10 Sci-Fi Movies That Wasted Incredible Premises

6. In Time

In Time
New Regency Pictures

Premise: Will (Justin Timberlake) and Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried) try to undermine a corrupt society in which time is the universal currency and poorer people are being left to die.

In Time isn't a terrible film, but it does undeniably waste its Amazing premise, which is an idea so good many writers will be jealous they didn't have this idea themselves.

There are some thrills, but the film is overall forgettable and never goes beneath the surface, while its themes, although very interesting in some ways, are delivered in such a heavy-handed way that the social commentary doesn't really land. As well as this, the story feels too small-scale and never explores the film's world enough.

Overall, In Time is passable enough but given how brilliant the concept was it shouldn't have been this forgettable.

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Film Studies graduate, aspiring screenwriter and all-around nerd who, despite being a pretentious cinephile who loves art-house movies, also loves modern blockbusters and would rather watch superhero movies than classic Hollywood films. Once met Tommy Wiseau.