10 Most Overhyped 2024 Movies That Didn’t Live Up to the Expectations Find help us

Overall, it’s safe to say that 2024 was a solid year for movies. Desert epics like Dune: Part Two and Furiousa: A Mad Max Saga provided endless thrills and spectacle, while hits like Anora and Challengers served up fiery, character-driven drama bolstered by compelling performances. Even horror fans got their fair share of scares with Oddity and the surprisingly great The First Omen, to name a couple.

Like any year, however, 2024 also offered its fair share of disappointments. Sometimes, movies just don’t live up to the expectations set upon them prior to release. That’s not to say that none of the following films are completely devoid of any redeemable qualities, but they did fall short when it comes to fulfilling their potential. These are the 2024 movies that fell short of the lofty expectations audiences had, leaving them with a bitter aftertaste.

10 ‘Civil War’ (2024)

Directed by Alex Garland

Set in a dystopian and not-too-distant future, a divided America has succumbed to a large-scale civil conflict. Seasoned war reporter Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst), along with a party of fellow journalists, look to travel from New York City to Washington, D.C., in hopes of interviewing the president. Their journey is treacherous as they navigate a country ravaged by blind hatred and seething violence.

Civil War is bold, blockbuster filmmaking that disappointingly struggles to find nuance in its characters or narrative. Acclaimed studio A24’s most expensive film to date, Civil War does deliver spectacle on an impressive scale, but unfortunately, it doesn’t deliver much more than that. Its lack of a concise political message also takes points away from it, reducing its plot’s impact. Civil War isn’t a terrible movie, but its lofty ambitions accentuate its inability to leave a lasting impression.

9 ‘Gladiator 2’ (2024)

Directed by Ridley Scott

Sixteen years following the death of Marcus Aurelius, Rome finds itself in the grip of a tyrannical pair of twin rulers (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger). Refugee Lucius (Paul Mescal) is captured, imprisoned, and forced into becoming a gladiator. The city of Rome is ripe with unrest, and Lucius becomes a symbol of rebellion, willing to stand against the oppression of the capital’s people and those who wronged him.

The best thing that Gladiator 2 had going for it was the return of Ridley Scott as director. Over two decades removed from Scott’s original 2000 action epic Gladiator, this is a sequel that wasn’t exactly asked for but nonetheless had the potential to be a worthy successor to a modern classic. While Gladiator 2 has its charms, it’s primarily a bloated, uninspired and emotionally hollow dud that did little to justify its existence. If one wishes to be truly entertained, they’d be best off steered towards the original.

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8 ‘Trap’ (2024)

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

Family man Cooper (Josh Hartnett) takes his daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to a sold-out pop concert. Unbeknownst to them (or any of the other concert-goers), the entire performance is part of an FBI ploy to capture a ruthless serial killer known only as “The Butcher.” As the police presence around the venue intensifies, one thing is made clear: The Butcher is in attendance.

Trapexemplifies both the best and worst tendencies of director M. Night Shyamalan. Shyamalan can craft compelling premises (Trap being one of them), but a promising setup gives way to a nonsensical cacophony of bad performances and baffling writing strung together by a narrative that seemingly takes joy in insulting the intelligence of its viewers. It’s hard to recommend Trap to anyone other than Shyamalan enthusiasts—2024 had plenty of better and more rewarding thrillers on offer.

7 ‘MaXXXine’ (2024)

Directed by Ti West

Hollywood: a jungle of excess and aspirations. The City of Dreams is where adult film star Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) finds herself. Desperate to make a name for herself as a movie star, Maxine is willing to do whatever it takes for a moment in the spotlight. Just as she begins to gain traction, Maxine’s pursuit of stardom threatens to expose a past of bloodshed and trauma.

Director Ti West‘s throwback horror trilogy X is one of the decade’s most exciting and inventive creative endeavors thus far. 2002’s X was a delectable love letter to the genre, and the ambitious Pearl provided a uniquely twisted perspective of the coming-of-age tale. While no less expressive than either of those movies, MaXXXinestruggles to bring the trilogy’s narrative and thematic threads to a satisfying conclusion. While there is certainly some fun to be had with MaXXXine (this is a stylish and gorgeously produced movie), it’s mostly a disappointment that especially stings.

6 ‘Drive-Away Dolls’ (2024)

Directed by Ethan Coen

In search of release from their tension-wrought lives, the free-spirited Jamie (Margaret Qualley) convinces her friend Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) to accompany her on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee. After a rental-car mixup, Jamie and Marian find themselves unknowingly in possession of a suitcase, the contents of which are invaluable. The case’s owners—a crew of bumbling criminals—are in hot pursuit.

