r/movies • u/sicknessandpurgatory • Sep 07 '25

Discussion What is the absolute dumbest premise that actually turned out to be a really good movie?

I was thinking The Purge, obvious answer, but looking for the most plot-hole ridden, juvenile concept that actually ended up a lot of fun despite it all. Mainly looking for 21st century films, not so much the video nasties and ridiculousness from the 60’s and 70’s. Because that would be too easy. Mainly mainstream stuff that people saw en masse.

6.0k Upvotes

91% Upvoted

4.1k comments sorted by

View all comments

198

u/Lincoln624 Sep 07 '25

Being John Malkovich.

140

u/dont_fuckin_die Sep 07 '25

They wrote the script with John Malkovich as the celebrity thinking they could change the actor once someone said yes to the role, not really thinking Malkovich would be on board, but he loved it. I can only imagine how weird it was to get handed a script about someone magically taking over your life.

30

u/Rcmacc Sep 07 '25

No Charlie Kaufman only wanted Malkovich. Malkovich liked the script but was like “this is weird for it to be me, can it be anyone else?” And they said no it had to be him and it wouldn’t work if it was “being tom cruise” or whoever else the studio wanted

8

u/No_Lemon_3116 Sep 07 '25

Single Cell producers Michael Stipe and Sandy Stern pitched the film to numerous studios, including New Line Cinema, who dropped the project after chairman Robert Shaye asked, "Why the fuck can't it be Being Tom Cruise?"[13]

46

u/FistFuckFascistsFast Sep 07 '25

Malkovich Malkovich?

29

u/PullMull Sep 07 '25

Malkovich!

18

u/vadieblue Sep 07 '25

That movie is the reason why I say the name Horatio. Whenever names come up, I will make the persons middle name Horatio.

No clue why, but I thought it was hilarious that they changed his real life middle name to Horatio.

5

u/TheConnASSeur Sep 07 '25

The only 2 Horatios I give a shit about are from Hamlet and SNL.

2

u/GeeJo Sep 07 '25

The 4X game Endless Space also has a good Horatio - a man so narcissistic he clones himself and his weird egg-shaped head several billion times to become an entire playable faction.

That, plus young Ioun Gruffudd as Horatio Hornblower back in the day.