Everyone always casually throws in the term good or bad cinematography when they justify favorite or distasteful movies. But not many know the actual checklists or meaning of the term apart from a vague idea about what good or bad cinematography might actually mean.
What is Bad Cinematography?
The textbook definition of this term is “the art of photography and camerawork in film-making.” But art is a very subjective perception which means think and say what you want! Free country (from movies with bad cinematography)! 😀
So anyway…if you are here, then you’d eagerly want to know whether any of your favorite movies is mentioned or not in it. We have picked these movies to have bad cinematography because we thought they had:
- No establishing shots
- Too many bad close-ups (uncomfortable, overused, extreme and such)
- No depth of field or was used badly (like important things were out of focus and such)
- No strong sense of foreground (wide shots, long shots, medium shots and such)
- Unintentional overexposure of light (usually works in the 60s films sets)
- And such subtle factors…
Read on to find out what we’re talking about.
Movies We Think That Have Bad Cinematography
The Princess Bride (1987)
IMDB – 8.1/10, Reviews
The movie begins with an old man reading his bedridden grandson the book titled ‘The Princess Bride.’ Reading this particular book has been part of a tradition passed down the family through generations.
The grandson was sure that a romantic story wouldn’t interest him because he prefers action scenes over kissing. But he didn’t want to hurt his grandfather’s feelings, so he let him continue with the story.
The main character in the book is a girl from a farm named Buttercup who’s supposed to be the bride of Humperdinck, a prince from Florian. Buttercup is against the marriage as she still mourns the death of Westley, her one true love.
Westley worked on the same farm, where they both fell in love. However, five years ago, Westley was sent out to the sea, where he died at the hands of the deadly pirate Roberts. To clear her mind about the current predicament, Buttercup goes on a horse ride to clear her mind. However, on the way, she gets kidnapped.
The plot, though set in a fantasy world, is excellent. However, the lousy cinematography makes it hard to enjoy the film. This is why good movies with bad cinematography get bad repo.
The Hunger Games (2013)
IMDB – 7.5/10, Reviews
The film takes place twelve months after the commencement of the 74th Hunger Games. The winners Peeta Mellark and his partner Katniss Everdeen are on a victor’s tour. During this trip, they are supposed to visit all the districts.
However, the event is cut short as President Snow visits them, alleging that Katniss didn’t follow his orders and chose to die with Peeta. A potential uprising is in the process because of her actions.
Snow further threatens Katniss about the consequences and what will happen to her loved ones if she doesn’t put out the flames. One of the great films with bad cinematography that stopped it from shining.
Bright (2017)
IMDB – 6.3/10, Reviews
The movie comes from a world where elves, orcs, and humans coexist in Los Angeles. The plot revolves around Daryl Ward, an LAPD police officer, and his partner Nick Jakoby, an orc. Ward gets shot by another arc on a routine check-up trip. And when Nick fails to capture the criminal, he questions where his loyalty lies.
During another patrol, Ward and Nick arrest a man who tells them about a prophecy. The prophecy mentions that Ward is supposed to stop it because he is blessed. Meanwhile, officials from the Internal Ministry are pressing Ward to uncover the truth about the orc that shot him. They only care about having a genuine excuse to fire Jakoby.
The F.B.I, on the other hand, is questioning a terrorist who belongs to the Shield of Light organization. The terrorist group protects criminals called Brights who are awaiting the return of the Dark Lord.
Ward and Jakoby stumble upon a warehouse being used by the Shield of Light and become embroiled in the ongoing war. The plot, though mystical, had some depth to it due to the bad cinematography failed to woo the audience.
The Happening (2008)
IMDB – 5/10, Reviews
Despite starring a fantastic cast of Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel, the movie’s intriguing plot failed due to bad cinematography. Elliot Moore is a science teacher in a high school and surprisingly starts acting weird one day. He begins to question his class about a recent article he read in the New York Times.
The article is about the mysterious and sudden disappearance of bees. Nature is up to something that science cannot explain and only has theories to explain the phenomenon. Scientists come up with more ideas, yet no solution as a threatening virus begins spreading.
