12 Pointless Subplots In Otherwise Awesome Movies

2. Kate's Dead Dad - Gremlins

Gremlins is, of course, a holiday classic that's endured for over three decades, though it comes complete with one very, very peculiar subplot revolving around Billy's (Zach Galligan) girlfriend Kate (Phoebe Cates), and her decision not to celebrate Christmas.

Billy prods her on the issue earlier in the film and she gets incredibly defensive about it, and during the movie's third act, she lets loose with an incredibly disturbing, wildly out-of-place monologue about her father dressing up as Santa and attempting to climb down the chimney to surprise her. However, he slipped, fell and died instantly from a broken neck, effectively ruining Christmas for her when the fire department retrieved his corpse the next morning.

Now, Gremlins isn't strictly a kids' film and is pretty darkly hilarious, but Kate's traumatic tale instantly stops the film dead in its tracks, largely because it's not remotely funny and feels totally at odds with the movie's campy tone.

Typically a simple story wouldn't qualify as a subplot, but given how it totally grinds the film to a halt, is built up to earlier in the movie and is even lightly mocked in the sequel (when she tries to tell another story but gets shut down by Billy), it totally fits the bill.