Here at CafeMom, we talk a lot about our favorite movies and TV shows. We love being able to recommend the best content out there to our readers, but of course, there are also a ton of stinkers released every year. In the interest of being good friends, we thought we should take some time to steer everyone clear of those. Honestly, some of the worst TV shows and movies that were released in 2021 actually had tons of potential and intrigue, but they fell completely flat and did not deliver at all. Such a disappointment!
We had such high hopes for many of the movies and shows that came out this year, and although there were quite a few gems, some were just plain awful. Whether it was the acting, the writing, or the production quality, for one reason or another a number of 2021's new releases ended up being total flops. Some were so bad they were canceled before they even really got started.
To help you make the best entertainment-related decisions, we've compiled a list of the less-than-stellar new movies and TV shows that came out in 2021. Yeah, we know curiosity — or boredom — may lead you to check them out anyway, but don't say we didn't warn you!
'I Know What You Did Last Summer'
Despite seeming to have real potential, the Amazon Prime series I Know What You Did Last Summer — a TV adaptation of the iconic '90s films starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Jennifer Love Hewitt — was a huge disappointment. The cast was solid, but the series lacked substance and there were way too many plot holes.
'Jupiter's Legacy'
Netflix made a foray into original superhero content with Jupiter's Legacy, starring Josh Duhamel and Leslie Bibb — but unfortunately, it wasn't very good. The streamer canceled the series a mere month after its premiere, which is really interesting because Netflix typically holds off on these decisions for a while when it comes to new shows. Critics weren't impressed, and the series was really expensive to produce, though, so it makes sense.
'Cowboy Bebop'
Netflix's live-action adaptation of the popular anime series Cowboy Bebop was highly anticipated, but it didn't deliver on the hype by a long shot. It had a huge budget and great production values, but it didn't manage to capture the heart of the original animated series, which was a big disappointment for fans.
'The Lost Symbol'
A Peacock TV original series based on the Dan Brown novel of the same name, The Lost Symbol should have been excellent, but the writing was lackluster — ironic, yes, but true. Critics and viewers alike agreed that it wasn't a very worthy watch. Oh, what could have been …
'Sex/Life'
Netflix's Sex/Life should have been hot, but instead it was surprisingly boring. It's about a married mom living a mundane life who has an encounter with a bad boy from her past, so perhaps the concept's lack of originality is to blame. But the writers did nothing to make it more exciting or unique.
'Clarice'
It might be time to hang up author Thomas Harris' story. Nothing is ever going to stand up to the original Silence of the Lambs, no matter how badly we want it to. CBS' Clarice is the perfect example of that. No one except Jodie Foster will ever be Clarice Starling, so why even try?
'Tiger King' Season 2
Our suspicions have been confirmed. Nobody needed another season of Netflix's Tiger King. After the first episode, it was clear it wasn't worth watching. The story is dead, and there wasn't enough of anything new in the second season to revive it. Conclusion: Tiger King is so 2020.
'Call Me Kat'
Although it is getting a second season, the Fox sitcom Call Me Kat, starring Mayim Bialik, was a total letdown. Mayim and the rest of the cast are great, but the show is missing something. It will leave fans of the British series that inspired it, Miranda, disappointed. We might still give it a try next year, though, because there's a new showrunner and the promise that Blossom costars Mayim and Joey Lawrence will reunite on-screen.
'Spiral'
We hadn't watched a movie from the Saw franchise in years, so kudos to whoever cast Chris Rock in Spiral and drew us back in. But it was an absolutely terrible movie. There were a few classically disturbing gore scenes, but Chris overacted and the ending was utterly predictable.
'Dear Evan Hansen'
We had such high hopes for the film adaptation of the Broadway show Dear Evan Hansen, but it was a bit of a disaster, especially when compared with all of the other Broadway-based films that came out this year (such as In the Heights and Westside Story). We thought it was cool that Ben Platt — who originated the role of Evan on Broadway — was cast, but he just wasn't believable anymore as an awkward high schooler.
'Vanquish'
Never heard of it? That's probably because it was a stinker. Despite featuring iconic actor Morgan Freeman, the action flick Vanquish left much to be desired. It's an odd film with an odd premise that doesn't manage to get any points for originality and creativity. It has an abysmal 2.7 rating on IMDB.com, which should tell you all you need to know.
'Reminiscence'
We love Hugh Jackman, and we were thrilled to see him reunited with his The Greatest Showman costar Rebecca Ferguson. But Reminiscence was so boring that we barely remember watching it because we spent most of the two-hour film watching the backs of our eyelids. Womp, womp.
'Music'
We still don't quite understand how the film Music was nominated for two Golden Globes. Directed by musician Sia and starring Maddie Ziegler and Kate Hudson, it was largely slammed for portraying individuals on the autism spectrum inaccurately. With just 3.1 stars, it has a bleak IMDB rating, as well as a shocking 7% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
'Breaking News in Yuba County'
With a cast featuring some of our female favorites, including Allison Janney, Awkwafina, Mila Kunis, Regina Hall, and Juliette Lewis, we expected to love this dark comedy movie. The story of a woman who uses her celebrity to convince people that her husband is missing and not dead, it should have been hilarious, but the humor was clunky and awkward.
'Chaos Walking'
Tom Holland is great, and we don't want to see anything he does fail, but Chaos Walking, which also stars Daisy Ridley, is bizarre — and not in a good way. It's an adventure-fantasy film with an overly complicated premise, and it takes itself way too seriously. Daisy's performance is lackluster, and there's not much on-screen chemistry between her and Tom.
'Cosmic Sin'
Oh, Bruce Willis. You're phoning it in, and we all know it. Cosmic Sin is a sci-fi film about a group of soldiers fighting off a newly discovered alien civilization, and it honestly could have been a made-for-TV movie (and not the fun and indulgent sort but the totally cringey sort).
'The Woman in the Window'
We really thought that Amy Adams' Netflix film The Woman in the Window — about a recluse who thinks she's witnessed a crime from the window of her home — sounded interesting when we first heard about it. Then we watched it, and it was such a snoozefest. Essentially, nothing happens, and the constant, "Is she or isn't?" got old fast. Read AJ Finn's book instead.
'Infinite'
You might be tempted to check out Infinite, starring Mark Wahlberg and Chiwetel Ejiofor, but trust us: It's not worth your time. The Paramount+ original is about a man who discovers his hallucinations are actually memories, a premise which could have been interesting, but the writing stinks and the film is way too long.
