Some of the most popular movie franchises includeStar Wars,Jurassic Park,The Lord of the Rings,and, of course, anything within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, there is no secret to success, and just because a movie spawns a franchise doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be good. They might bring in big bucks at the box office due to dedicated fans who revel in the corniness, bad acting, or downright ridiculous plots. Indeed, chances are that fans of the original will watch whatever comes next, no matter how awful it is.
In some cases, movie franchises are born from unique stories and people watch because of that car wreck effect: it’s seemingly difficult to turn away. These are the movie franchises that are so-bad-they’re-good.They’re thoroughly entertaining for reasons that will never put the movies on the radar for awards season, but everyone loves them, nonetheless.
10Paranormal Activity (2009-2021)
“Best” Movie: ‘Paranormal Activity’ (2009)
When it comes to subtlety and jump scares,Paranormal Activityachieves this in spades. But while the concept was great, it got repetitive as the entries continued with more of the same. Now, withseven movies under its belt, there’s a reason the franchise kept going. Even if the movies weren’t receiving high praise, the low-budget production style turned a healthy profit and added a quality that made the movies intriguing and feel more intimate.
Each movie is centered around a different family that is haunted by a demon. But what sets the franchise apart is the style: viewers see what goes on in found footage style through security cameras and recorded footage, adding another level of spooky. While there are no high-budget CGI scenes, they aren’t needed.TheParanormal Activitymovies have a corny B-movie feel to them, which is actually a good thing for fans of less flashy horror flicks.
Paranormal Activity
9Transformers (2007 - Present)
Best Movie: ‘Bumblebee’ (2018)
Originating as a popular set of robotic, transforming toys,Transformersturned into a massive media franchise that eventually included atotal of seven movies, with an eighth on the way, 2024’sTransformers One. Most of the movies have received negative reviews, especially those starringMark Wahlberg, yet people keep flocking to theaters to see a new film any time it’s released. So much so, in fact, that Transformers ranks in the top 20 highest-grossing film series, according toBox Office Mojo, and two of its movies,Dark of the MoonandAge of Extinction, made over $1 billion.
Transformersis one of those movie franchises with deeply corny storylines and awful acting. But the action sequences, wonderful graphics, and nostalgic ties to toys that many viewers played with as kids mean that no matter how bad one of the movies is, it’s still downright good. However, 2018’sBumblebeewas genuinely good, so perhaps there’s hope for this loud and often dumb series.
8American Pie (1999-2020)
“Best” Movie: ‘American Pie’ (2001)
Defining a generation of Gen Xers,American Pieinspired so many similar movies that came after, featuring corny storylines and raunchy humor. It’s the talented cast that truly makes the movies watchable, leading to the development of a franchise that includes four theatrical movies plus five more direct-to-video films.
TheAmerican Pieseries follows a group of awkward coming-of-age high school friends through their lives as they get older, get married, and reunite years later. With tons of quotable lines and memorable characters like Stiffler (Seann William Scott) andEugene Levyas the equally awkward dad,American Pieboth kick-started the careers of some of its stars and reinvigorated others. There’s nothing particularly compelling about the movies, with each subsequent film losing a bit of its original appeal, butAmerican Piemovies are still downright fun to watch.
American Pie
7Fifty Shades (2015-2018)
“Best” Movie: ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ (2015)
Considering how much attention the book series byE.L. Jamesreceived, it’s no surprise that readers clamored to theaters to see Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele and their electric chemistry on screen. StarringDakota JohnsonandJamie Dornan, the R-rated movies —Fifty Shades of Grey,Fifty Shades Darker, andFifty Shades Freed— teeter the line in terms of what can be acceptable on screen. But the franchise also became amongthe highest-grossing R-rated movie franchisesof all time, grossing over $1 billion.
It’s all about seeing the words from the page depicted on screen in all their sexually graphic glory.TheFifty Shadesmovies have developed a cult following of fans of the books, so whether they’re actually good or not really doesn’t matter. If James were to write another novel in the series, chances are another movie would be made and would garner just as great a reception as a perfect guilty pleasure like the others.
Fifty Shades of Grey
6Jaws (1975-1987)
Best Movie: ‘Jaws’ (1975)
Starting way back in 1975,Jawsis one of the most iconic movies ever made, following a great white shark that’s attacking people at random. Considered a bonafide classic and arguably the first modern blockbuster,Jaws' high production value (at the time) fascinated people, along with elements like the unforgettably intense score andSteven Spielberg’s precise and unexpected thrills.
