5 Movies Everyone Thought Would Be Good (But Were Terrible)

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Every year, movies are hyped as the next big hit, building excitement and anticipation. However, sometimes these films disappoint audiences and receive negative reviews. This often happens when the marketing creates a certain expectation, but the finished movie doesn’t deliver. The result is a film that feels particularly bad because it didn’t live up to the initial promise.

Have you ever wondered about movies that seemed promising but ultimately disappointed? Here are five examples of films that started with high expectations but ended up being considered missed chances.

5) Eddington

There was a lot of anticipation for Eddington leading up to its release, largely due to its director, Ari Aster. His new film was being talked about as a contemporary look at societal breakdown, which felt particularly relevant after the COVID-19 pandemic. The story takes place during that time, in a small New Mexico town where Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) and the mayor, Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal), clash as conspiracy theories and extreme political divisions begin to spread. It’s a setting that naturally lends itself to a tense and thought-provoking thriller.

While Eddington presents a lot of interesting ideas, it feels more like a collection of them than a fully developed story. The film attempts to address numerous themes simultaneously, but it struggles to establish a central storyline to tie everything together. Though the acting is strong and there are some good scenes, the film ultimately feels weighed down by its own ambition. It’s frustrating because the core message is visible, but the film doesn’t deliver it in a clear or impactful way.

4) Napoleon

Directed by Ridley Scott, Napoleon promised a grand and impressive film. The movie chronicles the life of Napoleon Bonaparte (Joaquin Phoenix), highlighting both his career and his complex relationship with his wife, Joséphine (Vanessa Kirby). This combination of historical scope and personal story had the potential to be both a massive war film and an intimate drama, and audiences anticipated this even before seeing any trailers or promotional materials.

The main issue with the movie is its lack of focus. It jumps between impressive battle scenes and an attempt to portray Napoleon as a person, but never fully delves into who he was. The Napoleon we see feels like a collection of moments rather than a complete, complex character, leaving viewers who want a thorough biography feeling disconnected. While a different style isn’t necessarily a flaw, the story ultimately doesn’t deliver the emotional impact you’d expect from a film about such a significant historical figure. It simply doesn’t quite come together as a compelling narrative.

3) Borderlands

The movie Borderlands had a lot going for it, drawing from a video game series famous for its wild humor, over-the-top action, and imaginative setting. The plot centers on Lilith (Cate Blanchett), a bounty hunter who goes back to the planet Pandora to search for the daughter of a very influential person, and she enlists the help of an unlikely team. This setup seemed perfect for a fast-paced, daring, and somewhat crazy story. However, instead of capturing the spirit of the games, the film ends up feeling quite different from what fans would expect.

It’s especially disappointing for fans when a movie or show adaptation doesn’t just change things from the original source material, but completely loses what made it special. With Borderlands, instead of embracing the wild, energetic spirit of the game, the movie feels bland and unoriginal – it lacks a unique style or personality. The humor falls flat, the characters don’t feel connected, and the world seems artificial instead of vibrant and real. Ultimately, the movie fails to capture the right tone, which was crucial, despite having plenty of great source material to work with and create something truly memorable.

2) Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania

By the time Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania came out, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was already facing criticism for some recent, less successful films. This movie felt particularly important, though, as it was set up to be a major stepping stone for the future of the franchise. The story follows Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and his family as they get stuck in the Quantum Realm, where they encounter challenges unlike anything they’ve ever seen. Because of this, the movie immediately felt like it had a lot riding on it.

The biggest problem with the movie is that it struggles to manage its ambitious scope. While visually impressive, the story feels unfocused and never quite finds a compelling core. Quantumania lacks genuine engagement and feels like another Marvel film that doesn’t know what it’s trying to achieve. Despite being positioned as the central figure, Kang (Jonathan Majors) doesn’t make a strong enough impression to warrant his importance in the story. The film had promise, but ultimately falls short in its delivery.

1) Joker: Folie à Deux

It’s difficult to discuss Joker: Folie à Deux because while its intentions are clear, the creative choices feel risky. The first Joker film was incredibly successful, and a sequel wasn’t inherently a bad idea, but it’s a situation where the original could have been left alone. The biggest question is why change the film’s style so dramatically? The new story puts Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) in Arkham Asylum, where he meets Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga), and their relationship develops through a blend of psychological drama and musical performances. This represents a significant and immediate shift in both the film’s tone and its structure.

Look, I get that musicals aren’t for everyone, but after the first Joker became such a phenomenon, you’d think the sequel would try to appeal to a wider range of tastes. Joker: Folie à Deux just doesn’t do that, and honestly, it feels like a mistake. The film loses sight of what made the first one so compelling – Arthur Fleck’s deeply disturbing internal struggle. Instead of exploring that further, it gets bogged down in abstract ideas, and that distance really hurt the emotional impact. It felt less like a character study and more like an experiment, and I think a lot of viewers, myself included, were left feeling disconnected.

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2026-05-23 23:48