The worst movies that 55 Oscar winners have been in, according to critics

Zellweger has earned two Oscars during her career. First, for her role as Ruby in the Civil War epic "Cold Mountain" in 2004, and then again in 2020 for her portrayal of Judy Garland in "Judy."

On the flip side, she also appeared in the 1999 rom-com flop, "The Bachelor" as the ostensible female lead, Anne.

Critic score: 9%

IMDb summary: "A commitment-phobic man goes in search of a bride, including his fed-up girlfriend, to inherit his grandfather's $100 million inheritance."

Phoenix earned his first Oscar win in 2020 for his peformance in "Joker" as the titular comic book villain. He had been nominated three times prior. In "Russkies," (which he is credited as Leaf Phoenix in), he plays a 12-year-old army brat named Danny.

Critic score: 14%

IMDb summary: "A group of American boys and a shipwrecked Russian sailor become friends in the midst of the Cold War."

Dern's 2020 Oscar win for her turn as the ruthless divorce lawyer Nora in "Marriage Story" came after two previous nominations. But her worst move was 2010's "Little Fockers," in which she plays Prudence, a school principal.

Critic score: 9%

IMDb summary: "Family-patriarch Jack Byrnes wants to appoint a successor. Does his son-in-law, the male nurse Greg Focker, have what it takes?"

After decades in Hollywood, Pitt finally won an Oscar in 2020 for his performance in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," in which he played bodyguard Cliff Booth. While 2019 was a peak, the nadir of his career has to be his appearance in "Cool World" as Frank, a detective transported into a comic book world.

Critic score: 6%

IMDb summary: "A comic strip femme fatale seeks to seduce her cartoonist creator in order to cross over into the real world."

Hathaway, who won Best Supporting Actress for her role as Fantine in "Les Misérables," plays a character named Elena McMahon in "The Last Thing He Wanted," which premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2020.

Critic Score: 5%

IMDb Summary: "A veteran D.C. journalist loses the thread of her own narrative when a guilt-propelled errand for her father thrusts her from byline to unwitting subject in the very story she's trying to break. Adapted from Joan Didion's namesake novel."

DiCaprio finally won his Oscar for his role as Hugh Glass in "The Revenant." In "Critters 3," he plays the main character's little brother, Josh. It's actually his film debut!

Critic Score: 0%

IMDb Summary: "The tiny fur ball aliens that will eat anything or anyone set their sights on a Los Angeles apartment tower."

Streep's three Oscars came from her roles as Joanna Kramer in "Kramer vs. Kramer," Sophie in "Sophie's Choice," and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady." In "Lions for Lambs," Streep plays a TV journalist who is asked to spout positive propaganda about the war in Afghanistan.

Critic Score: 27%

IMDb Summary: "Injuries sustained by two Army rangers behind enemy lines in Afghanistan set off a sequence of events involving a congressman, a journalist and a professor."

Leto played a trans woman named Rayon in "Dallas Buyers Club," which earned him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Seventeen years prior, he starred in "Basil," based on the 1852 novel of the same name, as the titular character.

Critic Score: 0%

IMDb Summary: "A lonely young aristocrat in turn-of-the-century England struggles to meet the approval of his over-bearing, class-conscious father while trying to please the selfish woman he loves."

Davis won her first Oscar after three nominations for her role as Rosa Lee Maxson in "Fences." In "The Architect," she plays the activist, Tonya.

Critic Score: 11%

IMDb Summary: "An architect engages in conflict with an activist who lives in a dangerous complex the architect designed."

Ali has won two Oscars. First, for his role as father figure and drug dealer Juan in "Moonlight," and then for his role as real-life musician, Dr. Don Shirley, in "Green Book."

In "Supremacy," Ali plays a cop named Deputy Rivers.

Critic Score: 27%

IMDb Summary: "A just paroled white neo-Nazi and his ruthless girlfriend kill a cop and take an African American family hostage. Meanwhile the supremacist leader who oversees his criminal empire from behind bars is not happy. Inspired by real events."