People infected by the virus have their behaviors changed dramatically, causing them to commit suicide. As the virus spreads, Ellio, his wife, and a young girl carve their path to safety based on the theories.
Sucker Punch (2011)
IMDB – 6/10, Reviews
Babydoll is locked away in a mental asylum as a young girl by her abusive stepfather. Over there, she is supposed to undergo a lobotomy in about five days. In front of impossible odds, her only escape is a magical world crafted by her imagination, where four other inmates plan an escape from the institution.
The fine line between a fantasy world and reality blurs as Babydoll encounters a mysterious guide who helps her and others escape the captors.
It is a pretty good idea that failed on the screen because of the bad cinematography.
Fear (1996)
IMDB – 6.2/10, Reviews
Starring Mark Wahlberg and Rese Witherspoon, ‘Fear’ is a thriller film with a simple plot, yet it’s one of the great films with bad cinematography that makes it hard to enjoy. The story is about Nicole Walker, an average 16-year-old girl who’s looking to have fun and, in the process, find her prince charming.
One day, Nicole turns up to a party, Margot, her best friend, and meets David, an older bad boy. Soon they started hanging out and became a couple. Only after becoming an official couple, Nicole realizes that David has a darker side to his personality.
He is obsessive and a jealous boyfriend who even beat up Nicole’s male best friend as he was trying to hug her. Nicole tries to cut him off, but David ends up convincing her to take him back.
After this, Nicole isn’t so sure about David and their relationship. Their relationship seems to be going great until another problem arises with Margot. Sensing another break-up, David breaks into her house to kidnap Nicole.
Death Race (2008)
IMDB – 6.3/10, Reviews
When you think about great films with bad cinematography, ‘Death Race’ is bound to pop in your head. Set in 2012, unemployment is at an all-time high, and the economy is a downward spiral.
The only source of entertainment for the Americans is the race organized on Terminal Island. Criminals sentenced to death take part in an armored car race and kill each other to win their freedom.
Jensen Ames is a steelworker who got arrested and lost his job on the same day. After arriving in the prison, the manipulative Warden Henessy offers Jensen a way out. All Jensen has to do is take part in the race, win, or rot in prison forever.
Jensen takes on the challenge only to realize later that this might be a trap.
Catwoman (2004)
IMDB – 3.4/10, Reviews
Starring Halle Berry, ‘Catwoman’ is about a shy and very apologetic woman, Patience Phillips. She works as a graphic designer for Hedare Beauty, a multinational cosmetics company. The company is looking for the right moment to launch an anti-aging product to revolutionize the industry.
On a chance encounter, Patience stumbles upon a dark secret and finds herself caught in corporate politics. While figuring a way out of this mess, something mysterious happens to Philips, which changes her life forever.
Suddenly, she is blessed with the agility, senses, and strength of a cat. Patience turns into Catwoman with her newfound powers, a stealthy animal walking the fine line between good and evil.
Her adventures get more complicated as she is followed by a detective named Tom Lone, who loves Patience but can’t seem to shake Catwoman from his mind. The movie could have been a great one if not for its bad cinematography.
Anaconda (1997)
IMDB – 4.8/10, Reviews
Starring Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, and Owen Wilson, ‘Anaconda’ definitely has the star cast to make this a great film if not for its bad cinematography. The plot begins with a crew for National Geographic embarking on a mission into the Amazon Jungle.
The crew comes across a stranded man, a hunter, and offers to help him. The stranger is obsessed with capturing Anaconda, a giant snake by any means necessary. Little did they know about the trouble they’ll have to face, all thanks to the hunter they rescued.
He plans to capture it right on the boat and doesn’t care what happens to the others.
Street Fighter (1994)
IMDB – 4/10, Reviews
The movie begins with Colonel William Guile leading his army in the country Shadaloo. He aims to find any leads about General M. Bison, who is on top of holding many civilians hostage and has also kidnapped three missing soldiers.
One of the soldiers is Carlos Blanka, for whom the general decides to convert into a mutant. Chun Li is a reporter seeking vengeance for her father, who died at the hands of Bison. Along the way, two small-time arms dealers and a big dealer are arrested and recruited to find Bison’s camp.
