10 Horror Movies That Wasted Brilliant Concepts

2. The Purge

Back in 2014, The Purge became something of an iconic movie, high on social commentary, tension, and genuine fear. It was actually a very strong movie that has since inspired more than a few sequels; the only problem being that it could have been so much more.

The concept of the purge itself - that any and all crime would be made legal for 12 hours per year - is particularly scary as it feels like something that could genuinely happen in the future. It’s a terrifying thought, but it goes deeper than just murder being legal.

The actual thought behind the idea was not only to clean up the streets for 364 nights of the year, but to use the one purge night to rid the country of those too poor to be able to defend themselves. This movie could have been something truly spectacular, but instead the original boiled down to a relatively simple home invasion plot.

Though the subsequent movies and the TV show have delved deeper into the concept somewhat, by this point the franchise has absolutely outstayed its welcome. The first movie of the series really should have and could have been something a lot more than it ultimately was.