Lawrence won for her role of a young bipolar widow named Tiffany in "Silver Linings Playbook." In "House at the End of the Street," Lawrence plays the "final girl" Elissa, who is terrorized by her next-door neighbor.

Critic Score: 14%

IMDb Summary: "After moving with her mother to a small town, a teenager finds that an accident happened in the house at the end of the street. Things get more complicated when she befriends a boy who was the only survivor of the accident."

Brando, one of the greatest actors of all time, won two Oscars in his career. First, for his role as Terry Malloy in "On the Waterfront," and then for his iconic role as Vito Corleone in "The Godfather."

They can't all be winners though, as evidenced by "Christopher Columbus," in which Brando played the Spanish friar and first grand inquisitor, Tomás de Torquemada.

Critic Score: 7%

IMDb Summary: "Genoese navigator overcomes intrigue in the court of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain and gains financing for his expedition to the East Indies."

King garnered her first Oscar in 2019 for her role in "If Beale Street Could Talk," as Sharon Rivers. In "A Cinderella Story," she played lovable waitress/"fairy" godmother, Rhonda.

Critic Score: 12%

IMDb Summary: "Routinely exploited by her wicked stepmother, the downtrodden Sam Montgomery is excited about the prospect of meeting her Internet beau at the school's Halloween dance."

Damon, alongside Ben Affleck, won an Oscar for Best Screenplay for "Good Will Hunting," which he also starred in as Will Hunting.

His worst film, on the other hand, was 2017's "Suburbicon," written and directed by his friend George Clooney. Damon plays Gardner Lodge, the patriarch of the "seemingly normal family."

Critic Score: 28%

IMDb Summary: "As a 1950s suburban community self-destructs, a home invasion has sinister consequences for one seemingly normal family."

Arquette won Best Supporting Actress for her role as Olivia in "Boyhood," which was shot over the course of 12 years. In "Far North," written and directed by Sam Shepard, a 20-year-old Arquette plays a character named Jilly.

Critic Score: 13%

IMDb Summary: "After generations of being apart, an accident brings a family back together and they begin to cope with their original issues."

Poitier became the first black actor to win an Oscar when he won for his performance in "Lilies in the Field," as Homer Smith. Over 30 years later, he appeared in "The Jackal," a Bruce Willis-led action thriller, as FBI Deputy Director Carter Preston.

Critic Score: 23%

IDMb Summary: "An imprisoned IRA fighter is freed to help stop a brutal, seemingly 'faceless' assassin from completing his next job."

Swinton earned an Oscar for her role as Karen Crowder, a lawyer on the verge of a mental breakdown, in "Michael Clayton." In "The Beach," she plays Sal, the enigmatic leader of the beach community.

Critic Score: 20%

IMDb Summary: "Vicenarian Richard travels to Thailand and finds himself in possession of a strange map. Rumors state that it leads to a solitary beach paradise, a tropical bliss. Excited and intrigued, he sets out to find it."

One year after Malek won an Oscar for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody," Malek appeared in "Dolittle," a movie in which he voices Chee-Chee, a shy gorilla.

Critic Score: 14%

IMDb Summary: "A physician who can talk to animals embarks on an adventure to find a legendary island with a young apprentice and a crew of strange pets."

Jolie burst onto the scene with her Oscar-winning performance as Lisa in "Girl, Interrupted." Two years later, she starred in "Original Sin" as Julia Russell, opposite Antonio Banderas.

Critic Score: 12%

IMDb Summary: "A woman, along with her lover, plans to con a rich man by marrying him, earning his trust, and then running away with all his money. Everything goes as planned until she falls in love with him."

Just a year after his first Oscar win for his performance as Winston Churchill in "Darkest Hour," Oldman starred in "Killers Anonymous," as a hit-man only called The Man.