The team, complete with recruits, has three days before Bison kills all his hostages and takes over the world. A film with no real direction made even worse by bad cinematography.
Stone Cold (1991)
IMDB – 6/10, Reviews
The plot revolves around Joe Huff, a tough cop who likes to serve justice in his style. Apart from his personality, Joe is also known for infiltrating very dangerous biker gangs. The F.B.I is keeping an eye on Joe because they need his skills.
Wanting Joe to do their bidding, the F.B.I blackmails him into accepting a critical mission. He is to go undercover in one of the most violent biker gangs who are already not happy because their boss got arrested.
‘Stone Cold’ is not a good film, but it has its moments making the audience laugh and keeping them entertained for the whole duration. But bad cinematography is not easy to forget.
The Wicker Man (2006)
IMDB – 3.7/10, Reviews
Edward Malus is a policeman in Seattle, living a comfortable life until one day his ex-fiancee rings him to inform him that Rowan, her daughter, has gone missing. Edward gets the help of a pilot to reach the island where they live.
Upon arriving, Edward finds out that an elderly nun runs the whole island and is treated like a goddess. Malus starts his investigation and uncovers a massive plot of offering Rowan as a sacrifice to the Gods for a peaceful year.
Malus races to find Rowan before she is burned. Will he be able to stop the ritual from taking place?
‘The Wicker Man’ was a flawed movie that didn’t perform well at the theatres and, when coupled with bad cinematography, makes it even worse.
Hercules (2014)
IMDb – 6/10, Reviews
Set in 1400 B.C, a weary soul walks the Earth and, being the son of the strongest God, is often tormented. Hercules was the son of Zeus and, after seeing his family die while finishing the 12 arduous labor, finds solace on the battlefield.
Over the years, he met six other such souls who had the same for battle and the adrenaline from the presence of death. These souls never asked who they are fighting or why they are fighting; the question always was for how much are we fighting?
Lord Cotys, the King of Thrace, hires them to train his army and make them the most feared army in the world. Now the mercenaries see what kind of a reputation they carry and how far they have fallen when they have to train an army to become as ruthless as them.
The movie had everything, from an interesting plot to a great star cast. However, the bad cinematography was a thorn in the bush.
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
IMDB – 6/10, Reviews
The movie revolves around Sean Boswell, an American teenager and a loner in school. One day, he challenges his nemesis to an illegal car race and wrecks his car while competing.
Sean is sent to Tokyo to live with his father in the army and avoid spending time in jail. While traversing through the streets, he discovers a new way of racing that is extremely dangerous yet full of adrenaline.
The race takes place in the underworld of Tokyo, where people of all sorts come together to show off their cars.
‘The Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift’ is one of the great films with bad cinematography. Otherwise, it’s a gem of a film and definitely worth watching.
Bad Boys 2 (2003)
IMDB – 6.6/10, Reviews
A party haven of the world, the film is set in the backdrop of Miami. Due to the party culture of Miami, a large number of drugs are smuggled into the city.
In recent times, John Tapia, a drug lord from Cuba, has increased the amount of Ecstasy flowing through the city. Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett are detectives assigned to solve this issue.
Furthermore, there is a lot of drama going on, one with the DEA where his sister is an agent, another with Marcus transferring out of the department, leaving his long-time partner alone.
The plot is a little over the top, merging fantasy and reality that makes up for an entertaining experience. However, the bad cinematography does create a bad experience for the viewers.
Mortal Kombat (1995)
IMDB – 5.8/10, Reviews
The film is based on a popular video game based on the same name. The plot tells the story of a tournament taking place in an ancient world, where the best fighters from different realms gather to determine the world’s fate.
The goal of the fight is to accumulate ten wins against a real to invade and capture the realm legally. So far, Earthworld has lost nine times against the fighters from Outworld. Now Lord Rayden and his band of troops are the last defense that’s keeping humanity alive.
