"My coworkers told me I would sob watching The Notebook. My eyes were so dry, I needed Visine."
Are these "terrible" movies actually good? Are these "loved" movies actually bad? Let's find out...
1. Hated: The Notebook (2004): "I know a lot of people think it's the ultimate 2000s romance movie, but I can't stand it. Threatening to off yourself to get a woman you don't know — who has also said 'no' multiple times — to go out with you is NOT romantic!!!"
2. Loved: Bride Wars (2009): "It got some low ratings, but Bride Wars with Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway, and pre-GotG and -Parks & Rec Chris Pratt is actually pretty good. If it's on TV, you bet I'm going to turn it on."
3. Hated: Moulin Rouge! (2001): "It has a good set and all, but it’s nothing special. I’m also not a fan of Baz Luhrmann."
4. Loved: The Village (2004): "I never understood the hate for The Village. IMHO, the only wrong thing is it being marketed as a horror movie instead of the suspense/drama it really is."
5. Hated: Forrest Gump (1994): "I honestly think Forrest Gump is a [bad] movie. People still quote from that movie even today, and all I can think about is how awful the film really was."
6. Loved: Encino Man (1992): "It has a 17% on Rotten Tomatoes, but it's got Sean Astin, Pauly Shore, and best of all, BRENDAN FRASER with long hair pre-George of the Jungle. The premise is just ridiculous enough, and the characters (and actors who play them) are just outstanding enough to make the movie one of my absolute faves. It's little known but should be more known."
7. Hated: Mean Girls (2004): "I loved it growing up, but watching it now, as an Asian woman, all the racist stereotypes and fetishizing of the 'cool Asians' just make me sick. I can’t watch it anymore because of that."
8. Loved: White Chicks (2004): "Some people hated it, but I loved it."
9. Hated: Breakfast at Tiiffany's (1961): "It’s hyped up as this incredible movie, but when I watched it for the first time, I was so underwhelmed. The song 'Moon River' is by far the best thing to come from the film."
10. Loved: Bewitched (2005): "Bewitched with Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell! I used to watch it religiously. I think it's such a funny and charming film."
11. Hated: The Toy Story series: "I'm entirely on board with disliking Toy Story (the entire franchise, in my case). I get what it was trying to do, but the Muppets told the exact same story ~better~ years earlier with The Christmas Toy."
12. Loved: Hoodwinked! (2005): "I don't care about the low-quality animation; I love that movie! The script is hilarious, and it was clever to twist traditional fairy tales with a Rashomon-style narrative."
13. Hated: Elf (2003): "Elf is just squawky annoyance."
14. Loved: Death to Smoochy (2002): "Ebert called it the worst movie of the year, and it's one of my favorites! A dark comedy about the seedy side of children's television and charities, starring Robin Williams, Edward Norton, Catherine Keener, and Jon Stewart. Cracks me up every time!"
15. Hated: Avatar (2009): "Man, I hate Avatar. Great effects, but the story was such a trite, recycled POS. The characters were all clichés and could have just worn T-shirts saying which trope they were: Bad Guy, Military, Reluctant Hero, Scrappy Scientist, Tribal Elder, His Daughter, Her Intended... Pocahontas meets Dances With Wolves meets The Last Samurai meets The Smurfs."
16. Loved: Ghostbusters (2016): "Every time I watch it, I find something else that cracks me up. Chris Hemsworth is a riot, and Kate McKinnon slays. No one I know likes it."
17. Hated: Citizen Kane (1941): "I zoned out during Citizen Kane. I know I watched it, but I can’t remember what happened LOL. I think there was a sled called 'Rosebud'???"
18. Loved: Batman & Robin (1997): "Batman & Robin brought Chris O'Donnell into my awareness. All these years later, he's still my favorite crush, and one day, I will run away to Hollywood and marry him."
19. Hated: It's a Wonderful Life (1946): "It's a Wonderful Life is so boring and predictable. I've never understood why people adore it so much."
