Alan Ritchson has risen to become a prominent figure on television due to his portrayal of Jack Reacher in Amazon’s “Reacher.” Inspired by a well-loved series of adventure novels, this Prime Video series casts Ritchson in the lead role, succeeding Tom Cruise, who had previously played Reacher in two films. Following the show’s 2022 premiere, Ritchson quickly proved himself as the ideal candidate for the role, combining rugged toughness, astute street intelligence, and an imposing build that made him a formidable presence.

However, Ritchson’s ascent to fame didn’t happen overnight; he was already a cherished actor for his performances in various comic book roles. After an unsuccessful stint on “American Idol,” Ritchson made his acting debut as the first to portray DC’s Aquaman in live-action, with a recurring role in “Smallville” during the 2000s. He later reprised a DC Comics role as Hawk in “Titans” and lent his voice to Raphael in Michael Bay’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” Despite these significant credits, Ritchson’s filmography includes some less proud moments, such as the 2006 horror film, “The Butcher.”

“The Butcher,” an ultra-low-budget slasher flick, is a subpar imitation of “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” depicting a group of teenagers (including Ritchson) being chased by a mad family in a desolate town en route to Las Vegas. Simply put, the film is not well-regarded.

Many actors have a few dismal movies in their early careers. In fact, entire articles have been dedicated to the worst films by some of Hollywood’s best actors. Yet, Alan Ritchson’s involvement in “The Butcher” isn’t just an unfortunate early role he might prefer to erase; it’s considered so poor that it’s arguably one of the decade’s worst films, alongside notorious flops like “Battlefield Earth,” “Catwoman,” and “Gigli.”

With a 3.6 IMDb score and a 19% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, “The Butcher” was critically panned by both reviewers and audiences. Filming on digital video led to a rather unpleasant viewing experience right from the start, as the movie comes across not only as visually unappealing but also possessing such poor sound quality that it becomes hard to watch, especially when attempting to deliver shock value. The limited budget and lack of genuine scares exacerbate issues, making the film appear cheaper than it sounds, with a script that feels as though it was written by an inexperienced writer.

“The Butcher” reuses all-too-familiar slasher tropes without originality. Unfortunately for Ritchson, this is not a film he can easily dismiss, as it remains accessible via streaming services. Fortunately, there’s no charge to view it, as it is offered on platforms such as Pluto TV and the Roku Channel. Nevertheless, whether free or not, we suggest giving it a miss.