So bad theyre good - why do we love terrible films?

Film critics have delivered a verdict: the new version of War of the Worlds – which stars Ice Cube as a man who must save humanity from an alien invasion without leaving his desk – is bad.

But how bad? Is it just "the worst possible adaptation of HG Wellss work"? Is it "one of the worst movies of the decade so far"? Or might it actually be "one of the worst movies ever made"?

When the reviews started coming in this week, the internet soon took delight in the films 0% critic score on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.

While some gleefully joined in the mauling, others were attracted to the film like moths to a flame.

"I feel like I have to watch this now," wrote The White Lotus actor Patrick Schwarzenegger, who, as the son of Arnold, has perhaps encountered the odd low-ranking movie.

Hes not the only person to feel the lure of a film with savage reviews - some terrible movies have built cult followings for being so bad theyre good.

Lon Harris, executive producer of the This Week in Startups podcast, stoked the conversation this week when he posted: "Dipping below like 5% on Rotten Tomatoes has basically the same appeal to me as breaking 90%.

"Thats some[thing] I need to experience right there."

A film with a rock bottom rating is bound to be interesting, Harris tells BBC News.

"A very low score indicates universal agreement. This movie is bad. Now I want to know more... Why does everyone agree? Suddenly, Im intrigued.

"I watch a lot of movies, theres so much content coming out, and most of it is bland and forgettable."

Harris was intrigued enough to watch War of the Worlds, and it duly lived down to his expectations.

"Its very silly, Ice Cubes solo performance just reacting to things on his laptop screen verges at times on parody and frequently made me laugh, and theres a whole subplot involving Amazon drone deliveries thats so on-the-nose its almost unbelievable that they included it," he says.

The crucial role an Amazon drone plays in saving the world is indeed ham-fisted.

Its not a subtle film. Ice Cubes government surveillance agent must save both the world and his family from afar, as he watches the alien invasion unfold on his computer screen, a set-up explained by the fact it was made during the pandemic.

It had been sitting on the shelf ever since – until now.

Harris adds: "Theres a charm to watching a movie thats not slick and polished like most other films you see, where you can sort of see the artists hands at work trying their best to cover for their budget issues and production setbacks.

"Thats more interesting than just another alien invasion movie to me."

After its initial battering, one critic has now taken pity on War of the Worlds, having enjoyed watching it.

"Is this movie really that bad?" wrote Entertainment Weeklys Jordan Hoffman on Thursday.

"The answer is... absolutely not. Its certainly stupid, but its also a great deal of fun."

That write-up, which concluded that the "movie is a mess, but an uproarious one", was deemed positive by Rotten Tomatoes so has nudged the films Tomatometer score up from 0% to the giddy heights of 4% at the time of writing.

Truly atrocious movies are preferable to those that are simply forgettable, according to Timon Singh, who set up the Bristol Bad Film Club a decade ago.

"Ive seen films where the shot is not even in focus, the crew are walking into frame, the actors wig has fallen off - and its still an incredibly entertaining film," he says.

Blockbusters can be "bloated" and "boring", he adds, plucking out 2017s Transformers: The Last Knight as an example.

"In comparison, Samurai Cop is technically a terrible film, but its 90 minutes of pure enjoyable terrible acting, awful fight scenes, and once youve seen it, youre never going to forget it.

"Whereas youll probably forget Transformers: The Last Knight while youre watching it."

Other films to have gained cult followings include 2003s The Room , described as "a trash masterpiece", in the Daily Beast.

However The Room, made by "bad film auteur" Tommy Wiseau, is awarded a relatively respectable 24% on Rotten Tomatoes because it is deemed perversely enjoyable.

Katharine Coldiron, author of Junk Film: Why Bad Movies Matter, says its better to watch a film-maker like Wiseau try hard and fall short, rather than someone going through the motions.

"When a film is earnestly made, and it fails, thats terrific to watch," she says.

She says her favourite terrible film is 1983s Staying Alive, the sequel to disco classic Saturday Night Fever, directed by Sylvester Stallone, which was critically panned despite commercial success.

"All but one of the characters is a sociopath, so the movie works on almost no levels. I love to put it on and yell at it."

Rotten Tomatoes has its own list of the worst films of all time.

Its skewed to movies from the past 25 years, because those have the most online reviews, and is of course subject to the flaws of the RT scores.

But here are its top five, all of which have 0% critic ratings.

1. Ballistic: Ecks vs Sever (2002)

A cliché-crammed moody action thriller, slated for it script, acting and fight sequences.

Starring: Lucy Liu is unconvincing as a sort-of-superhero and Antonio Banderas is a grizzled ex-FBI agent.

Sample review: "An ungainly mess, submerged in mayhem, occasionally surfacing for cliches." Roger Ebert

2. One Missed Call (2008)

A ridiculous (but competent) remake of a Japanese horror film about teenage friends who get voicemail messages sent by their future selves at their moments of death.

Starring: A random assortment including Shannyn Sossamon, who went on to join US band Warpaint; Meagan Good, now actor Jonathan Majors wife; comedian Margaret Cho; future Modern Family star Ariel Winter; and Ray Wise from Twin Peaks.

Sample review: "A brow-furrowing blend of child abuse and adult trauma." New York Times

3. Left Behind (2014)

A mixture of Hallmark-style schmaltz, Biblical-themed supernatural mystery and aeroplane disaster drama. And not in a good way.

Starring: Nicolas Cage stuck in his post-Oscar-winning rut.

Sample review: "Left Behind takes the end of the world and turns it not into a nightmare, but a nice long nap." Washington Post

4. A Thousand Words (2012)

A motormouth book agent mustnt speak, otherwise a magical tree will die, and so will he. For some reason.

Starring: Eddie Murphy being over-the-top and underwhelming at the same time.

Sample review: "Remember Eddie Murphy? He used to be hilarious." Movieline

5. Gotti (2018)

This mob misfire was criticised for, among many other things, its sympathetic portrayal of real-life crime boss John Gotti.

Starring: John Travolta showed hes no Marlon Brando. His wife Kelly Preston played Gottis wife.

Sample review: "Id rather wake up next to a severed horse head than ever watch Gotti again." New York Post