It’s easy to take modern cell phones and all the conveniences that come with them for granted. Phone calls can be made in an instant, useful information can be found whenever you have an internet connection, and it can act as a way to track where you are going, thanks to GPS. Many young people may not even remember a time without such conveniences, demonstrating that cell phones are indeed part of our daily lives.
Of course, life wasn’t always like this, and it shows by watching movies that are over 20 years old or set over 20 years ago. Many Movie plots wouldn’t play out the way they do if the characters had access to modern cell phones, including the 10 movies below. Cell phones might not solve everything the characters below have to deal with, but they would certainly help shorten the films in question considerably.
“Spirited Away” (2001)
Maybe the the most famous (and best) Japanese animated film all time, Taken away as if by magic captured the imagination and hearts of almost everyone who experienced it. Its plot centers on a family who get lost while driving through the countryside and stumble into a fantasy kingdom that turns parents into pigs, forcing the protagonist, a young girl named Chihiro, to fend for herself in a strange and surreal world.
If the family had used the sorts of reliable GPS apps we’re used to these days, there’s less chance they would have gotten lost in the first place, and so could have avoided the trip to a realm altogether. from another world. It would be a shame, because we wouldn’t have one of the best animated fantasy films of all time… although at least it would have saved Chihiro a lot of stress.
“Getting Red” (2022)
turn red may have been released in 2022, but it was explicitly set in Ontario in 2002. As such, the characters have access to some technology, but certainly not the kind of smartphones that dramatically changed lives in the 2010s and 2020, compared to many of the 2000s.
Chances are the events of the film would have reached a more premature conclusion had the characters had access to social media. Mei and her friends are all hiding the fact that she is using her ability to transform into a panda to earn money for an upcoming gig from Mei’s mother, and they get away with it because the other kids can’t download. easily videos or photos online. Mei’s mom probably would have found out sooner if cell phones from 2002 had enabled the kinds of social media we have today.
“Die Hard” (1988)
It’s crazy to think that one of the most perfectly plotted and paced action films of all time wouldn’t work if set in modern times. This is due to the fact Die Hard’s The premise requires its characters to be confined to one location to function as well as it does, with the hero, John McClane, largely cut off from the outside world and forced to take down a group of terrorists on his own.
Sure, maybe some technically savvy terrorist could stop the cell phones from working inside Nakatomi Plaza, but it wouldn’t be as simple as shutting down the landline phones, as is done in the movie. They should also prevent all mobile network access to the Internet, because otherwise those trapped inside might well have alerted outside authorities much sooner than they did in the 1988 classic.
“The Lion King” (1994)
forget it Useless and stupidly expensive 2019 remake; 1994 The Lion King That’s where it happens. It is a musical and family version of Hamlettelling the story of an exiled young lion who comes of age in the desert before returning to his kingdom and reclaiming the throne for his evil uncle.
It’s a story that hinges on communication failures, but if you suspended your disbelief and imagined that animals could use cell phones, chances are that many conflicts would have been undermined or averted. Simba’s disappearance, Scar easily killing his brother and making it look like an accident, Simba being unable to reach anyone for years…GPS or the ability to talk over long distances would definitely affect all of this.
“National Lampoon’s Vacation” (1983)
For anyone who’s ever had a family vacation go horribly wrong, National Lampoon’s Holiday might hit a little closer to home. Clark Griswold is one of the most flawed fathers in movie history and leads his ill-fated family on a terrible road trip where they face accident after accident.
The most notable disaster that befalls the Griswold is at the end of the film, when they finally reach the Walley World theme park, only to suddenly find it’s closed. With the ability to check information online along the way, they may have discovered the trip a failure much sooner, perhaps leading to disappointment and mild sadness, rather than the outburst of anger that follows. actually produces.
‘Gremlins’ (1984)
Many things must go wrong Gremlins before the titular creatures wreak havoc on a small American town on Christmas Eve. Several rules must be followed when taking care of a mogwai, otherwise it risks multiplying and its offspring mutating into much more violent and dangerous gremlins.
Nowadays, alarm clocks have largely been replaced by cell phones. They’re a more reliable and often easier way to tell the time, and since gremlins can ruin the protagonist’s alarm clock by chewing on the wire, he ends up feeding them when he shouldn’t. If he had had a cell phone to tell the time, such a mistake might not have been made and the town could have been spared.
“The Blair Witch Project” (1999)
Not only is The Blair Witch Project one of the most famous horror films of the 1990s, but it also screams “90” louder than most films of that decade. It’s a classic horror movie about a group of young people getting lost in the woods while making a documentary, and features lots of 1990s trends and technology.
Of course, this extends to the main characters who don’t have modern cell phones, which ensures they get lost faster and can’t contact help. Due to the coverage, cell phones do not guarantee a safe exit from a lost forest, but they would certainly help increase a person’s chances of survival.
‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ (1975)
Brad and Janet stumble upon a strange castle at the start of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Their car has broken down, it’s raining and they don’t know if they have any choice but to seek refuge there. What awaits them inside shocks and changes them forever, as they witness wild musical numbers, a sinister alien plot, a Frankenstein’s Monster-like creation, and even cannibalism.
Yet Brad and Janet would have remained blissfully unaware of the surprises inside the castle had they owned a cell phone. It would have been relatively simple to call roadside assistance, or even have an Uber take them from their car to a nearby motel, where they would spend the night and wait until morning to worry about the car.
“Home Alone” (1990)
The plot of the beloved family classic Alone at home is well known. A large family goes on vacation, but realizes too late that they have forgotten one of their children, Kevin. This forces Kevin to fend for himself at home and fight off two burglars who are targeting the house.
In the film, a storm damages the home’s landline, but cell phone coverage is unlikely to be interrupted so easily. Kevin could have called someone, his family could have contacted him more quickly, or they could have contacted a friend to take care of Kevin until the family returned.
William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet (1996)
Like many tragic stories, Romeo + Juliet relies on miscommunication to bring about great misfortune. Near the end of the film, a letter is sent to Romeo explaining that Juliet faked his death, but it does not reach him in time. He believes the death to be real and commits suicide in grief. Juliette then does the same; for real this time.
If the two had had a more instantaneous way to communicate, the tragic end to their story would have been avoided. After all, text messages and phone calls travel faster than letters, which could have made all the difference.
