Unfathomably Awful 'Emoji Movie' Is First Film Publicly Screened in Saudi Arabia in Decades

Remember the U.S. release of 'The Emoji Movie'? Dark times indeed.

The Emoji Movie
Image via Getty/Tara Ziemba
The Emoji Movie

An unfathomably shitty movie that ironically features anthropomorphic fecal matter among its cast of underwhelming characters is now the first piece of cinema publicly screened in Saudi Arabia in decades. Reuters reported that The Emoji Movie on Sunday became the first film allowed to be publicly screened in the nation in 35 years. As the region is currently not due to have permanent theaters ready for use until later this year, the widely panned animated movie played in a "makeshift" setting using a projector.

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"Until now, there is no infrastructure for movie theaters, so we are trying to take advantage of (alternative) venues to approximate the cinematic form," Cinema 70 boss Mamdouh Salim said. "We tried to use these films to be a starting point as the first cinematic screening after the decision on Dec. 11 to permit movie theaters."

Movie theaters were banned in the region back in the early '80s, though a successful reform campaign headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman resulted in the ban's end last year. For now, Saudi Arabia will be screening "feature-length animated children's films." Screened films will also be censored due to "moral values."

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On a fateful day in July last year, The Emoji Movie descended upon unsuspecting Americans and arguably still haunts them to this day. The cinematic failure has been described by critics stateside as "vile," "insidious," "boldly bad," "weak," "ugly," "nakedly hollow," "soulless," and "a hyperactive piece of corporate propaganda." 

The real kicker, however, is that The Emoji Movie stars real-life poop emoji James Corden. Here's an example of Corden being as shitty as this movie.

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