Worst Movies of 2006

By Staci Layne Wilson

Unlike my 10 Best list, this one was all too easy to come up with. I tried to stick with the studio-sanctioned, bigger-budget movies for the main ones to malign, but some of the indies that came out in limited release were much, much worse.

When it comes to films not screened for critics, I generally don't see those — some of them have come out on DVD, and I catch them then — hence, you won't find movies like The Return or The Grudge 2 on this list. Not because they don't suck, simply because I haven't seen them.

Be sure and look for my list of the very worst limited-release indies and direct-to-disk dreck.

#10 The Wicker Man

Almost didn't make the list because I enjoy watching it for the (unintentional) comedy, but there's no way to honey-coat it: this movie is truly terrible.

Theatrical Release Date: September 1

Directed by Neil LaBute

#9 Silent Hill

An awful lot of wheel-spinning without much suspense or sense. This was a movie I was so looking forward to, but in the end it didn't amount to a hill of beans.

Theatrical Release Date: April 21

Directed by Christophe Gans

#8 Pulse

I thought this movie was so bad it was good the first time I saw it, but upon second viewing I had to check my own pulse to see whether I was dead, or just asleep.

Theatrical Release Date: August 11

Directed by Jim Sonzero

#7 Ultraviolet

All action, and no soul.

Theatrical Release Date: March 3

Directed by Kurt Wimmer

#6 When A Stranger Calls

…Hang up.

Theatrical Release Date: February 3

Directed by Simon West

#5 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning

The beginning of the end for this franchise.

Theatrical Release Date: October 6

Directed by Jonathan Liebesman

#4 Stay Alive

Game over… please!

Theatrical Release Date: March 24

Directed by William Brent Bell

#3 The Zodiac

This boring movie just peters out, ending on a nothing note. Its astrological sign should've been STOP.

Theatrical Release Date: March 17

Directed by Alexander Bulkley

#2 Lady in the Water

A muddled, masturbatory mess from M. Night Shyamalan, this flick is all wet.

Theatrical Release Date: July 21

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

#1 Freedomland

If this is freedom, lock me up and throw away the key. The tagline for this Crash-meets-Forgotten wannabe scary suspenser is: 'The Truth Is Hiding Where No One Dares To Look'. It seems as though stars Samuel L. Jackson and Julianne Moore looked no further than their paychecks on this one.

Theatrical Release Date: February 17

Directed by Joe Roth

Horrible Mention: Keane, 13 Tzameti, Isolation, BloodRayne, and Inland Empire.