Writers have a precarious job when it comes to making a movie. It’s a tedious balancing act which requires finesse and precision. Fail to execute and the entire house of cards all comes tumbling down.
Below are examples of just that: 10+ movie moments that made fans cringe to their very core, proving once and for all that sometimes, there’s nothing better than a really good ‘bad movie.’
Derek Vinyard’s curb stomp in American History X
American History X is a film that everyone should see at least once in their lives. That scene, however, is incredibly difficult to watch.
I literally have to keep one hand over my mouth while the other covers my eyes.
Mr. Freeze introduces himself to the Arkham guards in Batman And Robin
“Allow me to break the ice. My name is Freeze. Learn it well, for it is the chilling sound of your doom!”
Are you kidding me? That’s like three ice puns in one sentence! How are we supposed to take you seriously, Mr. Freeze?
Why you should always ask first before using someone else’s washroom in Dumb And Dumber
Watching this as a kid, I thought it was hilarious. As an adult, I can’t look past the sheer terror of the situation.
Poor, poor Harry. No one should ever have to go through that.
Jack paints Rose like one of his French girls in Titanic
I don’t care what anybody says, this scene is uncomfortable. It’s not romantic and it isn’t sweet. Instead of coming off as loving, both the characters seem tense and awkward.
I know I’m likely on this island (or ahem door) alone, but I’m OK with that.
When Captain Danny Walker looks into the future (sort of) in Pearl Harbor
“I think World War II just started!”
Newsflash, Capt. Danny Walker: WWII had been going on for about two years prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor!
The dialogue here just feels so forced and unrealistic that it’s hard to take this scene seriously.
When Johnny lets Lisa know exactly how he feels in The Room
OK, if you haven’t seen The Room, just stop everything that you’re doing right now and go find a copy. It is hands down the best/worst movie you will ever see.
Every moment is a cringe-worthy moment. But this one is the best.
The time Jack Reacher got way too graphic
Jack Reacher is the most testosterone-fueled character Tom Cruise has ever portrayed. But his telephone call in the bar had me gritting my teeth.
Also, threatening to drink someone’s blood from a boot? That’s over the line even for Tom Cruise.
Dani spills the beans about Max’s secret desire in Hocus Pocus
I still die every time I watch this scene. Yes, I admit it: I still watch Hocus Pocus every Halloween. What’s worse, I can literally picture my own sister saying something all too familiar when I was that age.
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Come on, Max. Who says “yabos”?
Steven Segal’s hilarious threat from Hard To Kill
How did people ever take Steven Segal seriously? I mean, come on! That ponytail should have resulted in him never getting a job anywhere!
I’m not even mad that he deliberately makes a bank/blood bank pun. It’s that creepy “whisper voice” he uses.
A paper bag isn’t beautiful in American Beauty
On the one hand, American Beauty is one of my all-time favorite movies. However, even I can’t deny that this scene is, for lack of a better word, incredibly stupid.
Clearly Sam Mendes had something to say. Sadly, no one wanted to hear it.
Clint’s incredibly lame party threat in Dazed and Confused
What’s worse is that Richard Linklater is actually plagiarizing They Live in this scene.
How are we supposed to take Clint seriously when he clearly lifted a line from a movie that technically doesn’t even exist within the same timeline/universe in which Dazed and Confused is supposed to be set?!
Actually, life isn’t like a box of chocolates at all, Forrest Gump
I always hated this quote mainly because you almost always know “what you’re gonna get” with a box of chocolates. They literally write the descriptions on the front and back.
Every time Forrest or his mother says it, I gag.
The real reason why Samuel L. Jackson doesn’t fly commercial in Snakes on a Plane
Love it or hate it, there’s no denying the cultural impact of Snakes on a Plane. But even a brilliant actor like Samuel L. Jackson couldn’t rescue this bombshell.
His final rousing battle cry is even more laughable than the premise of the film itself.
Charlie and Rory squash the beef in Jack Frost
Embarrassingly enough, Jack Frost is one of those films that gets me every time. I weep when he sings Every Time We Say Goodbye at the end.
Rory and Charlie’s forced reconciliation almost spoils the magic of the entire film! In an attempt to be heartwarming, the film ends up betraying itself.
