Johnny Depp has historically been one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood – reports suggest that he once had a net worth of around $650million, all accrued across his 40-year career.

With almost 100 films, music videos and TV projects under his belt, it’s safe to say that Depp has become a largely prolific entertainment figure spanning generations. Starting out in the 1980s and quickly becoming a magazine-fronted heartthrob, Depp first gained modest popularity after his film debut in Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street. Perhaps more interestingly, Depp actually landed the role because of his looks – Craven has spoken candidly about how this casting choice came about, foremost because of his daughter’s fondness for Depp, persuading him to choose the actor over other choices because “he was beautiful”. In the end, it would prove to be a smart choice for attracting a new teenage demographic to the horror series.

Up to 1990, Depp had solidified his reputation as a well-respected, up-and-coming actor. By then, Depp had taken on a couple of starring roles, including Private Resort alongside the cult classic Cry-Baby. Depp knew that he had to take steps to change the tide, though. As someone who’s always been a little reserved when it came to being in the spotlight and shy when it came to discussing his looks, being constantly lauded as “sexy” was far from what he aspired to be.

And so, he partnered with Tim Burton for the first time to create Edward Scissorhands, an independent, gothic film which was a far cry from the more serious projects he had gotten used to. As the film’s protagonist, Edward Scissorhands, Depp introduced a more obvious versatility to his talent and began his departure from audience expectations and perceptions. The 1990s would see Depp delivering some of the best performances of his career, including the charismatic and talented Sam in Benny & Joon, the troubled, introspective Gilbert Grape in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?, the delusional but somewhat intellectual director Edward Wood in Ed Wood, and the smart but easily spooked Ichabod Crane in Sleepy Hollow.

By the 2000s, Depp had become the pariah he was aiming for, landing roles in a number of high-profile, silver-screen films, including, of course, Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean as the brash Captain Jack Sparrow. In the years that followed, Depp garnered international fame, becoming one of the most popular actors of his time.

That said, even though Depp still went on to star in some of the best films of the 2000s – like Finding Neverland, Public Enemies, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – many of the ones he took part in between were, well, less than. Depp is someone who follows his heart and chooses roles he’s attracted to, but the end result isn’t always that great, and his films wind up becoming privy to something no actor wants to be ascribed; hit or miss.

With that, we’ve compiled a list of the ten worst Johnny Depp movies so that when your curiosity beckons, you know which ones to avoid.

The 10 worst Johnny Depp films:

10. Alice Through the Looking Glass (James Bobin, 2016)

Released as a sequel to 2010’s Alice in Wonderland, Alice Through the Looking Glass sees the return of the original main cast, including Mia Wasikowska, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, and Depp, for a new adventure following Alice’s return to Wonderland.

While remaining visually stunning and highly anticipated, Alice Through the Looking Glass fails to tick a number of essential boxes. For starters, the story itself is somewhat lacking. Despite focusing more on the interesting characterisation of the Hatter, the attempt at his backstory ends up being too ambitious a task and instead drifts too far from the beautiful world created by Lewis Carroll. A departure from its source material would be forgivable if the narrative was strong, but instead, it’s underwhelming, becoming nothing more than a seemingly lazy attempt at fantasy.

It’s clear that this was a film mostly created for financial gain, and instead of solidifying itself as a respectable pinnacle of cinematic storytelling, all it does is attempt to carry enough familiar blockbuster tropes that you won’t notice. But you do, and it’s terrible.

9. Transcendence (Wally Pfister, 2014)

Have you ever seen those memes about the terrible films you force yourself to watch just because you’re a fan of a certain actor? Transcendence is one of those.

The film stars Depp as Will Caster, a scientist working on an artificial intelligence project while being targeted by an anti-technology organisation. The premise itself sounds interesting: Caster uploads himself onto a digital platform after learning that he’s dying, and we follow a number of ethical and existential dilemmas faced by the other characters about digital clones and human copies.

