Computer-generated imagery, or CGI, has helped movies and TV shows for decades. What seemed impossible to put on screen is not possible, meaning the only limitation is one’s imagination. But that doesn’t mean that every movie turns out great. If you want to remember some of the worst CGI movies that are notorious for being atrocious, and simply didn’t age well, then we have the list for you. Unlike some movies like Gravity (2013) and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), these are the absolute worst CGI movies of all time.
6. The Lawnmower Man, Prime Video (1992)
The 1992 science fiction horror film, The Lawnmower Man, is known for being one of the worst CGI movies in history. The movie stars Jeff Fahey as Jobe Smith, an intellectually disabled gardener, and Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Lawrence Angelo, a scientist who decides to experiment on him to give him greater intelligence by stimulating his brain using nootropic drugs and virtual reality computer simulations. The loose Stephen King adaptation is just awful, and the author sued them to get his name removed from the movie altogether. And while the special effects might have been immersive in 1992, looking back on it now is just terrible.
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5. A Sound of Thunder, Prime Video (2005)
Another obscure movie that you might not have heard of is A Sound of Thunder, a 2005 science fiction thriller based on a short story by Ray Bradbury. The movie stars Edward Burns, Catherine McCormack, and Ben Kingsley. The film follows people who accidentally interfere too much in the past as they travel through time, known as “time tourists”, completely altering the present. While the premise sounds good, the visuals are lackluster. Most of the film follows these characters acting against a green screen that would be replaced by the most atrocious CGI ever, making it one of the worst CGI movies ever.
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4. Cats, Prime Video (2019)
The 2019 musical fantasy film, Cats, is actually based on the 1981 West End musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, which is also based on the poetry collection by T.S. Eliot. The movie follows a tribe of cats called the Jellicles who must decide yearly which one will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new Jellicle life. And while it stars big names like James Corden, Jason Derulo, Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson, and more, it’s one of the worst CGI movies ever. The movie has been criticized for its unsettling visuals, making it seem almost like a surrealistic horror movie than anything.
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3. The Mummy’s Return (2001)
The fantasy action-adventure film, The Mummy Returns, is a sequel to the 1999 film starring Brendan Fraser as Rick O’Connell. The second film follows a mummified body of Imhotep that is shipped to a museum in London, where he once again wakes and begins his campaign of rage and terror. Unlike some of the other entries on the list, it’s not necessarily the whole movie that is bad, but one certain character: The Scorpion King. Dwayne Johnson’s character, mind you his first role after his wrestling career, looks incredibly bad, it’s laughable.
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2. Sharknado Franchise, Prime Franchise
If you want an entire series that is terrible, then check out the Sharknado franchise. These are some of the worst CGI movies ever. These films are known for being so bad that they’re good. The six low-budget films essentially follow deadly sharks and people trying to survive their terror. While the first was such a success that they received five more movies, they’re still horrible. The CGI is horrid, resulting in more funny moments than actual fear. While the movie tried its best to be terrifying, it ended up with hilarious movies that were just dumb.
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1. Birdemic: Shock and Terror, (2010)
Last, but certainly not least in the list of worst CGI movies, we have Birdemic: Shock and Terror, a 2010 independent romantic thriller-horror film inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. The film tells the story of a romance between two main characters as their small town is attacked by birds, and has been labeled as one of the worst films of all time. Mainly because it was self-financed, the CGI is one of the worst ever. It’s unconvincing, ugly, and just poorly done. Think of copying and pasting stock images into the screen, and that’s basically what you’ll be watching.
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