There is just something truly exciting about a box office hit that makes it too tempting not to download for free. From the post-production hype itself, there’s a lurking enthusiasm among viewers, and as soon as the same film starts making huge ticket sales and earns critical praise, it also gets onto every piracy website, torrent client, and illegal streaming site on the Internet.
Every year we see record-breaking opening weekends for much-anticipated new releases that give studios plenty to smile about. But those great numbers also make the pirates salivate. While the creative minds behind these projectspour their heart and soul into their craft, luckily, they also reach a whole new global audience thanks to you-know-what downloading. In a way, it helps spread the word!
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Pirated movies were a larger thing back when streaming sites were just beginning to flourish, and not much content was put up there. The landscape is quite different now that there are endless options for grabbing the newest films and oldest ones on a single platform. And yet, there are movies that have proven to be the most in-demand among those seeking a free copy. The films that top piracy charts read a lot like the ‘what’s trending’ section of social media. At least, that’s what encourages so many to acquire them so soon.
With that said, piracy definitely hurts box office revenues and studio profits. But on the upside, it also helps build massive buzz for the films that see record numbers of at-home downloads. So in a sense, even pirated copies spread the love and intensify the effect of these movies. Now, let’s take a look at a lost of the most popular pirated movies.
15The Hangover
In what could only be described as a train wreck of bachelor party debauchery that somehow works, and works so well it gives the viewer belly-aching laughter,The Hangoverfollows a group of three best men, Phil, Stu, and Alan, who wake up with zero memory if the night before after having had one too many drinks in Vegas. It doesn’t come as a surprise that things would quickly spiral into absurdity as they try to piece together where they’ve been and what happened to their missing friend and soon-to-be brother-in-law, Doug. The movie delivers brilliant jokes and gags every minute, and as the friends get into cringe-worthy situations involving tigers, mobsters, and everything in between, it succeeds in making memorable comedy by going completely off the rails.
14The Incredible Hulk
With 14 million downloads the year it was released,The Incredible Hulklaunched a brand new era for superhero films based on Marvel Comics. And even thoughthe movie is not a part of the grand and sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe, it unleashed a beast we knew would go on to exist for decades to come. The plot goes something like this – when a botched experiment turns promising scientist Bruce Banner into a hulking, green beast of destruction, he decides to walk a better path and becomes a reluctant hero fighting to control his monstrous alter ego. Bruce is consumed with guilt for the chaos he causes everywhere he goes while seeking a cure and evading mysterious military forces hellbent on harnessing the Hulk’s power for their own means. With Edward Nortan as the titular hero, the movie is dark and violent yet tinged with moments of emotion and poignancy.
13Kick-Ass
This black comedy superhero film directed by Matthew Vaughn defies all logic and reason as it follows a teenage comic book fan Dave Lizewski who decides to become a real-life superhero. But every hero must have a name and a costume. So he suits up and names himselfKick-Ass. What begins as a naive, harmless, and idealistic stunt immediately turns deadly serious because he ends up inspiring a subculture of amateur crime fighters. Dave also crossed paths with an eleven-year-old martial arts prodigy along the way. And with an intimidating and deft vigilante father/daughter duo, Dave forms a crime-fighting team like no other. Clocking 15 million downloads in 2010,Kick-Assweaved a story of over-the-top violence, profanity, and sharp satire.
12The Departed
Winner of the Best Picture award, this Martin Scorsese-directed movie is considered as the best gangster film ever made. And rightfully so. The premise goes: two moles, one of each side of the law, race to uncover and expose the other in an intense and captivating game of cat and mouse set against the backdrop of the Boston underworld. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as William Costigan Jr., an undercover cop infiltrating the Irish mob, just as Matt Damon’s Colin Sullivan, a conniving criminal and protégé of crime boss Frank Costello, rises though the ranks of the state police. InThe Departed, loyalties are constantly tested, danger lurks around ever nook and corner, and nobody is what they seem to be. The movie, it all is engrossing beauty, isknown particularly for its improvised scenes, dense plotting, intertwined storytelling, and outstanding performances.