Critic Score: 0%

IMDb Summary: "A support group of killers is held regularly. The participants sit in a circle of trust and share their transgressions."

Blanchett has won twice: First, for her role as Katharine Hepburn in "The Aviator" and second, for her Jasmine Francis in "Blue Jasmine."

However, the worst film in her career was 2014's "The Monuments Men," in which she played Claire Simone, loosely based on French art historian Rose Valland.

Critic Score: 30%

IMDb Summary: "An unlikely World War II platoon is tasked to rescue art masterpieces from Nazi thieves and return them to their owners."

The "McConaissance" began with McConaughey's Oscar-winning performance as Ron Woodroof in "Dallas Buyers Club." "Surfer, Dude" falls squarely before McConaughey's career experienced a revival.

In "Surfer, Dude," he plays Steve Addington, the surfer who experiences the existential crisis.

Critic Score: 0%

IMDb Summary: "A wave twisting tale of a soul searching surfer experiencing an existential crisis."

Goldberg won for her role in "Ghost" as medium Oda Mae Brown. Five years later, she appeared in "Theodore Rex," as a detective named Katie Coltrane. At the time, it was the "most expensive straight to video flop."

Critic Score: 0%

IMDb Summary: "In an alternate futuristic society, a tough female police detective is paired with a talking dinosaur to find the killer of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals leading them to a mad scientist bent on creating a new Armageddon."

Day-Lewis is extremely selective with the movies he chooses, so it's no surprise that "Nine" isn't as widely panned as some other films on this list. In it, he plays director Guido Contini.

The now-retired actor has won three Oscars. First, for his role as Christy Brown, a man with cerebral palsy, in "My Left Foot," for his role as silver prospector Daniel Plainview in "There Will Be Blood," and as the 16th president of the United States in "Lincoln."

Critic Score: 39%

IMDb Summary: "Famous film director Guido Contini struggles to find harmony in his professional and personal lives, as he engages in dramatic relationships with his wife, his mistress, his muse, his agent, and his mother."

Huston won in 1986 for her role as Maerose Prizzi in "Prizzi's Honor," which was directed by her father John Huston, and co-starred her longtime love, Jack Nicholson.

In 2006, she played a makeup mogul named Fabiella Du Mont in "Material Girls."

Critic Score: 4%

IMDb Summary: "Two wealthy sisters, both heiresses to their family's cosmetics fortune, are given a wake-up call when a scandal and ensuing investigation strip them of their wealth."

Bridges won an Oscar for his performance in "Crazy Heart" as an aging country star named Otis "Bad" Blake. But decades prior, he starred in "8 Million Ways to Die" as Scudder, an alcoholic detective.

Critic Score: 0%

IMDb Summary: "Scudder is a detective with the Sheriff's Department who is forced to shoot a violent suspect during a narcotics raid. The ensuing psychological aftermath of this shooting worsens his drinking problem and this alcoholism causes him to lose his job, as well as his marriage. During his recovery through Alcoholics Anonymous, he meets a mysterious stranger who draws him back into a world of vice. In trying to help this beautiful woman, he must enter a crime-world of prostitution and drugs to solve a murder, while resisting the temptation to return to his alcohol abuse."

Hawn won her Oscar for 1969's "Cactus Flower," in which she played Toni, a 21-year-old girlfriend of a dentist, played by Walter Matthau. In "Town & Country," Hawn plays a woman named Mona, whose husband is cheating on her with another man.

Critic Score: 13%

IMDb Summary: "Porter Stoddard is a well-known New York architect who is at a crossroads ... a nexus where twists and turns lead to myriad missteps, some with his wife, Ellie, others with longtime friends Mona and her husband Griffin. Deciding which direction to take often leads to unexpected encounters with hilarious consequences."

Whitaker garnered an Oscar for his role as real-life Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland." Six years prior, he starred in "Battlefield Earth" as humanoid alien Ker.

