The Razzies are like a spoiled distant cousin who, despite lacking any perceivable talent, believes that everyone in the family should go to their improv show. You sit in stunned silence, you watch them bomb, and then you smile through gritted teeth as they earnestly ask how they did. Is anyone going to tell the Razzies to quit? Should it be me, today, in this listicle?
I’ll never understand the Razzies. Supposedly the sassy, satirical younger sister to the Oscars, they’re more often mean-spirited and out-of-touch than down-to-earth and fun. They also often nominate respected and talented actors and directors to stay relevant, hoping that someone, anyone, will think it’s funny that they said Helen Mirren was the “worst” at something. Of course, sometimes they go far, such as the time when they gave a Worst Actress nomination to a 12-year old and almost got canceled for it. But other times, the Razzies are just wrong and annoying. (See below.)
Case #1: A classic slasher gets the cut
The year: 1981
The Razzie nom recipient: Friday the 13th, for Worst Picture
Why it was wrong: Kevin Bacon was in this! (That’s not the reason. I just remembered that Kevin Bacon was in this and got excited.) But anyway, I don’t really need to explain this one, do I? Friday the 13th, and its antagonist, Jason Voorhees, are among the most iconic names in horror. What did the Razzies see that we didn’t? As we’ll come to see throughout this list, the Razzies just don’t “get” horror – a trait they ironically share with the Oscars.
Case #2: Evil twin nominations ax a horror icon
The year: 1981
The Razzie nom recipients: Shelley Duvall for Worst Actress and Stanley Kubrick for Worst Director, for The Shining
Why it was wrong: The 1981 Razzies were the organization’s first, so maybe they were still working out the kinks. But to this day, it feels wrong that the Razzies took this dual potshot at The Shining, which remains one of the most iconic and lovingly parodied films in horror history. No one will tell you that Duvall didn’t give it her all; and in fact, the Razzies retroactively rescinded her nomination once they realized (far too late) that they had punched down.
Case #3: A comedy legend gets the last laugh
The year: 1995
The Razzie nom recipient: Jim Carrey, for Worst New Star
Why it was wrong: The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective may not be for everyone, but they nevertheless hit big with the American public. They were all massively successful and became instant classics, and positioned Jim Carrey as the highest-paid actor in all of Hollywood. The Razzies looked at all of this and said, “Meh.”
Case #4: A viral success gets the cold shoulder
The year: 2000
The Razzie nom recipient: The Blair Witch Project, for Worst Picture
Why it was wrong: Is The Blair Witch Project the best horror flick of all time? I don’t think so; it doesn’t hold up upon repeat viewings. But in 1999, The Blair Witch Project was legitimately terrifying audiences thanks to its visionary marketing campaign and groundbreaking found footage format. The Blair Witch Project walked so that Paranormal Activity could run out of ideas.
Case #5: A fake couple gets a real kick in the teeth
The year: 2013
The Razzie nom recipients: Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, for Worst Screen Couple in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
Why it was wrong: No one’s arguing that The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 is a good movie. At least I hope not. Actually, if you meet someone who is arguing that, can you tell me? I want to make sure they’re OK. Like, this movie went absolutely nowhere; its best scene was in someone’s imagination. However, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart were great in their roles. It’s not their fault that those roles were insipid and nonsensical. In fact, Stewart went on to fully prove her talent with an Oscar nomination for Spencer in 2022.
Case #6: The Razzies report mother! to CPS
The year: 2018
The Razzie nom recipient: Jennifer Lawrence, for mother!
Why it was wrong: This movie is a pretentious mess and I have yet to meet a single person who understood it. That said, Jennifer Lawrence is a formidable actress and should not be blamed for this movie’s failure. Blame writer-director Darren Aronofsky, who flew too close to the sun and exploded. The often-misogynistic Razzies just went for an easy target.
Case #7: The hottie with the body is thrown in the potty
The year: 2017
The Razzie nom recipient: Henry Cavill, for Worst Actor in Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice
Why it was wrong: One of the hottest, er, most talented, actors of Modern Hollywood got a Razzie nomination? How could the Razzies not see his hotness, I mean talent??
