The Worst-Rated Black Movies That Flopped HARD on Rotten Tomatoes

In news that can only be described as, “Wow, hate that for him,” rapper Ice Cube has just found himself as the talk of the timelines and it’s not for anything good. In fact, it’s because of a new project he just released and let’s just say, the chatter surrounding it is less than stellar.

And by less than stellar we mean it’s an absolute train wreck as proven by countless social media posts talking negatively about his new film, “War of the Worlds.” It’s so much of train wreck that it debuted at a zero percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. A ZERO. In the words of Nene Leakes, “Whew chile, the ghetto.” (To be fair, at the time of this article’s writing, it has risen to a hefty five percent.)

But seeing how poorly that movies is being received, it got our wheels turning to see if there were other Black films that flopped just as hard on the popular entertainment reviews site. For the sake of this piece, we’re going to count any Black-leading and/or Black-centric film with anything below a 50 percent rating as a flop. So sit back, grab some popcorn, and prepare to cringe.

“War of the Worlds”- 2025

Synopsis: A computer security analyst working for the U.S. government finds his daily life disrupted by an alien attack. Accustomed to dealing with virtual threats, his struggle extends to secrets the government may be hiding.

Starring: Ice Cube, Eva Longoria, Michael O’Neil

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 0% originally, now 5%

“A Thousand Words”- 2012

Synopsis: After stretching the truth on a deal with a spiritual guru, literary agent Jack McCall finds a Bodhi tree on his property. Its appearance holds a valuable lesson on the consequences of every word he speaks.

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Kerry Washington, Cliff Curtis, Clark Duke

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 0%

“3 Strikes”- 2000

Synopsis: Rob has 2 strikes and 3 strikes now means 25 to life. Leaving prison, he’s picked up in a stolen car later stopped by the police. Can he prove his innocence before he’s caught?

Starring: Brian Hooks, N’Bushe Wright, Faizon Love, E-40

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 0%

“John Henry”- 2020

Synopsis: When two immigrant kids on the run from his former South Los Angeles gang leader stumble into his life, John is forced to reconcile with his past in order to try and give them a future.

Starring: Terry Crews, Ludacris, Maestro Harrell

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 0%

“Dark Tide”- 2012

Synopsis: A professional diver tutor returns to deep waters after one year, following an almost fatal encounter with a great white shark. The nightmare from the deep is still lurking – more carnivorous and hungry than ever.

Starring: Halle Berry, Olivier Martinez, Ralph Brown, Luke Tyler

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 0%

“Simon Sez”- 1999

Synopsis: Basketball superstar Dennis Rodman stars as a hip Interpol agent attempting to defeat the deadly plans of a crazed arms dealer.

Starring: Dennis Rodman, Dane Cook, Natalia Cigliuti

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 0%

“Daddy Day Camp”- 2007

Synopsis: Seeking to offer his son the satisfying summer camp experience that eluded him as a child, the operator of a neighborhood day care center opens his own camp, only to face financial hardship and stiff competition from a rival camp.

Starring: Cuba Gooding Jr., Lochlyn Munro, Paul Rae

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 1%

“Crossover”- 2006

Synopsis: The lives of a gifted athlete and his best friend change when they take a fateful trip to Los Angeles. The young hopefuls must use every skill at their command to topple the reigning street ball champions from their thrones.

Starring: Wesley Jonathan, Anthony Mackie, Wayne Brady

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 2%

“King’s Ransom”- 2005

Synopsis: Hoping to foil his own gold-digging wife’s plan, a loathsome businessman arranges his own kidnapping, only to realize that there are plenty of other people interested in his wealth as well.

Starring: Anthony Anderson, Regina Hall, Nicole Ari Parker

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 2%

“Nina”- 2016

Synopsis: The story of the late jazz musician and classical pianist Nina Simone, including her rise to fame and relationship with her manager Clifton Henderson.

Starring: Zoe Saldaña, David Oyelowo, Keith David

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 2%

“Half Past Dead”- 2002

Synopsis: FBI agent Sasha Petrosevitch goes undercover in the newly reopened Alcatraz prison to find out who killed his wife. While there he stumbles onto a plot involving a death-row inmate and his $200 million stash of gold.

Starring: Ja Rule, Morris Chestnut, Steven Seagal

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 3%

“Code Name: The Cleaner”- 2011

Synopsis: When Jake awakes one morning in a strange hotel room, he finds himself in a bit of a predicament; there’s a corpse in his bed and a briefcase full of cash. Not only that, he cannot remember who he is or how he got there. He meets Gina, a waitress, who tells him he is a janitor at a video-game company and that she is a girlfriend. But Jake believes he is an undercover agent for the CIA, and he tries to figure out the truth.

Starring: Cedric the Entertainer, Lucy Liu, Nicollette Sheridan

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 4%

“A Low Down Dirty Shame”- 1994

Synopsis: An ex-cop, now a private detective, takes on the search for the millions stolen by a drug lord.

Starring: Keenen Ivory Wayans,  Jada Pinkett Smith, Salli Richardson-Whitfield

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 4%