Movies are funny and unpredictable things. Obviously, no one sets out to make a bad movie. No director (not even Uwe Boll!) wakes up in the morning and thinks to himself “Today, I am going to direct a real piece of garbage!” That just doesn’t happen.
Despite filmmakers’ best intentions though, bad movies do happen. A lot. Still, there are degrees to bad and few movies (not even the ones by Uwe Boll!) are irredeemable on every single level. Buried within a true cinematic stinker you might find outstanding production design, or interesting cinematography, or a memorable musical score, or possibly an interesting performance or two.
That’s the subject of ScreenCrush’s latest list: Very bad movies that nonetheless contain a very good performance. How worthy acting appears in unworthy schlock is an interesting matter for discussion. Is it because a great actor can still deliver even when their director isn’t up to snuff? Or maybe a director can be right for a project in some ways (i.e. casting, helping guide an actor) and wrong in others (writing a bad script, bowing to studio pressure, falling to execute special effects)? Is it because editing — selecting the best takes, interweaving them together — is the great film equalizer?
Perhaps it’s all of the above. Movies are funny and unpredictable like that. So let’s at least honor the following 25 performers who did some of their best work under some of the worst circumstances.
The Best Performances in Terrible Movies
These actors did good work in otherwise crummy films. Let’s tip our hats to the performers who refused to phone it in.
READ MORE: 10 Huge TV Actors Who Never Had Big Film Careers
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Anyone else suddenly itching to buy an Aston Martin?