Critic Score: 3%

IMDb Summary: "It's the year 3000 AD; the Earth is lost to the alien race of Psychlos. Humanity is enslaved by these gold-thirsty tyrants, whom are unaware that their 'man-animals' are about to ignite the rebellion of a lifetime."

Bullock portrayed Leigh Anne Tuohy, the adoptive mother of professional football player Michael Oher, in "The Blind Side," earning her an Oscar. In "Speed 2," she reprises her role as Annie Porter from the first "Speed" movie, a civilian who frequently finds herself in high-stress situations.

Critic Score: 4%

IMDb Summary: "A computer hacker breaks into the computer system of the Seabourn Legend cruise liner and sets it speeding on a collision course into a gigantic oil tanker."

Penn has earned two Oscars in his career, once as Jimmy Markum in "Mystic River," and again as Harvey Milk in "Milk."

In "Crackers," Penn plays an amateur musician named Dillard.

Critic Score: 0%

IMDb Summary: "Garvey is a San Francisco pawnshop operator. His unemployed and criminal friends, Dillard, Turtle, and Weslake, team up with Boardwalk, a local pimp, to burgle Garvey's shop while the owner is out of town. During the elaborate planning process, Dillard falls for a Hispanic woman, the sister of a friend. Also, Boardwalk is assigned to case a local apartment, where he meets and falls for the maid. Amidst all these romantic hijinks, Weslake puts together a burglary plan, which is executed by the makeshift gang."

Winslet played a former Nazi guard named Hanna in "The Reader," and her performance earned her an Oscar. In "Movie 43," Winslet plays Beth, who goes on a blind date with Davis, played by Hugh Jackman.

Critic Score: 5%

IMDb Summary: "A series of interconnected short films follows a washed-up producer as he pitches insane story lines featuring some of the biggest stars in Hollywood."

While Foxx earned an Oscar for his portrayal of Ray Charles in "Ray," not all of his films have been hits. In "Stealth," Foxx plays Navy Lieutenant Henry Purcell.

Critic Score: 12%

IMDb Summary: "Deeply ensconced in a top-secret military program, three pilots struggle to bring an artificial intelligence program under control before it initiates the next world war."

Witherspoon won an Oscar for her role in "Walk the Line" as June Carter Cash. In "Hot Pursuit," she plays Officer Rose Cooper, a cop tasked with protecting Sofia Vergara's Daniella Riva.

Critic Score: 7%

IMDb Summary: "An uptight and by-the-book cop tries to protect the outgoing widow of a drug boss as they race through Texas pursued by crooked cops and murderous gunmen."

Newman is one of the most beloved actors in American history, though it took decades for him to finally win an Oscar for his role as "Fast" Eddie Felson in "The Color of Money."

Six years prior to the win, he starred in universally panned "When Time Ran Out..." as an oil rigger named Hank Anderson.

Critic Score: 0%

IMDb Summary: "An active volcano threatens a south Pacific island resort and its guests as a power struggle ensues between the property's developer and a drilling foreman."

Kidman earned an Oscar for "The Hours," in which she played real-life author Virginia Woolf. In "Grace of Monaco," she plays the real-life first American princess, Grace Kelly.

Critic Score: 9%

IMDb Summary: "The story of former Hollywood star Grace Kelly's crisis of marriage and identity, during a political dispute between Monaco's Prince Rainier III and France's Charles De Gaulle, and a looming French invasion of Monaco in the early 1960s."

After decades of iconic performances, Pacino won his Oscar for 1992's "Scent of a Woman," in which he plays Frank Slade, a blind alcoholic that Chris O'Donnell's character Charlie is tasked with taking care of.

In "Jack and Jill," Pacino plays a fictionalized version of himself who has a giant crush on Jill, played by Adam Sandler.

Critic Score: 3%

IMDb Summary: "Family guy Jack Sadelstein prepares for the annual event he dreads: the Thanksgiving visit of his fraternal twin sister, the needy and passive-aggressive Jill, who then refuses to leave."

