Pixar Storyboard Artist, Emma Coats, was once quoted as saying: "Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of it are cheating." Every film relies on some sort of convenience at one point or another - it's essential in progressing the story. But sometimes they take one step too far and work themselves into a corner, where the only solution to escape is through inexplicable timing and boundless illogicality. It isn't always a bad thing, and more often than not, audiences can bite their tongue and suspend their disbelief if it is achieved in a well-executed manner. Other times, it's just glaringly obvious. While the films on this list aren't all necessarily bad - in fact some are very good - they employed much contradiction and convenience in order to close their narratives. They made us cringe, they made us laugh... but every single one of them made us question just how the hell it was possible as we turned to a friend and muttered: "Yeah, as if that would happen in real life!"
8. Detective Loki Accidentally Catches The Killer In The Act - Prisoners
For the most part, Prisoners is an enjoyable film. Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal lead a strong ensemble cast in the search for two missing girls - and we go along with vested interest. When Keller discovers the killer is dear Aunt Holly, we buy it (even if it is a little too neatly put together) and wonder how Detective Loki will come to the same conclusion. Will he piece together that her husband is the corpse under the priest's house? No, he'll stumble across her poisoning Anna when he pops over to inform her he's found her missing nephew. Seriously? This is the pay-off? Two and a half hours of solid detective work ends in him walking in at a highly-inconvenient time for Aunt Holly and a highly-convenient time for the plot. The little girl comes through safe and sound (how did Loki not crash on the way to the hospital?) and all is well... sort of; Keller still finds himself at the bottom of a literal hole after digging the metaphorical one for the entire movie.
