30 Movies People Thought Would Be God Awful, But Actually Turned Out To Be Pretty Great
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl was way better than it had any right to be.”
Recently, Reddit user bigbankmanman asked the question, “What’s a movie you thought would be terrible but you ended up liking?” And the folks over at r/movies swiftly responded with some pretty surprising (or maybe not?!) answers. Check it out:
1. The Lego Movie (2014) — “Expected a cheap movie tie in. Got a brilliant meta-movie about playing with Legos.”
2. Prey (2022) — “My hopes for the Predator franchise were on the floor, but god damn, I loved Prey.”
3. Paddington (2014) — “I remember seeing the trailer and thinking it was just a cash grab kids movie. Fast forward to 2025, and that bear has made me reevaluate my life and the first two are two of my favorite films ever made. The second one is a fucking masterpiece, and I’ll fight anyone who defies me. Everybody gangster ’til Aunt Lucy shows up at the end of Paddington 2.”
4. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) — “That movie is amazing. Watched it the first time thinking it would be stupid but fun, but it ended up being awesome in every way and I’ve since watched it about eight times.”
5. Alien: Romulus (2024) — “When I first heard ANOTHER Alien movie was getting made, I assumed it would be a stinker. It’s probably my favorite movie from last year.”
6. The Cabin in the Woods (2011) — “It didn’t get spoiled for me at all, and I watched it with my then girlfriend thinking it was some type of generic slasher flick. What a fun concept and great movie.””
7. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) — “At the time, it seemed absurd that they would adapt a theme park ride into a movie and it just seemed pointless. My high school girlfriend and I were bored one day and decided to check it out. It was an absolute blast and was way better than it had any right to be.”
8. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) — “I boycotted this thing thinking it was a stupid money-grab remake of the Robin Williams one. I kept hearing it was good and finally watched it months later. I loved it… Now, I usually can’t take much of Jack Black, but I still think he should have been nominated for his performance as a teen girl in a 50-year-old’s body.”
9. Edge of Tomorrow (2014) — “I watched Edge of Tomorrow on a flight. I was expecting a generic sci-fi action movie, and what I got instead was a cool film that makes very good use of its concept. Got me hooked the whole flight. “
10. Game Night (2018) — “‘How can that be profitable for Frito-Lay?’ Jesse Plemmons kills me in that scene 🤣”
11. Galaxy Quest (1999) — “I couldn’t believe they’d done such a great job.”
12. Stardust (2007) — “I’ve argued with people about this movie because I think it was one of De Niro’s best roles he has ever done. He isn’t some version of the same character he has played in almost every movie he has been in. He IS Captain Shakespeare.”
13. Lars and the Real Girl (2007) — “The description sounds so weird that I had to check it out. The description wasn’t inaccurate, but it was so different from what I expected. It blew me away, and I’ve watched it several more times since.”
14. Arrival (2016)— “I thought it was gonna be some corny sci-fi flick, and it blew me away.”
15. Hot Tub Time Machine (2010) — “This is my standard answer to this questino. That movie has NO business being as good as it is. It’s Crispin Glover’s finest cinematic performance, and I will die on this hill.”
16. Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2010) — “I remember thinking to myself, this movie sounds fucking stupid. But my friends insisted. It is now my favorite horror movie and my favorite comedy movie, LOL.”
17. We’re the Millers (2013) — “Looked stupid but it was very funny and the acting is just wonderful.”
18. My Old Ass (2024) — “It looked interesting from the get-go, but in an ‘interesting concept but no way they do it right’ way. But oh, did they! My favorite movie of 2024. “
19. Tremors (1990) — “An early ’90s movie with Kevin Bacon fighting giant underground worms? That sounds dumb as hell. But it’s now one of my favorite movies ever made.”
20. Singin’ in the Rain (1952) — “It was at my local cinema, so I thought I’d watch it, as it’s a classic. But I’m not really into many old musicals. Really enjoyed it in the end. I’d seen the famous scene many times before but didn’t know anything about the storyline beforehand. I didn’t know it was a film about filmmaking. I often enjoy films like that.”
21. The Devil Wears Prada (2006) — “Watched it like three times in my twenties. I’m a straight guy and the movie had a target audience that was definitely female oriented…I enjoyed it.”
22. Kick-Ass (2010) — “I did not know what I was getting into until Hit Girl flipped the switch with the violence.”
23. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) — “This movie had no right to be as good as it was.”
24. The Prestige (2006) — “Two rival magicians turned deadly! I thought, WTF…this is garbage. Then I had a date and she wanted to see it. I still don’t remember that date’s name but that movie is now displayed on my home theater shelf proudly. Eff, that movie is the best.”
25. Click (2006) — “Seemed like a switch-brain-off slo-mo-jiggles film, turned down to be a wake-up call to enjoy life.”
26. Napoleon Dynamite (2004) — “I didn’t like it until the third watch, and I didn’t love it until the sixth. Now? I’ve probably seen it 300 times.”
27. A Quiet Place (2018) — “I am not into horror, so A Quiet Place was not really on my radar. It’s now one of my favorite movies. People love pointing out its plot holes but I just think the suspense is really well done and it’s a fun watch.”
28. Dredd (2012) — “This movie was amazing, and I am still waiting for a sequel.”
29. Mean Girls (2004) — “I thought Mean Girls was going to be some lame ‘chick flick.’ Boy, was I wrong? I watch it at least once a year on October 3 now.”
30. Finally, The Princess Bride (1987) — “Fucking most useless trailer of all time. Weird ’80s rock saxophone backdrop. Very bored narrator. Spoils Vizzini’s end for no reason. Tries to use ‘affairs of state’ as a draw for audiences. The movie itself though… One of the most quotable, clever, funny, and enjoyable flicks of all time. Weirdly timeless despite the cheesiest special effects. Absolutely stunning film.”
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
