Movies That Wasted A Great Premise With Poor Execution (Part 1)

The Creator (2023)

The Creator had all the ingredients for a modern sci-fi classic: a timely concept centered on artificial intelligence, visually rich world-building, and the creative vision of Gareth Edwards (Rogue One). With John David Washington in the lead and a story exploring humanity's struggle against its own creations, expectations were high. The trailers teased a bold, emotionally driven war between man and machine, but what audiences got was a surprisingly shallow experience. Despite its stunning visuals and an impressive score, the film struggled to build emotional stakes or cohesive world logic. It felt like a great idea in search of a better script. | © 20th Century Studios / New Regency

65 (2023)

Imagine Jurassic Park meets Interstellar, and you’ve got the premise behind 65. Adam Driver stars as a futuristic pilot who crash-lands on prehistoric Earth – a concept packed with potential for suspense, survival, and sci-fi action. Unfortunately, despite Driver’s committed performance, the film quickly runs out of steam. Weak character development, awkward pacing, and a lack of real stakes undermine what could have been a thrilling ride. The dinosaur encounters feel oddly sparse, and the emotional core never fully lands. With such a wild, promising setup, it’s a shame 65 didn’t evolve beyond a forgettable genre flick. | © Columbia Pictures / Bron Creative

Old (2021)

With Old, director M. Night Shyamalan delivered yet another high-concept thriller – this time about a beach that causes people to age rapidly. Featuring Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps, and Rufus Sewell, the cast had the chops to carry a thought-provoking drama. And while the premise was undeniably intriguing, the execution fell flat. The dialogue was stilted, the characters often felt like caricatures, and the big twist – typical of Shyamalan’s style – lacked the punch of his earlier work. What could’ve been a chilling meditation on time and mortality instead became a clunky, oddly-paced misfire. | © Universal Pictures

Reminiscence (2021)

Starring Hugh Jackman, Reminiscence promised a mix of film noir, dystopian sci-fi, and mind-bending mystery. Set in a partially submerged, futuristic Miami, the film explores a world where people relive memories to escape a bleak present. It’s a stunning concept with echoes of Inception and Blade Runner, but the execution fails to match its ambition. The plot is overly convoluted, the pacing sluggish, and the emotional beats never quite hit home – despite solid performances from Jackman and Rebecca Ferguson. For all its visual flair, Reminiscence ends up being a moody, overcomplicated experience that doesn’t live up to its own ideas. | © Warner Bros. Pictures / Kilter Films

Vivarium (2019)

Vivarium starts with a brilliantly unsettling concept: a young couple, played by Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots, are trapped in a suburban housing development where every house is identical – and there’s no way out. It’s eerie, surreal, and loaded with commentary on conformity and the bleakness of suburban life. But while the setup grabs your attention, the film soon becomes repetitive and overly symbolic, with little progression or payoff. The atmosphere is oppressive by design, but it eventually smothers the narrative. For a movie that aims to be a psychological puzzle, it ends up feeling like a frustrating loop. | © Saban Films / XYZ Films

Brightburn (2019)

What if Superman turned out to be evil? Brightburn flips the superhero origin story on its head with a sinister twist, exploring what happens when a powerful alien child becomes a threat instead of a savior. The idea is rich with potential, blending horror and comic book tropes, and Jackson A. Dunn delivers a chilling performance as the disturbed Brandon Breyer. With Elizabeth Banks playing the tormented mother, the emotional stakes had a strong foundation. Unfortunately, the film rushes through its buildup and settles for shock over substance. It teases big questions about power and morality, but never digs deep enough to be memorable. | © Screen Gems / The H Collective

Yesterday (2019)

Yesterday imagines a world where The Beatles never existed – except for one struggling musician who remembers all their songs. It's a charming, fantastical setup that practically writes itself for both emotional resonance and musical joy. Himesh Patel stars as the lead, supported by Lily James and a cameo from Ed Sheeran, adding a nice layer of meta-humor. But despite the fun premise, the film never fully explores its most interesting ideas. The stakes are low, the conflict feels manufactured, and the Beatles' legacy ends up more like background flavor than thematic fuel. It’s a crowd-pleaser that could’ve been something far deeper. | © Universal Pictures / Working Title Films