Three sequels followedJaws, none of which quite lived up to the first; it, of course, didn’t help that Spielberg did not return for subsequent movies. But it was still a historical moment to see each one when it came out.Jawsis one of those movies that started on a high before degenerating into self-parody. It’s worth watching each one to see just how different they are from one another, including that memorably awful 3-D movie. Despite the cheap effects that carry over, there’s still something endearing about theJawsmovies.
5Scary Movie (2000 - Present)
“Best” Movie: ‘Scary Movie’ (2000)
It started as a corny parody movie of theScreamfilms that everyone loved because it knew exactly what it was. But somehow,Scary Movieturned into one of the biggest horror movie franchises ever, poking fun at other franchises and continuing to this day along with other general horror tropes. Eachentry in the Scary Movieseriescenters around a group of people trying to survive some unexpected horror villain.
Developed byKeenen Ivory, Shawn, andMarlon WayansfromIn Living Color, the first three movies are downright hilarious, exaggerated and ridiculous, which makes them so appealing. With guest roles from people likeTori Spelling,Tim Curry,David Cross, andCharlie Sheen, each movie is funnier than the next in a weird way. The last two entries were more mediocre than expected, butthe first three remain entertaining as unique and absurd pieces of noughties culture. There’s reportedly a sixth movie in the works, scheduled for release sometime in 2025.
Scary Movie
4Fast & Furious (2001 - Present)
“Best” Movie: ‘Fast & Furious 6’ (2013)
No one would argue that the storylines and the acting in any of theFast & Furiousmovies are good; no one is winning any high-caliber awards for these movies. Butthe fast-paced action, amazing stunts and car chase scenes all combine to make them highly enjoyableand rewatchable. There could probably be no dialogue, and fans would still watch these movies.
Withfive sequels to date, plus the spin-off movieFast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shawand even an animated series,Fast & Furious Spy Racers,Fast & Furioushas made billions over the years. The franchise is interesting in that the first few films were widely criticized for the lack of story, but the later films have become more thematically engaging, albeit admittedly simple and somewhat uninspired.
Fast and Furious 6
3Resident Evil (2002-2021)
“Best” Movie: ‘Resident Evil: The Final Chapter’ (2016)
Based on the popular video game franchise of the same name, theResident Evilmovies didn’t quite perform as expected, nor did the short-lived TV series of the same name. Despite the negative reviews, however, the franchise grossedover a billion dollarsworldwide through its six movies. There was even a reboot,Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, released four years after the final movie.
Even with lackluster reviews, theResident Evilseries about a world overtaken by zombies maintains the record for the most live-action film adaptations of a video game. There’s just something aboutMilla Jovovich’s performance, along with supporting roles from actors likeMichelle Rodriguez,Ali Larter,Iain Glen, andWentworth Miller,that draws fans of the video game in.The lack of a cohesive plot in each one is unimportant because the action scenes fabulously make up for it.
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
2Twilight (2008-2012)
“Best” Movie: ‘Twilight’ (2008)
It doesn’t get much cornier than teenage romance stories involving vampires and werewolves, butStephenie Meyer’sTwilightwas a massive hit with the younger generation and even some older readers. So, when the stories became live-action movies, they were bound to be a hit. Withfive installments in total, as the final movie split the fourth book in two, the story follows the love between young woman Bella Swan and vampire Edward Cullen, complicated by a love triangle with a werewolf and the battle between several vampiric threats.
Just hearing the story sounds ridiculous, and the acting was always quite wooden, despite knowing today that the two leads are all wonderfully talented actors. Nonetheless, the story was addictive, andKristen StewartandRobert Pattinson’s chemistry was too good to ignore.Twilightis pure fan service that is as bad as the books, yet also weirdly incredibly good.
1Sharknado (2013-2018)
“Best” Movie: ‘Sharknado’ (2013)
Sharknadois one of those puzzling anomalies, a made-for-television sci-fi, action, comedy, horror, disaster film that people caught wind of, watched, and fell in love with because of how bad it is. The movie about a cyclone that causes man-eating sharks to circulate the Earth became a massive franchise that expanded to include video games and comics.
StarringBeverly Hills, 90210’s Ian Ziering andAmerican Pie’s Tara Reid, the movie doesn’t take itself seriously at all, yet it doesn’t present like a parody either. It’s like someone dreamt up scenarios with shark attacks and tornados and thought it brilliant to put them together. Just hearing about the concept sparks curiosity, which is what drew people to the initial movie in the first place.Sharknadois a great saga to put on with a group of people to laugh at the stupidity and marvel at the tremendous entertainment value. There are six movies in the franchise, with titles likeThe Second One,Oh Hell No!, andGlobal Swarming. Mind-numbingly dumb and fun, theSharknadofilms are the ultimate guilty pleasure movies.