It’s a film that reaches for brilliance – some of the best films sit within the science fiction genre (read: Blade Runner), but even still, it falls short of any real greatness, neglecting to answer any of the questions it poses. All great science fiction stories say something about the subject in which they’re tackling, but Transcendence throws a bunch of ideas out there without any real resolution. Depp’s performance is great, but perhaps more tragically is a character that has all the potential to be something interesting but ends up being nothing more than dull and nondescript.

8. The Tourist (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, 2010)

When a film boasting Depp and Angelina Jolie gets announced, it’s sure to be a blockbuster hit, right? Wrong.

As it turns out, The Tourist has less of an idea about what it’s trying to be than why it cast two great actors in the first place. It got nominated for three Golden Globes, but even then, there was a lot of dispute about whether it was a drama or a comedy. The truth is: it’s neither. As a remake of the French film Anthony Zimmer, The Tourist attempts to do what the French have mastered; strike a balance between serious content with drippings of tongue-in-cheek humour. But, in the end, even its biggest attempts at comedy appear to be too much the obvious choice, resulting in nothing more than cringe-worthy quips.

The cinematography of The Tourist is gorgeous, but even that’s to the credit of the scenic beauty of Venice, Italy, and not nearly enough to save the film from its messy plot and the two main’s lack of chemistry.

7. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, 2017)

The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has become iconic in its own right, but, beyond the first two – three, at a push – films, the spark vanishes.

Jack Sparrow – sorry, Captain Jack Sparrow – has become one of the most loved characters in recent film history. He’s funny, and he’s unpredictable, but he’s also relatable and deeply complex. In the beginning, Depp’s talent in seamlessly blending comedy with charisma stood as an unparalleled casting triumph in the annals of film history. Serving as a pivotal component of the Elizabeth Swan and Will Turner dynamic, Depp’s portrayal of Sparrow flawlessly anchored the entire franchise.

However, the franchise’s fifth installment, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales was a significant drop in the standard we all came to know and love. While the first films thrived on complex narratives and dense characterisation, Dead Men Tell No Tales failed on all counts, replacing intrigue with sheer boredom and characters so far from their original writing that it just became confusing.

Perhaps the reason for this is that, in previous films, Depp had the freedom to improvise and make tweaks to certain scenes based on what he felt was right for Sparrow, but this time, the script was rigid, and ad-libbing wasn’t in the question. It suffered as a result, with Sparrow becoming an out-of-character, distant portrayal of what he once was.

6. The Astronaut’s Wife (Rand Ravich, 1999)

As the second science fiction story to enter this list, The Astronaut’s Wife is bad for more reasons than one.

Again, the premise seems interesting on paper; an explosion in space requires two astronauts to return safely to Earth, but upon their return, they awake appearing significantly different than before. Firstly, for a film about the extravagant potential repercussions of space technology, the pacing is way off, which fails to give the plot a chance before boredom sets in.

Then, with few twists and turns, it seems way too ridiculous to even suspend your disbelief, which is strange considering its convoluted plot, but still, even with great performances from Depp and Charlize Theron, it all ultimately falls flat. Coherence is key when it comes to science fiction, and somewhere along the way, Rand Ravich forgot to remember that. Maybe this would have been better streaming after the watershed on something like Movies4Men, rather than being dumped in cinemas.

5. The Lone Ranger (Gore Verbinski, 2013)

The Lone Ranger received mixed reviews for a number of understandable reasons. Directed by Gore Verbinski, who also shot the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films, The Lone Ranger is a western action film about Tonto (Depp) and his memories of his and John Reid’s (Armie Hammer) efforts to bring justice to the American Old West.

Make no mistake, the movie was praised for its cinematography and Depp’s portrayal of Tonto, which added a unique and quirky touch to the iconic character. Additionally, the film’s production values, including the cinematography and set designs, were well-regarded.

However, The Lone Ranger also runs a little long at two hours and 29 minutes, which isn’t always a problem, but for a film with so many inconsistencies and lack of focus when it comes to its source material, it becomes a little troubling. The film attempts to balance traditional western elements with a new, at times glossy feel, (from Depp’s comedic and fantastical performance) is a combination that doesn’t really work.

