This Viral Thread of “Cringe-Worthy” Movies People Loved as Kids Is a Wild Read

As parents, we quickly realize that stuff our kids are into is really strange. Movies they could watch over and over and never get bored of it isn’t the same when we’re grown up. And realizing that, we come to understand why our parents tried to persuade us not to watch Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl for the fifth time that week. And this brings us to a must-read viral Ask Reddit thread highlighting the movies we loved as a kid only to realize as adults they were super cringy.

A Reddit thread in r/AskReddit has people sharing the movies they used to love that they see in a whole new light as an adult. Reddit user u/I-am-Deathlock asked: “What’s a movie you loved as a child that you now consider to be cringe-worthy?” The response was a mix of movie titles we were obsessed with, too, and a few that we’re legitimately surprised even a kid found entertaining.

“Mars Needs Moms,” Professional_Meat_50 says. “[The movie] became my obsession and made my dad watch it at least twice a day with me until he hid it from me when I was 9 and told me he lost it. I watched it again, holy crap.”

For avalncheovrthrw, it was Alvin and the Chipmunks, admitting that watching it as an adult it’s “annoying.” Janostar213 agreed, adding, “Also remember when there was an Alvin and Chipmunks remix for every song. F—ing hell, it’s so annoying.”

It was all about Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over when Questionerzz was a kid. “Although it is beautiful cringe,” they added. StupidWithAChance was all about another 3D movie, Shark Boy and Lava Girl, which didn’t really see much success until years after it was released. “That sh– was the coolest thing I’d ever seen,” they added.

The cringy movie for JuniorJRIV was the 994 movie Blank Check. “The thought of being rich as a kid made me love the movie when I was younger,” they said, but feelings changed when they watched it again. “Watched it a couple years ago and got some real predator vibes between the kid and the lady FBI agent. Really hard to watch the ending where they kiss.”

There was something about those late ’80s, and early ’90s that was all about the action movies, and RoamingBison ate it up as a kid. “Any of the Steven Seagal movies from the late 80s/early 90s,” they said about the cringy movies they loved. “Jr High school me thought he was the biggest badass ever born. Thinking about that now, that feels like the most neckbeard fandom ever.”

Comment from discussion zombiepete’s comment from discussion "What’s a movie you loved as a child that you now consider to be cringe worthy?".

Zombiepete mentioned Masters of the Universe starring Dolph Lungren, and for makeupandchill, it was Howard the Duck. AngelzLove thought Pippi Longstocking was good when they were younger, offering only an “egad” to sum up how they feel about it now as an adult.

BasicWitch999‘s answer received a lot of attention, with others agreeing that “any of the Mary Kate & Ashley movies” fits the bill. “I’d like to make it clear that I grew up with these movies, loved the Olson twins, and there is a lot of nostalgia that comes with the memories of their movies. I just don’t think as an adult now they would be as great as I thought they were 20 some years ago,” they explained.

Perhaps the most puzzling answer in the thread that’s over 13,000 comments deep is one by ImReallyTryingISwear, who answered Catwoman, the 2004 movie starring Halle Berry.

Comment from discussion ImReallyTryingISwear’s comment from discussion "What’s a movie you loved as a child that you now consider to be cringe worthy?".

“Catwoman haunted my childhood,” they said. “I didn’t realize the terrible special effects weren’t real, so I jumped around my living room trying to imitate her.” That movie was so bad back then and still bad now. We’re honestly surprised to hear that anyone could get through the whole film, let alone choosing to watch it more than once. Everyone knew it was bad at the time, right?