The story of a movie is one of the many reasons why people step into the world of a movie and feel connected to it. Memorable films often seize opportunities to provide amazing stories that push the boundaries of our imagination. Unfortunately, some films make the mistake of having an overly ambitious story that cannot be easily executed. These films should be praised for taking risks, but also observed for how they fail to deliver on their promises. Let’s take a look at ten movies with unique stories and missed executions.
10 The Purge (2013)
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First on the list is the 2013 horror film The robbery. This film was directed by James DeMonaco and stars Ethan Hawke, Adelaide Kane and Lena Headey. The film follows a wealthy family who must survive on the day of the annual purge. For one night a year, all crime becomes illegal. This includes horrible crimes such as torture and murder. The premise makes for an exciting setting that evokes an interesting conceit. In the film, after a new political party passed this “purge night” into law, crime and unemployment fell to 1%. The film could have had an excellent political or social commentary on the things people want to do during such a surreal event. The fact that it positively affects society puts people in a moral quandary to decide whether culling aspects of society really has no consequences. However, the execution of the film leaves many holes and plays the material too cynically.
The concept feels watered down and sadly needs to move on to flesh out the effects of the purge night. The story is just the backdrop for some good performances and excellent fight sequences, but the performance lacks teeth. There’s also a lot of exposition in the movie that doesn’t advance the story or the world. The movie doesn’t take enough time to dissect the issues it raises. It lacks the introspection of a visceral body horror movie like David Cronenberg would have made and lacks the gritty moments of an action thriller. Ironically, a movie about making all crime legal feels a little too clean. This lack of focus is present in the Rotten Tomatoes score, with many reviews citing the disappointment in the slim social allegory and lackluster execution of the home invasion.
9 Suction cup
Suction cup is a high-concept psychological fantasy film released in 2011. It was directed by Zack Snyder and starring Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Oscar Isaac and John Hamm. The film follows a young mental patient named Babydoll who is kept in a mental institution. Throughout the story, she collects various items she needs to escape, such as a video game. Each time she confronts an adversary to her escape, the movie turns into a video game-esque scene, complete with over-the-top visuals. The story has potential but a little fails to connect in its execution. Snyder intends to connect the story to the action sequences, but the problem is that the story is subtle and lacks obvious connections.
There isn’t much character development either, which would make the story resonate better. Because the action scenes take place in a surreal world, there is often little tension when someone takes a devastating blow. For these reasons, audiences lack connection with the characters, leaving only the visual spectacle of the action sequences for people to watch. It had a lot of potential for its story, but the execution of the scenes could have been better.
8 The Last Airbender (2010)
Next on the list is M. Night Shyamalan’s movie The last airbender. It was released in 2010 and is based on a Nickelodeon animated TV series of the same name. The premise of the film follows a young monk named Aang, who is released from Ice after his discovery by two members of the water tribe. The Fire Nation has declared war on the whole world and this young monk proves to be the chosen one who can turn the tide of war. The boy and his companions must learn spiritual powers called “bowing” and gather allies in their quest to save the world from the Fire Nation.
This movie had the potential for a great story as it is based on a beloved animated series story. Unfortunately, the movie had to make some changes to the story to accommodate the live-action feel they were going for. These changes were infamous, causing many fans to lose faith in animated series getting proper adaptations on the big screen.
7 Hancock (2008)
Hancock tells the story of a superhero who saves people while dealing with the real-world implications of the material damage his powers cause. The movie was released in 2008 and directed by Peter Berg. Hancock stars Will Smith as John Hancock, an alcoholic superhero who is ridiculed by the populace for being careless in his heroism. After bailing out a public relations specialist, he takes his advice and goes to jail to make amends. The story begins as a fun and insightful deconstruction of the superhero genre, but as it progresses, it introduces many plot elements that muddle the execution of the themes. The last act in particular falls apart because the villain is a flat character who sucks a lot of the fun out of the movie. It feels like a great concept idea that was never fully explored because the movie has no meaningful conflict after the opening act. In an interview with Will Smithdescribes how the film’s concept immediately got him excited about its potential, reflecting what drove many viewers to watch it.
6 On Time (2011)
On time is a thriller science fiction film released in 2011. The film was directed by Andrew Niccol and starred Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried and Cillian Murphey. It features a high science fiction concept where people in the future have been genetically engineered to stop aging at age 25. However, after you turn 25, you only have one year left to live. There is a class dynamic where wealthy people can spend money to add more years to their lives and become immortal forever. The time a person has left is indicated by a display on his forearm. With the potential of the premise, the movie unfortunately doesn’t do much with it beyond a standard chase thriller plot. The film fails to live up to its high concept while society functions much the same despite this huge difference in the future. The flawed execution hinders the premise On time.
5 The Dark Tower (2017)
Another movie that doesn’t live up to its source material is The Dark Tower. This movie came out in 2017 and is based on the famous story of Steven King. It was directed by Nikolaj and told the story of a boy whose visions of a dark tower led him to seek an interdimensional guardian. This guardian plans to use the boy to destroy the tower and descend into hell. Steven King novels are sometimes tricky to translate to the movie medium, and The Dark Tower simply lacked the budget to realize the right visuals. It also felt rushed and crammed into the plot, making it feel more like a study guide than an actual story.
4 Sweater (2008)
Sweater is a science fiction film that was directed by Doug Liman. It was released in 2008 and stars Hayden Christensen as a high school student who discovers he has the superpower of teleportation. Since he develops his powers young, he uses them for selfish reasons, often getting him into trouble. Unfortunately, the movie doesn’t do much with the premise and soon introduces a generic organization that wants to imprison him and other Jumpers. The film was based on a novel and made many changes to the story, including the ending, which made the performance feel anti-climatic.
3 Downsizing (2017)
Reduce is a science fiction comedy film released in 2017. The film stars Matt Damon, who plays Paul Safrânek’s character. Paul decides to shrink himself to six inches tall in an effort to have a better life. The film is social satire on the one hand and comedy on the other that is not fully committed either. As a result, the premise fails to carry out its original idea. The film loses track of its characters, with many characters only getting through the first act of the film before disappearing from the film. It also features an ambitious third act that doesn’t quite stick.
2 Eragon (2006)
Eragon is the 2006 film adaptation of the famous novel series of the same name. It follows a farm boy whose fate changes when he discovers a dragon egg. He is now destined to defend his home and empire against an evil king who wants to destroy it. The premise of the story promises an imaginative adventure, but ultimately the writing, dialogue, and plot have little in common with the novel and fall short of its objectives.
1 Jupiter ascending (2015)
Last on the list is the science fiction fantasy film Jupiter ascends. Attempting to merge fairy tales with science fiction, the film tells the story of a young girl who is an incarnation of a long-lost fairy queen who has the power to save humanity from an ancient evil force. The film is visually beautiful, but the execution of the premise feels superficial as the plot is filled with unnecessary elements that feel like fluff. It lacks the potential of the epic universe it built.