Worst. Day. Ever.: 13 Terrible Movie Days

Alexander and his family aren’t alone when it comes to days gone wrong. With ‘Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day’ set to hit theaters, check out these movies centered around 24 truly bad hours.    

Falling Down (1993)

A traffic jam is the least of William Foster’s (Michael Douglas) troubles in this thrilling drama about a man on the edge. Just whatever you do, don’t deny him his fast-food breakfast. Or get in his way. 

Collateral (2004)

For cab driver Max (Jamie Foxx), driving around contract killer Vincent (Tom Cruise) proves to be his worst fare ever. Over the course of one night, Vincent takes Max on a very tense and bloody ride.

Die Hard (1988)

Let’s give a big “yippee-ki-yay” for tough cop John McClain (Bruce Willis). All he wanted for Christmas was some face time with his wife. What he got instead was a building full of terrorists with feet smaller than his sister’s.  

Groundhog Day (1993)

Weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) has to keep reliving the same day until he gets it right. It’s deja vu all over again -- and fortunately for us, it gets funnier every time.

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

What’s worse than fighting a deadly battle against a supreme alien race? Being thrown into a time loop that forces you to re-live that battle over and over again. Soldiers William Cage (Tom Cruise) and Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt) give new meaning to the phrase “last dying day” in this exciting sci-fi action movie. 

After Hours (1985)

Paul Hackett (Griffin Dunne) was hoping for a big night when he headed to SoHo for a late rendezvous with his new gal pal, Marcy (Rosanna Arquette). He got a night to remember for sure -- a waking nightmare full of angry cabbies, dead women, unstable waitresses and one very unfriendly ice cream truck. 

Dredd (2012)

Dredd (Karl Urban) and Anderson (Olivia Thirlby) are cops with the authority to play judge, jury and executioner. There’s one problem: Local drug lord Ma-Ma (Lena Headey) doesn’t care about authority. So when the Judges find themselves locked inside Ma-Ma’s tower block, things quickly go from zero to “dodging .50 cal machine guns.”

Cloverfield (2008)

They say New York is the city that never sleeps. And you wouldn’t sleep either if you were under attack by a deadly monster that just woke up from its nap. To paraphrase Peter Venkman: “No one knocks off the Statue of Liberty’s head in my town!” 

The Purge (2013)

One night a year, all crime is legal. Including murder. That’s the night James Sandin (Ethan Hawke) decides to be Mr. Nice Guy. Wrong move, James. 

Adventures in Babysitting (1987)

After suffering a flat tire, a trip to the emergency room and a shoot out – all in one night! -- getting stood up for a date must seem like a golden age for heroic babysitter Chris Parker (Elizabeth Shue). 

High Noon (1952)

Take one righteous lawman, add a revenge-seeking criminal, a scorned bride and a dash of disloyal townsfolk and you have quite the recipe for a very bad day. This is what Marshal Will Kane (Academy Award-winner Gary Cooper) must face in this classic western, which unfolds almost entirely in real time.

Phone Booth (2002)

It’s your typical story of a guy forced to make a call from a phone booth, only to discover that he is the target of a righteous sniper who sounds a lot like Kiefer Sutherland. Lots of shouting and gunshots ensue. 

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

Seth and Richard Gecko (George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino) are on the lam after a bloody bank robbery, and they must take refuge for the night in a Mexican biker bar. Which would be fine, if the place wasn’t owned and operated by bloodsucking vampires.