10 Movies That Take Themselves Way Too Seriously

A prime example of a wasted premise, In Time is an intriguing sci-fi thriller set in a world where the leading currency is time. The poor have little time left to live; the rich live like immortals.

It's certainly an exciting idea, one that In Time squanders with a horribly muted love story and generic action. But worse than its wasted potential is how seriously it takes itself, ruining the momentum of its narrative by thinking it has something big and necessary to say, only it never says it.

Much of this comes down to Andrew Niccol's script, which refuses to dig under the surface of the issues at hand with meaningful observations, but also the performances of stars Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried, who seem to be straining for meaning in their empty characters.

You can admire what this one is going for, but In Time is more frustrating than anything else, and too obvious to be anything more than a throwaway.