10 Sci-Fi Movie Concepts That Shouldn't Work But Do

It was a bit of a meme when Inception came out that it was so complicated that no one could understand it, and that it is the literal blockbuster personification of the “and I woke up and it was all a dream” trope. However, in the years since its release it has arguably become one of Nolan’s best-loved films.

Whilst any Nolan film was always going to have a bizarre, extreme high concept, this one was really daring. The concept of infiltrating someone else’s subconscious for a sort of espionage activity, and eventually to plant a whole new idea in their mind was definitely new.

It’s carried by the emotions behind it all - including the additional storyline of main character Cobb’s late wife haunting his subconscious.

Fundamentally, a film known for being too complicated for its own good (much like Primer) shouldn’t be successful - especially when the plot relies so heavily on a universally hated cliché.

Yet Nolan managed to toe the line just enough to create a masterpiece that challenges viewers but also leaves them completely satisfied overall, even distracting us enough to forget that dreams are generally the weakest premise to any story.