Berry is perhaps one of the most famous alleged victims of the "Oscar's curse." After winning for her portrayal of Leticia Musgrove in "Monster's Ball," Berry's career has slowed. Case in point: the 2012 film "Dark Tide," in which Berry plays Katie Mathieson, the shark expert afraid to get back in the water.

Critic Score: 0%

IMDb Summary: "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."

De Niro is another highly respected actor in cinematic history, as evidenced by his two Oscar wins for "The Godfather Part II" as Vito Corleone — making him and Marlon Brando the only two people to win Oscars for the same role — and for "Raging Bull" as real-life boxer Jake LaMotta.

But sometimes even De Niro gets a dud, like 1971's "The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight," in which he plays a budding thief named Mario.

Critic Score: 0%

IMDb Summary: "This is a funny story about two warring Mafia gangs in New York City. The weaker gang uses a lion to blackmail the opposite gang's 'clients.' The police succeed in stopping one of the gangs, while the other remains without the boss."

Sarandon's Oscar win came from her role in "Dead Man Walking," in which she plays a nun, Sister Helen Prejean, who became close with a death row prisoner, Matthew (played by Sean Penn).

In "Hell & Back," an animated film, Sarandon voices Barb, an angel.

Critic Score: 0%

IMDb Summary: "Two best friends set out to rescue their pal after he's accidentally dragged to hell."

Nicholson has won three Oscars. He won for his role as Randle "Mac" McMurphy in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," for Garrett Breedlove in "Terms of Endearment," and for Melvin Udall in "As Good As It Gets."

In 1992, Nicholson starred in "Man Trouble" as Harry Bliss, a man who runs a guard dog service and gets blackmailed into stealing.

Critic Score: 7%

IMDb Summary: "A sleazy but affable guard dog trainer is blackmailed to steal a manuscript for a tell-all book from one of his clients."

Roberts earned an Oscar for "Erin Brockovich," in which she played the titular character, a legal clerk who built a case against Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E).

In "Love, Wedding, Marriage," which was directed by her friend and frequent co-star Dermot Mulroney, only Roberts' voice can be heard as Ava's (played by Mandy Moore) therapist.

Critic Score: 0%

IMDb Summary: "A happy newlywed marriage counselor's views on wedded bliss get thrown for a loop when she finds out her parents are getting divorced."

Washington won Oscars for his performances as Private Silas Trip in "Glory," and Detective Alonzo Harris in "Training Day." He also starred in this 0% movie, "Heart Condition," as a lawyer named Napoleon Stone, who gets murdered and reappears as a ghost.

Critic Score: 0%

IMDb Summary: "A racist cop receives a heart transplant from a black lawyer he hates, who returns as a ghost to ask the cop to help take down the men who murdered him."

Fonda won her first Oscar in 1972 for her role as Bree Daniels in "Klute." She won again in 1979 for her role in Sally Hyde in "Coming Home."

She played herself in "Leonard Part 6," a spy movie starring Bill Cosby.

Critic Score: 9%

IMDb Summary: "Secret Agent Leonard Parker is called out of retirement to save the world from evil genius Medusa Johnson."

Bale garnered his first Oscar for his role as Dicky Eklund in "The Fighter." Nine years prior, he starred in "Captain Corelli's Mandolin," as Madras, a local Greek fisherman.

Critic Score: 28%

IMDb Summary: "When a fisherman leaves to fight with the Greek army during World War II, his fiancée falls in love with the local Italian commander."

Paquin was just a kid when she won an Oscar for her role as Flora McGrath, a child who interprets for her mute mother, in "The Piano." A decade later, she starred in the horror movie "Darkness," in which she plays a teenager, Regina, living in a possessed house.

Critic Score: 4%

IMDb Summary: "A teenage girl moves into a remote countryside house with her family, only to discover that their gloomy new home has a horrifying past that threatens to destroy the family."

