Bad movies seem to be everywhere, and their numbers are only growing. Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 movies are released globally each year, according to the blog Glitterati Lobotomy. Hollywood produces roughly 28% of all these new releases. With thousands of films made each year, some are going to be flops. Even Netflix admitted in a 2023 Variety article that the company had altered its production levels away from quantity toward quality to make up for the large amount of poorly made movies it has green-lit.
Recently, a Dollar Tree shopper went viral when he filmed himself rummaging through the DVD selection at his local store. Determined to review them, TikToker Jesse (@jessevvs777) grabbed a random selection so others could find out whether any of these movies were worth watching. The video has been viewed over 896,000 times as of publication.
Shopping for camping supplies at Dollar Tree, Jesse stumbled onto the DVDs. “So I’m just looking around, and then I saw all these movies down here,” he said, pointing his camera at a disorganized pile on the bottom rack.
“What the f*ck are these movies, bro? Like these are Dollar Tree exclusives,” he continued. “There’s no way that there are like … what the f*ck? ‘Rage of the Mummy’? ‘Almost Mercy’? ‘They Reach’: First, you hear them, then you see them, then, well, they reach. What are these production companies?”
Sorting through the pile, he finally finds two recognizable titles—Paranormal Activity 3 and Trumbo.
“Some of these are real movies, bro. Either way, I’m gonna get a whole bunch of them … and I’m gonna check them out and see. I’ll let you guys know,” he concluded.
Commenters shared their own experiences with low-budget flicks.
“I bought a knock off version of cars it it was literally called ‘Vehicles,'” one said.
“You’re just mad you haven’t seen EFIGHTER,” a second joked.
A third added, “I might have to check out Rage of the Mummy.”
@jessevvs777 Dollar Tree Movie Review
♬ original sound – Jesse
Others pointed out that Dollar Tree has gems hidden within its random selection.
“I got a Blu-ray copy of killer clowns from outer space from dollar tree. there are some gems if you always look,” a viewer advised.
“I got American Psycho and Spree (2020) at Dollar Tree,” another shared.
Though the Dollar Tree DVD selection was lacking, padding a collection with some low-quality movies can still provide high-quality entertainment.
One viewer summed it up: “A good date night. Let’s get random movies at the dollar store & pig out on snacks.”
In fact, watching bad movies is a hobby that many partake in. There’s something cathartic about viewing a train wreck while joking with friends and family. Lists have even been created to help people find the worst of the worst.
Overall, owning physical DVDs instead of buying things digitally is not a bad idea. Even if the movie is bad. What most people don’t realize is that buying a movie on a streaming platform is a rental agreement instead of an outright purchase. According to one viral TikToker, companies’ licensing agreements allow for edits and removal of anything bought through their platform.
The Daily Dot reached out to Dollar Tree via contact form and Jesse via TikTok comments for further information.