Mortal Engines (2018)

Cities on wheels warring across a post-apocalyptic wasteland? Mortal Engines had one of the most imaginative sci-fi premises in years. Produced by Peter Jackson and starring Hera Hilmar, Robert Sheehan, and Hugo Weaving, it promised steampunk spectacle on an epic scale. Visually, it delivers – massive mobile cities, airships, and jaw-dropping landscapes fill the screen. But the plot is bloated, the pacing uneven, and the characters feel underdeveloped despite the talent involved. It’s a world that invites exploration but is let down by cliché writing and forgettable arcs. An ambitious misfire that’s more style than substance. | © Universal Pictures / WingNut Films

Bird Box (2018)

In Bird Box, a mysterious force drives people to ending their own lives the moment they see it – forcing survivors to navigate the world blindfolded. Starring Sandra Bullock, the film became a viral hit, especially on Netflix. The central concept is genuinely haunting, and Bullock gives a committed performance as a mother trying to protect two children in a world gone mad. However, the film leans too heavily on its gimmick and lacks the character depth or world-building to elevate the story. It raises interesting questions but rarely follows through on them, making it feel more like a premise stretched thin than a fully realized thriller. | © Netflix / Bluegrass Films

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)

Luc Besson’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets dazzles with visual invention, from alien marketplaces to interdimensional cities. Based on the French comic series, it stars Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne as space agents navigating a vast interstellar conspiracy. The world-building is impressive, and the film is packed with imaginative sequences – like a shape-shifting alien played by Rihanna. But despite its style, the movie falters due to stiff dialogue, awkward pacing, and a lack of chemistry between its leads. It’s a gorgeous ride that fails to connect emotionally, wasting one of the most visually rich universes in sci-fi cinema. | © STXfilms / EuropaCorp

Bright (2017)

Bright had one of the boldest premises in recent memory: a gritty buddy-cop action movie set in an alternate modern-day Los Angeles where humans, orcs, elves, and magic coexist. Will Smith and Joel Edgerton lead the cast as mismatched partners – a human and an orc police officer – thrown into a dangerous mission involving a powerful magic wand. With a setup like that, the potential for rich world-building and social commentary was massive. But the film ended up feeling like a chaotic mashup of genres, weighed down by clunky dialogue, shallow allegories, and a story that never quite finds its rhythm. Despite its ambition and star power, Bright missed its chance to become something truly original. | © Netflix / Davis Entertainment

Downsizing (2017)

What if shrinking yourself could solve your financial problems – and maybe even save the planet? That’s the provocative concept behind Downsizing, starring Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig, and Christoph Waltz. The film begins with an intriguing satirical edge, exploring class, environmentalism, and personal freedom in a world where people literally opt for a smaller life. But after a clever start, the movie takes a hard turn into unfocused storytelling and meandering subplots. It loses sight of its central idea, and what should have been a sharp social commentary turns into a muddled identity crisis. Great cast, inventive premise – but the execution comes up small. | © Paramount Pictures

A Cure for Wellness (2016)

Gothic horror meets psychological thriller in A Cure for Wellness, a visually stunning but narratively bloated film directed by Gore Verbinski. Dane DeHaan stars as a corporate employee sent to retrieve his boss from a remote wellness spa in the Swiss Alps – only to uncover a chilling mystery behind its idyllic facade. The film has atmosphere in spades, blending old-school horror with surreal visuals and haunting production design. Unfortunately, it overstays its welcome with a convoluted plot that tries to juggle too many themes at once. The pacing drags, and the payoff feels more bizarre than satisfying. What could’ve been a modern Shutter Island ends up drowning in its own ambition. | © 20th Century Fox

Passengers (2016)

