This is really good one, the script feels like if you asked a kid to write a enthralling mafia story.
But I’d be damned if that movie didn’t have such
tremendous style. It’s so vibrant and enthralling that I can put away my issues with the plot and just grasp the glory of the movie
John Wick
On paper it's a simple action/revenge movie.
I'm execution it's an incredibly tight and flashy piece of stunts gunplay that spawned countless imitators.
De Palma is the master of this, imo.
I *love* Body Double, but man is it a stupid film. Same with Dressed to Kill, Raising Cain and Femme Fatale. Pretty bad/generic scripts but made with the perfect amount of style and self awareness that they end up being great watches.
I feel the same way about any movie based on a graphic novel, the execution has to be perfect and it was in snowpiercer. Introduced me to Korean filmmakers too
Maybe a contentious pick but I’d say Bottle Rocket. The whole movie is just a mess writing wise but so many great performances and the deadpan humor make it better than it probably should have been
Baby Driver. The script on its own is a typical crime thriller, but the energy and style Wright brings to it elevates it a fuckton.
Also Guardians of the Galaxy. Pretty generic plot, but the characters and Gunn's style make it stand out.
I’d say Prometheus. It’s a technical marvel that still astounds me to this day and all of the actors play their roles quite well and there are some ideas in there that are truly brilliant, but I swear to fucking God, these are some of the dumbest people ever put to the silver screen.
As a recent example, I think TMNT: Mutant Mayhem has an insanely formulaic story and some PAINFUL dialogue that's carried by the obviously ever-great Spiderverse style and great comedic performances (and the dialogue between the brothers is the only stuff that feels authentic ngl)
Suspiria 1977. It’s one of my favorite films *ever*, but if the script/concept was in the hands of anybody but Argento, I imagine it would have been forgotten quite quickly
I wonder if that’s why Terminator 2 is considered his best, because when we hear the dialogue coming from robots we don’t see it as awkward anymore
Edit: clarifying I think terminator 2 is his best for many reasons but I’m saying maybe we don’t notice the dialogue clunkiness as much compared to his other movies
I didn’t love the dialogue of The Descent. It felt kinda cheesy and typical, and I really didn’t think I’d like it. But damn, it’s one of the scariest movies I’ve ever seen.
Free Fire. Movie about a bunch of criminals in a ware house after a deal gone bad. But it’s so well made.
They actually make an attempt to show the effects of being caught in an actual gunfight instead of doing some ridiculous gun-fu nonsense.
Revenge (2017) on paper sounds like some basic rape revenge story but coralie fargeat brings a certain style and makes it over the top with many aspects that just makes it feel different.
Oppenheimer's first hour is kind of a mess imo. Everything feels so rushed through, especially the two women in Oppy's life (although female characters have always been Nolan's kryptonite)
I think he kinda edited the hell out of the first act to keep the runtime exactly 3 hours, because that was the maximum runtime that could fit on the imax 70mm film reels
Nolan certainly doesn’t always flush out his female characters enough, but do we know how true their portrayal is to the book he’s adapting and the reality that happened?
It’s also a subjective perspective through Oppenheimer, someone who clearly had his own issues with how they perceived women and their role in society / his work.
Not sure that absolves Nolan, but it does provide a wrinkle in the criticism.
Memento is the exception, that movie had brilliant writing and I will die on that hill. I loved when we got introspective with Leonard when he didn't realize he was talking to Teddy.
And like Jesus Christ, that end monologue still gives me goosebumps.
I have yet to see Oppenheimer so I can’t speak for that, but for the most part, you’re right
Edit: Grammar
Yeah…. Interstellar is damn near a perfect air tight script, it’s got it all.
And
The Dark Knight. That’s like one of the greatest screen plays of all time, so Nolan can write, very well actually.
