15 Movies You Loved As A Kid (That Are Actually Terrible)

10. Drop Dead Fred

Was anyone else shocked to discover that this demented 1991 dark comedy was actually one of the worst-reviewed films of its release year?

Go back and watch Drop Dead Fred today, however, and you'll see that the critics were right.

This tale of a young woman (a delightful Phoebe Cates) having a nervous breakdown and being reunited with her titular childhood imaginary friend (Rik Mayall) is one of the most tonally jarring films of the entire 1990s.

Though Mayall's relentless, energetic mugging is an easy sell for kids and Cates' appealing presence speaks for itself, this is also a film that deals with the themes of mental illness and emotional abuse with zero tact or sensitivity whatsoever.

Most of the adult content is mercifully drowned out by Mayall's screeching - to a point, anyway - but what seemed like a wacky, harmless film as a child is actually a far more ill-conceived project when seen as a grown-up.

There's definitely an interesting concept here and both Mayall and Cates are really trying, but the script and general execution are just completely tone-deaf.