6. The Hurricane Heist
When a team of hackers uses the threat of a hurricane as cover to steal millions, they find their plans gone awry when the hurricane turns into a lethal category five storm. Needing a vault code that only one treasury agent knows, the hackers will stop at nothing to get the code. But the treasury agent has an ally on her side – an expert meteorologist whose knowledge of the storm gives them an advantage over the criminals.
Making several appearances on the worst films of 2018 lists, The Hurricane Heist was both a critical and financial failure. It was a box office bomb, grossing $31 million against its $35 million budget and it was criticised by both critics and audiences for being corny, stupid and illogical. The truth is, is that The Hurricane Heist is all those things and more. And yet in all its stupidity, you cannot help but enjoy the film. How can you hate something that is trying so hard?
Like a cheesy action film from back in the day, The Hurricane Heist uses all the good old lines such as “Come out, we’ve got you surrounded!” and “We don’t want no trouble man.” It makes use of a lot of green screen and CGI effects to show the terror of the hurricane, even going so far as to make a skull shape appear in the clouds. And throughout, there is much shooting and shouting to be had.
It also reminds us that anything can be used as a weapon when the bad guys are shooting at you – remember to keep a bag of spare hubcaps handy, you wouldn’t believe their lethal frisbee potential. And if you really cannot secretly appreciate all that, then you have to appreciate the unique premise behind the film – nothing like a massive storm to get all the criminal gangs gagging to carry out their latest evil plans.
7. Forever My Girl
Eight years ago, rising music star Liam left his bride at the altar for a chance at super stardom. Now a global superstar he returns unexpectedly to his small home town after the death of his childhood best friend. But he receives a less than warm welcome after abandoning all those he loved for fame and fortune. Now he must face the consequences of his actions and confront a long-held secret that threatens to change everything.
Based on the novel by Heidi McLaughlin, Forever My Girl was heavily criticised by critics who lambasted almost everything about the film from its script to the chemistry between the leads. However, in spite of receiving negative reviews from critics, Forever My Girl was received much better with audiences. The film made $16.4 million at the box office against its $3.5 million budget and many audiences expressed surprise at the highly negative reviews that the film had received.
Forever My Girl has all the trappings of a guilty pleasure film. For fans of the Nicholas Sparks’ films, Forever My Girl has the same romantic vibe with the added easy watch cheesiness of an afternoon Hallmark film. Those two things combined make Forever My Girl a film that romance fans will easily find something to like about, and it might even end up appealing to non-romance fans too.
8. The Commuter
Insurance salesman Michael has the same uneventful daily commute every day, until one day he is confronted by a stranger on the train – find the identity of a passenger on the train before the last stop. Blackmailed into carrying out the strange task, Michael searches to solve the puzzle in time unaware that he is caught up in a criminal conspiracy that is more dangerous than he ever could have imagined.
Add Liam Neeson to any film these days and you know that you have the makings of an action film already. The Commuter goes one step further and as well as giving audiences Neeson in fight scenes, this time he is also given a mystery to solve. Yet in spite of seemingly having all the right ingredients there, the film received mixed reviews upon release with the premise of the film highly criticised in particular.
The problem is, is that when you start to apply even the most basic logic to the film, The Commuter goes completely off the rails. So, the best way to watch The Commuter is with your brain turned off. When you cast all logic aside, the film is very engaging and watchable. Many of us know the strain and slog of the daily commute, so it is only natural that this film is a relatable guilty pleasure for lots of people.
9. Slaughterhouse Rulez
When new boy Don joins a tough British boarding school, he is forced to abide by an arcane set of rules and principles. But learning the school’s rules may be the least of his problems when a mysterious sinkhole appears at a nearby fracking site, releasing unspeakable horrors from the ground and forcing the pupils to fight for their lives.
Produced by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s production company Stolen Picture, and also starring them, Slaughterhouse Rulez was released on Halloween to mixed to negative reviews. The bad reviews came as a let down for fans of Pegg and Frost’s previous work, who were eagerly anticipating their new project together. Slaughterhouse Rulez had high expectations to live up to, so when it demonstrated a number of weak points, it was lambasted all the more.
Though Slaughterhouse Rulez may not be the best Pegg/Frost vehicle and it didn’t live up to expectations, it does fall well into the parameters of a guilty pleasure film. It is loud and brash, but it is also very entertaining. And with its mix of boarding school fun and horror, its like Harry Potter meets Attack the Block with added silliness.
10. The Happytime Murders
Down on his luck puppet Detective Phil Phillips used to work for the Los Angeles Police Department, but now works as a private detective. When puppets from an old television show start turning up dead, Phil is hired as a police consultant. Investigating the case with his former human partner Connie Edwards, the two must stop fighting long enough to stop the killer from striking again.
A box office bomb grossing $27.5 million against its $47 million budget, recipient of six Golden Razzie nominations and blasted by critics and audiences alike, The Happytime Murders did not have a happy time when it was released last year.
In fact, The Happytime Murders was one of the most hated films from last year. It appeared on a number of worst films of the year lists and won a number of negative rewards, including Worst Film of the Year from the St. Louis Film Critics Association.
So, with all the above being said, it is safe to say that anyone who does admit to liking the film would definitely describe it as a guilty pleasure. But before we judge too harshly, it has to be said that there is no other film quite like The Happytime Murders. In what other film can you experience the plot being hinged on the pubic hair of a nymphomaniac puppet? Exactly.