The 10 Worst Netflix Movies of 2025

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As the year ends, it’s time to reflect on everything that’s happened – the good, the bad, and everything in between. We’ll be sharing our opinions in a series of end-of-year lists, covering the best, worst, and everything in between, with plenty of details and explanations.

This list covers the very worst movies Netflix released in 2025. We’ve already highlighted the best films the streaming service had to offer—from great animated movies to thoughtful dramas—but now we’re turning to the ones you should probably skip. And honestly, we enjoy letting you know what not to watch!

Honestly, many of the Netflix movies people complain about aren’t actually that awful. We definitely dodged another movie as bad as Red Notice this year, which is a win. However, ‘not terrible’ doesn’t mean ‘good,’ and Netflix still manages to release a lot of truly disappointing films each year.

It’s frustrating when highly anticipated movies – those with famous actors or directors – turn out to be disappointing. And it’s equally disheartening when sequels to popular franchises, ambitious sci-fi films, overly sentimental romances, or confusing thrillers just don’t deliver. Here’s a list of Netflix movies from this year that you should probably skip – or avoid if you haven’t watched them yet.

The 10 Worst Netflix Movies of 2025

Back in Action

Look, I really wanted to love Cameron Diaz’s return to the screen after so long, but Back in Action just didn’t quite land. It’s a shame, honestly. The premise – Diaz and Jamie Foxx, a married ex-CIA couple pulled back into the game – felt solid enough, and those two usually have incredible chemistry in action comedies. But this Netflix offering… it just felt off. It’s slickly produced, sure, but it lacked a soul. It felt like a collection of familiar action tropes and lines we’ve all enjoyed before, but repackaged into something…less. It’s not terrible, but it’s just…forgettable. Thankfully, she’s got another Shrek movie on the way, so I’m not worried about her career!

Kinda Pregnant

The biggest problem with Amy Schumer’s new special, Kinda Pregnant, is that it relies on a single, simple premise: what if a woman, feeling the pressure of time and craving attention, pretends to be pregnant to feel better about herself? While this idea feels typical for Schumer, the special doesn’t really develop it beyond that initial concept. Much of the runtime consists of variations on the same joke: Schumer, using a fake belly or props, almost gets caught in her lie when a silly mishap – like her belly catching fire or being replaced with a chicken – threatens to reveal the truth. It’s amusing at first, but the humor quickly wears thin after repeated occurrences.

The Electric State

I have to say, I was really disappointed with the Russo brothers’ latest film, The Electric State. It’s set in a future where humans won against the robots, but then just… sent them away. The story follows a teenager, played by Millie Bobby Brown, who goes searching for her brother in the area where the robots were banished. Honestly, it was just aggressively boring. And for a movie that cost over $320 million to make, it looked… cheap. The acting wasn’t great, the special effects were pretty bad, and the story felt like I’d seen it all before. Chris Pratt seemed like he wasn’t even trying! I honestly don’t think I missed anything important if I had taken a nap halfway through.

The Old Guard 2

Netflix seemed to be aiming for a successful superhero series like The Old Guard after the first movie was well-received. That initial film featured a group of immortal mercenaries hiding from a pharmaceutical executive who wanted to exploit their healing powers – a compelling concept brought to life with style. However, the sequel, released five years later with the same actors but a new director, lacks the energy of the original. It gets bogged down in overly complicated backstory and features uninspired action. While superhero movies often require detailed world-building, The Old Guard 2 demonstrates how easily that can overshadow the most important element: a good story.

Fear Street: Prom Queen

Summer 2021 brought a welcome surprise for horror fans when Netflix released a trilogy of Fear Street movies, based on R.L. Stine’s books and tapping into the popularity of classic slasher films. These movies are considered some of Netflix’s best work, but the 2025 sequel, Fear Street: Prom Queen, didn’t live up to the original trilogy’s success. Set in 1988, the film follows a group of teenagers trying to escape a killer who is targeting the prom queen candidates. While the premise is enjoyable, the movie feels like a predictable rehash of familiar slasher tropes and lacks the spark that made the first three films so good.

My Oxford Year

Sofia Carson’s latest Netflix film, My Oxford Year, is a predictable and unremarkable romantic drama. It’s her fourth movie for the platform in three years. The story follows an American student who falls for her Oxford professor, only to discover he’s terminally ill and has chosen not to seek treatment. While not terrible, the film is tonally bland and lacks originality, feeling like a slightly more polished Hallmark movie with a predictably sad ending.

The Woman in Cabin 10

Keira Knightley shines in the 2024 Netflix spy series Black Doves, but her 2025 thriller film The Woman in Cabin 10 doesn’t quite hit the mark. Based on the Ruth Ware novel, the film follows Knightley as a journalist who thinks she sees someone fall overboard from a luxurious yacht—despite everyone being accounted for. The story had the potential to be a clever, suspenseful hit like Gone Girl, but unfortunately, it becomes a confusing and ultimately unsatisfying mystery.

Madea’s Destination Wedding

At this point, a Madea movie is almost guaranteed some level of entertainment, but Madea’s Destination Wedding unfortunately fails to deliver even that. It feels squarely made for streaming, lacking the energy and polish often found in Tyler Perry’s other films, even the silly ones. The story revolves around a family trip to the Bahamas for a wedding, but it mostly feels like a long advertisement for the Atlantis Resort – even more awkward than that famous product placement in Riverdale – and it’s nowhere near as funny as the other twelve (yes, twelve!) Madea movies.

The Twits

What makes Roald Dahl’s funniest books so great is his ability to blend dark, sometimes harsh humor into stories for children. So, it was surprising to see Netflix’s animated version of The Twits – arguably Dahl’s meanest book, filled with characters who actively try to harm animals and each other – replace all the edgy humor with a positive message about kindness and understanding. While it’s understandable that a modern adaptation would need to remove problematic elements like racist depictions, this adaptation feels like another example of children’s movies avoiding any real risks in storytelling.

