The 13 Worst Movie Franchises, Ranked

One of the most prominent and notable aspects of modern film has been the franchise, with seemingly every other film being a part of an ongoing series or extended universe of characters. Nearly all the largest blockbusters and most popular movies of all time have become franchises in their own right, with IPs like Star Wars and Jurassic Park continuing to be massive successes. However, not every franchise is created equally, and there have been numerous over the years that have attained infamy for their monumental lack of quality.

Low-quality franchises are an interesting topic of discussion compared to low-quality movies because, by their very nature, some of its films had to be in some way successful enough to warrant becoming a franchise in the first place. This creates a strange dichotomy where, no matter how low the critical reception may be for these films, they still found a way to earn more sequels and installments by finding financial success. These are the worst movie franchises ever, and while some are considered dead, they will forever leave a mark, and not necessarily a good one, on those who experienced them.

13 Resident Evil Franchise

First Film: ‘Resident Evil’ (2002)

At the turn of the 21st century, zombie films were beginning to come back from the dead in new and inventive ways, and one of the first films to capitalize on this new era of the un-dead was Paul W.S. Anderson’sResident Evil. Starring Mila Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez, the film didn’t fly too far from its video game counterpart, offering blood, gore, and a kick-butt lead by mowing down the un-dead in a secret laboratory underneath Raccoon City, where the T-virus was released on accident.

The first Resident Evil wasn’t going to win any Oscars, but it did its job well, almost too well. Thanks to a high box office return ($103 million), the movie would spawn a franchise that produced diminishing results with each film, culminating in the disastrous Welcome to Racccoon City, which crashed and burned at the box office. The franchise seriously overestimated how much appetite was out there for Resident Evil films, and the franchise grew stale very quickly in the face of a changing atmosphere for horror films.Resident Evil was a product of its time and Jovovich did her best to carry the series, but it might be time for Alice to put a final stake in the heart of this tired franchise, and let it rest in peace.

Resident Evil

RAction Horror Sci-Fi

Release Date

March 15, 2002

Director

Paul W.S. Anderson

Cast

Milla Jovovich , Michelle Rodriguez , Eric Mabius , James Purefoy , Martin Crewes , Colin Salmon

Runtime

100 minutes

Main Genre

Action

Writers

Paul W.S. Anderson

Resident Evil can be streamed on Netflix in the U.S.

Watch On Netflix

12 Sharknado Franchise

First Film: ‘Sharknado’ (2013)

There is something truly special about the first Sharknado. The goofy, over-the-top premise, the terrible CGI, the “questionable” acting, all of this came together in a way that captured the hearts of all those who tuned into the Syfy Network to witness it in 2013. For context, Sharknado is a B-movie sci-fi comedy about a waterspout that, for some unkown logical reason, lifted sharks out of the Pacific Ocean and hurled them toward the unexpected residents of Los Angeles, causing all sorts of hilarious mayhem in a city that has experienced every disaster known to human existence. This was a movie that was made to be terrible, but it became a phenomenon thanks to its wacky premise, and it even received a one-night theatrical showing.

However, that success didn’t necessitate creating a franchise, which is exactly what happened to the tune of five (yes, five) movies. The Sharknado franchise feels like a bad joke that has been told over-and-over again, and everyone stopped laughing at the joke after its first go-around. The sequels offered nothing new, and nothing original. In fact, it’s actually quite apt to say that the Sharknado sequels were basically rinse-and-repeat versions of the original, trying oh-so-desperately to recapture that 15-minutes of glory the first installment accomplished, and falling flat each-and-every time. There hasn’t been a new Sharknado film released since 2018, and it should stay that way.

Sharknado

Not RatedActionAdventureComedy

Release Date

July 11, 2013

Director

anthony c. ferrante

Cast

Ian Ziering , Tara Reid , John Heard , Cassie Scerbo , Jaason Simmons , Alex Arleo

Runtime

86 minutes

Main Genre

Action

Writers

Thunder Levin

Sharknado can be streamed on Shudder in the U.S.

Watch on Shudder

11 Paranormal Activity Franchise

First Film: ‘Paranormal Activity’ (2009)

When Paramount Pictures released its marketing for Paranormal Activity, it lured moviegoers in with a pretty bold claim for people to not see this movie alone. After the film was released in theaters in 2009, critics largely praised the movie, and with good reason, as director Oren Peli masterfully showed what one could do on a miniscule budget of $15,000 ($215,000 after post-production). Peli used that money to create one of the more tension-filled, suspenseful horror movies in history, with a perfect twist ending that left audiences scarred. Raking in nearly $150 million during its theatrical run, there was little question that Paramount would greenlight a sequel to capitalize on its success.

