9 Unbelievably Absurd Premises in Movies

The Unforgettable Premises

Movies with absurd premises do not have to be bad movies if the meaning comes across or the audience buys into the absurdity itself - sometimes both. The symbolic meaning of the avant-garde premise lands just right and the audience is mesmerized. The wacky plot perfectly compliments a more serious story. Movies featuring drug-addled bears, animated corpses, and video game characters arriving in the real world are among the recent successes in Hollywood.

A black bear climbing a tree in Cocaine Bear

The list of the best A24 movies includes many strange premises that were turned into surrealist hits. These movies also provoke broader discussion around questions including why a futuristic government would want everyone in a relationship or if credit is important so long as the world gets to enjoy the greatest songs in musical history. After all, moviemakers pushing the boundaries of art to reveal something about the world is arguably the very point of cinema.

Cocaine Bear (2023)

A bear ingests a lot of cocaine and goes on a rampage.

Elizabeth Banks' dark comedy thriller Cocaine Bear received some positive reviews and made a modest profit at the box office (against a relatively small budget). Cocaine Bear depicts a rag-tag mix of characters who all find themselves in the vicinity of a black bear that has accidentally ingested millions of dollars' worth of cocaine. Unlikely as this sounds, it is inspired by true events. However, while the real bear OD'd, Banks' black bear goes on a drug-fueled rampage. While the impact of the movie's environmentalist message is debated, positive reviews of Cocaine Bear say that the movie is funny, well-paced, and delivers on its promise of ridiculous action and gore.

Face/Off (1997)

An FBI agent is surgically given a terrorist's face.

Face/Off poster with John Travolta and Nic Cage

In Face/Off, Nicolas Cage and John Travolta puzzle audiences by essentially playing each other, or each other's characters. Travolta is the FBI agent Sean Archer and Cage the criminal Castor Troy, who killed Archer's son. When Troy is rendered comatose, Archer undergoes an operation to have his face surgically replaced with Troy's face, in order to speak with Troy's brother and prevent a bombing. However, Troy suddenly wakes up, and the doctor is forced to give him Archer's original face. Troy then pursues Archer, vowing revenge. John Woo's strange thriller was praised by critics and audiences alike for its over-the-top action and intriguing cat and mouse plot. The absurd premise itself might get an audience invested, but Face/Off and other strange movies live up to their hype with engaging plots and characters.

The Lobster (2015)

People are forced to choose a partner or be turned into animals.

Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz running in The Lobster

Swiss Army Man's fellow A24 movie The Lobster is set in a dystopian future where single people are coerced into relationships. In a setting known only as 'the City,' singles are taken to the Hotel where they have 45 days to find a partner or be turned into an animal of their choice and released into the Woods. The protagonist David is taken to the Hotel after he is left by his wife and tells the Manager that he would like to become a lobster because of the species' long lifespan - although fans of Friends might also notice additional symbolism derived from the fact that lobsters mate for life. David falls in love with a woman who has escaped the Hotel, prompting questions about the circumstances of love under tyranny. The Lobster is praised by critics but confusing for some audiences, holding an 87% Rotten Tomatoes score and a 65% audience score. The Lobster's ending reveals society's shallow ideas about love. The Lobster is also Poor Things director Yorgos Lanthimos' first English-language feature.

The Shape Of Water (2017)

A woman and an Amphibian Man fall in love.

Elisa (Sally Hawkins) and the amphibian man (Doug Jones) look at each other in The Shape of Water

Guillermo del Toro's Best Picture winner The Shape of Water certainly seemed confusing to audiences at first. But del Toro is known for excellent movies with strange concepts that convey powerful messages. The Shape of Water builds itself around subverting fairy tale and monster tropes, with undercurrent themes of compassion vs. cruelty. The protagonist Elisa works as a janitor at a 1960s government research facility, where she falls in love with a captured humanoid amphibian creature known as 'the Asset' or 'the Amphibian Man.' In The Shape of Water's ending, Elisa and her 'prince' escape and achieve their happy ending on their own terms.

Being John Malkovich (1999)

A puppeteer travels into the mind of movie star John Malkovich.

John Cusack looking into a tunnel in Being John Malkovich

Puppeteer Craig and pet store clerk Lotte have a perfunctory marriage, but their lives become fraught with possibilities when Craig discovers a hidden door behind a filing cabinet that leads into the mind of a famous movie star. And yes, the real John Malkovich does appear in this movie. Craig and Lotte progress to regular adventures in Malkovich's mind and charging others for the same experience, which gives them temporary control of Malkovich, who is beginning to realize that something is off. Being John Malkovich is a highly-reviewed psychological comedy-drama with a strange plot that leads to the characters muddling their way through ethical and existential dilemmas.

Sonic The Hedgehog (2020)

Sonic and friends enter the real world.

Tom and Sonic from Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog is conceptually different from the more recent The Super Mario Bros. Movie because the latter takes place in an entirely animated setting populated by Nintendo's characters. Sonic the Hedgehog is based on the idea of Sonic, along with his friends and enemies, appearing in the real world and interacting with ordinary people. After the rocky start of 'Ugly Sonic,' the Sonic the Hedgehog movie was met with surprisingly positive reception. The movie includes great humor, a brilliant cast, and a heartfelt storyline about friendship. Its success has lead to the development of a Sonic the Hedgehog movie trilogy.

Swiss Army Man (2016)

A man stranded on a desert island befriends an animated corpse.

Daniel Radcliffe and Paul Dano in the woods in Swiss Army Man

Before they swept the Oscars with Everything Everywhere All at Once, the director duo known as 'the Daniels' made their mark with other reality-bending works, including Swiss Army Man. In Swiss Army Man, the protagonist Hank is stranded on a tiny desert island when a body washes ashore, who he discovers can communicate and possesses some other unique abilities. Hank and 'Manny' then set out on a mission to escape the island.

Turning Red (2022)

A middle-school girl turns into a red panda when agitated.

The red panda in Turning Red hanging from a fire escape

Pixar's Turning Red depicts 13-year-old Meilin 'Mei' Lee who turns into a giant red panda when experiencing strong emotions. The ability has been passed down through her family and manifests itself upon adolescence. The teaser trailer for Turning Red is perhaps one of the strangest Pixar has ever released, providing no context for the seemingly random scenario. The central plot point is not out of place in the movie itself, which maintains a goofy tone suitable for depicting the bright world of a band of young teenage girls. Turning Red presents its premise proudly without hindering the emotional story about Mei's disconnect with her mother Ming.

Yesterday (2019)

A musician discovers that the entire world has forgotten the Beatles.

Himesh Patel in Yesterday 2019

In Yesterday, struggling musician Jack Malik is hit by a bus during a worldwide blackout. When he wakes up, Jack discovers that everyone in the world besides him has forgotten the music of the Beatles. He then becomes very famous by 'writing' and performing the Beatles' entire discography. Jack eventually meets a couple of fans who do remember the Beatles, but they only want to thank him for sharing the music they feared the entire world had forgotten. This demonstrates how Yesterday uses a bizarre premise and a basic rom-com storyline as a vehicle to celebrate the career of the Beatles.