15 Actors Who Make Any Movie Instantly Unwatchable

Gal Gadot

The problem with a “can’t-miss” star image is that it can turn into armor – shiny, loud, and weirdly hard to believe in dramatic scenes. Gal Gadot broke out as a charismatic action presence and then became globally recognizable as Wonder Woman, but a lot of her performances land for people as more pose than pulse. When the script needs emotional nuance or conversational rhythm, the line deliveries can feel stiff, like the movie is waiting for the next heroic beat instead of letting a scene breathe. Add in the fact that she’s often cast as the unimpeachable centerpiece, and the stakes can start to feel pre-approved rather than earned. Even fans will admit there are films where her screen presence makes everything around her feel flatter – pretty, but oddly weightless. | © 20th Century Studios

James Corden

A lot of actors disappear into roles; Corden has the opposite problem, where the personality shows up first and the character comes in later, if at all. Even in projects meant to be heightened or comedic, he tends to lean on the same “look at me” energy, which can make scenes feel like they’re pausing for a familiar bit instead of moving the story forward. Public perception adds friction, too: years of anecdotes about unpleasant behavior have hardened a “why is he here?” reaction that some viewers can’t shake once he appears. And because he’s been inserted into so many big, shiny productions, there’s a sense of overexposure that makes the screen time feel longer than it is. | © CBS Studios

Kevin Hart

His comic persona is so established – rapid-fire panic, loud disbelief, the same cadence of punchlines – that it can undercut movies that need real danger or emotional stakes. Even when the film is designed as crowd-pleasing entertainment, the presence of “Kevin Hart-ness” can make everything feel like a sketch that’s waiting to break into a joke. That’s the core complaint you hear over and over: not that he can’t be funny, but that he rarely feels like a character with a different internal life. Add constant visibility across franchises, streaming releases, stand-up, and talk-show appearances, and some audiences hit saturation fast. The result is a weird form of unwatchable: not offensive, just impossible to take seriously for more than a scene at a time. | © Columbia Pictures

Pete Davidson

With Davidson, the hurdle is that the “public Pete” is louder than the fictional one – tabloid familiarity, a signature deadpan slouch, and a vibe that reads as self-aware even when the story wants sincerity. In the wrong movie, that self-awareness plays like a wink at the camera, which instantly lowers the stakes because it feels like he’s never fully buying what’s happening. His performances also tend to circle the same persona: drifting, slightly wounded, allergic to effort, which can make different roles blur together. When it works, it’s because the project is built around that energy; when it doesn’t, it can feel like an extended cameo that keeps reminding you you’re watching a movie. That’s where the “unwatchable” label comes from – less hatred, more instant disengagement. | © Universal Pictures

Shia LaBeouf

Sometimes the movie becomes difficult to watch because the actor’s offscreen story won’t stop bleeding into the onscreen one, and LaBeouf is a prime example of that. Years of public controversies and legal trouble have made a chunk of the audience unwilling to separate the work from the headlines, so his face can trigger an immediate “nope” before the plot even gets moving. On top of that, his intensity can feel like it’s fighting the tone: he has a habit of pulling focus so hard that scenes start revolving around his volatility rather than the film’s natural rhythm. In a franchise built on big spectacle, that can either energize the chaos or make it feel messier and more exhausting than it needs to be. For viewers who already feel distracted, the combination is a dealbreaker. | © Paramount Pictures

Jennifer Lopez

Movie-star magnetism can be a gift, but it can also turn every scene into “celebrity watching,” and Jennifer Lopez has that effect on a lot of people – especially when the role needs you to forget who’s onscreen. After Selena, she became as famous for the persona as the performances, and that larger-than-life brand sometimes rides shotgun in romances, thrillers, and comedies alike. When a script is thin, her presence can make it feel even more manufactured, like the film is designed around star power instead of character choices. Add a long run of glossy vehicles built to showcase her rather than challenge her, and some viewers go in expecting a J.Lo product, not a story. In the wrong movie, that expectation becomes a trap: you’re never fully inside the world because you’re always aware of the star. | © STX Entertainment

Steven Seagal

At a certain point, the “tough guy” act stops feeling like a character choice and starts feeling like the movie’s only plan. Steven Seagal’s early action run made him a recognizable brand, but the performances that followed often get criticized for the same stiff delivery, the same invincible vibe, and the same sense that the camera is bending over backward to make him look unstoppable. That’s a quick way to make stakes feel fake – if the hero never seems vulnerable, the danger becomes background noise. His real-life controversies have also soured plenty of audiences, so he brings baggage that can overwhelm whatever plot you’re trying to focus on. Put it together and you get that “unwatchable” reaction: not even anger, just a fast realization that the film won’t surprise you. | © Warner Bros. Pictures

Jesse Eisenberg

Some actors make dialogue feel alive; others make it sound like a debate team final, and Jesse Eisenberg’s rapid, clipped delivery can push people into that second camp. In the right project – like The Social Network – that sharpness fits the world, but once audiences associate him with that exact anxious-intellectual cadence, it can start showing up everywhere whether it belongs or not. When a movie needs warmth, awe, or genuine romantic chemistry, his default “wired intensity” can read as smug or emotionally sealed-off, which makes scenes feel colder than the script intends. He’s also been repeatedly cast as the clever, abrasive guy, so viewers who don’t enjoy that flavor can feel like they’re watching the same character in a different outfit. If you bounce off his energy, it doesn’t matter how good the movie is – you spend the runtime wishing someone else were in the role. | © Columbia Pictures

