15 Fascinating Premises That Were Bigger Than The Movies Themselves

10. The Bourne Identity

The Premise: A CIA agent wakes up not knowing who he is, who he works for, or what strength he possesses. He must find out, without being killed by assassins. If your lead character wakes up at the start of your film, not knowing who or where he is, there is literally limitless potential for the story to work back from. If he's a trained killer, hunted by fellow assassins, it only makes for a more intriguing set-up. Bourne almost has to piece together clues about his life, as he globetrots in search of his name, his occupation, and why he's capable of such dangerous things. He's a killing machine, utterly unaware of his past, and The Bourne Identity focuses on him trying to make a new life as a different person. More than that though, the movie is perhaps one of the most incredible uses of an anti-hero in the lead role. Jason Bourne was, we are to believe, a heartless agent trained to murder people on instruction, and yet he can't remember why he led such a life, or why he left it. Matt Damon plays the character almost in fear of his own abilities, and it's a fantastic performance; you could say Bourne is the ultimate "having a fresh start" character.