Reddit ranks the most boring films of the 21st century

MUMBAI: Some films make you laugh, some make you cry, and some make you wonder how long the runtime can possibly be. Reddit’s r/movies community has turned the spotlight on the other end of the cinematic spectrum, compiling a fan-voted list of some of the most mind-numbingly boring films of the 21st century.

The discussion produced dozens of suggestions, many attracting hundreds of votes, with a noticeable dose of recency bias. The list also included runners-up such as The Lion King (2019), Only God Forgives, Jupiter Ascending, Ad Astra, Gods and Generals and Tree of Life.

At No. 7 was Megalopolis, Francis Ford Coppola’s 2024 passion project starring Adam Driver. One Reddit user described watching the audience gradually disappear during the screening, eventually leaving them alone in the theatre. Another called it the “best worst movie” because of how bizarre the experience became.

The Dead Don’t Die, Jim Jarmusch’s 2019 zombie comedy, landed at No. 6 despite its heavyweight cast, which included Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton and Steve Buscemi. Reddit users questioned how a film packed with stars and a zombie apocalypse could still turn into what one viewer called a “total snoozefest”.

Experimental horror film Skinamarink, directed by Kyle Edward Ball, took No. 5. The 2022 Canadian film, known for its liminal-space aesthetic, divided viewers, with complaints about its long shots of hallways and ceilings. One commenter described it as a short film stretched to around an hour and 40 minutes.

Ridley Scott’s Napoleon came in at No. 4. The 2023 historical drama starring Joaquin Phoenix drew criticism from Reddit users who felt the film spent too much time on Napoleon’s relationship with Joséphine rather than his military achievements.

The 2011 Conan the Barbarian reboot starring Jason Momoa ranked No. 3. For some Reddit users, the biggest surprise was that a film featuring the traditional ingredients of fantasy action, blood, violence and dark magic could still be considered boring.

Joker: Folie à Deux took the No. 2 spot. Todd Phillips’ 2024 sequel to Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, attracted particularly harsh reactions from viewers, with some describing their cinema experience as among their worst.

Taking the dubious crown at No. 1 was Direct Action, the 2024 French documentary co-directed by Guillaume Cailleau and Ben Russell. The three-and-a-half-hour film follows a radical environmental activist farming community through long observational sequences, including activities such as repairing a wheel, planting potatoes, baking bread and delivering vegetables.

One Reddit commenter said the film’s five-minute segments eventually felt like meditation, while another found the prolonged observational approach “unbearably dull”.

The Reddit ranking is, of course, a matter of viewer opinion rather than a formal critical assessment. But that may be precisely what makes it interesting: the films span blockbuster franchises, acclaimed directors, experimental cinema, horror, historical drama and documentaries, proving that boredom can apparently find its way into almost every corner of the movie business.