The ‘90s were a special decade, and certain movies from that period have garnered a reputation for being “cringe-worthy” due to a variety of reasons, including problematic content, cheesy dialogue, poor acting, and convoluted plotlines. Here are 19 films that we regret watching:
Striptease (1996)
Striptease made Demi Moore the highest-paid actress of her time, with a $12.5 million pay. But her acting in the film did not justify the huge payout, and the film was riddled with average performances from its cast. The “stripping to conquer” story was not well received either.
Highlander II: The Quickening (1991)
When I got to know that the director, Russell Mulcahy, reportedly walked out of the world premiere after 15 minutes, that should have been enough warning not to watch it. But I did anyway, and it was terrible. The plot is all jumbled up, and some performances were awful.
Jury Duty (1995)
What’s more cringe than a forced comedy? Very few things. This movie would have honestly worked better as a drama, but that would have been impossible with Pauly Shore in the lead role. His performance here, to worsen things, is once again embarrassing.
She’s All That (1999)
The whole idea of a jock betting that he could make an unattractive girl prom queen is only hilarious and embarrassing. The idea was a hit in the ’90s, but Netflix’s attempt to remake it with He’s All That (2021) makes me realize how cringe the original was.
Mr. Nanny (1993)
Hulk Hogan, unfortunately, does not possess the range of a great actor. He’s an action entertainment star, and while there are some fight scenes in this movie (which are also embarrassing), his overall performance leaves much to be desired.
Chairman of the Board (1998)
There’s a reason why Carrot Top is no longer very popular today, and it’s because his comedic style is terrible. He showed that with Chairman of the Board, and I don’t think his career ever fully recovered. Terrible movie with boring comedy.
North (1994)
Even with a star-studded cast, the plot of the movie and what the characters (and actors) have to do in furtherance of the plot is embarrassing. Take the scene where parents have to “audition” as an example. It has some redeeming moments, but still overall atrocious.
The Pest (1997)
John Leguizamo’s performance was grating, and the movie’s weak plot made things a lot worse. It’s a film you might have liked as a kid because it fit the ‘90s absurdity, but rewatching it because you feel nostalgic would be a huge mistake.
Double Dragon (1994)
The movie seemed to be too campy, and the action scenes and special effects were not up to par. The filmmakers didn’t seem to understand the game that the movie was based on. The plot was unremarkable, and the graphics were subpar. I was disappointed by this movie.
It’s Pat (1994)
No matter how cringe an SNL skit is, it’s always bearable because it doesn’t go beyond seven minutes. But what happens if someone decides to make an SNL skit character into a movie? You get It’s Pat. And it was a terrible movie that couldn’t go beyond its one-joke premise.
The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990)
This was supposed to be Andrew Dice Clay’s big movie as a great, foul-mouthed detective. And even though the character was already marketed as being annoying, I still couldn’t stand all the tasteless and crass jokes. Clay’s character was too much, so much it became cringe.
Exit to Eden (1994)
Exit to Eden is like a ‘90s Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) if Fifty Shades included cops trying to solve a case by joining a group of S&M ‘enthusiasts’ on a secret island. However, the film doesn’t get it right, and even the actors look embarrassed while playing their roles.
Never Been Kissed (1999)
The scriptwriters somehow concocted one of the weirdest stories that have ever been made into a film. Why does an English teacher begin to develop feelings for his student (who he believes to be underage)? And it’s apparently a high school where you can become cool by eating a lot of coleslaw.
Sliver (1993)
There are so many cringe-worthy scenes in this movie, but I think it all results from two things: bad casting and even worse writing. The roles Sharon Stone and William Baldwin are cast in clearly do not fit the actors, and the dialogue is extremely weak.
The Avengers (1998)
No, these are not Marvel’s Avengers that you know and love (or hate). This was a sad adaptation of a British TV show of the same name that ran from 1961 to 1969. The film is incoherent due to the studio’s decision to cut out key scenes that turned out hideous.
Captain America (1990)
Now, this is about Marvel’s first Avenger. But before Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), there was this atrocious attempt at bringing the character to film. The editing (which I would think anyone should consider essential for a superhero movie) was cringe-worthy, and the production was obviously poorly thought out.
Virtuosity (1995)
The undercooked plot relied on action clichés to sell the movie. Despite having big names like Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, it couldn’t shake off its B-movie vibes, owing to its one-dimensional characters and boring dialogue. The flashy visuals are over the top.
Barb Wire (1996)
The film was a lot more focused on showing off Pamela Anderson than having the qualities of a decent movie. Unfortunately, Pamela Anderson wasn’t enough, and its efforts at trying to make her seem so become cringe-worthy about 30 minutes in.
Mr. Magoo (1997)
It wasn’t a one-joke movie, but it felt like that so many times. Most of the movie relied on Mr. Magoo’s nearsightedness for humor. That slapstick approach and lack of depth made it cringe-worthy for me, adding it to a long list of less-than-impressive live-action adaptations.