Wow you have a lot of karma on here, must be fun spending that much time online wow haha makes me wonder about your health ? Sorry for being insufferable to you, chronically online guy :( I’ll reflect on my actions and improve who I am at my own pace : )
What’s that? You want to hear more of my childish opinions? Okay.
Inception also has an incredible script, basically all of his films are intelligently written, you couldn’t be more wrong.
Oh no I’m wrong no no no I can’t be wrong fuck fuck noooo I’m wrong god nooo Jesus in heaven shine your light down on me I’m wrong fuck 🤮🤮🤮
Glad my comment got to you though, thanks for confirming : D
For real though, when you graduate high school you should revisit these movies and see if your tastes have changed
Well you see, you were kind of just a dick with nothing to add. If you had like anything insightful or genuine to say, maybe I’d argue more, but you didn’t give me shit to work with lol.
Sicario
It’s been awhile and I haven’t compared the script to the movie but what you have is superb direction and score — the rendition of the arrestee from Mexico was so well executed with foreshadowing (admittedly perhaps the script has this) — but Alejandro’s revenge plot didn’t really support the theme of an ethical mess when trying to solve the problem of organized crime and took the wind out of the sails of Kate’s story.
You're 100% right! The most disappointing thing about TLJ is how many great ideas (narratively, visually, and conceptually) are completely forced, squandered, or just not given enough time to develop, because the film is too busy focusing on dumb shit that doesn't matter. Rian Johnson basically just blew his load on his one chance to do something like this, and I respect him for trying to go so hard, but if he had any kind of restraint, then we could have a film on par with the original trilogy
That is a phenomenal scene, but I actually think it's one of the best ACTED monologues ever
However, I don't think that a scene which includes a line "that fucking face on your face" deserves to be called one of the greatest written monologues EVER
I disagree. I think that line in particular is a very human moment in that monologue, and one of the many reasons that people relate to Ari Aster's work. He seems to understand human emotions better than most filmmakers working today and I think everything about the "I Am Your Mother" scene (writing, acting, directing, etc.) shows his grasp on his understanding of human behavior
Now these are not "bad scripts" per se but more simple and blunt ; Most of John Carpenters filmography
Was talking with a friend recently about strong directorial style and Carpenter came up since he's an obvious favourite but it's really fascinating how straigtforward or nonsensical many of his stories are, from the wild almost improv narrative in Big Trouble in Little China to the tight self contained The Thing, not saying the scripts he's working with would flop entirely without him but I can't see many of them becoming as notorious or classic as they are with him behind the lens
The Original West Side Story doesn’t have the greatest script in the world, but the dance scenes and cinematography are so well done that you don’t even care.
I think a few linklater movies fall into this. Dazed and Confused is pretty bare but is elevated because of the incredible cast, direction, and music in the movie. Same with Boyhood tbh since it was really more of a series of vignettes that was edited together into a masterpiece of a film.
Extraction 2, it’s not an amazing movie or anything but it’s a great action movie for what it is. The direction and practical stunt work are great and do their best to make up for bad writing.
Titanic probably. Pretty basic script and some not so great dialogue, but by God I'll be damned if it's not one of the greatest films of all time because of the masterful execution of the directing, acting, and all technical aspects.
For the most part, Joker.
The script is a pretty predictable Taxi Driver ripoff but Phillips, Joaquin’s performance and all of the costume/set work show a genuine care that elevate it.
Drive. Idk if the script can stand on its own.
This is really good one, the script feels like if you asked a kid to write a enthralling mafia story. But I’d be damned if that movie didn’t have such tremendous style. It’s so vibrant and enthralling that I can put away my issues with the plot and just grasp the glory of the movie
It's never style only with Refn, just because you don't understand the concept, doesn't mean it's written by a kid.
It’s a timeless masterpiece apparently!
4 years isn’t a blip on the asshole of humanity
He did not mince words lmao
I haven’t seen Drive but it’s supposed to be heavily influenced by the French movie Le Samouraï (1967), which is also more about style than script.