A House of Dynamite

The first 45 minutes of A House of Dynamite delivers the intense excitement and suspense you’d expect from a Kathryn Bigelow-directed disaster film, but unfortunately, the momentum doesn’t last. The movie follows the U.S. military’s reaction to a missile attack, showing events from the perspectives of three different government officials. However, the film’s structure becomes repetitive, as it revisits the same scenes through increasingly less engaging viewpoints. Even a strong performance by Idris Elba as the President can’t save the later parts of the movie from feeling flat after the initial thrill.

The Best Netflix Movies of 2025

Plankton: The Movie

It’s a bit unexpected to see a movie related to SpongeBob on a list of the best Netflix films of the year, especially since it hasn’t been a particularly strong year for original Netflix content. However, Plankton: The Movie—the second in Netflix’s planned series of SpongeBob SquarePants films—is surprisingly good. The story centers on Plankton, SpongeBob’s tiny rival, as he tries to win back his wife, Karen. She’s a computer who turns into a giant robot and decides to take over the world on her own. While the animation is mostly 3D CGI—a change for fans of the original 2D show—the filmmakers also experiment with different animation styles, proving their dedication to the art form.

Nonnas

Netflix released the feel-good movie Nonnas on Mother’s Day. It stars Vince Vaughn as Joe Scaravella, a man who opens an Italian restaurant to honor his mother’s memory. The unique twist? All the cooks are delightful Italian grandmothers, each bringing generations of comforting recipes and family traditions. While the movie follows typical small business challenges – staff disagreements, inspection issues, and a tough critic – it’s ultimately saved by its endearing cast and the genuinely sweet premise. It’s a reminder to appreciate your grandmothers!

KPop Demon Hunters

If you haven’t heard of this year’s biggest Netflix sensation, KPop Demon Hunters, you’ve been missing out! The movie is exactly what it sounds like: a talented K-pop girl group who are also skilled martial artists. They use their singing to power a shield called the “Honmoon,” protecting our world from demons. Things get complicated when they face a rival boy band who are secretly demons themselves, intent on destroying the shield and unleashing chaos. The movie boasts catchy songs, stunning animation, and a surprisingly twisty plot. We bet you’re already humming their hit song, “Golden!”

Broke

Wyatt Russell delivers a standout performance in Broke, a gripping Western drama about a struggling bronc rider facing immense challenges. He’s already dealing with a serious head injury, financial hardship, and a lack of other skills, but things get much worse when he’s caught in a sudden, severe spring blizzard. The film follows his fight for survival against the elements and his own physical and emotional pain. Broke is a story about resilience and refusing to be defined by difficult circumstances – and it showcases the kind of powerful acting Russell deserves more opportunities for, something fans haven’t fully seen in his recent Marvel projects. That’s what makes films like this so valuable.

Steve

Cillian Murphy consistently delivers strong performances in films about characters facing incredibly difficult days, and his new movie, Steve, is no exception. He plays a dedicated headteacher at a school for troubled boys, committed to helping them turn their lives around, even when they’re disrespectful. The film focuses on a single day in Steve’s life as he navigates constant challenges – mediating fights, dealing with personal problems, and ensuring his students don’t feel isolated.

The Thursday Murder Club

The idea of a seemingly ordinary older person solving a murder is a classic mystery setup – think of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple or the recent Matlock reboot. The Netflix movie The Thursday Murder Club takes this idea and asks: what if there were many such characters, played by beloved veteran actors? Based on Richard Osman’s popular novel, the film follows a group of retirees who spend their free time investigating unsolved cases. It boasts a fantastic cast, a plot that’s both thrilling and heartwarming, and – thankfully – actually solves a murder by the end!

Frankenstein

It’s no surprise that a Frankenstein film directed by Guillermo del Toro and starring Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi would be amazing, but the final result truly exceeds expectations. The movie is visually stunning, filled with powerful religious symbolism and breathtaking scenes of the Arctic. It’s anchored by incredible performances from both Elordi, who plays the reanimated creature as a thoughtful, book-loving being, and Isaac, as the arrogant scientist obsessed with challenging the divine. Del Toro’s take on Frankenstein is precisely the kind of thrilling, classic monster movie fans have been hoping for.

Train Dreams

With its thoughtful and dreamlike quality, and beautiful shots of the natural world, Train Dreams is easily one of the year’s best films. Starring Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones, it tells the life story of a man working on railroads and in logging camps as the Spokane International Railway was being built and expanded. The movie offers a poignant look at how the American Northwest changed with industrialization – the lives that were transformed, those lost, and the wild landscapes that disappeared.

Jay Kelly

The new film Jay Kelly centers around a fading movie star who’s lost touch with his loved ones due to his Hollywood success, and it embraces its sentimental side. George Clooney plays Jay Kelly, who embarks on a chaotic journey through Southern Europe, hoping to rebuild his relationship with his daughter and attend a career celebration in Tuscany. Clooney’s performance is wonderfully frantic, and he’s matched by surprisingly uninhibited turns from Adam Sandler and Laura Dern. The film builds to a moving acting showcase that’s sure to bring a tear to the eye of any Clooney fan.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Benoit Blanc returns in a new mystery, this time set within the Catholic Church – or rather, one church where a terrible murder has taken place. In Wake Up Dead Man, Blanc must unravel the crime with the help of a stellar cast – including Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, and Kerry Washington – as they bring the drama. While the previous film, Glass Onion, felt very modern, this installment goes back to the classic, gothic style of crime fiction, creating a mystery that would appeal to fans of Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle.

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2025-12-15 17:59