11Star Trek
It is no wonder thatStar Trekwas downloaded 16 million times back in 2009. After all, the iconic sci-fi franchise got rebooted after so long. As the eleventh film in the franchise, it featured an all-new young cast headed by Chris Pine’s brash Captain Kirk and Zachary Quinto’s logical first officer Spock. Basically, when an elite Starfleet academy graduate interferes with a primordial civilization, he unknowingly sets the stage for an epic intergalactic conflict, which the audience is gladly willing to eat up. As the Romulan plots to destroy everything, Kirk, Spock, and the newly assembled crew of the USS Enterprise must fight to stop it. The movie,in the same fashion as others in the franchise, blends incredible special effects, nail-biting action, and a healthy dose of humor.
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10Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End
Being the last chapter in the original trilogy,Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds Endbecame an important film for fans of the exciting adventure and swashbuckling epic created by this classic world of pirates and treasure elevated by great visual effects and stunt work. The movie findsCaptain Jack Sparrow, as well as returning favorites Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann racing to prevent ruthless pirate lord Cutler Beckett from controlling the dreaded Davy Jones and wiping out piracy forever. Ironic.
What follows is an epic sea battle and climactic storm at the world’s end, uniting a complex yet engrossing tale of treachery, loyalty, and romance. What’s more? Ghost ships to set an atmosphere of dread, zombie pirates to up the stakes, and cursed treasure waiting to be claimed. The Gore Verbinski was also downloaded around 14 million times. After all, fans simply can’t get enough of this nod to the classic pirate lore.
Fans are no stranger to the scope of this epic science fiction spectacle.Avatar, the first in what is to become a series of greats, follows a paralyzed marine traveling to a lush alien world populated by the native Na’vi people. Through his scheming intentions, he first learns to walk again by controlling an ‘avatar’ body, and then he infiltrates the Na’vi to gain their trust and convince them to leave their resource-rich land. But once he begins to reside among them, he is drawn to their customs and falls for their beautiful culture – and for a female Na’vi. Faced with a choice between family and duty, he must decide what to choose.
James Cameron creates a visually stunning and technologically groundbreaking film that ushers a new era of cinematic storytelling that is equal parts immersive and captivating. But at its heart lies a simple tale of connection. At 21 million downloads, the movie became a record-setter. ButAvatar: The Way Of Watermay have broken the record; you never know.
8The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
In the climactic chapter of Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy, Bilbo Baggins finds himself fighting against a swarm of enemies. The highlight of the movie, undoubtedly, is the final confrontation between the dwarves of Erebor, the elves of Mirkwood, and the orcs and goblins allied with the evil fire-breathing dragon Smaug. As the war draws closer and closer, men, dwarves, elves, and hobbits must decide whether to unite and fight for a common cause or be destroyed by the hands of pure evil. Basically,The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armiesis the conclusive entry that dictates the fate of Middle Earth. Like the two movies that came before, this one is also brimming to the top with epic battle scenes, heroic sacrifices from beloved characters, and astounding visuals.
7The Dark Knight
In 2008, Christopher Nolan’s movie clocked 19 million downloads. The number has only risen with the popularity of the franchise, its iconic heroes and villains, as well as the director’s phenomenal vision for gritty world-building.The Dark Knightfeatures the return of Christian Bale as Batman, pitting the caped crusader against the chilling anarchy of Heath Ledger’s Joker. As Batman, James Gordon, and new district attorney Harvey Dent, seek to free the city of Gotham from the tight grip of organized crime, the Joker emerges in style and panache to wreak havoc on the city by unleashing his signature campaign of terror. The movie probes the paper-thin, morally ambiguous line between heroism and villainy, good and evil. Still holding its status as one ofthe most acclaimed superhero films of all timethanks to the thrills tone, and performances,The Dark Knightis a genuine treat.
6Inception
Despite beingincredible confusing and mind-bendingin its premise and execution,Inceptiongarnered a lot of acclaim and fan recognition as it was downloaded almost 47 million times in 2014. The movie revolves around Dom Cobb, a professional thief capable of entering people’s dreams and stealing their secrets. But when he is offered a chance at redemption by performing an impossible task, Inception is, literally and figuratively, put into motion. Cobb must plan an idea in a target’s subconscious, and surrounding him is a dream team of specialists he will need assistance from to carry out this dangerous mission. But who is the real target? And can Cobb really pull off this task? These are probably the questions that ran in fans’ minds before they sat down to download the movie and get the answers for themselves. The movie, however, is a wild thriller that explores the complex and gripping world within our minds.
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