Let’s be honest for a moment: we all love at least one bad movie. Whether you think the criticism is unwarranted or you just enjoy laughing at something that takes itself too seriously, bad movies can be a genuinely great source of entertainment. The Golden Raspberry Awards might try to convince us otherwise when it comes to their yearly Worst Picture winners, but even some of these films are pretty good in their own way.
From bad casting and terrible writing to complex plots that are impossible to follow, plenty of factors affect a film’s chances of winning a Razzie. Fortunately, not all winners are created equally, and some are even beloved and considered cult classics by avid fans. Not convinced? Here are eight of the best movies that won a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture.
8 Catwoman
No matter how critics drag it, Halle Berry’s Catwoman was a 2000s masterpiece. The movie was bad to be sure, but it was sexy and sultry — her portrayal of the titular antihero was flawless enough to overshadow bad writing and wooden background characters. Plus, Sharon Stone as the film’s ruthless antagonist? For the little interaction the two characters had on-screen, they shared fantastic chemistry.
Before she became Catwoman, Patience Phillips was a soft-spoken woman designing ads for a beauty company. After overhearing the company's plans to market a dangerous product, she is chased down into the sewage system and flushed into the bay. She drowns, and her body is found by a clan of supernatural cats. Deeming her worthy of 'The Gift,' they revive and bless her with cat-like superpowers, and she sets off on a quest to find her killer. It's ridiculous, but her transformation sequence is easily one of the best in movie history. The soundtrack is full of bangers, the fight scenes are impeccably choreographed and Patience’s romance with Detective Lone is fiery! She is the Catwoman.
7 Wild Wild West
You can put a star-studded cast of talent on the Razzies roster, but you can’t make people hate their work. Even though the film is rife with stereotypes, the characters are hilarious and charming. Will Smith and Kevin Kline costar as Captain Jim West and U.S. Marshal Artemis Gordon in Wild Wild West, and the duo is tasked with stopping the vile Dr. Loveless (brilliantly portrayed by Kevin Branagh) from taking control of the budding United States. Along the way, Rita Escobar (the incomparable Salma Hayek) joins the pair in hopes of rescuing her father from Dr. Loveless' spidery clutches.
It's corny, silly and even offensive at times, but it works for the film. The actors play into the over-the-top story, and their more lax approach to the movie makes it way more fun to watch than if it were treated like a gritty Western. The CGI and visual effects are very 'of their time', but nostalgically. Plus, Will Smith gave us some incredible rap hits for the soundtrack, and that makes the whole experience even better.
6 Showgirls
A prime example of how critically bashed films can still become cult classics, Showgirls garner tons of controversy for its excessive nudity, poor writing, bad performances, depiction of sexual violence and lackluster musical numbers. Viewers often regard it as insanely laughable, and the premise gets wilder the longer you watch it. That said, the unpredictable nature of the story and constant bouts of drama makes it intriguing, even if you only watch it once.
Aspiring showgirl Nomi hitchhikes her way to Las Vegas, where she becomes a topless dancer in a nightclub. From here, she develops a love/hate rivalry with Cristal, another performer that headlines at a casino. The film gives us an extensive catfight between these characters, and there's no shortage of truly baffling sex scenes and violence throughout the film. It's so bad that critics have started re-evaluating it as a masterpiece.
5 The Love Guru
The late 2000s and early 2010s ushered in an odd variety of comedy films that aimed to squeeze as many adult jokes and vulgar gags into the runtime as possible, and that's where The Love Guru shines. Fans of American Pie or any number of Sacha Baron Cohen films likely binged this movie a few times, and it's honestly one of the better representatives of the overly sexual comedy genre.
Mike Myers stars as the 'Number 2 Guru in the World', only outdone by Deepak Chopra. Having amassed a huge following for his teachings of self-love and acceptance, he's called upon by a Toronto hockey coach to help one of her star players get his mojo back in wake of his marital separation. Myers' Indian accent probably wouldn't fly in modern cinema, but the man is funny — there's a reason movies like Austin Powers are still cult classics. The flick is raunchy and comes on strong with the sexual humor, but it also balances things out with a few musical numbers that are total earworms.
4 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
It's hard to work with Transformers as subject material because the series is a beloved part of everyone's childhood. Most modern movies fail to deliver on fan expectations, but Revenge of the Fallen is still a pretty good entry in the series. There are a few key things that make this film so enjoyable despite some glaring issues with its confusing story and poorly written characters.
First is Shia LeBeouf. Say what you will, he's very talented and his performance as a shy guy whisked away into a world of warring robots is always fun to watch. Next is the Transformers themselves; the movie is flawed, but the CGI is surprisingly cool. As a bonus, the bots all have unique personalities, and the voice actors built amazing chemistry between them, especially with Bee and Optimus Prime. Last but not least, Megan Fox doesn't get enough recognition for her role in the Transformers movies. The directors tried to trap her in a one-dimensional hot girl mold, but she's just as enjoyable alongside the Transformers as LeBeouf.
3 Jack and Jill
You either love or hate Adam Sandler's movies, and that goes double for this Razzie winner. Sandler plays a pair of identical twins with an estranged relationship. Jack has a great life and successful advertising career in Los Angeles, but things take a predictably wacky turn when she comes to stay with her brother and his family. The situation only worsens as she continuously extends her trip. There's also a weird storyline where Al Pacino falls aggressively in love with her, but she eventually finds love with Eugenio Derbez's character.
Jack and Jill is wild, period. The film's attempts at humor are almost satirical and focus mostly on Jill's life and personality, Al Pacino's deranged mental status and jokes about Jack's adopted Hindu son, but it's this almost otherworldly insanity that makes it hard to look away. It's more laughably bad than wrongfully criticized, but the film isn't without its fair share of laughs. The best part may honestly be Sandler and Pacino's enthusiasm for making fun of themselves!
2 Indecent Proposal
This steamy tale of sex, financial ruin and luxury is as passionate as it sounds. Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson star as a couple struggling with severe debt in Indecent Proposal, and they decide to try their luck at gambling for big wins in Vegas. There, Demi Moore's character catches the eye of a mysteriously wealthy man (played by Robert Redford), and he offers the couple $1 million to spend the night with her. Though initially hesitant, the couple eventually accepts, succumbing to cold feet and crumbling their marriage in the process.
The film's aesthetic is very glamorous, and the characters share a lot of great chemistry. It's not the most exciting premise in the world and the ending isn't especially satisfying, but it's alluring and dramatic enough to warrant seeing it at least once.
1 Cocktail
Oh, to be Tom Cruise in his heyday! Cocktail is as 80s as it gets, little short of a Flash Dance-style montage. It's a story full of romance, drama and characters who simply cannot make up their mind about what they want; Cruise's Brian aspires to be a big city business mogul but finds himself working as a bartender when things don't pan out. Throughout his life, he struggles with rocky friendships, drunkenly cheats on the love of his life and is forced to prove his love to win her back.
There's a lot of tension to unpack in the film, but the drama and old-school feel culminate into something special. The cast gives it their all with the source material, and the ending is surprisingly cute despite the film's events. And the soundtrack? It's a history lesson in 80s music for any viewer!