Not every performance lands the way an actor hopes. Hollywood is full of stories about talented people who delivered work that critics found flat, miscast, or simply wrong for the material. Some of these performances came from genuinely skilled actors having a difficult outing on screen.
Others were the result of questionable casting decisions that no amount of commitment could fully overcome. A few became notable examples of performances that drew significant critical criticism. These eight performances received notably negative reviews from many critics.
1. Jared Leto – Morbius (2022)
Jared Leto’s turn as the living vampire in Morbius was widely regarded as one of the more baffling leading performances in recent Marvel-adjacent cinema. Critics found his portrayal lifeless in ways that had nothing to do with the character’s supernatural condition.
The film itself was poorly received, but Leto’s stiff line readings and apparent disconnection from the material drew particular attention. The role demanded a certain magnetic quality that many reviewers felt never materialized on screen.
2. Blake Lively – It Ends with Us (2024)
The 2024 adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel arrived with significant anticipation, but Blake Lively’s performance generated mixed reactions among critics and audiences. While many reviewers praised her work, others felt her portrayal of Lily Bloom lacked some of the emotional depth the story required, particularly in its more harrowing sequences.
The off-screen controversy surrounding the film often overshadowed discussion of the performances themselves, but some critics viewed the characterization as less impactful than the source material.
3. Johnny Depp – Mortdecai (2015)
By 2015, critics had grown weary of the quirky, affectation-heavy style Johnny Depp had been leaning on for years, and Mortdecai pushed that fatigue to a breaking point.
The comedy-thriller gave him the kind of eccentric character he had once made compelling, but the performance felt to many reviewers like a recycled collection of tics. Reviews were brutal. The film bombed commercially and was cited as evidence that the formula had largely run its course.
4. Halle Berry – Catwoman (2004)
Halle Berry had won an Academy Award just two years before Catwoman was released, which made the critical response to her performance all the more stark. Reviewers found the characterization cartoonish in ways that felt unintentional, and the script gave her little to work with.
Berry herself accepted the Razzie Award for Worst Actress in person, a move that earned genuine respect even if the performance did not. The role has since become one of the more frequently cited examples of a talented actor failing to overcome a troubled production.
5. Eddie Redmayne – Jupiter Ascending (2015)
Eddie Redmayne had just won an Oscar for The Theory of Everything when Jupiter Ascending arrived, and the contrast in reception was jarring. His portrayal of villain Balem Abrasax swung between barely audible whispers and sudden shouting in a way that struck many critics as uncontrolled rather than menacing.
Redmayne has acknowledged the performance with good humor since, but at the time it earned him a Razzie and a fair amount of genuine critical bafflement.
6. Rebel Wilson – The Almond and the Seahorse (2022)
Rebel Wilson’s dramatic turn in this British production was intended to mark a significant departure from her comedic work. Critical reactions were mixed. Some reviewers appreciated her willingness to take on more dramatic material, while others found the performance less convincing than the film required.
The film had a limited release and failed to generate significant awards-season attention, making it a relatively overlooked entry in Wilson’s filmography.
7. Will Smith – Gemini Man (2019)
Gemini Man cast Will Smith opposite a digitally de-aged version of himself, and the film received largely lukewarm reviews. Critics found parts of the dual performance mechanical and oddly restrained given Smith’s usual screen presence. The technical novelty of the concept often overshadowed everything else, but reviewers who focused on the acting generally viewed the performances as less memorable than some of Smith’s stronger work. The film underperformed significantly at the box office.
8. Vin Diesel – The Last Witch Hunter (2015)
Vin Diesel has built a career on a very specific kind of stoic cool, but The Last Witch Hunter exposed the limits of that approach when applied to a role requiring more range. Critics noted that his portrayal of the centuries-old Kaulder brought very little texture to a character with an inherently interesting premise. The performance was described in multiple reviews as monotonous, and the film disappeared quickly from theaters.
What These Performances Share
Across the board, these performances share a common thread: a disconnect between what the role required and what many critics felt the actor brought to it. Some were miscast from the start.
Others were hampered by weak material. A few represented actors playing it safe in roles that demanded more risk. Critics tend to be most unforgiving when expectations are high, and in each of these cases, many reviewers felt the final result fell short of those expectations.