While Paranormal Activity 2 was a worthy entry, it relied a lot more on jumpscares than suspense, which, to its detriment, is what the franchise eventually devolved into. By the third film (Paranormal Activity 3), the original recipe that conjured up a great opening act and a decent follow-up, was all-but-gone, with the franchise churning out movies that were predictable and formulaic, and moments that failed to create terrifying moments for moviegoers. The writing was clearly on the wall for Paranormal Activity, but four more films were released (the latest being Next of Kin in 2021), each with diminishing results, both from critics and audiences alike. Some of this had to do with changing tastes in horror, but mostly, its lack of originality and evolution is what ultimately turned a lot of fans off from the franchise. Paranormal Activity is a prime example of a franchise that really should have ended while it was ahead; but it didn’t, and the franchise is now basically a hollowed shell of its former glory.

Paranormal Activity

RHorrorMystery

Release Date

October 16, 2009

Director

Oren Peli

Cast

Katie Featherston , Micah Sloat , Mark Fredrichs , Amber Armstrong

Runtime

86 minutes

Main Genre

Horror

Writers

Oren Peli

Paranormal Activity can be streamed on Max in the U.S.

Watch On Max

10 Scary Movie Franchise

First Film: 'Scary Movie' (2000)

While spoof and parody movies are seemingly dead as a genre nowadays, they were once a continuous mainstay of comedy films, thanks to the continued legacy of the Scary Movie franchise. Originally acting as a double-layered spoof on Scream, a film that was already a horror satire, Scary Movie branched out to mock all types of horror movies. While the films certainly have their fans, it's difficult to deny just how outdated and problematic they've become over the years.

Comedy has always been subjective, with each individual having differing tastes on what is and isn't funny. With that in mind, it isn't exactly surprising that the Scary Movie franchise became so successful. Admittedly, these films have a selection of great moments, and the first three are enjoyable. However, at their worst, these films are some of the most offensive and problematic comedy experiences out there. Also, Scary Movie 5 is quite comfortably one of the worst movies of all time, single-handedly lowering the franchise's value.

Scary Movie

RComedyWhere to Watch

*Availability in US

• stream
• rent
• buy

Release Date

July 7, 2000

Director

Keenen Ivory Wayans

Cast

Carmen Electra , Dave Sheridan , Frank B. Moore , Giacomo Baessato , Kyle Graham , Leanne Santos

Runtime

88

Writers

Shawn Wayans , Marlon Wayans , Buddy Johnson , Phil Beauman , Jason Friedberg , Aaron Seltzer

9 Fifty Shades Franchise

First Film: 'Fifty Shades of Grey' (2015)

Adapted from the equally infamous series of adult romance novels, the Fifty Shades series follows the sultry relationship between young academic Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) and prominent businessman Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan). The series explores their on-again-off-again relationship as they explore their darker sexual pleasures while attempting to learn and adapt to each other as they fall in and out of love.

Aside from its ludicrous central premise, the Fifty Shades series found a way to annoy fans of the original novel series by limiting how far they were willing to go. Its execution almost felt like it was ashamed to get into the essence of what made the books so successful in the first place, yet still had just enough to justify adapting the entire book trilogy. It certainly didn't help that the core filmmaking, performances, editing, and story were incredibly mediocre, so the films had little to offer aside from the promise of steamy yet surprisingly tame moments.

Fifty Shades of Grey

RDramaRomanceThrillerWhere to Watch

*Availability in US

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

Release Date

February 13, 2015

Director

Sam Taylor-Johnson

Cast

Dakota Johnson , Jamie Dornan , Luke Grimes , Jennifer Ehle , Eloise Mumford , Rita Ora

Runtime

125 minutes

Writers

Kelly Marcel , E.L. James

8 God's Not Dead Franchise

First Film: 'God's Not Dead' (2014)

Easily one of the most contentious and divided film franchises out there, the God's Not Dead franchise originally started as a singular Christian drama that followed a Christian pastor who argued for the reality of god in various circumstances in modern-day society. After the surprise success of the original film, connecting with a devout Christian audience, they would continue the franchise with additional original stories that showed more people in their plight to share the truth of God's existence with the world.

Faith-based and religious movies have always been faced with a level of scrutiny and criticism from critics and non-religious audiences. Yet, God's Not Dead could easily be considered one of the most infamous Christian film franchises out there. While the franchise's core audience continues to support them, the films' lackluster execution made them nothing but jokes to critics and other audiences. However, as much as the films are massively critically maligned, they continue to get made and supported, with a new film set to release this year.

Watch on Amazon

7 After Franchise

First Film: 'After' (2019)

The After series of teenage romantic dramas are adapted from novels that were originally One Direction fanfiction posted onto Wattpad. The first entry, 2019's After, follows the tumultuous relationship of Tessa Young and Hardin Scott. The series chronicles their wild and unpredictable relationship from its humble beginnings up until their courtship and marriage, as they strengthen and continue to prove their bonds and build a future for one another.

