When You Don’t Want To See But Can’t Look Away
Every movie—no matter how star-studded, well-written, or visually stunning—has the potential to slip up and leave audiences groaning. Sometimes it’s an awkward line delivery, sometimes it’s bad CGI, and other times it’s a creative choice so baffling you wonder how it survived the editing room. These moments don’t necessarily ruin the film entirely, but they stick out like a sore thumb, pulling us out of the magic of cinema.
Here are the cringiest moments from otherwise great (or at least memorable) films that left audiences squirming in their seats.
The Irishman
Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman is a beautiful, sweeping epic, but one scene derailed the immersion: Robert De Niro’s “beatdown”. Watching a stiffly de-aged De Niro shuffle through a street fight is less “intimidating mobster” and more “grandpa trying not to pull a hamstring”. A younger stunt double could have easily salvaged the moment, but instead, it became the internet’s favorite meme-worthy blunder.
The Flash
Superhero films aren’t strangers to CGI chaos, but The Flash gave us a sequence so bad it almost felt like parody: the infamous “baby shower” scene. With plastic-looking infants falling from the sky, Ezra Miller’s Flash puts one in a microwave—yes, really—while cracking awkward jokes. Between the atrocious visual effects and the sheer weirdness of the setup, it became one of the most embarrassing sequences in comic book movie history.
Warner Bros. Pictures, The Flash (2023)
The Rise Of Skywalker
Oscar Isaac did his best, but even his charm couldn’t save the line: “Somehow, Palpatine returned”. That’s it—that’s the explanation for the return of the franchise’s biggest villain. Instead of building suspense or giving fans an intriguing mystery, the film reduced a galaxy-shaking twist to a shrug. It’s lazy writing at its cringiest, and a reminder that sometimes, less explanation really is better.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Gigli
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck may have been Hollywood’s “it” couple, but Gigli gave us one of cinema’s most awkward lines: “It’s turkey time… gobble gobble”. Delivered with zero irony, it turned a supposed romantic moment into unintentional comedy gold. Even die-hard rom-com lovers couldn’t forgive this turkey of a scene.
Columbia Pictures, Gigli (2003)
Aquaman
Jason Momoa’s Aquaman was already swimming in camp, but the flashback to young Arthur Curry discovering his family tragedy was a special kind of bad. Between the flat green screen, the awkward yellow contact lenses, and the poor kid actor being asked to emote his heart out in one take, the moment feels like a high school drama class assignment.
Warner Bros. Pictures, Aquaman (2018)
Ghostbusters
The original Ghostbusters is a beloved comedy classic—so why on earth did it randomly imply that Dan Aykroyd’s character gets… intimate…with a ghost? In a family-friendly action comedy, the sudden cutaway montage showing a romantic spectral “encounter” was beyond unnecessary. It’s not clever, it’s not funny, it’s just uncomfortable and out of place in an otherwise sharp comedy.
Columbia Pictures, Ghostbusters (1984)
Twilight
For all its unintentional hilarity, Twilight still delivered one scene so awkward it lives in internet infamy: Edward sparkling in the sunlight and declaring, “This is the skin of a killer”. Robert Pattinson himself has mocked it, but the deadly serious delivery of such a ridiculous line left audiences laughing when they were supposed to swoon. Sparkly vampires never fully recovered.
Summit Entertainment, Twilight (2008)
The Happening
M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening is notorious for bizarre performances, but Mark Wahlberg’s “I’m not gonna kill you!” scene takes the cringe cake. Accused of plotting to take lives in his sleep, Wahlberg’s wide-eyed confusion feels like an SNL sketch rather than a tense thriller. It’s a prime example of how odd direction and poor line delivery can torpedo suspense.
20th Century Fox, The Happening (2008)
X-Men
Storm, played by Halle Berry, is one of Marvel’s coolest characters—so why saddle her with the immortal dud of a line: “Do you know what happens to a toad when it’s struck by lightning? The same thing that happens to everything else”. Meant to be endlessly cool, it instead sounded like a middle school science lesson. Not every fight needs a quip, and this one proved it.
20th Century Fox, X-Men (2000)
Alien: Covenant
Michael Fassbender squaring off against… himself? Interesting. Michael Fassbender kissing himself? Weird. The “double Fassbender” sequence in Alien: Covenant wasn’t just uncomfortable—it undercut the film’s tension by feeling like fanfiction wish-fulfillment. What could have been a chilling doppelgänger scene instead turned into one of cinema’s cringiest kisses.