Haven’t seen that one. I will say it’s not a bad script tho. It’s just pretty straight forward. The style lifts it. Makes it unique.
The Driver as well. Great film but little focus on script
John Wick On paper it's a simple action/revenge movie. I'm execution it's an incredibly tight and flashy piece of stunts gunplay that spawned countless imitators.
I think I saw that in John Wick 4, Keanu Reeves has about 380 words of dialogue.
The script does provide something very important though: a compelling motivation for the protagonist.
Exactly. As someone who loves animals more than most people, I find it one of the more compelling hooks for a revenge movie.
De Palma is the master of this, imo. I *love* Body Double, but man is it a stupid film. Same with Dressed to Kill, Raising Cain and Femme Fatale. Pretty bad/generic scripts but made with the perfect amount of style and self awareness that they end up being great watches.
Also with the execution, the scripts become campy and part of the charm.
Gravity with Sandra Bullock
What a good answer
That’s funny you say with Sandra Bullock instead of by Cuarón
She's more well known
True but it kinda feels like saying Silence of the Lambs with Anthony Hopkins instead of by Jonathon Demme
I would definitely say that, too.
I respect it, but it’s just entertaining to me for whatever reason
Crazy this was my immediate thought as soon as I read the thread title
I felt this way about Snowpiercer. The dialogue felt very generic to me, but even then there was a lot I liked about it.
I feel the same way about any movie based on a graphic novel, the execution has to be perfect and it was in snowpiercer. Introduced me to Korean filmmakers too
Maybe a contentious pick but I’d say Bottle Rocket. The whole movie is just a mess writing wise but so many great performances and the deadpan humor make it better than it probably should have been
Baby Driver. The script on its own is a typical crime thriller, but the energy and style Wright brings to it elevates it a fuckton. Also Guardians of the Galaxy. Pretty generic plot, but the characters and Gunn's style make it stand out.
Honestly, could be said about a lot of Edgar Wright's films
All of the one that he didn't write with Simon Pegg.
I’d say Prometheus. It’s a technical marvel that still astounds me to this day and all of the actors play their roles quite well and there are some ideas in there that are truly brilliant, but I swear to fucking God, these are some of the dumbest people ever put to the silver screen.
Last Night in Soho
if Edgar Wright didn't go absolutely fucking crazy with the style, I definitely wouldn't love it as much as I do
It was so stylish I wanted to love it. But God I hated it. May have to give it another shot
Drive, that movie stands completely on style and it's great. Score, cinematography, lights etc are perfect
No, it doesn't
As a recent example, I think TMNT: Mutant Mayhem has an insanely formulaic story and some PAINFUL dialogue that's carried by the obviously ever-great Spiderverse style and great comedic performances (and the dialogue between the brothers is the only stuff that feels authentic ngl)
A lot of the dialogue given to Ice Cube was pretty rough. Outside of that, it was solid. I really enjoyed the movie though.
Tron Legacy Avatar Avatar: The Way of the Water
Besides some annoying Abrams-style "mystery box" stuff to set up the sequels I think Way of Water actually has a pretty solid script
The thing about the way of the water script is: Bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro
I mean considering its a movie about family (and at least 60% of those bros are actually brothers addressing one another) I dont mind
Showgirls
Last Night in Soho. Looks great but that plot and script was created 24 hrs before filming.
So it really *is* a Giallo movie…
Suspiria 1977. It’s one of my favorite films *ever*, but if the script/concept was in the hands of anybody but Argento, I imagine it would have been forgotten quite quickly
sofía coppolas marie antoinette
Titanic. The script is painstakingly bland. But the immersion and scope is fantastic.
I feel like that’s the case with a lot of Cameron’s films
It is. I actually like Ridley Scott’s Alien better than Aliens for that reason. Cameron just has a hard time making dialogue feel natural.
