Mystery movies rely on suspense, clever twists, and the hope of a great reveal. When they succeed, they stick with audiences, making them rethink clues and question what they saw. But when they miss the mark, the letdown can be tough, leaving viewers confused, frustrated, or just bored.
On IMDb, that disappointment shows up clearly in its ratings. Low scores often reflect problems like incoherent plotting, miscast leads, or endings that feel unearned. While the list includes over 100 mystery movies with ratings ranging from panned to mixed, the article focuses on the top 10 worst mystery movies and their IMDb ratings.
10. Stir of Echoes: The Homecoming (2007)
IMDb Rating: 4.5/10
Stir of Echoes: The Homecoming stars Rob Lowe and moves the story away from the original characters. Its plot focuses on a new family dealing with something unsettling. The plot involves strange visions, hidden secrets, and a past tragedy that won’t go away. While the setup promises some psychological depth, the movie never really builds real tension.
Critics and audiences criticized the film for lacking atmosphere and originality. Many felt it borrowed familiar ghost-story tropes without adding anything new. Compared to the first David Koepp-directed Stir of Echoes, which starred Kevin Bacon, this follow-up felt thin and forgettable. IMDb users wasted no time in reflecting their disappointment with a low rating.
9. Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000)
IMDb Rating: 4.4/10
Urban Legends: Final Cut was John Ottman’s directorial debut. Ottman, who’s a film composer and editor, is famous for his collaboration with Bryan Singer. His Urban Legends: Final Cut is set within a prestigious film school. Also created as a sequel, it follows a group of students caught in a series of murders inspired by classic urban myths.
The mystery unfolds as rivalries grow and secrets surface. On paper, the concept fits the franchise well. In practice, audiences found the story predictable and poorly paced. In all honesty, the characters left little impression. Many viewers felt the mystery lacked suspense and clever twists. Despite being panned, the movie had moderate box-office success.
8. Basic Instinct 2 (2006)
IMDb Rating: 4.4/10
Although Basic Instinct (1992) attracted mixed critical reviews, it was a huge commercial success. Its success lured producers into making a sequel 14 years later, in 2006. In the sequel, Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone) resurfaces in London under suspicious circumstances. The film follows a criminal investigation filled with psychological games and sexual tension.
Basic Instinct 2 aimed to recapture the franchise’s provocative tone. Instead, audiences felt the sequel lacked focus and energy. The mystery elements often felt muddled rather than intriguing. At the end of its 114-minute runtime, critics and fans alike questioned the need for a continuation. Basic Instinct 2 failed both critically and commercially.
7. One Missed Call (2008)
IMDb Rating: 4.1/10
This supernatural horror film, One Missed Call, was supposed to be a remake of a 2003 Japanese horror film. However, just like the original, it failed to impress critics and many audiences. To date, it remains one of the worst J-horror remakes ever made. The movie was so bad that it received a 0% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
6. Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000)
IMDb Rating: 4.1/10
This sequel takes a meta approach, focusing on fans of the original Blair Witch Project. However, audiences were divided by its unconventional structure. Many felt it abandoned what made the original effective. The mystery was often described as confusing rather than clever. Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 is a classic example of never trying to fix what isn’t broken. Rather than the found footage concept of its predecessor, Blair Witch 2 opted for a traditional narrative format. However, it was a success at the box office despite being panned by critics.
5. Somebody Help Me (2007)
IMDb Rating: 4.0/10
By the 2000s, Marques Houston and Omarion were among the big names in music and movies. BET thought it was an excellent idea to have them both lead a horror television film and hoped for the best. However, many critics and audiences felt the mystery was underdeveloped. The plot relied more on shock than suspense.
Characters made decisions that frustrated audiences. Somebody Help Me centered around a group of young adults who become targets of a mysterious killer after a night out. As fear sets in, they begin to question who they can trust. The story leans heavily on survival and hidden motives.
4. The Turning (2020)
IMDb Rating: 3.9/10
The film is inspired by Henry James’s 1898 ghost story The Turn of the Screw. This Floria Sigismondi’s gothic supernatural horror film, The Turning, follows a young governess caring for two troubled children. Audiences were frustrated by the film’s lack of clear answers. The mystery builds slowly but offers little payoff. Many viewers felt the ending undercut the entire experience. The Turning was both a critical and commercial failure.
3. Escape Plan 2: Hades (2018)
IMDb Rating: 3.9/10
Sylvester Stallone returned for a sequel to the 2013 prison action hit film Escape Plan. However, the sequel moves away from the original’s prison-break mystery and into action-heavy territory. Beyond its story, the sequel also lacked the star-studded cast that made its predecessor stand out. Like many forced sequels, Hades struggled to impress critics and audiences, and equally bombed at the Box Office.
2. The Wicker Man (2006)
IMDb Rating: 3.8/10
This remake starring Nicolas Cage is about a police officer searching for a missing child on a remote island. The strange customs of the community quickly make things suspicious. The mystery plays out through odd rituals and unsettling moments.
Audiences had a hard time taking the film seriously. Many criticized the tone and acting, and the mystery didn’t create real suspense. The Wicker Man was a flop when it came out, but it later gained a cult following.
1. The Fog (2005)
IMDb Rating: 3.7/10
John Carpenter’s 1980 movie was a critical and commercial success. 25 years later, someone with a genius idea released a remake that critics just couldn’t help but hate. This remake centers on a coastal town haunted by a mysterious fog tied to a dark secret. As people disappear, the truth behind the legend slowly emerges. Critics and audiences found the film’s execution bland and lifeless. The mystery lacked tension and emotional weight. Moreso, fans of the original were especially disappointed.
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