10 of the Most Forgettable Movies of All Time That Should Never Have Been

Truly great movies stand out for a reason – they offer something genuinely new and memorable. Think of iconic scenes like the chest-bursting moment in Alien, the head rotation in The Exorcist, the chaotic gas station fight in Zoolander, John McClane’s barefoot run in Die Hard, or Cameron Diaz’s hair gel in There’s Something About Mary – these are moments you can’t forget. But a single amazing scene isn’t enough to make a whole movie stick with you. To truly captivate an audience, a film needs a consistently engaging story, a natural-feeling script, and a lot of other carefully considered elements.

These movies just don’t leave a lasting impression. You’ll likely forget most, if not all, of what happens in them very quickly – sometimes even within a day. We’re not necessarily saying they’re bad movies, though some are, just that they’re easily forgettable and don’t have any particularly memorable scenes.

10) The Irishman

While The Irishman is on this list, it’s worth noting it’s surprisingly forgettable for a film directed by Martin Scorsese. It’s a definite improvement, however, over the previous movie starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, Righteous Kill.

What’s truly disappointing about The Irishman isn’t that it’s a mediocre film, but the amount of prestige surrounding it. At three and a half hours long, it struggles to deliver any truly memorable scenes. While De Niro and Pacino share some conversations in restaurants and hotel rooms, it’s hard to recall what they actually discussed. This is a stark contrast to their iconic diner scene in Heat, which remains vividly clear in your mind even decades later.

Stream The Irishman on Netflix.

9) Gangster Squad

The original ending for Gangster Squad took place in a movie theater, but it was scrapped after the tragic shooting at the Aurora, Colorado screening of The Dark Knight Rises. While this alternate ending – featuring slow-motion shots of shattering vases as bullets fly through a hotel lobby – would likely have been more impactful than the one we saw, it probably wouldn’t have been enough to make the film truly memorable.

Gangster Squad doesn’t offer anything new or particularly well-executed. The characters are flat, the action feels over-the-top and unrealistic, and the acting doesn’t feel convincing. While it might provide a little momentary entertainment, it’s a quickly forgettable film.

8) The Dark Tower

Stephen King’s The Dark Tower novels create a huge, detailed world that’s a joy to visualize. Unfortunately, The Dark Tower movie is a confusing action film with no real depth.

This adaptation truly misses the heart of Stephen King’s story. It feels heavily manipulated and rushes through poorly executed scenes with unconvincing performances. When compared to other adaptations of King’s work, The Dark Tower is easily the most forgettable.

Stream The Dark Tower for free with ads on Prime Video.

7) Need for Speed

Need for Speed feels like a streamlined version of the Fast & Furious movies, without the over-the-top action or playful vibe. Ultimately, it’s a straightforward attempt to capitalize on the popularity of racing films.

While Gran Turismo faced similar issues, it at least had some emotional depth. Need for Speed, however, feels completely empty. It clearly tries to imitate the tone of the first Fast & Furious movie, focusing on small-time criminals, but falls short. Ultimately, its main significance is that it both launched and ended Aaron Paul’s attempt to become a leading man in films.

Stream Need for Speed for free on Hoopla.

6) A Good Day to Die Hard

Each Die Hard movie, even Live Free or Die Hard, features a villain you remember. That’s not the case with A Good Day to Die Hard. The film tries to make you think Yuri Komarov is the victim, but then reveals he’s the bad guy. However, the twist doesn’t matter much because he’s simply not a compelling character.

The latest Die Hard movie isn’t just bad—it feels completely disconnected from what made the series great. John McClane has lost all of his signature wit and charisma, becoming a generic action hero who spends the whole film arguing with his son. It lacks the spirit of previous installments, even Live Free or Die Hard managed to capture some of that feeling, but this final movie doesn’t feel like a Die Hard film at all.

Stream A Good Day to Die Hard on Hulu.

5) Transformers: The Last Knight

The Transformers movies tend to feel very similar, each one essentially retreading the same ground with a few new story details. However, Transformers: The Last Knight is particularly bad – it’s confusing and unnecessarily long.

As a huge fan of the series, I have to say The Last Knight really disappointed me. It felt like the filmmakers had nothing left to give. The acting felt flat, the story was a mess that went in circles – honestly, I never believed Optimus would stay a villain – and the special effects somehow looked worse than they did a decade earlier. It just felt completely empty.

Stream Transformers: The Last Knight on MGM+.

4) Mile 22

Mark Wahlberg has starred in quite a few movies that don’t leave a lasting impression. Films like Rock Star, Payne, Date Night, Contraband, Broken City, and The Last Knight are all easily forgotten. However, Mile 22 is perhaps the most unremarkable of the bunch, though Broken City comes close.

Mile 22 is a confusing and frantic movie, making its action scenes forgettable – and those scenes are really all the film focuses on. It’s a sign of a weak script when even talented actors like John Malkovich and Lauren Cohan can’t bring their characters to life.

Stream Mile 22 on TNT.

3) Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

It became clear quite quickly that Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit wasn’t expected to be a big hit. Despite featuring major stars like Chris Pine, Kevin Costner, Keira Knightley, and Kenneth Branagh – who also directed the film after Thor – it was released in January, a time typically reserved for less-promising movies.

January isn’t always a month for releasing unsuccessful films, but it’s often used for projects the studio doesn’t have high hopes for – especially those that would likely fail if released during the busy summer months. This was true for Jack Ryan, which was later successfully revived as a series on Prime Video four years later.

Stream Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit on Paramount+.

2) The Words

The film The Words doesn’t quite succeed in any of its genres. It’s a romance lacking heat, a drama without genuinely moving scenes, and a mystery that doesn’t offer any real intrigue. It’s perhaps no surprise that the directors haven’t made many films since.

It’s incredible they assembled such a talented cast – Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons, Zoe Saldaña, J.K. Simmons, Ben Barnes, Olivia Wilde, and Dennis Quaid, to name a few – for a movie with such a weak and uninteresting storyline. Despite their star power, none of the actors were given compelling roles or anything substantial to work with.

Stream The Words on Paramount+.

1) The Hangover Part III

The third Hangover movie has one scene people remember, but not for a good reason. It happens very early on – within the first five minutes – which means you still have over an hour and thirty-five minutes of a pretty pointless movie to endure. That scene is the giraffe decapitation, and it’s a cruel and senseless way to kick off the story.

While The Hangover Part II received a lot of criticism for being too similar to the first movie, it was actually much better than Part III, which felt like it didn’t have a story at all and awkwardly tried to connect back to the original. Part II was at least a dark and funny remake of the first Hangover film, but Part III felt like a completely unnecessary attempt to make money. You don’t need to watch either sequel, but Part III is especially pointless.

Stream The Hangover Part III on TNT.

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2026-01-07 03:43