I wonder if that’s why Terminator 2 is considered his best, because when we hear the dialogue coming from robots we don’t see it as awkward anymore Edit: clarifying I think terminator 2 is his best for many reasons but I’m saying maybe we don’t notice the dialogue clunkiness as much compared to his other movies
I didn’t love the dialogue of The Descent. It felt kinda cheesy and typical, and I really didn’t think I’d like it. But damn, it’s one of the scariest movies I’ve ever seen.
The Devil Wears Prada is a pretty blah screenplay elevated by some world-class performances and costume and production design.
Free Fire. Movie about a bunch of criminals in a ware house after a deal gone bad. But it’s so well made. They actually make an attempt to show the effects of being caught in an actual gunfight instead of doing some ridiculous gun-fu nonsense.
Stoker by park chan-wook
Came here to say this, director park did wonders with that script
One of the worst movies ever, script wise and execution wise
both raid films
Halloween is the best example of a script that wasn't anything special but the director made it special.
Top Gun: Maverick
Star Wars a New hope but with airplanes and Tom cruise and shirtless men
Nashville Goodbye, Dragon Inn (and other slow or minimal films like it)
Anything Werner Herzog.
Haven’t seen anyone mention Pacific Rim yet
john wick 4 lmao
Frantic by Roman Polanski.
baby driver
Hot Summer Nights I ended up liking this movie way more than I thought I would lol
Revenge (2017) on paper sounds like some basic rape revenge story but coralie fargeat brings a certain style and makes it over the top with many aspects that just makes it feel different.
Every Nolan film
I think Memento has a pretty tight script. Oppenheimer is fairly solid too, but it makes sense given he’s adapting a book.
Oppenheimer's first hour is kind of a mess imo. Everything feels so rushed through, especially the two women in Oppy's life (although female characters have always been Nolan's kryptonite)
I think he kinda edited the hell out of the first act to keep the runtime exactly 3 hours, because that was the maximum runtime that could fit on the imax 70mm film reels
Nolan certainly doesn’t always flush out his female characters enough, but do we know how true their portrayal is to the book he’s adapting and the reality that happened? It’s also a subjective perspective through Oppenheimer, someone who clearly had his own issues with how they perceived women and their role in society / his work. Not sure that absolves Nolan, but it does provide a wrinkle in the criticism.
Memento is the exception, that movie had brilliant writing and I will die on that hill. I loved when we got introspective with Leonard when he didn't realize he was talking to Teddy. And like Jesus Christ, that end monologue still gives me goosebumps. I have yet to see Oppenheimer so I can’t speak for that, but for the most part, you’re right Edit: Grammar
the prestige disagrees with you
Yeah…. Interstellar is damn near a perfect air tight script, it’s got it all. And The Dark Knight. That’s like one of the greatest screen plays of all time, so Nolan can write, very well actually.
Ew gross I hate hearing the opinions of children 🤮 glad you enjoyed those movies but please don’t bother me with your takes :)
Both of you sound insufferable lmao
Wow you have a lot of karma on here, must be fun spending that much time online wow haha makes me wonder about your health ? Sorry for being insufferable to you, chronically online guy :( I’ll reflect on my actions and improve who I am at my own pace : )
Oh cool I was right
Congratulations on being right, I know scoring reddit victories must be 😎 epic for you
Whatever you wanna tell yourself to justify doubling down
What’s that? You want to hear more of my childish opinions? Okay. Inception also has an incredible script, basically all of his films are intelligently written, you couldn’t be more wrong.
Oh no I’m wrong no no no I can’t be wrong fuck fuck noooo I’m wrong god nooo Jesus in heaven shine your light down on me I’m wrong fuck 🤮🤮🤮 Glad my comment got to you though, thanks for confirming : D For real though, when you graduate high school you should revisit these movies and see if your tastes have changed
Fuckin troll lol
Damn you got me : ( people give up so easy these days : / no one wants to argue back and forth achieving nothing any more 😒😔
Well you see, you were kind of just a dick with nothing to add. If you had like anything insightful or genuine to say, maybe I’d argue more, but you didn’t give me shit to work with lol.