Batman and Superman’s final confrontation in Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice
I think what I found most bewildering about this scene is that I’d never realized that Clark and Bruce’s mothers are both named Martha.
No offense to Henry Cavill, because I love him, but this performance was laughable.
Busting a move in The InBetweeners Movie
Have you ever been the first one to arrive at the party? Do you know the pains of walking into an empty club? Good. Then you should be able to fully appreciate the insane level of awkwardness that comes from watching these guys dance.
Annie and Helen’s constant one-upping in Bridesmaids
This is what happens when you try to make wedding speeches all about you!
The building tension between Annie and Helen is so palatable it had me pulling at my collar. Here’s a nickel’s worth of free advice: Don’t do speeches at your wedding.
Dinner and a dirty movie in Taxi Driver
By no means am I claiming to be some kind of Casanova, but even I know that you don’t take someone to a porno movie on your first date!
Let me clarify my point: You don’t take a date to a movie like that — ever!
Doug crashes Steve’s wedding in A Night At The Roxbury
This was the film that helped launch Will Ferrell’s movie career! To be honest, there are countless cringe moments to choose from.
Without a doubt, my favorite is when Doug hoists the boombox over his head (think Say Anything) and blasts Haddaway’s What Is Love. It’s the pinnacle of cringe in the best way possible!
George’s painful pep talk in Wanderlust
Hey, we’ve all been there. Sometimes you need to face yourself head-on in the mirror in order to get into the proper frame of mind.
That said, nobody should have to be subjected to Paul Rudd saying the word “erection” fifty times in the span of only two minutes.
Frank and beans in There’s Something About Mary
This movie was my first real foray into “adult humor.” In fact, I can still remember sneaking into the movie theater to see it!
In one single zip, There’s Something About Mary made every single man in the audience collectively cross their legs and exclaim “ooooh!”
The other dance number in Spider-Man 3
A lot of people like to throw shade on Tobey Maguire’s dance moves and rightly so. But don’t forget the other egregious dance number in the film.
Watching Harry and MJ twist while making omelets in the kitchen is vomit-inducing.
Mike Yanagita’s complete and utter breakdown in Fargo
Have you ever watched someone just get completely shut down? It’s painful but something we can all relate to — to an extent.
However, immediately launching into a story about your recently departed wife as a way of lightening the mood? Probably not the best idea.
When Harry tries to hone in on Ron’s hug with Hermione in Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban
Someone needs to tell Harry that Hermione is just not that into him. Furthermore, he’s just making things awkward!
Two’s a party, Harry. Three’s a crowd.
Jim’s curiosity gets the better of him in American Pie
I don’t have children myself, so I suppose I can’t state this with absolute certainty. However, I’m willing to go out on a limb and say that walking in on your teenage son having coitus with a pastry… That image has gotta be hard to shake.
When Peter overheard everything in I Love You, Man
What made the whole scene 10 times worse was the fact that he was being so nice! All Peter was trying to do was ensure that the girls had an enjoyable night, and they kind of crapped all over him.
A case of mistaken identity in Mean Girls
When I was a kid, my father told me to never assume anything. The way he explained it to me was: “it makes an ‘ass’ out of ‘u’ and me.”
Lame advice, but words to live by. Especially when it comes to making statements about someone’s ethnicity or cultural heritage.
When Andie and Ben sing their duet in How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days
Yes, I understand that the whole goal of this scene was to make audiences cringe and look away. I’m just saying that no one, not even the directors, could have possibly anticipated just how unbearable watching Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson singing You’re So Vain would be.
The most awkward dinner of all time in Meet The Parents
Sometimes you have to know when to commit to a lie and when to bail out. In the future, if you find yourself concocting some elaborate scheme involving you milking a cat, better play it safe and come clean.
Every single Joker scene in Suicide Squad
Trying to take the Joker seriously in Suicide Squad is kind of like attempting to frighten yourself by watching old horror movies from the 1960s.
Every time he does that stupid laugh I involuntarily roll my eyes.
Talia Al-Ghul’s death scene in The Dark Knight Rises
And the award for Worst Death Scene Ever goes to…Marion Cotillard!
Talia’s death wasn’t just cringe-worthy, it was laughable! She seriously just shuts her eyes and collapses as life is extinguished from her? Ugh. Talk about cheesy.
