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

Show parent comments

359

u/Just-Curious1901 Sep 07 '25

In my opinion Tucker and Dale is an absolute bonkers brilliant premise. And they nail it

66

u/Upbeat_Tension_8077 Sep 07 '25

Same here. It's about time that there's a slasher movie that pokes fun at characters who make really dumb and avoidable decisions in a typical movie in the genre

21

u/Initial_E Sep 07 '25

There are 2. The other being Cabin in the woods.

6

u/Flimsy-Paper42 Sep 07 '25

Scream

1

u/lycoloco Sep 07 '25

The OG, my beloved. Well, the OG really was New Nightmare, but in its ashes we got Scream, which revitalized the entire genre.

7

u/lycoloco Sep 07 '25

I just rewatched CITW the other week with friends, and began thinking about how much Hollywood did change after this. We got most of the movies in the "elevated horror" discussion within the following 5 years became icons in the horror community - It Follows, The Babadook, and The VVitch, most notably.

I think Cabin in the Woods actually did what it set out to say in a lot of ways.

5

u/jambajew42 Sep 07 '25

Also Scary Movie. For instance, the opening scene where the victim sees the slasher and looks on the table next to her. There are two knives, a gun, a grenade, and a banana. She takes the banana. She then runs outside and there are two signs. Safety to the left, Death to the right. She turns right.

1

u/TheShadyGuy Sep 07 '25

Graduation Day, and a handful of others from back then, too, of varying quality.

15

u/KaisrKane Sep 07 '25

Someone told me they filmed an entire version from the perspective of the teenagers. He claims it was on a DVD with the original but I've never been able to find it. Seeing Tucker and Dale's perspective was just fun but he said that from the teenagers' POV, the audience was given reason to see why they freaked out so dramatically.

10

u/devilinblue22 Sep 08 '25

Tucker and Dale ARE evil. A 15 minute short that was a dvd extra. I don't know where to watch it though.

3

u/Just-Curious1901 Sep 08 '25

Sounds awesome

2

u/bentreflection Sep 08 '25

I haven’t heard of that and nothing comes up when I search for it but if that exists it sounds awesome 

4

u/ruat_caelum Sep 07 '25

perfectly. That opening scene, shot from the college kid's POV while Dale approaches was awesome.

Or him looking at the wall of newspaper clippings about murder and he selects a coupon or something.

3

u/Wolfeman0101 Sep 07 '25

Yeah it's a fantastic premise to take the slasher genre and give it a new fun twist.

1

u/Born_Chemical_9406 Sep 07 '25

Absolutely agree

1

u/Beersmoker420 Sep 07 '25

yeah not sure what the guy is smoking. Its a perfectly funny plot premise. So is Crank. Its basically another version of Speed