5 worst movie plot holes

Tue 1 Dec 2020

Part of the joy of watching movies is our willingness to suspend disbelief and get lost in the magic of the film – we enjoy stories about talking animals, invisible spaceships, and alien invasions. But have you ever watched a movie and thought to yourself, “Wait, that doesn’t make any sense?” Film scripts that aren’t internally consistent can ruin the movie-going experience for an eagle-eyed viewer. Here are some of Hollywood’s worst offenders.

  1. Toy Story

In Pixar’s charming animated adventure about the secret life of toys, the characters freeze whenever humans walk into the room to avoid blowing their cover. But Buzz Lightyear doesn’t think he’s a toy – he truly believes he’s a space commander on an important intergalactic mission. So why does he freeze with all the other toys when Andy enters the room?

  1. The Hangover

In 2009’s buddy comedy about a group of friends on a stag party in Las Vegas, Doug gets locked on the roof of his hotel… for two entire days. Rather than trying to attract the attention of passers-by or hotel employees, he apparently sits in the scorching Vegas heat without any food or water and waits for his friends to find him.

  1. Raiders of the Lost Ark

As much as everyone loves Indiana Jones and his amazing archaeological adventures, if he’d refused to take this particular assignment the world probably would have been much better off. Assuming the Nazis discovered the Ark of the Covenant and took it to Berlin, it would have melted Hitler’s face and prevented World War II from happening in the first place – a much better outcome than in the actual movie, where Jones makes numerous bad decisions that have catastrophic results.

  1. Gremlins

The critters in 1984’s classic horror film aren’t supposed to eat after midnight – but isn’t it technically always after midnight? What happens if they visit different time zones? At no point in the film does anyone clarify when the feeding ban ends and it’s safe to give the creatures another snack.

  1. The Karate Kid

This iconic 80’s film about an underdog who overcomes his bullies with the help of a martial arts instructor with unusual teaching methods has a fairly major plot hole. It promotes the importance of fair play and sportsmanship, yet at the end of the movie, Daniel wins his tournament by kicking his opponent in the face – a highly illegal move.

Want to learn how to avoid leaving plot holes in your script? Earning a professional qualification from a respected institution helps you develop your writing portfolio, as well as providing valuable connections and industry knowhow. Guest lecturers at Falmouth University’s MA Writing for Script & Screen course include David Hayter, who wrote the screenplays for X-Men (2000), X-Men 2 (2003), and Watchmen (2009) and Brandon Boyce, whose writing includes Apt Pupil (1998) and Bad Samaritan (2018). Throughout the duration of your studies you will also receive valuable feedback about your writing from peers and tutors, helping you develop a solid portfolio.

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