20 Movies So Good You Ignore Huge Plot Holes

6. The Wicker Man - Summerisle's Scheme Makes No Sense

The Wicker Man is one of those undeniable film classics that, nonetheless, doesn't always make sense when you break it down in more of a literal way. 

In this one, policeman Neil Howie (Edward Woodward) travels to a remote Scottish island to investigate the disappearance of a little girl, a girl who the island's strange inhabitants claim never existed. Howie gradually deduces that the little girl will be sacrificed by the islanders, who are all part of a strange Pagan cult, led by the sinister Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee).

He's only half-right. There is to be a sacrifice, but it's Howie. The little girl's disappearance was an elaborate ruse to lure him to the island, for, as an authority figure who came willingly and is also a virgin (Howie's a Christian saving himself for marriage), he fits the criteria for their sacrifice. Poor Howie is then burned alive in a giant wicker man. 

The Wicker Man is one of the best British horror films ever, and it's so disturbing, atmospheric, and brilliantly acted that it's easy to forget how little sense Summerisle's scheme actually made. He could never have ascertained that Howie would be the policeman sent, or that he would come alone, and furthermore, given that the island is so remote, how did they find out about Howie? Moreover, how did they find out he was a virgin?