20. Loved: Xanadu (1980): "Xanadu is one of my favorite movies that always gets so much hate! It's definitely not the best movie ever made, but it's super campy and fun."
21. Hated: The Cars and Planes franchise: "Why does literally the least interesting Pixar movie get two sequels and a spinoff with its OWN sequel?? Meanwhile, it took 15 years to get an Incredibles 2, and we will never see a Ratatouille, Wall-E, or Brave sequel."
22. Loved: The New Mutants (2020): "It wasn't groundbreaking by any stretch of the imagination, nor did it really live up to its horror-movie marketing, but it was solidly entertaining, and IMO, had good enough writing and characters to make me remember it as a good viewing experience. Didn't deserve a lot of the hatred it got."
23. Hated: The Princess Bride (1987): "I detest The Princess Bride. I finally watched it around 2013, and I just...was bored to tears. It wasn't funny, it wasn't romantic, and it didn't do anything for me. That's fine — not all things have to. I just don't get why it's so damn popular."
24. Loved: Hot Tub Time Machine (2010): "Hot Tub Time Machine. I haven't watched it in a bit since Tag and Game Night have become my favorite movies in the 'completely average people wind up in bonkers, dangerous situations action-comedy genre, but it's honestly a super-enjoyable movie."
25. Hated: Inception (2010): "Inception was boring AF, and the whole 'it doesn't matter if stuff in a movie is anachronistic because movies are fake anyway' is absolute anathema to me."
26. Loved: View From the Top (2003): "Apparently, View From the Top has a low rating, but I FREAKING LOVE THAT MOVIE. It's funny and sweet, and it has great actors. It's one of my go-to movies to watch when I'm sick in bed."
27. Hated: Brokeback Mountain (2005): "Slow and boring. Read the story; it takes 20 minutes, and you don't have to look at endless shots of wet mountains that make you feel cold and ready for a shower."
28. Loved: Tomorrowland (2015): "Tomorrowland is a pretty good science fiction movie. It's entertaining, and while its message is cheesy, I think it's hopeful as well. It portrays what it would be like if humans knew in advance that the world was going to end; we wouldn't give a damn, and we wouldn't do anything to remedy it — as is happening now with COVID-19. Plus, George Clooney and Hugh Laurie are in the movie! I don't understand why everyone says Tomorrowland is bad, but I saw it once and loved it. In my opinion, it's not as bad as people say it is."
29. Hated: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986): "I hated Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The main character is soooooo unlikable. How am I supposed to enjoy a whole movie about him?"
30. Loved: Grease 2 (1982): "Can we discuss that Grease 2 was actually awesome? The outfits, the camp, the FEMINISM? No one changed for anyone. The music was so cheesy, and honestly, that movie was 10x better."
31. Hated: Grease (1978): "I loathe the songs, the plot, and pretty much everything about it (Stockard Channing aside). I just cringe when I hear it."
32. Loved: Burlesque (2010): "I love Burlesque so much. People always hate on it, from what I see. It's so fantastically fun, and the music and outfits are magic. Christina Aguilera's hair alone in that movie should've won an Oscar, LOL. And I don't need to talk about Cher — she's Cher. I expected it not to be so great, but by the end of the movie, I was almost hopping on a bus to go dance burlesque somewhere myself. 😂"
33. Hated: Gone With the Wind (1939): "I can't stand all three hours of it. And yes, I’ve seen it more than once. Four chances, and it still sucked!"
34. Loved: The Happening (2008): "I love The Happening. I don't know why because the acting isn't good — even though Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel are pretty good actors — and the plot twist is, uh, something. It's just a weird, fun watch for me."
35. Hated: Lady Bird (2017): "I understand she was supposed to be unbearable, but it was too much for me. Love Saoirse though!"
36. Also hated: The Breakfast Club (1985): "The Breakfast Club is incredibly overrated."
Are there any "hated" movies that you love? Are there any "loved" movies that you hate? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.