Rachel Zegler

The speed of modern fame can turn an actor into a lightning rod overnight, and Rachel Zegler has been living in that reality since her breakout. She’s talented, but the online discourse around her – casting debates, interview soundbites turning into week-long arguments, nonstop commentary about what she “should” be – can make it hard for some people to watch her without hearing the internet in the background. That distraction is a real “unwatchable” factor now: you’re trying to follow a scene and your brain keeps getting pulled to the meta-drama surrounding the performer. She also tends to be placed in very high-expectation projects, where audiences arrive ready to compare, nitpick, and litigate every choice. When the noise gets louder than the movie, even a solid performance can struggle to land cleanly. | © Walt Disney Studios

Bella Ramsey

A lot of viewers met Bella Ramsey as a scene-stealer on Game of Thrones, and then The Last of Us turned them into a centerpiece – meaning every single creative choice became a referendum. For some audiences, the “unwatchable” complaint isn’t about ability; it’s about fit, taste, and the way constant debate around the casting can hijack the viewing experience. Ramsey’s style can be blunt, modern, and emotionally direct, which works for many people – and completely breaks immersion for others who want a different register in prestige drama. There’s also the simple fact of overexposure-by-discourse: when a performance becomes a culture-war talking point, it’s harder to just watch the story. In those cases, the episode isn’t failing – you’re just watching through a fog of commentary you didn’t ask for. | © Sony Pictures Television

Jared Leto

Some actors can’t resist turning every role into an “event,” and that energy can be exhausting when you just want the movie to work. Leto’s screen presence often comes with a side of Performative Intensity – big choices, heavy mannerisms, and a sense that he’s playing a different game than everyone else in the scene. On top of that, his offscreen reputation for taking characters very seriously has become part of the conversation around him, so viewers walk in primed to watch the performance instead of the story. When the material is already heightened, that extra layer can tip into distraction, like the film is constantly nudging you to notice him. Even in projects with strong casts, that “look at me” gravitational pull can make the whole thing feel less believable. | © Columbia Pictures

Ryan Reynolds

The problem isn’t that he’s unfunny – it’s that the Ryan Reynolds persona is so familiar now it can feel pre-installed in every scene. That fast, self-aware, joke-on-top-of-a-joke cadence works perfectly in Deadpool, but when similar energy shows up in action movies, romances, or even thrillers, the stakes can start to melt. You’ll be watching a supposed life-or-death moment and still hear the same smirking rhythm that suggests everything’s a bit. He’s also been everywhere for years, and overexposure turns “charming” into “predictable” quickly, especially if the script leans on him to do the heavy lifting. When audiences call a Reynolds movie unwatchable, they usually mean the film never escapes the feeling of watching Reynolds play Reynolds. | © 20th Century Studios

Chris Pratt

At some point, “lovable goof with a heart” became the default setting, and Hollywood keeps hitting that button. Pratt’s rise from sitcom charm to blockbuster lead made him a safe bet, but that safety can flatten characters into the same broad, jokey silhouette across wildly different movies. When he’s dropped into stories that should feel mythic or dangerous, the wisecracks can make the world feel like it’s winking instead of risking anything. The bigger issue is repetition: once you’ve seen the same confident, quippy cadence enough times, new roles can feel like minor variations rather than actual people. That’s when viewers start checking out – not because he can’t carry a movie, but because the movie feels like it’s already been played. | © Marvel Studios

Cynthia Erivo

There are performers who are undeniably skilled and still trigger a “hard pass” response for certain audiences, mostly because the intensity can feel like it’s arriving ahead of the character. Erivo often acts with a big, theater-trained precision – strong choices, clear emotional intention, a voice that commands attention – and in the wrong film that can read as “performance” rather than presence. If the rest of the cast is playing naturalistic and she’s playing operatic, the seams show fast, and the movie starts feeling uneven even when the script is trying to stay grounded. Add the reality that highly visible awards-season roles invite extra scrutiny, and people sometimes watch her with a judging mindset instead of letting a scene land. The result isn’t universal – plenty of viewers love her – but when it doesn’t click, it can make the whole film feel like it’s pushing too hard. | © Universal Pictures

Cara Delevingne

Casting a model-turned-actor can work beautifully when the role matches the vibe, but it can also leave audiences feeling like they’re watching a photo shoot that learned to talk. Delevingne has a striking look and undeniable presence, yet some of her bigger roles have been criticized for feeling thin on craft – line delivery that doesn’t quite settle, emotions that jump rather than build, characters that read as concept more than person. In effects-heavy movies, that becomes a problem because the human part has to anchor the spectacle; if the performance feels floaty, the fantasy collapses into noise. She’s also a celebrity people recognize beyond acting, which can create that “I’m watching a famous person” barrier that’s hard to shake. When viewers call her films unwatchable, it’s usually that combination of distraction, inconsistency, and the sense that the movie is casting image instead of depth. | © EuropaCorp