2025: The World Enslaved by a Virus, a dystopian thriller that has garnered a reputation as one of the worst movies in recent years, presents a bleak future where a virus enslaves the world. Despite its relevance to current events, the film failed to impress audiences and critics alike, sparking debates over its execution and legacy. The movie, written and directed by German brothers Joshua and Simon Wesely, landed in the top spot of Collider’s list of the 10 Worst Movies of the Last 25 Years.
The film stars Joshua Wesely, Simon Wesely, Matthew Dougan, Antonia Joy Speer, and Isabelle Scheuermann, with a storyline that delves into a fictional pandemic scenario. The futuristic setting portrays a government exploiting a health crisis to establish control over the population. The plot centers on characters Roy and Hannah, played by Joshua Wesely and Antonia Joy Speer, who join an underground resistance group to combat the government’s tyrannical plans and restore peace and freedom to the country.
Through a critical lens, Collider described the film as outdated and unrealistic, criticizing its poor structure and labeling it as “impossible to comprehend.” Despite its attempt to evoke fear, the movie fell flat with its execution, acting, writing, and use of music, culminating in a jarring finale followed by lighthearted bloopers during the end credits. IMDb further cemented the film’s poor reception with a one-star rating and viewer comments calling it “bad” and “cringy.”
In addition to claiming the top spot in Collider’s list, 2025: The World Enslaved by a Virus joined the ranks of other poorly received films, including Hugh Jackman’s Movie 43 and the 2019 musical Cats. The bottom five also featured Verotika, Disaster Movie starring Kim Kardashian, Saving Christmas, Battlefield Earth, Birdemic: Shock and Terror, Sniper: Special Ops, and Yoga Hosers.
The future portrayed in the film may be grim, but its reception has left a lasting mark on viewers and critics alike, showcasing the pitfalls of a dystopian thriller gone wrong.
Peace Nero is a writer and blogger who loves to explore different topics of self-development. She shares her personal experiences in order to help people discover their true purpose in life.