Mark Wahlberg’s Worst Movie? You Won’t Believe What He Thinks It Is!

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2-time Academy Award nominee Mark Wahlberg, known for his roles in “The Departed” and “The Fighter,” has a larger number of less successful films compared to memorable ones throughout his 30-year acting career. Although he’s starred in movies like “Max Payne,” “Flight Risk,” “Infinite,” “Uncharted,” “Broken City,” “The Gambler,” “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” “Daddy’s Home 2,” and other forgettable projects, Wahlberg claims that his least favorite film among these is “The Truth About Charlie,” a movie directed by Jonathan Demme. He made this statement in an interview with Yahoo UK back in 2013, before the majority of the films listed above were even produced.

In 2025, if asked again, Mark Wahlberg might express a changed opinion about his least favorite film in cinema history. However, he could have already identified “The Happening,” directed by M. Night Shyamalan, as the one that deserves the title. It’s worth noting that “The Truth About Charlie” was released after Wahlberg criticized it, while “The Happening” came before, which explains why he might have regretted trashing “The Truth About Charlie.” Despite its pedigree, “Charlie” didn’t meet expectations in the end. Nevertheless, using any reasonable standard, “The Truth About Charlie” is not nearly as poor a film as “The Happening.

Mark Wahlberg Thinks ‘The Truth About Charlie’ Is His Worst Movie

During the publicity of the unmemorable crime thriller “Broken City,” which received a 26% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Wahlberg expressed that “The Truth About Charlie” was his least favorite film he’d ever made. In his own words:

I found several positive aspects of ‘The Truth About Charlie.’ For one, I spent four months residing in the enchanting city of Paris. Notably, my 30th birthday also fell during this time in the City of Lights. The exquisite French cuisine, the elegant Bordeaux wines, and various other charming elements of Paris left an indelible impression on me. Unfortunately, however, the movie didn’t live up to my expectations; it was quite disappointing.

Due to the movie’s fantastic foundation in great storytelling and Demme being a highly talented director, it’s no surprise that Wahlberg felt let down by the unimpressive outcome. The original “Charade” is an enduring masterpiece in the romantic-comedy suspense category, with Demme being one of the most skillful filmmakers of his time.

In a hypothetical scenario where Wahlberg could take on a role previously played by Cary Grant under Demme’s direction, it is easy to comprehend his feelings considering Demme’s diverse body of work, encompassing titles such as Something Wild, Married to the Mob, Melvin and Howard, Rachel Getting Married, The Manchurian Candidate, among others. However, Wahlberg seems to be under a misconception, as he apparently hasn’t watched Demme’s less-appreciated film, The Happening.

‘The Happening’ Is Mark Wahlberg’s Worst Movie & It’s Not Even Close

The Happening, a film that stands out as the most laughable unintended comedy, is undoubtedly the lowest point in both M. Night Shyamalan’s and Mark Wahlberg’s careers, with no other contenders even close. This sci-fi thriller tells the story of Elliot (Wahlberg), a high school science teacher, and his wife Alma Moore (Zooey Deschanel), as they embark on an attempt to understand why crowds of people are leaping from skyscrapers in New York City, appearing as if they are committing mass suicides.

In a city believed to have been affected by a biological weapon released by terrorists, Elliot, Alma, and their less-than-intelligent group of survivors journey through the urban landscape in search of explanations. However, they end up just as bewildered and speechless as the viewers watching the cast deliver the most rigid, unnatural dialogues, reminiscent of performances that would win a Razzie Award. In fact, the film The Happening received four Razzie nominations: Worst Picture, Worst Actor (for Wahlberg), Worst Director (for Shyamalan), and Worst Screenplay.

The Happening is such a terrible film that it’s almost unbearable to watch, even as a “so-bad-it’s-good” oddity. It’s so poorly done that it’s hard to laugh at it. By the point when the main characters start blaming the wind for causing widespread suicides, you’ll either be rolling your eyes or turning off the TV. The disastrous performances by Wahlberg and Deschanel (among their most disappointing) don’t help steer the movie back on track; instead, it just goes further astray.

Despite being widely criticized as his most disappointing film and performance, “The Happening” managed to rake in $163 million globally against its budget of at most $60 million (according to Box Office Mojo). On the other hand, “The Truth About Charlie” was a box office flop, earning only $7.1 million compared to its $60 million production cost (also according to Box Office Mojo). Given that “The Happening” was financially more successful, Wahlberg has chosen to overlook the unforgivable and instead point to a film that failed at the box office as his biggest letdown.

To put it simply, The Truth About Charlie is clearly a better film compared to The Happening. While The Truth About Charlie may not meet the expectations set by its predecessor or M. Night Shyamalan’s previous work, it still offers a charming backdrop in Paris and an impressive performance by Thandie Newton. On the other hand, The Happening consistently falls short in every aspect, often appearing to belittle the audience’s intelligence. It’s challenging to find any positive aspects in The Happening.

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2025-06-07 21:32