After is far from the only modern teen romance franchise to be the target of vitriol and mass critical backlash, with The Kissing Booth and Tall Girl also receiving similar levels of widespread hatred. However, what has made After stand out as the worst of the worst from a franchise sense isits unrelenting commitment and doubling down on its absurd and chaotic style of filmmaking and storytelling. Since the first film's release, the series has consistently released a new installment every calendar year, with multiple plans for upcoming sequels and prequels coming soon. Each installment has somehow managed to top the previous one in both absurdity and completely unwarranted existence, and unfortunately, it's showing no signs of stopping anytime soon.

After

PG-13DocumentaryRomanceThrillerWhere to Watch

*Availability in US

• stream
• rent
• buy

Release Date

April 11, 2019

Director

Jenny Gage

Cast

Jennifer Beals , Selma Blair , Peter Gallagher , Dylan Arnold , Meadow Williams , Pia Mia Perez

Runtime

106

Writers

Susan McMartin , Anna Todd

6 Alpha and Omega Franchise

First Film: 'Alpha and Omega' (2010)

Alpha and Omega was a smaller, low-budget animated film that told the story of unprecedented and forbidden love between Omega wolf Humphrey and Alpha wolf Kate. Despite their clear differences in status and class in their wolf clan, the two have been lifelong friends and eventually fall for each other when they are unexpectedly separated from their pack. The original theatrical release was mostly forgettable and written off by many critics and audiences, yet nobody could have expected that it was only just the beginning.

After the first film found unexpected success in the home video market, the studio took full advantage of the opportunity and began pumping out low-budget direct-to-video sequels to capitalize on their unexpected new IP. Alpha and Omega's low-budget sequels are riddled with poor animation quality, lackluster stories, and an overabundance of new, annoying characters, such as Kate and Humphrey's trio of wolf children. It's genuinely baffling not only how many of these films there are — 8 and counting — but the speed at which they were rushed out, with sometimes multiple films released in a single year.

Alpha and Omega

PGAnimationAdventureComedyFamilyRomanceWhere to Watch

*Availability in US

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

Release Date

September 17, 2010

Director

Anthony Bell , Ben Gluck

Cast

Justin Long , Hayden Panettiere , Dennis Hopper , Danny Glover , Larry Miller , Eric Price

Runtime

88

Writers

Chris Denk , Steve Moore

5 Transformers Franchise

First Film: 'Transformers' (2007)

Based on the massive multimedia franchise, the Transformers movies attained massive infamy as the staple child of loud, obnoxious, blockbuster filmmaking. They follow the story of the ongoing intergalactic struggle between the Autobots, powerful robot warriors who can transform into cars, and their arch-rivals, the Decepticons. The Autobots find themselves teaming up with a variety of human companions throughout the films in their efforts to save the Earth and the entire universe from the Decepticons.

It's hard to think of a massive blockbuster franchise that was more maligned and hated by critics and audiences in the late 2000s and 2010s than Transformers. Films like Revenge of the Fallen, Age of Extinction, and The Last Knight are still often regarded as some of the worst modern blockbuster films ever made, yet they still found resounding success financially. However, while the Michael Bay-led films attained massive infamy, the franchise has surprisingly seen a slight critical resurgence, with a positive reception for Travis Knight's Bumblebee, a middling response to Rise of the Beasts, and genuine interest surrounding the upcoming animated installment, Transformers One.

Transformers

PG-13ActionAdventure Sci-FiThrillerWhere to Watch

*Availability in US

• stream
• rent
• buy

Release Date

July 3, 2007

Director

Michael Bay

Cast

Shia LaBeouf , Megan Fox , Josh Duhamel , Tyrese Gibson , Rachael Taylor , Anthony Anderson

Runtime

144

Writers

Roberto Orci , Alex Kurtzman , John Rogers

4 Alvin and the Chipmunks Franchise

First Film: 'Alvin and the Chipmunks' (2007)

Based on the classic fictional animated singing group, the Alvin and the Chipmunks films follow the titular trio of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore. Together, after being joined by their surrogate father figure, Dave, they become worldwide musical sensations while dealing with the struggles and complications of being a family. Eventually, another chipmunk band, The Chipettes, joins the mix, initially starting as rivals but becoming friends with the main group.

