Image via Complex Original
It's rare that you'll encounter a leading lady as equally blessed when it comes to talent and aesthetics as Halle Berry. The combination of the two makes the A-list hottie undeniably mesmerizing to watch on the big screen, even in flicks that go out of their way to downplay the actress' beauty, like 2001's Monster's Ball. While the makeup crew certainly succeded in making Berry look as beat as possible as mourning mother Leticia Musgrove, her talent shined through more brilliantly than ever, helping her make history as the first African American female to win an Academy Award for best actress.
That said, also worthy of admiration is the respected actress' surprising number of poor career choices that could leave even Samuel L. Jackson shaking his head. When the trailer first came out for New Years Eve, the cheese-tastic new rom-com your girl will undoubtedly be dragging you to this weekend, we had to do a double-take when a foxy woman, resembling, but surely not Berry, appeared in some frumpy hospital scrubs. Unfortunately, our fears were confirmed when her name appeared at the end of the preview. In hopes of setting the leading lady back on the right track, we urge her to learn from past mistakes in our list of Halle Berry's 10 Biggest Career Fails.
Written by Lauren Otis (@LaurNado)
Follow ComplexPopCult
10. Father Hood (1993)
They say you can't judge a book by its cover, but more often than not, you can judge a movie by its poster.
While this early '90s flick has the look of one that went straight to video (further supported by the lack of any actual reviews out there, making it easy to question if this film ever existed), it actually made modest bank at the box office: $3.4 million. That's a lot considering it's a quirky comedy about a small-time criminal who kidnaps his kids from an evil orphanage and takes them on a cross-country road trip. Hot on his trail? Investigator Halle Berry.
We'd never run from you, Halle.
(Bonus: If you're prowling for a holiday gift for that special someone, you can snatch up a copy of Father Hood for $3 on eBay. Rough.)
9. The Flintstones (1994)
As much as 1994's live-action adaptation of the long-running cartoon pained us to watch (or more specifically, the gratuitous scenes of a slinky Halle Berry throwing herself at the completely undeserving John Goodman), we have to admit that we did ultimately finish the flick on a bit of a high note: If the former Roseanne star can win the affections of a hottie like our honoree, than there surely must be hope out there for the rest of us.
8. They Came from Outer Space (1991)
Long before Berry was Introducing Dorothy Dandridge to wide acclaim, she herself was being introduced to a plethora of fanboys as a salon manager on the short-lived sci-fi comedy They Came From Outer Space. The show followed two "teenage," polyester-sporting aliens from the planet Crouton, who hit Cali with the goal of picking up chicks and getting to know mother Earth. With ep names like "Look Who's Barking" and "Sex, Lies, and UFOs," who'd have ever guesssed this would get canned so early?
7. Living Dolls (1989)
Berry made her acting debut in this beastly Who's the Boss? spinoff, which followed the lives of a crew of model teens (literally). Less of a good look: The show was pulled from the network after a mere 12 episodes. (You know it's a bad sign when a series receives a grade "F" from People.) Thankfully, it didn't prove to be lights out on Berry's career. Two years later, she would appear in Spike Lee's Jungle Fever, in what many consider to be her real breakout role.
6. Behind Blue Eyes (2003)
We don't know if it was to Limp Bizkit's credit or Berry's detriment that her participation in this music video was able/allowed to happen, but it did indeed. What kicks off with some pensive shots of the '90s rocker gazing into the camera (into our souls!) soon evolves into what feels like a neverending smooch between the two stars, the vid's apparent reason for being made, as the doctor-patient storyline is pretty flimsy. We don't like hearing Fred Durst's voice coming out of Halle's mouth—and we like his attachment to it even less.
C'mon, girl! There's got to be some better Gothika cross-promotion than that.
5. Gothika (2003)
Speaking of Gothika, it was a pity to see the resumes of not one, but two of our favorite leading ladies (the other being Penélope Cruz) take a hit in this notably un-thrilling thriller. When we're first introduced to Berry, she's working as a psychiatrist in a mental hospital. Her life is soon turned upside down however after she comes into contact with a straight-up sadistic ghost (albeit one with a purpose...sorta) and wakes up in her same place of business, not as a doctor, but a patient suspected of murdering her husband. Little by little, her memory begins to return and she's able to piece together exactly who the (nudge) surprise culprit was.
Between the gratuitous shrieking, endless nonsensical twists and ridiculous interactions with that ghastly blonde stalker, even the recent Oscar winner couldn't rise above the mess of a movie that was Gothika.
4. Perfect Stranger (2007)
In the universally derided Perfect Stranger, we once again witness Halle Berry starring as a protagonist on the hunt for answers to a murder, this time of a childhood friend. Her primary suspect? Ad exec Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis at his creepiest), with whom she was knocking boots. Feels so '90s, doesn't it?
Well, if you think the murder of a former jump-off seems a bit extreme, your gut's telling you right. Similar to our previous pick, a series of climactic flashbacks involving grimy sexual abuse sequences ultimately reveal that our hero's got some motives of her own and isn't as innocent as she seems.
The result: Gothika in a pantsuit.
3. New Year's Eve (2011)
To be fair, we haven't seen News Year's Eve yet in its entirety, but one look at the trailer (or the 6% rating on Rotten Tomatoes) effectively tells you everything you need to know. Just as unbelievable as the fact that an even fluffier, more cliché-packed version of Valentine's Day could possibly be released is Berry's portion of the trailer, in which we observe her aforementioned nurse character nervously asking her co-workers how she looks in a plunging pink dress. Like its predecessor, believability clearly isn't this flick's strong suit. While swiping horror movie plots from Japan seems to have worked out for us on occasion, this movement of churning out bootleg versions of Love, Actually really should be put to rest.
2. Catwoman (2004)
You guessed right. There's no way Halle Berry's award-winningly awful 2004 superhero flick couldn't take one of the top spots on our round-up. Loathed so much by critics that it even graced Roger Ebert's "Most Hated Movies" list, Catwoman was undoubtedly one of the year's—perhaps the decade's—greatest cinematic underachievements.
While we're always game to watch Berry strut around in quasi-revealing outfits, the godawful script and incomprehensible plotline left little room for redemption. Even the heroine's get-up itself was pretty rough, looking like something you might find in the back room at Ricky's.
That said, it wasn't a surprise when Berry was honored with a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress. What was: Berry was one of the few Hollywooders to actually attend the ceremony and receive her award in person. She's a hell of a good sport about it, too, as you'll see above. Her ability to laugh at herself and what even she dubs "a piece of shit, godawful movie" make her 1000 times sexier in our book.
1. B*A*P*S (1997)
In the movie deemed "appallingly" and "jaw-droppingly" bad by top film critics, Halle's role as one half of Black American Princess (B*A*P*S) duo Nisi and Mickey didn't have her "livin' large and takin' charge," as her character aspired—just weathering a neverending shitstorm of awful feedback.
That said, some fault certainly lies with Halle's management team here. A script about two gold-digging waitresses trying to get cast in a music video to raise money for their dream soul food-hair salon should've raised some eyebrows. And then there's the attempts to scam a millionaire out of his money by posing as a beloved former maid's granddaughter.... Are we the only ones who have an easier time imagining Marlon Wayans in this role than Halle Berry?