10 incredible scenes from terrible movies
Every work of art contains countless multitudes; something can be both entertaining and poorly made, well-written but badly shot, or funny without being genuinely funny. Some films embody these contradictions fully, becoming a strange mix of flaws and charm. We all have a secret stash of guilty pleasures—films we know, objectively, aren’t great but can’t help returning to time and again. Call them repeat offenders, if you will.
However, multiple truths can coexist, and there are films I find utterly reprehensible yet redeemed by the brilliance of a single moment or scene. It might be the delivery of a single line, an action sequence, or a montage so impactful it causes a tectonic shift within Hollywood itself, defying conventional entertainment norms and blurring the line between good and bad.
While many of the films on this list may not be terrible to some, they are terrible to me, and that is ultimately what matters the most.
So, without further ado, here are ten incredible scenes from terrible movies.
10 incredible scenes from terrible movies:
Saltburn (Emerald Fennel, 2023)
Hold on to your hats, because we’re kicking things off with a true head-scratcher. Few films scream controversy like the 2023 release Saltburn. Regardless of where you stand on it, one thing is undeniable: it’s an affront to filmmaking itself. From the unspeakable grave scene to the smug edginess of the “vampire” sequence, and the relentless barrage of “you don’t belong here” comments that feel ripped straight from a cliché 2003 high school drama, Emerald Fennell has firmly established herself as one of the most hollow and self-congratulatory filmmakers of the decade.
However, there is one scene that I did find myself reluctantly enjoying, largely due to the reading of one line from the always spectacular Richard Grant. The scene in question is one in which the characters perform karaoke, with one of the characters being cruelly forced to sing a song that mocks his financial dependency on the Catton family. However, Grant’s character is so hilariously detached from the low-level bullying that his children inflict on others, enthusiastically screaming at their comically small television screen, “The words are on the screen, that’s the best bit, that’s the best bit!”
Despite the general grossness of the rest of the film, I found myself laughing out loud at this one moment, and is purposefully the only thing I choose to remember from this film. Aside from one song that has regrettably become a permanent ear-worm.
Twilight Breaking Dawn: Part 1 (Bill Condon, 2011)
Now I don’t want to dismiss the entire Twilight series as being terrible, because I genuinely think there are some really edgy and innovative moments. However, those are not words I’d use to describe the first part of the Breaking Dawn instalment.
Breaking Dawn Part 1 largely revolves around poor Bella discovering that her body is hosting a vampire baby that’s slowly consuming her from the inside out. It’s a deeply tragic scenario, conveyed mostly through vague imagery—like Bella becoming alarmingly thin and her outfits taking a nosedive. But before the horror unfolds, we’re treated to a romantic montage of the pale lovers frolicking on a tropical island. Among these moments, one stands out for defying Hollywood’s typical portrayal of romantic love: a chess montage. Yes, really.
As silly as it sounds, I just love this montage so much. The writer uses chess as a plot device to build sexual tension, with Edward and Bella exchanging tantalising glances as they play chess in their underwear. It’s completely genius, and I stand by this creative decision wholeheartedly because nothing is more sexy than check mate.
Challengers (Luca Guadagnino, 2024)
Speaking of sex, we should definitely talk about Challengers, which has been hailed by some as the ultimate movie about sex, which is fantastic given that we don’t see anyone actually do it for the whole movie. But, because it’s an arty film, we must understand that tennis is actually the sex, with Guadagnino rebranding the very notion of intimacy as a sport – he’s an auteur, ladies and gents!
But, despite my general lack of enthusiasm for his take on the erotic thriller, I can appreciate the genius of the ending scene, with a mesmerising game of tennis between Patrick and Art, with the match becoming a coded communication of repressed longing and their illicit affairs, all said through loaded glances and physical gestures. They say that the eyes are the window to the soul, but in this case, your racquet and the way you hold it is the window to the soul. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you an entirely new method of communication! The next time I have a burning secret to share, I shall take it to the courts. The tennis courts, of course.
Bohemian Rhapsody (Bryan Singer, 2018)
There are many things that seemingly went wrong with the Freddie Mercury biopic, from the abysmal editing that famously earned the film an Oscar for’ Best Editing’ or the diluted portrait of a very complex man, but I found myself surprisingly moved by one scene that managed to redeem the film in my eyes.
The Live Aid concert scene has resonated with many who loved Freddie Mercury and the sheer magnitude of his stage presence that was able to electrify and move a stadium of people. Nobody could work a crowd like Mercury, and this one scene is perhaps the only one that captures the true spirit of Mercury, showcasing the essence of his creativity and how he could command a stadium of people with a single note, uniting everyone in their love for the music and creating community within a fractured society. When I think of this film, this is the only moment I remember.
The Lobster (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2015)
Now that we’re about halfway through the list, things are going to get heated, because there are some movies I’m including that are loved by many but I personally cannot stand, and unfortunately The Lobster is one of them.
While I understand the appeal of this movie, it completely missed the mark for me. I found it unmotivated, monotonous, and honestly quite boring. I get that it’s meant to be drab and deadpan, but the style just didn’t engage me (despite my love for Dogtooth and The Killing of a Sacred Deer). That said, there is one moment that genuinely made me laugh and deserves a mention. It’s the scene where Colin Farrell’s character bumps into Ben Whishaw and his new family, during which he’s offered a kiss from Whishaw’s child. Farrell’s response? “Why would I want a kiss from a silly little girl?”—before promptly kicking the girl.
