a visual medium, movies obviously rely a lot on the way they look. So, when they contain a large amount of CGI that isn’t convincing enough, this can have a huge impact on the audience’s experience of the story. Poor special effects can make it difficult for viewers to suspend their disbelief and can take you right out of the experience. From this position, taking the movie in question seriously is difficult, planting it firmly into the so bad it’s good family.

A perfect example of visual effects elevating a movie from being just bad to so bad it’s good is Cats. It starred everyone from Judi Dench and Ian McKellan to Jason Derulo and Taylor Swift. Putting these stars in ridiculous CGI cat suits produced an insurmountable obstacle for the movie. Even if it had been excellent aside from the visual effects it would have been impossible to enjoy in a normal way. Writing for Next Best Picture, critic Daniel Howat describes Cats as "an ambitious misfire," and calls the CGI "nightmare fuel." The appearance of the movie resulted in an instant so bad it’s good classic, it’s impossible not to be entertained watching respected actors in such laughable positions.

Related: Best Worst Picture Razzie Awards Winners of All Time

The Role of Camp

Octavia Spencer in Ma
Universal Pictures

It would be an oversight to discuss the so bad it’s good phenomenon and not mention the importance of camp. Settling on a concise definition of camp is difficult, but it refers to an overly theatrical, exaggerated style. Some argue that to be truly classified as camp, the work must fit the characteristics unintentionally. However, this is a rather nebulous piece of criteria. Most importantly, camp movies tend to be critically panned, but beloved by a cult audience — sound familiar? Significant examples of camp include Mommie Dearest, Showgirls, and Death Becomes Her. Meryl Streep described her role in the latter as "absolutely through the roof, hyperbolic farce" (via HeadStuff), which sums up the camp mission well.

The category of so bad it’s good movies would be near empty without contributions from the world of camp. In recent years it’s given us Ma, in which Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer plays a murderous woman who tries to befriend a group of teenagers and dances to the song Funkytown. It’s a perfect showcase of talented people doing over-the-top acting in absurd plotlines. If you find yourself watching something with a ridiculous story but having the time of your life, chances are you’ve stumbled upon a camp classic.