Directed by Joel Coen (of the Coen Brothers), Drive-Away Dolls had all the makings of an amusingly quirky buddy-comedy classic sprinkled with the signature Coen zest. Despite being exceedingly perverse and raunchy, Drive-Away Dolls lacks flavor, even if Qualley and Viswanathan’s on-screen chemistry single-handedly keeps the movie from being a total bore. There are certainly worse ways to spend 90 minutes, but Drive-Away Dolls still falls quite short of its potential.

5 ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’ (2024)

Directed by Kevin Costner

An unabashed ode to Western epics, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 chronicles the trials and tribulations of the Old West and its people. From the Civil War to families struggling to survive in the harsh frontier of the 1860s American West, the film is an expansive exploration of a formative period in American history.

Actor and director Kevin Costner‘s passion for the genre shines through far brighter than any singular aspect of Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1. As broad and lengthy as the movie’s title, it’s a creative endeavor that’s easier to appreciate than to enjoy as a viewing experience. There’s very little to chew on in Horizon; the drama falls mostly flat, and the thrills are fleeting. Despite Costner’s best efforts and ambition, Horizon is a portrait that’s difficult to get immersed in, exacerbated further by its promises of greater things to come in a sequel that doesn’t really fare much better.

4 ‘The Fall Guy’ (2024)

Directed by David Leitch

Stuntman Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) receives the opportunity of a lifetime following a near career-ending injury. Seavers is to be the stunt double for Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), one of Hollywood’s premier talents. Complications in the film’s production arise when Ryder mysteriously disappears. It’s up to Seavers and his camera-operator love interest, Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt), to track down Ryder and save the entire production.

Considering director David Leitch‘s history as a stuntman and coordinator, The Fall Guy is at its best when it gives behind-the-scenes looks at the artistry behind movie making. While certainly exaggerated for comedic and entertainment effects, this element elevates what is, by most metrics, a bog-standard action comedy. Despite some entertaining action sequences and the natural charisma of its stacked cast, The Fall Guy is quite a forgettable fare that rarely is as fun as it could be.

3 ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ (2024)

Directed by Mike Mitchell & Stephanie Stine

Dragon Warrior and kung fu legend Po (Jack Black) has long defended the Valley of Peace and its citizens. However, the time has come for Po to find a new Dragon Warrior, who he will train himself. In his search, Po meets a sly and quick-witted fox named Zhen (Awkwafina). They must work together to take down The Chameleon (Viola Davis), a shape-shifting foe bent on conquering the Valley.

Perhaps DreamWorks Animation’s most widely beloved property, Kung Fu Panda was an unlikely success that is easy to love. Eight years following Kung Fu Panda 3, fans were eager to see the journey of Po continue. Disappointingly, Kung Fu Panda 4was not nearly as charming or inspired as any of its predecessors. Despite improved animation, the creative spark that fueled the first three entries was absent in Kung Fu Panda 4. It also proved to be a more juvenile affair, far removed from the surprisingly weighty tones of the original trilogy.

2 ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ (2024)

Directed by Todd Phillips

Following the events of Joker, the clown turned symbol for rebellion, Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), is incarcerated at Arkham State Hospital for his crimes. It’s there where he first meets fellow patient Lee Quinzel (Lady Gaga)—the two share a romance that breaches the concrete confines of the institution and allows Fleck to express his innermost emotions.

As successful and influential as Joker was, the need for a sequel was never apparent but inevitable, considering its massive box office return. The return of Phoenix in the lead boded well, and the bold casting of Gaga as his iconic counterpart prompted intrigue. Joker: Folie à Deux isn’t disappointing because it’s a musical; it’s disappointing because it’s a bad musical. It was undoubtedly a creatively inspired decision to make Joker: Folie à Deux a musical, but returning director Todd Phillips‘ aspirations far exceeded his grasp here. It’s likely to find its audience, but Joker: Folie à Deux was a colossal disappointment for those looking for a satisfying continuation of an effectively told tale that never called for a follow-up.

1 ‘Megalopolis’ (2024)

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola

New Rome: a sprawling city and monument to the potential for a brighter future. Cesar Catalina (Adam Driver) is a brilliant yet enigmatic architect with aspirations to mold New Rome into a modern utopian society, but his vision is not welcomed by everyone. Soon, Mayor Frank Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), along with a whole batch of malefactors, seek to seize New Rome for themselves.

The failure of Megalopolis is one for the history books, and it would be no exaggeration to call it incomprehensible. This misguided film is the product of unbridled ambition, for better and most certainly for worse. The revered Francis Ford Coppola is often associated with some of the greatest movies ever made, so the expectations for his long-time passion project were understandably high; alas, Megalopolis is a bad movie and a waste of potential, ensuring its place as 2024’s most frustratingly disappointing offering. Despite its inability to meet expectations, it’s a strangely endearing piece of work that, at the very least, inspired conversation.

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