The Worst Movies of 2025 (So Far)

The Review Geek

14 hours ago

2025 has been a pretty good year for movies so far, with the likes of A Real Pain, Sinners, and Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy doing much to please critics and audiences.
Of course, not every movie has wowed people in the same way, and there are some that the ReviewGeek team have called out for being particularly bad. Below are our personal picks for the 'worst of 2025 (so far).' Check out our list and let us know if you agree or disagree with our choices.
Shadow Force
Shadow Force. It's the kind of movie title that you'd expect to see slapped onto a 1980s action flick starring Chuck Norris or Steven Seagal. But no, this is 2025, and it's the title of the latest thriller from director Joe Carnahan, starring Kerry Washington and Omar Sy as a couple on the run from their shady former employer.
With a director well-known for entertaining action films (The A-Team, Copshop) and a decent cast (which also includes Mark Strong), you might expect Shadow Force to transcend its generic title and be halfway entertaining. Sadly, it's not – this movie is garbage and easily the worst in Carnahan's career.
With poor direction, badly choreographed action scenes, and a plodding storyline that makes little to no sense, there is nothing in this movie that will get your pulse racing. We recommend you force this one back into the shadows and watch a better action movie instead, such as the latest Mission: Impossible flick or Thunderbolts.
Star Trek: Section 31
This spin-off movie to Star Trek: Discovery focuses on Emperor Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) as she joins Section 31, the secret division of Starfleet that is tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets.
Fans of the show (and the lead character) were looking forward to this one, but sadly, it (un)boldly goes where dozens of generic sci-fi action movies have gone before, i.e. to some not-very-interesting or exciting places. At times, it doesn't even resemble a Star Trek movie, as it ends up being more of a heist flick in space than something resembling the classic franchise.
Our advice? Set your phasers to stun and eliminate this disappointing Trek entry from your watchlist.
G20
Viola Davis kicking ass in an action movie? Yes, please! She's a terrific actress who previously proved her fighting ability in The Woman King.
In G20, Davies stars as an American President who uses her past military experience to tackle the terrorists who have taken over the G20 summit. We're in for a rollicking good time, right?
Well, no. While we can forgive the escapist premise, we are less forgiving of the cliched script, lack of suspense, and the poorly choreographed action scenes in this surprisingly bad movie. This could have been a mix of Air Force One and Die Hard, but instead, it has more in common with Angel Has Fallen and the other titles in that boring run of Presidential action films.
Materialists
In this romantic comedy, Dakota Johnson stars as an ambitious New York City matchmaker whose life and business become complicated when she finds herself torn between the perfect match and her former lover. Just what is a girl to do? Well… you might not care!
This second movie from Celine Song (Past Lives) was highly anticipated, but for many people, it proved to be something of a disappointment. In her review of Materialists, ReviewGeek writer Lopa K called it the 'biggest betrayal of 2025', as she lamented the eye-rolling dialogue, unfunny 'comedy,' and lack of emotional payoff.
Some critics enjoyed the film, but for many, this was a big letdown after the director's fabulous first feature.
The Monkey
Based on Stephen King's short story of the same name, Oz Perkins' (Longlegs) latest chiller follows twin brothers Hal and Bill, whose lives are blighted by a cursed monkey toy that once belonged to their father. To say more would spoil the twists in the story, assuming, of course, that you are interested in seeing it.
Personally, I didn't hate The Monkey as much as some critics did, but that might be because I'm a die-hard Stephen King fan who is forgiving of even the flimsiest adaptations of his work. The ReviewGeek's Ally Ham didn't like the movie, however, citing the badly conceived mix of lighthearted comedy and elements of gory horror as one of the movie's biggest faults. In her review, she also lambasted the movie for its bland characterisations and poorly written script.
What were your thoughts on The Monkey? Did you go bananas for it, or did you make like a banana and split after the first few minutes? Drop us a comment with your thoughts.
In The Lost Lands
Based on the short story of the same name by George RR Martin, this fantasy movie stars Milla Jovovich and Dave Bautista as, respectively, a sorceress and a drifter who travel to the ghostly wilderness of the Lost Lands in search of a lost artefact for their queen. Along the way, they encounter demonic beasties and other monstrosities as they work together to complete their mission.
It's of little surprise that this potential epic failed to live up to Martin's story, as it's directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, who hasn't made a good movie since 1997's Event Horizon. He's second only to Uwe Boll for bad video game adaptations, and while this movie isn't based on a game, it's still as uninspired and badly conceived as the majority of his previous work.
Cleaner
Daisy Ridley stars as an ex-soldier turned window cleaner who is called back into action when criminal activists take over the high-rise building where she works. With blood splattering the sparkling windows she is buffering up, it's of little surprise that she'd want to wipe them out before they make a mess of all her handiwork!
This gender-switched rip-off of Die Hard from director Martin Campbell could have been dumb, silly fun. Instead, it's a bit of a damp squib, largely due to the lacklustre script and surprisingly tired direction. It's more fun than an afternoon washing your windows, but Ridley and audiences deserved something more entertaining than this.
A Minecraft Movie
A Minecraft movie was a box office hit (among the 70 highest-grossing films in box office history) but does that mean it's a good movie? Not according to the ReviewGeek's editor Greg Wheeler, who called it 'ham-fisted' and 'poorly written' in his review.
Of course, kids will disagree with the bad reviews the movie garnered, as they clearly enjoyed the Minecraft references that were littered throughout the film. Just ask any cinema attendant who had to clean up the popcorn mess after dealing with the out-of-control juvenile audience members who laughed, clapped, and threw bucketloads of the popular cinema snack at certain points throughout the film.
But the praise given to the film is largely due to the recognised elements of its IP. As a movie, it's a bit of a shambles, with little regard for heart, imagination, good characters, or anything resembling a decent storyline. Perhaps that's something to be expected from a blocky video game adaptation, but then again, The Lego Movie was an unexpected hit, and that's because it had genuine love (and not an eye on the dollar signs) poured into its creation.
Flight Risk
The Happening is no longer the worst movie on Mark Wahlberg's resume! In this mediocre action thriller, he stars as a pilot who transports an air marshal and the fugitive she is taking to trial over the Alaskan wilderness. But he isn't who he seems to be, and neither is the movie, which is far less entertaining than you might have expected.
Directed by Mel Gibson, this is a C-grade thriller that is a long way removed from his other directorial efforts, including Braveheart and Hacksaw Ridge. It's as bad as the recent movies he has starred in (Hot Seat, On The Line), with little to recommend it, other than the fairly decent performance from Topher Grace as the supposed criminal that Wahlberg's pilot is transporting.
If you're looking for a few high-altitude thrills, we recommend this year's Fight or Flight. It's far better than this piece of junk, which starts promisingly but then nosedives into a sea of mediocrity.
The Ritual
Al Pacino and Dan Stevens star in this supernatural horror film about two priests, one in a crisis with his faith and the other dealing with his turbulent past, who must overcome their personal issues when they are called upon to perform a dangerous exorcism.
The movie is based on real events, but none of the horror of the true-life tale materialises in this badly written and boring movie. Pacino and Stevens both deliver good performances, but director David Midell (The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain) fails to conjure up any real scares.
Our advice? Exorcise this hellish bore from your watchlist and check out something far scarier, such as this year's Bring Her Back or 28 Years Later.
What are your picks for the worst movies of 2025? Let us know in the comments below!