The chemistry between Depp and Hammer is great, but it fails to save the film from its poor overall execution.

4. The Rum Diary (Bruce Robinson, 2011)

The Rum Diary marked Depp’s second venture into bringing a Hunter S. Thompson story to life. The film garnered a lukewarm response, with many praising Depp’s performance and the film’s cinematography, but its uneven pacing and lack of narrative focus resulted in a somewhat disjointed and meandering storyline.

The story follows the adventures of Paul Kemp, a young and disillusioned journalist who moves to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to work for a struggling English-language newspaper called the San Juan Star. Set against the backdrop of the declining newspaper industry and a changing political landscape in Puerto Rico, the novel explores themes such as journalism, corruption, the allure of alcohol, and the search for personal and professional identity.

Fans of Hunter S. Thompson may still be able to find certain aspects to appreciate, but generally, the film fails to engage even with the involvement of Paul Kemp and Chenault’s unconventional romance. Ultimately, it’s a film that became immediately forgettable. For those looking for the perfect Hunter S. Thompson and Depp hookup, look no further than Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

3. Once Upon a Time in Mexico (Robert Rodriguez, 2003)

Ensemble casts, while promising initially, often create box office bombs. Once Upon a Time in Mexico was no exception.

Featuring Depp along with Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Mickey Rourke, Eva Mendes, and Willem Dafoe, the story revolves around the character El Mariachi, played by Antonio Banderas, who is a skilled guitar-playing gunslinger seeking revenge on the corrupt CIA agent Sands, portrayed by Depp. The film is set in Mexico, where a power-hungry drug lord is planning a coup to overthrow the Mexican government.

Despite great chemistry between the leads, Once Upon a Time in Mexico also suffered from a plot that was convoluted and lacked focus, making it difficult to fully engage with the story. The film’s pacing was also off, with its frenetic pace occasionally overwhelming the narrative. Surprisingly, though, despite receiving a lot of criticism, the film accrued a loyal and dedicated fanbase and performed reasonably well at the box office.

2. The Ninth Gate (Roman Polanski, 1999)

Directed by Roman Polanski, The Ninth Gate is a supernatural thriller starring Depp as Dean Corso, an unscrupulous rare book dealer and expert in identifying forgeries. The story follows Corso as he becomes entangled in a mysterious and eerie journey involving rare books, devil worship, and the supernatural.

Despite Depp’s talented performance, this was another that suffered at the hands of its own pacing – it becomes too complex to engage with and becomes too slow at times for you to catch up. At the same time, even if this film were to accrue delayed appreciation, Polanski’s involvement may be a factor in this becoming impossible.

We’ve reached a point culturally where problematic Hollywood directors risk being “cancelled”, and Polanski definitely falls within this category, so we can all but effectively say goodbye to anything good that The Ninth Gate may have to offer.

1. Don Juan DeMarco (Jeremy Leven, 1995)

On paper, Don Juan Demarco seems great; centring around love, identity, and the power of the imagination, the film explores the story of John Arnold DeMarco, played by Depp, who believes himself to be Don Juan – the legendary fictional character known for his romantic escapades.

Convinced that he is the world’s greatest lover and that he has had encounters with over a thousand women, Don Juan DeMarco creates a fantastical persona and dresses in the style of the classic Spanish figure. Marlon Brando also stars as Dr. Mickler, who spends time with DeMarco attempting to understand the reasons behind his extravagant beliefs.

You’d think that a film involving Depp and Brando would immediately mean greatness, but, despite their talented performances and the film’s overall charm, the film becomes at risk of meandering too much over into sentimentality and losing its focus.

Perhaps what makes this film so bad is that it’s not the worst it could possibly be, but it’s so lacking in all the wrong places despite Depp and Brando taking up the leading roles. This is something that’s supposed to be heartfelt but refined in the messages it’s trying to convey, but it instead becomes a cheap take on something that sounds vaguely interesting without any real takeaway.