Six worst films of 2015: what the critics hated

This year has been a generally good one for the movies, with some high quality mainstream films such as Mad Max: Fury Road, or Inside Out, and indie gems like A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence and Diary of a Teenage Girl. But there has also been no shortage of contenders for 2015's worst film.

With the awards season fast approaching, there are still plenty of good films to look forward to, but it's also a good time to take stock of the bad and the ugly. Here's a selection of some of the critics' most hated films of 2015:

Mortdecai

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There was universal scorn for this cringingly-unfunny heist caper with Rogue art-dealer Mortdecai (Johnny Depp) twirling his Terry-Thomas inspired moustache as he battles Russians, Mi5 agents and international terrorists to recover a stolen painting rumoured to contain the code to a lost vault of Nazi gold.

The Daily Telegraph said: "It's hard to think of a way in which the experience of watching the new Johnny Depp film could be any worse, unless you returned home afterwards to discover that Depp himself had popped round while you were out and set fire to your house." It added that Mortdecai has "near-impregnable status as the worst of 2015".

Fifty Shades of Grey

Based on the hit erotic novels and one of the most anticipated films of the year, Fifty Shades caused controversy with its portrayal of what some saw as an abusive relationship between a misogynistic billionaire and a compliant literature student.

While the public flocked in droves to see the sado-masochistic romance, critics banded together to pour scorn on the film. The Times said: "Think World of Interiors meets The Little Book of Bondage, and you may get the picture, which starts out hilarious, becomes ludicrous and finally dubious." Meanwhile, Rolling Stone called it "about as erotic as an ad for Pottery Barn".

Pixels

Adam Sandler stars in this sci-fi comedy about intergalactic aliens who discover video feeds of classic arcade games like PAC-MAN, Donkey Kong, Galaga, and Space Invaders and misinterpret them as a threat.

When the aliens attack using weapons inspired by the games, the president calls on his old-school arcade friends to use their specialist knowledge to save the world. God knows who this big-budget Sandler blockbuster is aimed at, said The Times. "This is perhaps the summer's most esoteric popcorn movie," it said, adding that it is "too dumb for actual Eighties game players (well into their 40s now), and far too lame for kids – this is strictly for Sandler completists".

Fantastic Four

This reworking of Marvel's original superhero team centres on four young outsiders who teleport to an alternative universe that gives them unexpected superhuman powers, which they must come to terms with in order to save Earth from a former friend-turned-villain.

Empire says: "Where you might expect biffing of bad guys and teamwork-orientated takedowns, this superhero movie is all concrete corridors and doohickey jargon. Expect liberal use of the word 'quantum' and lines like, 'His biochemistry is off the charts!' delivered with po-faced gravity."

Hot Pursuit

There aren't enough good female buddy movies but, sadly, this one does nothing to help the situation. Reese Witherspoon stars as a rule-obsessed cop trying to protect the sexy widow of a drug boss (Sofia Vergara) from crooked cops and gunmen as they race through Texas.

The Independent called it "a half-baked attempt at a comic version of a Thelma and Louise-style female buddy movie" and felt that the best that could be said was that the tempo was "very brisk, leaving as little time as possible for us to work out why we are not laughing".

Jupiter Ascending

Fans of the Wachowski siblings still hope they will make another movie as good as The Matrix - but it isn't this one. Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum can't save this overdressed and far-fetched sci-fi mish-mash about an ordinary girl on Earth whose true destiny as an intergalactic princess is revealed by an alien military hunter.

The Guardian called it "absolute nonsense", adding that "in space, no one can hear you scream... with laughter. Which is helpful when watching the Wachowskis' latest effort."