It’s peak Lanthimos humour and such a strange and exaggerated reaction to a sweet gesture that you cannot help but laugh, even if you feel guilty for doing so. However, I would argue that this is Lanthimos’ defining skill – making you laugh when you shouldn’t, and in turn, flipping the mirror towards the audience and making us question why we are also terrible people. So you got me there, Lanthimos; I’m sorry for laughing. But it was really funny.
Scooby Doo Monsters Unleashed (Raja Gosnell, 2004)
I’m reluctant to include this film on the list because I love it and by no means think of it as terrible, but in order to be a fair journalist, I will acknowledge that many people would consider this to be a bad film. Within the chaotic fervour of this cartoon adaptation, there is one scene that I would like to draw attention to, merely for its place within pop culture and queer history. It is, of course, the sexy leather jumpsuit scene (but also the scene that directly precedes it).
Basically, Velma has scored herself a hot date with the curator of the Coolsville museum, and she’s absolutely over the moon—but also terrified. In a hilariously relatable moment, she crawls around on the floor of her house trying to avoid her suitor, with Daphne following close behind to offer a pep talk about modern dating. Now, let’s set aside the fact that Velma is going on a date with a man (because let’s be honest, she’s clearly a gold-star lesbian). What follows is a surprisingly touching moment as Daphne compares dating to unmasking monsters. She explains that sometimes you have to peel off the mask to see if there’s a real monster underneath. It’s a revealing and timely commentary on the pursuit of intimacy in a world where romantic love has been commodified, making true connection feel as elusive and tricky to capture as a masked villain.
But Velma pulls herself together, whips on a sexy leather jumpsuit (orange) and hoodwinks her way to self-confidence and compulsive heteronormativity.
Hitman (Richard Linklater, 2023)
I usually love the work of Richard Linklater, and so when I heard about the release of Hitman, no one was more excited than I was. And after finishing the movie, I tried to hide my disappointment at what I’d just seen. This was not the Linklater that I knew and loved, and I was completely crestfallen.
But there was one sequence that I did enjoy, which was the montage of Glen Powell’s character trying on lots of wigs and costumes and adopting different characters for each job. It was packed full of references to other movies and prompted lots of laughs from the audience. Moving swiftly on.
The Fault in Our Stars (Josh Boone, 2014)
The John Green adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars was a big day for many brooding and love-lorn teenagers worldwide, with people queuing to watch the tragic story of Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters. I wanted to throw in a curveball and mention a scene that is objectively very bad but that I still think is the best part of the film, and it is, of course, the Anne Frank scene.
For those who haven’t seen the film, don’t worry—Anne Frank does not make an appearance. However, in a truly baffling turn of events, the two lovers fulfill Hazel’s lifelong dream of visiting the Anne Frank House. Much to their dismay, they discover that the house lacks an elevator, but Hazel, determined to experience it fully, climbs the stairs to the top despite her severely weakened lungs. And what’s their reward for this monumental effort? Hazel and Augustus share their first kiss. In the middle of a Holocaust museum. To top it all off, the surrounding visitors break into applause. Yes, really.
I don’t think I need to expand on why this is so beyond inappropriate, but even then, I have to commend every single person involved in the production for greenlighting this scene and bringing it onto our screens. It’s so deeply wrong, and I love it when Hollywood fucks up in such a monumental way.
Quantum of Solace (Marc Forster, 2008)
Quantum of Solace is largely seen as one of the worst additions to the latest James Bond series, and I truly cannot remember a single moment from this entire movie besides one line of dialogue.
James Bond finds himself in a tense shoot-out in the middle of the desert, showing all the usual signs of stress and over-exertion as he leaps and dodges his way through a shattered building. What follows is a chaotic flurry of gunfire and fighting, depicted with hundreds of unnecessary cuts that make it hard to follow the action. Then, out of nowhere, Bond pulls out his gun and shouts, “YOU AND I HAD A MUTUAL FRIEND!” before shooting the bad guy. It’s always funny when one line completely undercuts all the tension that’s been building, and in this case, the combination of disorientating editing and the absurd delivery of the line never fails to take me out of the action and make me laugh.
Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan, 2023)
If you’re a Christopher Nolan fanboy, then it might be best to look away because what I’m about to say won’t be pretty, but I absolutely hated Oppenheimer. It was a hollow and cowardly portrait of a morally heavy subject, turning our attention towards the least controversial aspect of this story and not exploring the moral consequences of one of the most horrific creations of all time. The so-called guilty conscience of Oppenheimer is vaguely explored in one scene as he sees the victims of the bomb flash before his eyes, and besides that, nothing else happens. The entire film is about him making the bomb, but nothing about how he feels about it or the moral dilemma that apparently tortured him. Where was this emotional torture?
But I’ll tell you what, the one scene that saved Nolan’s pigeon-hearted mess was the one scene with Emily Blunt in which she obliterates the investigator with her quick wit and intellectualism, something that isn’t seen for the rest of the film because she is relegated to the category of ‘wife’ within Nolan’s thoughtlessly fleshed out world. Nolan is not good at writing women, and this is particularly evident in Oppenheimer, but this was the one scene that stood out to me. Maybe it was written by someone else?
