Even the best filmmakers occasionally miss the mark, and their slip-ups can be witnessed by millions. This list highlights some terrible movies from acclaimed directors, from Christopher Nolan to Martin Scorsese.
Nolan's 'Tenet' has plenty to like – action set pieces, Robert Pattinson's off-kilter impersonation, and clockwork ambition – but it proved too complicated and goofy to win over the public. Scorsese's early crime drama 'Boxcar Bertha' is widely considered his weakest effort, a poorly aged exploitation film that betrayed little of his future idiosyncrasy.
David Fincher's debut 'Alien 3' was a high-profile blockbuster grossing nearly $160m, but it disappointed as a callous departure from its predecessors, unable to hide behind-the-scenes tumult. Alfred Hitchcock later spoke damningly of his own 'Champagne', saying it had no story to tell.
Kathryn Bigelow's 'The Weight of Water', starring Elizabeth Hurley and Sean Penn, was an abject flop with a 35 per cent Rotten Tomatoes rating. Peter Jackson's 'The Lovely Bones' was a rare misfire, a mawkish and narratively dubious supernatural drama.
Frank Capra's 'Pocketful of Miracles' was a tired, joyless swansong. The 'Matrix' sequels, while defended by some, failed to match the original's impact, leaving most audiences disappointed.
