2. Scoop (2006)
A twee comedy about a serial killer roaming around London,
Scoop is one of Allen's worst efforts simply because it seems content to coast on its attractive co-stars - chiefly Scarlett Johansson, who seemed to briefly serve as Allen's "muse" around this time - and the fact that it features Allen in one of his rare recent acting roles. However, while Allen is always fun to watch, and he does get a few good zingers out, the plot is execrably weak, neither getting us to care about the romance or the sillier murder mystery elements; and when the big reveals start mounting up, it's never as satisfying or as funny as Allen thinks it is, despite some firm irony. More so than any other Allen film, the whimsy feels thoroughly misplaced, and the tone might have been interesting had it hewed a bit closer to Allen's thrilling previous film, Match Point.