20th Century Fox, Alien: Covenant (2017)
Dracula
Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula is lavish, gothic, and star-studded. But then there’s Keanu Reeves’ British accent. His line, “I know where the bastard sleeps,” is so wooden it has become legendary. Reeves is an iconic actor, but his painfully forced delivery turned a serious horror moment into an unintentional comedy skit.
Columbia Pictures, Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
The Matrix Reloaded
Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus may be battling machines, but The Matrix Reloaded stopped everything for a rave hybrid in Zion. The sweat, the grinding, the drums—it all felt more like a weird perfume ad than a cyberpunk blockbuster. It was tonally jarring, un-sexy, and left fans wondering why they were watching at all.
Warner Bros. Pictures, The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
Jurassic Park III
Dream sequences are tricky, and Jurassic Park III proved why with its infamous “Alan!” scene. Dr. Grant dreams of a raptor talking to him on a plane. Yes, the raptor speaks. It’s so random and goofy that audiences burst out laughing instead of gasping. Out of all the franchise’s dinosaurs, this talking raptor remains the most terrifying… but for the wrong reasons.
Universal Pictures, Jurassic Park III (2001)
Saw
The original Saw had a brilliantly twisted ending—but Cary Elwes’ acting nearly derailed it. As he saws through his own foot, he inexplicably adopts the voice of a Victorian ghost, moaning and shrieking in ways that feel more camp than terror. The blood was shocking, but the performance? Pure cringe.
The Mummy
The Mummy Returns is fun pulp adventure, but one scene pushes into absurdity: Imhotep screaming “NOOOO!” after the Scorpion King is impaled. The elongated wail is so over-the-top that it’s impossible to take seriously. Instead of mourning, audiences just laughed. Campy? Yes. Effective? Not so much.
Universal Pictures, The Mummy (1999)
Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
Indiana Jones has always been pulpy fun, but the infamous “monkey vine” scene crossed the line. Watching Shia LaBeouf’s character swing through the jungle with CGI monkeys like Tarzan was too silly even for Indy standards. It was the moment fans realized the series had officially jumped the (crystal) shark.
Paramount Pictures, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Dark Phoenix
Jennifer Lawrence’s Mystique storming out after telling Professor X, “Maybe you should call it X-Women,” was supposed to be empowering. Instead, it landed like a thud—forced, preachy, and awkwardly timed. The sentiment is valid, but the delivery felt like a punchline rather than a powerful statement, leaving audiences cringing instead of cheering.
20th Century Fox, Dark Phoenix (2019)
The Wickerman
“Not the bees!” Few lines are as infamous as Nicolas Cage’s over-the-top screaming in The Wickerman remake. Between the fake-looking CGI insects and Cage thrashing in his cage headgear, the scene instantly became internet meme fodder. What was meant to horrify instead became one of the most unintentionally hilarious sequences in horror history.
Warner Bros. Pictures, The Wicker Man (2006)
Superman
Christopher Reeve’s Superman throwing his chest emblem like a Fruit Roll-Up in Superman II remains one of the weirdest superhero choices ever. The “S” expands, traps a villain, then just… disappears. It’s never explained, never referenced again, and serves no purpose. Even in a campy superhero flick, it was pure nonsense.
Warner Bros. Pictures, Superman (1978)
The Dark Knight Rises
Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy ended on a high note—except for Batman’s weakest comeback ever. When Bane sneers, “So, you came back to die with your city,” Batman replies, “No, I came back to stop you” .That’s it. The line is so flat, it deflates the tension of an otherwise epic showdown. Not every hero needs a quip, especially if it’s this boring.
Warner Bros. Pictures, The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Rose stopping Finn’s sacrifice only to kiss him while the Resistance is being obliterated remains one of the saga’s strangest choices. Their kiss had no buildup, no payoff, and no real chemistry. Instead of feeling like a triumphant moment of love, it felt forced and wildly mistimed. Even the actors deserved better.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
Bring It On: All Or Nothing
Straight-to-DVD or not, Bring It On: All or Nothing gave us one of the most infamous dance scenes ever: Hayden Panettiere krumping. What was supposed to be empowering instead looked like a parody of hip-hop dance, with everyone pretending to be impressed. It’s less cheerleading triumph and more awkward middle school talent show.
Universal Pictures, Bring It On: All or Nothing (2006)
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