Hanks won Oscars back-to-back for his roles as Andrew Beckett in "Philadelphia" and as Forrest in "Forrest Gump." He also starred in this flop, "The Circle," as the malevolent CEO of the Circle, Eamon Bailey.

Critic Score: 15%

IMDb Summary: "A woman lands a dream job at a powerful tech company called the Circle, only to uncover an agenda that will affect the lives of all of humanity."

Six years before she would win an Oscar for her role as María Elena in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," Cruz appeared in "Waking Up in Reno" as Brenda, a high-end sex worker.

Critic Score: 13%

IMDb Summary: "A romantic comedy about two trashy couples travelling to Reno to see a monster truck show."

Cage, who has appeared in a few questionable movies over his career, won an Oscar in 1996 for his performance as Ben Sanderson in "Leaving Las Vegas." This year, he starred in the film "Grand Isle," as Walter, "a hard-drinking, bitter Vietnam vet."

Critic Score: 0%

IMDb Summary: "A young father is charged for murder and must prove his innocence through recalling a very twisted and dark night of events."

Stone won an Oscar for her role as Mia in "La La Land." In "Movie 43," Stone plays Veronica, who accidentally has her conversation with her ex-boyfriend (Kieran Culkin) broadcast to an entire grocery store.

Critic Score: 5%

IMDb Summary: "A series of interconnected short films follows a washed-up producer as he pitches insane story lines featuring some of the biggest stars in Hollywood."

Clooney won one Oscar for acting, for his role as Bob Barnes in "Syriana," and one for producing "Argo," which won Best Picture.

He also starred in "Return of the Killer Tomatoes!," as ladies' man Matt Stevens.

Critic Score: o%

IMDb Summary: "Crazy old Professor Gangreen has developed a way to make tomatoes look human for a second invasion."

Paltrow scored an Oscar for "Shakespeare in Love," in which she plays Shakespeare's love interest, Viola de Lesseps.

In "Mortdecai," Paltrow co-stars with Johnny Depp as Johanna and Charlie Mortdecai.

Critic Score: 12%

IMDb Summary: "Juggling angry Russians, the British MI5, and an international terrorist, debonair art dealer and part-time rogue Charlie Mortdecai races to recover a stolen painting rumored to contain a code that leads to lost gold."

Freeman plays a coach's assistant, Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris, in "Million Dollar Baby," which earned him an Oscar.

In "The Poison Rose," he plays Doc, a nightclub owner that has beef with a PI played by John Travolta.

Critic Score: 0%

IMDb Summary: "Inspired by classic film noir, Carson Phillips, an ex-football star turned PI, has a soft spot for a lady in distress."

Field has won two Oscars in her career. First, for playing the titular role in "Norma Rae," and then for her role as Edna Spalding in "Places in the Heart."

In "Beyond the Poseidon Adventure," Field plays a passenger, Celeste Whitman, aboard a tugboat that's set to salvage the sunken Poseidon.

Critic Score: 0%

IMDb Summary: "An extension of the previous film ['The Poseidon Adventure'], wherein a cache of adventurers return to the overturned ship to seek several fortunes."

Del Toro's lone Oscar win thus far is for his performance in "Traffic" as Mexican police officer Javier Rodriguez.

In "Christopher Columbus," Del Toro plays Alvaro Harana, the son of one of Columbus' friends.

Critic Score: 7%

IMDb Summary: "Genoese navigator overcomes intrigue in the court of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain and gains financing for his expedition to the East Indies."

Larson won an Oscar for her role in "Room" as kidnapping victim Joy (or Ma) who is forced to raise her son inside a single room by her captors.

One of her first roles was in "Remember the Daze" as Angie, the younger sister of the main character, Julia.

Critic score: 0%

IMDb summary: "A glimpse into the teenage wasteland of suburbia 1999 that takes place over 24 hours, and the teenagers who make their way through the last day of high school."

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