Bad movie ideas

Is it a good idea for a film? The Department of Doubt has read 17 movie pitches, all invented here, and stamped every one I DON'T THINK SO. Tap any plot to stamp it, then send it to the friend who is writing a screenplay.

Thrillers with low stakes

1. A thriller about waiting in for a parcel, with a 7 to 7 delivery window.
2. A heist film where everything goes exactly to plan.
3. A detective story where the butler did it, and says so at once.
4. A chase scene, at walking pace.

Sequels nobody asked for

1. A sequel to a film that ended perfectly.
2. Part 9, set entirely in the same car park.
3. A prequel explaining the hero's favourite sandwich.
4. A remake of last year's film, shot by shot.

Bold plots

1. A disaster film about a slightly slow Wi-Fi connection.
2. A love story between two vending machines.
3. A three-hour film about finding the TV remote.
4. A space adventure that never leaves the launch pad.
5. A horror film where the scary sound was the fridge.

Twists that ruin everything

1. It was all a dream, again.
2. The twist is revealed in the title.
3. The hero wakes up and it is Monday.
4. Everyone was the same person, including the dog.

What makes a movie idea work

1. Someone wants something. Not just a parcel.
2. Something is in the way. The plan should not go exactly to plan.
3. The ending is not obvious. Especially not from the title.
4. One line. If a friend asks "and then what?", keep going.

Related

More things the Department rejected: terrible app ideas, bad business ideas and funny bad ideas. Pitch your own with Stamp Anything. Names next: bad band names. All guides are on the guides page.

Questions about bad movie ideas

What are bad movie ideas?

Plots with no problem to solve, stakes nobody cares about, or a twist that undoes the whole film: a heist where everything goes to plan, a thriller about waiting for a parcel, or a sequel to a film that ended perfectly.

What makes a movie idea good?

Someone wants something, something stands in the way, and it is not obvious how it ends. If you can say it in one line and a friend asks "and then what?", it is working.

Are these real films?

No. Every film on this page is invented by the Department of Doubt. No real films, studios or actors are named, and any resemblance is a coincidence.

Part of Bad ideas, officially reviewed.

The Department of Doubt is satire. Every film on this page is invented; no real films, studios or actors are named. See the satire notice.