A film’s story is one of the many reasons people hook into a film’s world and feel connected to it. Memorable films often take chances to provide amazing stories that stretch the boundaries of our imaginations. Unfortunately, some films make the mistake of having an over-ambitious story that cannot be easily executed. These films should be commended for taking chances, but also observed for how they fail to execute on their promises. Let’s take a look at ten movies with unique stories and missed execution.
10The Purge (2013)
First on the list is the2013 horror filmThe Purge.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. During one night every year, all crime becomes illegal. This includes horrible crimes like torture and murder. The premise makes for an exciting setting that sets up an interesting conceit. In the movie, after a new political party passed this “purge” night into law, crime and unemployment dropped to 1%. The film could have had an excellent political or social commentary involving the things that people want to do during such a surreal event. The fact that it positively affects society pushes a moral dilemma on people to decide if culling aspects of society genuinely have no consequences. However, the film’s execution leaves a lot of holes and plays the material too cynically.
The concept feels watered down and, unfortunately, needs to go further to flesh out the consequences of the purge night. The story is just the backdrop for some good performances and excellent fight sequences, but the execution lacks teeth. There is also a lot of exposition in the movie that doesn’t move the story or the world forward. The film does not take enough time to dissect the issues that the film brings up. It lacks the introspection of a visceral body horror film like David Cronenberg would have made and lacks the gritty moments of an action thriller. Ironically, a film about making all crime legal feels a little too clean.This lack of focus is present in its Rotten Tomatoes score,with many reviews citing the disappointment in the slim social allegory and lackluster home-invasion execution.
Related:The Purge 6 Has a Script & Frank Grillo Is Ready to Go
9Sucker Punch
Sucker Punchis a high-concept psychological fantasy film that was released in 2011. It was directed by Zack Snyder and stars 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 different items that she needs to escape, like a video game. Each time she confronts an antagonist to her escape, the film turns into a video game-like scene complete with over-the-top visuals. The story has potential but fails a bit to connect in its execution. Snyder intends to connect the story to the action set pieces, but the problem is the story is subtle and doesn’t have clear connections.
There also is not a lot of character development, which would have helped the story resonate better. Also, because the action sequences take place in a surreal world, there is often little tension when someone takes a devastating hit. Because of these reasons, audiences miss out on the connection to the characters, which only leaves the visual spectacle of the action scenes for people to watch. It had a lot of potential for its story, but the execution of the scenes could have been done better.
8The Last Airbender (2010)
Next on the list isM. Night Shyamalan’smovieThe 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 following his discovery by two members of the water tribe. The Fire Nation has declared war on the entire world, and this boy monk turns out to be the chosen one that can turn the tides of war. The boy and his companions must learn spiritual powers called “bending” and gather allies in their quest to save the world from the fire nation.
This film had the potential for a great story because it is based on a beloved story from an animated series. Unfortunately, the film had to make some changes to the story to accommodate the live-action feel that they were going for. These changes have been notorious, resulting in many fans losing faith in animated series getting proper adaptations on the big screen.
Related:How M. Night Shyamalan Portrays Horror Through the Eyes of Children
7Hancock (2008)
Hancocktells the story of a superhero who saves people while dealing with the real-world implications of the property damage his powers cause. The film was released in 2008 and directed by Peter Berg.HancockstarsWill Smithas John Hancock, an alcoholic superhero who is ridiculed by the populace for being careless in his heroism. After rescuing a public relations specialist, he takes his advice and goes to jail to make amends. The story starts off as a fun and insightful deconstruction of the superhero genre, but as it continues, it introduces many plot elements that muddle the execution of its themes. The final act, in particular, falls apart as the villain is a flat character who sucks much of the fun out of the film. It feels like a great concept idea that was never explored fully, as the film lacks meaningful conflict after the opening act.In an interview with Will Smith, he describes how the concept of the film immediately got him excited about the potential, which echoes what drew many viewers into watching it.
6In Time (2011)
In Timeis a thriller science fiction film that was 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 the age of 25. However, after you turn 25, you only have one more year to live. There exists a class dynamic where rich people can spend money to add more years to their lives, becoming immortal forever. The time a person has left is identified by a display on their forearm. With the potential of the premise, the film, unfortunately, doesn’t do too much with it besides a standard chase thriller plot. The film doesn’t live up to its high concept, with society functioning pretty much the same despite this massive difference in the future. The flawed execution holds back the premise withIn Time.
5The Dark Tower (2017)
Another film that fails to deliver on its source material isThe Dark Tower. This film was released in 2017 and is based on the famous Steven King story. It was directed by Nikolaj and told the story of a boy whose visions of a dark tower have him seek out 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 film medium, andThe Dark Towersimply lacked the budget to achieve the right visuals. It also felt rushed and crammed into the plot, which makes it feel like a study guide rather than a proper story.
4Jumper (2008)
Jumperis a science fiction film that was directed by Doug Liman. It was released in 2008 and stars Hayden Christensen as a high school student that discovers he has the superpower of teleportation. Because he develops his powers young, he uses them for selfish reasons, often getting him into trouble. Unfortunately, the movie does not do a lot with the premise and soon introduces a generic organization that seeks 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 its execution feel anti-climatic.
3Downsizing (2017)
Downsizingis a comedy science fiction movie that was released in 2017. The movie stars Matt Damon, who plays the character of Paul Safrânek. Paul decides to shrink himself to being 5 inches tall in an effort to live a better life. The film is one part social satire and one part comedy that doesn’t fully commit to being either. The result is that the premise fails to execute its original idea. The film loses track of its characters, with many characters only making it through the first act of the film before disappearing from the movie. It also features an ambitious third act that doesn’t quite stick the landing.
2Eragon (2006)
Eragonis the 2006 film adaptation of the famous novel series of the same name. It follows a farm boy whose destiny changes when he discovers a dragon egg. He is now destined to defend his home and realm from an evil king who seeks to destroy it. The story’s premise promises a high-fantasy adventure, but in the end, the writing, dialogue, and plot share little with the novel and fall short of its goals.
1Jupiter Ascending (2015)
Last on the list is the science fiction fantasy filmJupiter Ascending. The film attempts to merge fairy tales with science fiction and tells the story of a young girl who is an incarnation of a long-lost fairy tale queen that has the power to save humanity from an ancient evil force. The film is visually beautiful, but the execution of its premise feels shallow because the plot is filled with unnecessary elements that feel like fluff. It misses the potential of the epic universe that it has constructed.