‘Mortal Kombat’ has plenty to offer with its fun action scenes and a simple plot making it an easy and great watch. However, the bad cinematography ruins the whole experience, which becomes evident halfway through the movie.
Final Destination (2000)
IMDB – 6.7/10, Reviews
The plot begins with a group of students getting ready to get on board a plane to France for their school trip. Among the students is Alex, who has a hunch that the plane will burst up in flames.
After causing a stir, Alex ends up being thrown off the place with his friends and teacher. But to their surprise, the plane blows up. Alex must now figure out what’s going on and what death has in store for them.
While trying to save the next victim from dying, Alex must also evade the F.B.I because they think he is responsible for the blast on the plane. Although ‘Final Destination’ provides plenty of goosebump moments where you will find yourself grabbing your couch. Yet, the bad cinematography makes it tough to enjoy the film.
Batman and Robin (1997)
IMDB – 3.8/10, Reviews
An epic adventure awaits in the streets of Gotham City since Batman and Robin are back to fight the villains. But things might be different this time as there is tension rising between the duo. It seems like there’s a chink in their bond.
Moreover, they are fighting off two dangerous villains, Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy. Being a seductress, Poison can make anyone fall in love with her. At the same time, Mr. Freeze is a heartless criminal who freezes anyone in his path.
The evil duo has set their sight on Gotham City, and it’s up to Batman and Robin to stop their evil plans.
Starring Arnold, George Clooney, and Uma Thurman, the movie certainly had the right cast to pull it off, but the bad cinematography stopped it from doing so.
Wild Wild West (1999)
IMDB – 4.9/10, Reviews
Jim West is a former hero of the civil war and was known for his guns blazing style. On the other hand, Artemus Gordon is a U.S Marshall who specializes in disguising himself. However, when Arliss Loveless threatens to destroy the United States with his Psychotic Confederate.
Ulysses S Grant, the president, tasks the duo with bringing the criminal to justice with whatever means necessary. The two hop on an arduous train journey filled with unknown dangers from Washington to Utah.
West and Gordon team up to defeat Loveless and destroy his machines. The movie has many things that stood out for it. However, the bad cinematography steals the spotlight when it comes to things that didn’t work for the film.
Godzilla (1998)
IMDB – 5.8/10, Reviews
After a major nuclear test in the South Pacific Ocean, an unsung scientist, Niko Tatopoulos, is called by the U.S Army to shed light on the strange attack on a fishing boat. As well as to clarify the terrifying sight of a sea dragon.
Soon, Godzilla turns into a nightmare, as a powerful and invincible beast threatens to obliterate the New York City soaked with rain. The disabled and corrupt politicians and the futile military efforts to stop an unstoppable beast from the sea all fail.
Now, it’s up to Niko; private insurance agent, Philippe; a determined journalist, Audrey, and her brave photographer, Victor, to end Godzilla’s reign before it is too late.
Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)
IMDB – 3.9/10, Reviews
Continuing after the first film’s events, our protagonist, Annie Porter, dates the cop who saved her life. But his addiction to putting himself in danger makes it hard for her to continue the relationship.
Eventually, she breaks off and starts dating Alex, another cop who tells her that he has a desk job and doesn’t involve any dangerous work. However, she learns that he works in the same unit as her ex and also likes danger.
She plans to break up, but Alex surprises her with a cruise trip. She reluctantly agrees, and they both embark on the journey. Alex plans to propose to her, but when he notices a passenger acting a little weird, he couldn’t help but find out the cause.
He learns that the man is named Geiger, a programmer responsible for the ship’s propulsion system. However, he was let go from his job and planned to take revenge by hacking the ship’s system and setting a course to crash into a tanker.
Will Alex be able to stop this massacre and save his relationship? It’s safe to say that the first part was much better. The down point of this film, apart from cliche dialogues, is the bad cinematography which makes it tough to enjoy.
So now you get what we meant by bad cinematography? Breaking bad cinematography isn’t hard though. A director (even a small-time) just needs to rewrite the angles of the whole movie without changing the story. So do you have any such movies that could have been better with the right factors? Let us know in the comments below, we’ll discuss! 🙂
Check out other latest lists from us: