We love a complicated plot, a movie packed with symbolism and hidden meanings that take some thought to unpack, but just because a Film was born out of a good concept doesn't mean it's always pulled off well. According to a movie forum, movie fans think these 13 movies didn't turn out as well as they could have.

1. Don't Worry Darling (2022)

Set in the 1950s, Don't Worry, Darling follows a young housewife who begins to uncover the dark secrets of her seemingly perfect suburban community. While the concept of a woman trapped in a seemingly idyllic but secretly sinister environment is intriguing, it took a while for the story to take off. The film received mixed reviews due to the execution of the film's central idea. Florence Pugh always gives a masterful performance, but many audiences found Harry Styles to be a poor choice to play the patriarch of the home with his unconvincing performance.

2. Tenet (2020)

In this Christopher Nolan offering, a secret agent must navigate the murky waters of time travel to prevent a catastrophic global event. While the concept of time inversion is fascinating, the convoluted plot and confusing narrative left many audiences scratching their heads, leading to mixed reviews.

This is common for a Christopher Nolan film, but Tenet was reaching record levels of terrible sound mixing which made it difficult to hear the dialogue. That's not ideal when relying on excessive explaining for 2.5 hours to explain what's happening to the audience. It was a fun ride, but I don't think I'll watch it again.

3. Annihilation (2018)

When a group of scientists enters “The Shimmer,” a mysterious area of land where the laws of physics and biology are turned on their heads, they must fight to survive and uncover the truth behind the anomaly. While the concept of a mysterious, otherworldly entity is intriguing, the film's sluggish pacing and lack of character development make it difficult for audiences to engage with the story fully.

4. The Platform (2019)

In a dystopian future, prisoners are housed in a vertical prison, with food descending on a platform from the top level. The film explores themes of social inequality and human nature but ultimately falls short due to its heavy-handed messaging and lack of nuance.

One film enthusiast adds, “The philosophy was verbally explained in the first 20 minutes followed by a slog of nearly monochrome bleakness in a situation that never really made sense set in a location that would be impossible to replicate in real life.” Yeah, we get it, capitalism produces inequality, but the story is a little too on the nose to be praised as thought-provoking.

5. In Time (2011)

In a world where time is the currency and the wealthy can live forever, a young man must fight to stay alive and change the system. The idea of time literally serving as currency is fascinating and leaves so much room for exciting interpretations. Unfortunately, the film had too many plot holes and poor writing to pull it off properly. The plot was predictable, the characters lacked depth, and there was zero chemistry between the two leads, Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried.

6. Downsizing (2017)

To combat overpopulation, scientists have developed a method to shrink humans to five inches tall. While the concept of shrinking humans to solve a societal problem is intriguing, the film's lack of focus and uneven pacing prevent it from fully exploring its themes. The first half seems promising, but it drudges on without anything interesting. As one person aptly describes this movie, it “felt like an interesting trailer concept got lost in the woods and wandered around aimlessly for the last 90 minutes.”

7. Bird Box (2018)

In a post-apocalyptic world, a woman and her children must navigate a dangerous landscape while blindfolded to avoid a supernatural force that drives people to commit suicide. Bird Box was so laughably bad it created an entirely new meme genre using images to mock the film. While the concept of a supernatural entity that can only be avoided by sensory deprivation is interesting, the film's reliance on jump scares and lack of explanation left audiences unsatisfied. It was a goofy execution of an idea and a waste of a talented actor like Sandra Bullock.

8. Life (2017)

A team of astronauts on the International Space Station discover a rapidly-evolving alien life form that threatens their mission and lives. The concept of discovering an alien life form is a classic sci-fi trope, but the film's lack of originality and predictable plot twists make it forgettable. However, I still really enjoyed it the first time I watched it because I had low non-existent expectations.

9. Vanilla Sky (2001)

A wealthy businessman is involved in a car accident that changes his life forever. Exploring the nature of reality is an inherently intriguing subject, so you truly have to fumble the ball to mess this up. Audience members criticized this movie for over-relying on style over substance, confusing plot, and lacking emotional depth.

10. The Matrix Part 2, 3 & 4 (2003-2021)

In The Matrix trilogy, a hacker discovers that his reality is a simulated world created by machines and must fight to free humanity from their control. While the first Matrix film was groundbreaking in exploring reality and consciousness, the subsequent sequels failed to live up to its legacy, with overly complicated world-building. A fan of the original film attributes the failure of the sequels to receiving a ton of money and shifting the focus to visual effects while forgetting about the story and cinematography. 

11. Waterworld (1995)

In a post-apocalyptic world where the polar ice caps have melted, a lone drifter must navigate a dangerous world of pirates and scavengers to find dry land. While the concept of a waterlogged world is intriguing, the film's bloated budget and lack of originality prevent it from fully exploring its potential.

Despite boasting impressive set pieces and production design, Waterworld was ultimately weighed down by a puzzling plot and uninspired characters, failing to resonate with audiences and becoming a box office disappointment. While it remains a curious artifact of 90s filmmaking, Waterworld‘s interesting concept failed to take root in the end.

12. Unknown (2011)

A man wakes up from a coma to discover that his identity has been stolen, and he must fight to reclaim his life while avoiding dangerous forces that want him dead. While the concept of identity theft and mistaken identity is interesting, the film's predictable plot twists and lack of character development make it just another forgettable thriller in Liam Neeson's filmography.

13. Cube (1997)

A group of strangers awaken in a maze of interconnected rooms, each with deadly traps, and must find a way to escape before they are killed. While the concept of a fatal maze is intriguing, the film's low budget and weak character development prevent it from fully realizing its potential. The film has its moments but ultimately feels more like a B-movie due to the horrific acting and low budget.

This thread inspired this post.

This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.