With two of Hollywood’s biggest stars – Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt – aboard a luxurious spaceship bound for a distant colony, Passengers looked like a recipe for both romance and sci-fi wonder. The twist? One passenger wakes up decades too early… and chooses to wake another. It’s a morally complex setup that could’ve sparked intense psychological drama or thrilling tension. Instead, the film glosses over its most controversial plot point and leans into an oddly upbeat tone, undermining the deeper questions it raises. Despite its sleek visuals and charming leads, Passengers wastes its narrative potential with safe storytelling choices. | © Columbia Pictures / Village Roadshow Pictures

Self/less (2015)

Self/less explores a fascinating science fiction idea: what if you could transfer your consciousness into a younger body? Ben Kingsley plays a dying billionaire who undergoes this procedure and wakes up in the body of Ryan Reynolds – only to discover that the process isn’t as clean or ethical as advertised. The concept opens the door for intense moral dilemmas and identity crises, but the film plays it like a standard action thriller. Despite strong performances, the story devolves into predictable chase sequences and abandoned philosophical threads. It’s a case of compelling setup, underwhelming delivery. | © Focus Features / Endgame Entertainment

Chappie (2015)

Chappie had the potential to be a provocative exploration of artificial intelligence and what it means to be alive. Directed by Neill Blomkamp and starring Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman, and Sharlto Copley as the voice of Chappie, the film introduces a sentient police robot who gains consciousness and tries to make sense of a violent human world. The visuals are slick, and the questions it raises about identity and free will are genuinely compelling. But the film’s tone is wildly inconsistent, bouncing between gritty realism and cartoonish absurdity – partly due to the jarring inclusion of real-life rap duo Die Antwoord. Despite its promising concept and strong cast, Chappie fails to stick the landing. | © Columbia Pictures / MRC

Tomorrowland (2015)

A secret futuristic utopia built by the world’s greatest minds? Tomorrowland had all the makings of a visionary sci-fi adventure. With George Clooney, Britt Robertson, and Hugh Laurie leading the cast and Brad Bird (The Incredibles) directing, expectations were sky-high. The movie shines in moments of wonder and optimism, especially in its early scenes of discovery. But it quickly becomes bogged down by exposition-heavy dialogue and a storyline that tries to do too much while saying too little. Instead of exploring its dazzling world, it spends too much time explaining it. What should’ve been a bold celebration of innovation turns into a muddled and overlong disappointment. | © Walt Disney Pictures

Transcendence (2014)

Transcendence tackles the fascinating concept of a man uploading his consciousness into a computer to achieve digital immortality. Johnny Depp plays the brilliant scientist at the center of this philosophical tech-thriller, with Rebecca Hall and Morgan Freeman rounding out the cast. Directed by Wally Pfister (cinematographer for The Dark Knight), the film looks great and hints at big ideas about AI, ethics, and human evolution. Unfortunately, it never quite delivers on any of them. The pacing is slow, the emotional stakes feel distant, and the tension fizzles out just when it should be ramping up. For all its ambition, Transcendence feels oddly lifeless. | © Warner Bros. Pictures

The Purge (2013)

The idea behind The Purge is disturbingly brilliant: one night a year, all crime is legal. That dystopian premise opens the door for biting social commentary, intense suspense, and psychological exploration. With Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey starring as a wealthy couple under siege in their fortified home, the film promised a gripping home-invasion thriller with a deeper message. But instead of fully exploring its dark concept, The Purge plays it safe, reducing the chaos to a fairly standard horror scenario. Later entries in the franchise would expand the universe more effectively, but the original wasted its sharpest idea by staying too confined. | © Universal Pictures / Blumhouse Productions

R.I.P.D. (2013)

A supernatural police force made up of dead lawmen who patrol the afterlife? That’s the pitch behind R.I.P.D., starring Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds as mismatched ghost-cops trying to stop undead criminals. It’s a concept brimming with goofy potential – part Men in Black, part paranormal western. But instead of capitalizing on that charm, the film stumbles with an uneven script, weak jokes, and uninspired visual effects. Despite the charisma of its leads, R.I.P.D. feels more like a half-hearted imitation than a fresh take. The end result is a forgettable misfire that wastes a fun, original idea.

By the way: this is Part 1 of the list. Want more? Check out Part 2 for the rest! | © Universal Pictures / Dark Horse Entertainment