Roger Ebert's Most Hated Movies, Ranked

Roger Ebert believed films deserved to be taken seriously, whether they aimed for high art or multiplex thrills. When a movie worked he treated it like a small miracle; when it failed he examined why. By the time he published his "Most Hated" movies list in 2005, he had already spent decades shaping how audiences talked about cinema.

Revisiting the 56 titles on that list tests them against time. Some remain borderline unwatchable, others have gained cult followings or ironic appreciation, and a few are still divisive for reasons Ebert foresaw. Battlefield Earth was condemned for odd camera angles, muddy visuals and wooden acting that left John Travolta and Forest Whitaker buried under heavy makeup; Baby Geniuses drew nervous chuckles as CGI made infants look like possessed dolls; and North prompted Ebert’s memorable line that he "hated hated hated hated hated" the film.

Other entries earned infamy for different flaws. Ballistic: Ecks vs.

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