An absolutely savage meme shows ‘Madame Web’ passing the ‘Worst Movie of 2024’ torch to a cinematic calamity

When you mix a poorly executed movie with Hollywood’s relentless obsession with franchising and sequels, you end up with something truly bizarre—and for many viewers, utterly frustrating. This seems to be the case with Madame Web, which has become a talking point for cinephiles and casual moviegoers alike, often evoking the spirit of Roger Ebert’s famous critique: if you have to ask what it symbolizes, it probably doesn’t have any meaningful symbolism at all.

Madame Web: A Mixed Bag of Nonsense

Watching Madame Web felt less like an immersive cinematic experience and more like an exercise in endurance. The film is rife with:

• Clichéd Dialogue: Lines so uninspired they barely deserve to be uttered.
• Generic Premise: A plot so formulaic it’s like a checklist for superhero movies.
• Confounding MacGuffins: Objects and plot points that exist solely to propel the story without any real weight or coherence.

However, as the film continued, a strange phenomenon occurred: it became so ludicrous that it transformed into a source of unexpected entertainment. At some point, it felt like the cast had also resigned to the absurdity, resulting in a performance that could only be described as laughable in its earnestness. In a way, it was a testament to how Hollywood can produce something so lacking in quality that it inadvertently becomes entertaining.

Joker: Folie à Deux: The Unwanted Sequel

But Madame Web is not alone in its critical failure this year. Enter Joker: Folie à Deux, a sequel that appears to have missed the mark in almost every conceivable way. Despite the success of its predecessor, this film has drawn harsh criticism, holding a dismal 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 45 on Metacritic. Critics have likened the experience of watching it to a visceral gut punch, highlighting how it squandered the opportunity to build upon the original’s acclaimed social commentary.

The decision to pivot towards a musical format baffled audiences and critics alike, leading to confusion rather than enjoyment. This drastic tonal shift has made it hard for viewers to connect with the characters or the narrative, resulting in a feeling of aimlessness. The contrast between the first film’s poignant exploration of societal issues and this sequel’s disjointed storytelling is jarring, leaving many wondering if this was the right direction for the franchise.

The Bigger Picture

Both Madame Web and Joker: Folie à Deux exemplify the precarious state of superhero cinema today. They serve as reminders of Hollywood’s pitfalls: the reliance on established intellectual properties often leads to a rush job devoid of originality or depth. While Madame Web offers some unintentional humor in its ineptitude, Joker: Folie à Deux leaves viewers scratching their heads, questioning the future of superhero storytelling.

As these films fail to resonate with audiences, one has to wonder: is Hollywood finally hitting a wall with these franchises? The discussions sparked by these misfires could very well lead to a reevaluation of how stories are crafted within this genre, hopefully paving the way for fresh and meaningful narratives. Until then, it seems we’ll be left with films that are as much a spectacle of failure as they are a reflection of the industry’s current trajectory.