An ironclad candidate for the single worst blockbuster in history fully deserves its unwanted reputation

Bad blockbusters are part and parcel of the cinematic diet, with interminably awful big budget productions landing on the big screen each and every year. With that in mind, it takes a Herculean effort of the wrong kind to be in the mix when it comes to naming the worst of all-time, but A Sound of Thunder should never be omitted from the conversation.

Directed by veteran journeyman Peter Hyams, the adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s seminal sci-fi story – which is largely credited with pioneering the term “butterfly effect” to give you an inkling of its influence on the entirety of storytelling – the project ending up costing a whopping $80 million, but it felt cursed from the start.

Cliffhnager and Die Hard 2 helmer Renny Harlin was initially the man in charge, but both he and star Pierce Brosnan ended up dropping out to be replaced by Hyams and Edward Burns. Production company Franchise Pictures then went bankrupt while shooting was ongoing, leading to drastic cost-cutting measures that ended up being responsible for some of the worst CGI you’re ever likely to see.

Ben Kingsley’s wig must be seen in order to be believed, though, but that’s about all worth recommending. A Sound of Thunder earned a disastrous $11 million at the box office, netted a diabolical six percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes – and if a Reddit thread is any indication – it continues to stand tall as perhaps the single worst big budget and effects-heavy production there’s ever been. They say there’s no such thing as bad publicity, but this is definitely a case where it’s okay to disagree.