18 Early ’00s Movies You Thought Were Good, But Are Actually Pretty Horrible
These “cinematic masterpieces” have not stood the test of time.
1. Down To You
Rotten Tomatoes score: 3%
Most scathing review: “It’s like watching the dreckiest of teen puppy courtships trying to pass itself off as Annie Hall.” — Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly.
Why you probably loved it: Cause it created a perfect fantasy of what you thought your college romance/experience would be like.
2. A Cinderella Story
Rotten Tomatoes score: 11%
Most scathing review: “This is a lame, stupid movie.” – Roger Ebert.
Why you probably loved it: Because it reminded you of Ever After, but with Lizzie McGuire.
3. The Butterfly Effect
Rotten Tomatoes score: 33%
Most scathing review: “An over-the-top supernatural thriller so ridiculous it’s unintentionally funnier than some of his recent comedies like My Boss’s Daughter.” — Lou Lumenick, NY Post.
Why you probably loved it: There are really only two reasons: Ashton Kutcher, and you were high as fuck when you saw this.
4. Crossroads
Rotten Tomatoes score: 14%
Most scathing review: “She’s [Britney Spears] not yet an actress, not quite a singer…” – Richard Roeper, Ebert and Roeper.
Why you probably loved it: Obviously because it was Britney Spears’ first starring film role, plus it had the whole best friends road trip plot line.
5. Josie and the Pussycats
Rotten Tomatoes score: 53%
Most scathing review: “Josie and the Pussycats are not dumber than the Spice Girls, but they’re as dumb as the Spice Girls, which is dumb enough.” – Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times.
Why you probably loved it: It was fast paced, visually appealing, and it attempted to be witty.
6. Crazy/Beautiful
Rotten Tomatoes score: 14%
Most scathing review: “There is much to grate on your nerves in this TV Afterschool Special trying to pass as a real movie.” – Peter Travers, Rolling Stone.
Why you probably loved it: Its very cliché star-crossed lovers plot line.
7. Save the Last Dance
Rotten Tomatoes score: 8%
Most scathing review: “Disjointed plotting and afterschool-special dialogue offer scant opportunity for the charismatic leading duo to work up much chemistry.” — Jessica Winter, The Village Voice.
Why you probably loved it: Because it had the all-too-familiar Romeo and Juliet star-crossed lovers plot.
8. Summer Catch
Rotten Tomatoes score: 8%
Most scathing review: “After giving Summer Catch an hour and a half of my life, I resent every stolen minute.” — Jonathan Foreman, NY Post.
Why you probably loved it: Cause it starred Freddie Prinze Jr.
9. Swimfan
Rotten Tomatoes score: 14%
Most scathing review: “It would be great to see this turd squashed under a truck, preferably a semi.” – Peter Travers, Rolling Stone.
Why you probably loved it: It was a campy erotic thriller about obsessive love, that seemed original if you had never seen or heard of Fatal Attraction.
10. Wicker Park
Rotten Tomatoes score: 24%
Most scathing review: “It’s actually an example of an even more unusual subgenre: the dumb, suspense- free and undersexed stalker drama. It just might be the first and last movie of its kind.” — Carla Meyer, San Francisco Chronicle.
Why you probably loved it: You thought this was a super dark suspense thriller, but, of course, you primarily watched it because of Josh Hartnett.
11. Riding In Cars With Boys
Rotten Tomatoes score: 49%
Most scathing review: “Riding in Cars with Boys is a traffic accident of a movie.” — Rick Groen, Globe and Mail.
Why you probably loved it: It was like the ultimate after school special; Drew Barrymore plays a pregnant teen who must overcome lots of adversity in 1960s Connecticut.
12. A Walk To Remember
Rotten Tomatoes score: 27%
Most scathing review: “It’s an overwrought teen weepy, Terms of Endearment for the TRL crowd.” — Christy Lemire, Associated Press.
Why you probably loved it: Because it was a saccharine coming-of-age teen romantic drama that you thought was so deep and profound. Plus it starred early ‘00s teen super stars Mandy Moore and Shane West.
13. The Skulls
Rotten Tomatoes score: 9%
Most scathing review: “The writing is so bad that it’s impossible not to laugh out loud at scenes intended to be scary or serious.” — Christy Lemire, Associated Press.
Why you probably loved it: Two reasons: Joshua Jackson and Paul Walker.
14. What A Girl Wants
Rotten Tomatoes score: 35%
Most scathing review: “An excellent choice for American parents who want their children to grow up infatuated with British royalty.” — Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel.
Why you probably loved it: The total escapism fantasy of Daphne’s (Amanda Bynes) rag-to-riches story.
Also, after watching this movie you might have had a thing for Colin Firth — which probably led to subsequent viewings.
15. The Wedding Planner
Rotten Tomatoes score: 17%
Most scathing review: “A little more coarseness, or at least some originality, might have helped the jokes, which barely rise to the level of might-see TV.” – A.O. Scott, The New York Times.
Why you probably loved it: Because in 2001, the year the film was released, there was no bigger star than J. Lo.
16. Coyote Ugly
Rotten Tomatoes score: 22%
Most scathing review: “Coyote Ugly, a movie that’s the follow-your-dream equivalent of singing karaoke along with a DVD of Flashdance.”— Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly.
Why you probably loved it: The cheesy plot about living out your dreams. Plus lots of eye-candy.
The film does have its defenders though.
17. Honey
Rotten Tomatoes score: 20%
Most scathing review: “There’s an entertainingly ludicrous movie lurking somewhere inside of the ludicrous, mediocre one this actually is.” – Charles Taylor, Salon.
Why you probably loved it: The film had dazzling choreographed dance moves and a good soundtrack. Also you might have been to young to realize that it was a rip-off of Flashdance.
18. On the Line
Rotten Tomatoes score: 19%
Most scathing review: “If any of these characters had even a double-digit IQ, there’d be no movie.” — Jim Lane, Sacramento News & Review.
Why you probably loved it: Because you were a huge NSYNC fan and also Lance was your favorite remember. But let’s be honest, even then you probably didn’t really like it.
Contributions
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