10 Horror Movies That Wasted Brilliant Concepts
Oh, what could have been...
There are countless important aspects that must be considered in order for a movie to be a success. From the cast to the score, the script to the direction, and everything in between, every single part is vital. However, none of them come into play until after the initial idea is had.
If the premise for a movie is bad, then there is little in the rest of it that can save it. If the premise is strong, it gives the movie a great platform from which to build, but it certainly doesn’t guarantee success. Countless movies with incredible concepts have been wasted over the years, and naturally, the horror genre is no exception.
In such movies, there is the scope to take an idea to weird and wonderful places. Nothing is off the table, and this allows for some incredible story ideas. However, that same horror genre also lends itself to certain tropes that too often end up ruining the premise that was so brilliant to begin with.
Whether it is something that should have breathed new life into a tired franchise, pointlessly delving into the supernatural, or ruining a movie with questionable CGI at best, there are plenty of examples of horror movies with amazing concepts letting themselves down.
10. Would You Rather
It’s often the mark of a great horror movie story that it forces the audience to ask deeply difficult questions about themselves. In the case of Would You Rather, it was how far would you go, how much pain could you take and inflict on others to save someone you love?
It’s an incredible premise, as Iris was desperate for money and forced into an evening of pain and torture to cover the cost of her brother's medical bills. An intriguing premise, but the execution ultimately let down what could have been a fantastic movie.
Aside from the harsh questions, the movie had the opportunity to get incredibly creative and unsettling with its means of torture and injury. There was a certain amount of this, particularly when it was the elderly woman’s turn to get hurt, but not nearly enough.
The games essentially were just repetitive almost to the point of boring, with everyone going around the table largely being asked to do the same thing. There was a hint of zoning in on each person’s specific weakness, more of this would have improved proceedings greatly, but instead what was produced was something more forgettable than anything else.