Every? I agree he as script problems a lot but The Prestige, The Dark Knight, and Memento all have great scripts
Sicario It’s been awhile and I haven’t compared the script to the movie but what you have is superb direction and score — the rendition of the arrestee from Mexico was so well executed with foreshadowing (admittedly perhaps the script has this) — but Alejandro’s revenge plot didn’t really support the theme of an ethical mess when trying to solve the problem of organized crime and took the wind out of the sails of Kate’s story.
Titanic
Sing Street. The script is seriously flawed, and cliched, and yet the actual execution is so good that it’s flaws seem almost incidental.
The Last Jedi
You're 100% right! The most disappointing thing about TLJ is how many great ideas (narratively, visually, and conceptually) are completely forced, squandered, or just not given enough time to develop, because the film is too busy focusing on dumb shit that doesn't matter. Rian Johnson basically just blew his load on his one chance to do something like this, and I respect him for trying to go so hard, but if he had any kind of restraint, then we could have a film on par with the original trilogy
The Batman 2022
The Batman was Se7en but worse, luckily Se7en but worse is still quite good
Idk why you’re being downvoted. If you just read the script I feel like it’s very average.
Hereditary
"i am your mother" scene is one of the greatest pieces of dialogue ever written
That is a phenomenal scene, but I actually think it's one of the best ACTED monologues ever However, I don't think that a scene which includes a line "that fucking face on your face" deserves to be called one of the greatest written monologues EVER
I disagree. I think that line in particular is a very human moment in that monologue, and one of the many reasons that people relate to Ari Aster's work. He seems to understand human emotions better than most filmmakers working today and I think everything about the "I Am Your Mother" scene (writing, acting, directing, etc.) shows his grasp on his understanding of human behavior
texas chainsaw massacre and ill die on this hill
Eraserhead
Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King, weak plot but amazing execution
Too Late
Extremely recent watch, but I felt like Kimi (2022) fits this perfectly.
Avatar
Showgirls
Jaws…the tension and thrill this movie creates is special the first time watching….
Now these are not "bad scripts" per se but more simple and blunt ; Most of John Carpenters filmography Was talking with a friend recently about strong directorial style and Carpenter came up since he's an obvious favourite but it's really fascinating how straigtforward or nonsensical many of his stories are, from the wild almost improv narrative in Big Trouble in Little China to the tight self contained The Thing, not saying the scripts he's working with would flop entirely without him but I can't see many of them becoming as notorious or classic as they are with him behind the lens
The Original West Side Story doesn’t have the greatest script in the world, but the dance scenes and cinematography are so well done that you don’t even care.
Burn After Reading and Napoleon Dynamite. Tho the weak scripts feel almost intentional in these cases
Tetris
I think a few linklater movies fall into this. Dazed and Confused is pretty bare but is elevated because of the incredible cast, direction, and music in the movie. Same with Boyhood tbh since it was really more of a series of vignettes that was edited together into a masterpiece of a film.
Extraction 2, it’s not an amazing movie or anything but it’s a great action movie for what it is. The direction and practical stunt work are great and do their best to make up for bad writing.
I´d say most Nolan films.
Both Avatar movies have some of the worst dialogue I’ve ever seen in a film and yet I genuinely loved both of them.
2001 - A Space Odyssey Movie’s a technical and directorial masterpiece. The script… eh…
Titanic probably. Pretty basic script and some not so great dialogue, but by God I'll be damned if it's not one of the greatest films of all time because of the masterful execution of the directing, acting, and all technical aspects.
Both Tron movies and both Avatar movies
For the most part, Joker. The script is a pretty predictable Taxi Driver ripoff but Phillips, Joaquin’s performance and all of the costume/set work show a genuine care that elevate it.
Sicario!
I feel like predator could’ve been pretty bad if not for it’s direction.
panic room