The Alvin and the Chipmunks films are the perfect examples of just how little care needs to be placed on kids' entertainment in the eyes of some executives, with enough modern pop songs and toilet humor to carry a franchise through four major installments. On top of these pop song remixes with high-pitched singing always sounding worse than the original song, these films are formulaic and basic at best and outright painful to sit through at worst. While the characters have seen other successful ventures in animation in film before this, these CGI monstrosities are sadly what modern audiences think of when they hear the name Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Alvin and the Chipmunks

PGAnimationComedyFamilyFantasyWhere to Watch

*Availability in US

• stream
• rent
• buy

Release Date

December 13, 2007

Director

Tim Hill

Cast

Jason Lee , David Cross , Cameron Richardson , Jane Lynch , Justin Long , Matthew Gray Gubler

Runtime

92

Writers

Jon Vitti , Will McRobb , Chris Viscardi , Ross Bagdasarian

3 Jaws Franchise

First Film: 'Jaws' (1975)

The original iconic franchise that completely changed the way that society views sharks as a species, Jaws was once on top of the world of blockbusters and horror, with the first film still lauded as one of the greatest of all time. However, while Steven Spielberg's classic is widely regarded, the same cannot be said for its legendarily terrible sequels, each more monumentally worse than the last. Each film focuses on a different killer shark terrorizing the populace, with a group having to go out and take down the shark to end the bloodshed.

The original Jaws can only do so much to save the perception of the franchise, especially when some of the sequels have been lauded as some of the worst horror movies of all time. While Jaws 2 is mostly forgettable and bland, Jaws 3D and Jaws: The Revenge are so nightmarishly terrible that they killed the franchise for over 35 years. It speaks massive volumes about the poor reputation of the sequels that, even in the modern state of film, with reboots and remakes being made left and right, Jaws still hasn't gotten a modern reboot despite the original's undeniable legacy.

Jaws (1975)

PGThrillerMysteryAdventure

Release Date

June 20, 1975

Director

Steven Spielberg

Cast

Roy Scheider , Robert Shaw , Richard Dreyfuss , Lorraine Gary , Murray Hamilton , Carl Gottlieb , Jeffrey Kramer

Runtime

124 Minutes

Writers

Peter Benchley , Carl Gottlieb

Rent on Amazon

2 American Pie Franchise

First Film: 'American Pie' (1999)

An institution and staple film of early 2000s comedy, the original American Pie was an iconic raunchy comedy with massive infamy for just how over the top it was willing to go for comedy. While many still have fond, if a little dated, memories of the original, few are aware of just how many films were made at the advent of its success. There are two distinct series in the franchise: the original four films that chronicled the adventures of Jim and his friends and a collection of five spinoffs that revolve around the relatives of Jim's friend, Steve Stifler.

It's this multitude of sequels and spinoffs where the true dropoff in quality takes place, as they each attempt to recapture the raunchy magic of the original but fail spectacularly. Never finding the right mixture of genuine character and charm to make the original work, the American Piesequels overdo the immature comedy, becoming nothing more than perverse gross-out films. The spinoffs, titled American Pie Presents, take it to the next level, completely ignoring any semblance of the original story and simply rehashing jokes and archetypes from the originals to squeeze out any remaining profits from fans.

American Pie

NRComedyRomanceWhere to Watch

*Availability in US

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

Release Date

July 9, 1999

Director

Paul Weitz , Chris Weitz

Cast

Jason Biggs , Chris Klein , Thomas Ian Nicholas , Alyson Hannigan , Shannon Elizabeth , Tara Reid

Runtime

95

Writers

Adam Herz

1 365 Days Franchise

First Film: '365 Days' (2020)

One of the most immediately reviled and hated trilogies to come out in recent memory, the 365 Days films are erotic thrillers that follow the problematic love story of Massimo and Laura. Their love starts with Massimo kidnapping Laura while she is on vacation in Italy. After a year of being forced to live with him, she will choose to either return to her old life or accept a new one as his wife. Somehow, the audience is supposed to care and support their twisted love despite the abhorrent circumstances surrounding it.

While their relationship is expanded upon and goes through ups and downs throughout the trilogy, the story has very little bearing on the film. The only reason the 365 Days saga exists and is popular is its focus on extremely controversial erotic sequences that skirt the line between film and smut. The 365 Days movies are universally maligned by critics, yet the audience looking for erotic filmmaking, no matter how bad and problematic they may be, allows them to thrive.

365 Days

TV-MARomanceDramaWhere to Watch

*Availability in US

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

Not available

Release Date

February 7, 2020

Director

Barbara Bialowas , Tomasz Mandes

Cast

Michele Morrone , Bronislaw Wroclawski , Otar Saralidze , Magdalena Lamparska , Natasza Urbanska , Anna-Maria Sieklucka

Runtime

114 minutes

Writers

Barbara Bialowas , Tomasz Klimala , Blanka Lipinska , Blanka Lipinska , Tomasz Mandes

NEXT: The 10 Worst Sequels of All Time, According to Letterboxd