That’s exactly what happened this week, when I learned like half of The Dude’s wardrobe was actually “scored” from Jeff Bridges’ own closet after he joined The Big Lebowski cast. It's probably one of the wilder celebrity fashion facts I've accrued over the years. The actor confirmed the stories in an interview with Larry King a while back, noting:

His costume designer, Mary Zophres, said separately that Bridges is very involved in the costuming for his characters, which checks out with the rest of the story and is intent on using wardrobe to help build the personalities we see onscreen. That may be just like, his opinion, man, but it pays off in spades.

Zophres has been open about the other inspirations for the Dude’s wardrobe before, and I had known the iconic bathrobe The Dude wears was sourced at a literal grocery store, Ralph's. (A move that subsequently then inspired Leonardo DiCaprio in One Battle After Another.) She told the story to Another Man Mag a few years ago:

I do think about The Dude a lot in regards to vintage. He famously wears that vintage Westerly Sweater from Pendleton in many scenes when he’s not rocking the bathrobe, and Pendleton has even confirmed it was his personal piece. I’ve always been fascinated with the mismatches and muted tones in that movie, but to know a lot of it came from Jeff Bridges’ ‘90s closet is particularly cool.

The Bathrobe Really Ties The Characters Together

The iconic opening scene of the Coen Brothers classic features The Dude walking through Ralph’s in his bathrobe, and, along with his sweater, it became one of the character’s signature looks. Like The Dude, Bob (I’m just going to stick with “Bob” from here on out), spends most of the movie in a robe. Instead of mixing White Russians and investigating a fake kidnapping, Bob is running for his life and trying to save his daughter.

Where The Dude seems to have spent most of his life bowling and listening to Creedence, Bob has spent most of his time hiding from the authorities after his involvement with the radical leftist political terrorists The French 75. The Dude got into the music business (as a roadie for Metallica), while Bob was taking extreme political action along with his girlfriend, Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor).

Both Stick To A Strict Drug Regiment And Have A Problem With Authority

Even when things get intense, both Bob and The Dude fall back on smoking a little weed to stay calm. It doesn’t really work for either, but it works a little better for The Dude. Of course, the stakes aren’t quite as high (pun intended) for The Dude, either. How either of the characters operates effectively after smoking all that weed, I’ll never know, but somehow they do.

Both also have a serious problem with authority. Obviously Bob has an ongoing battle with Lockjaw (Sean Penn), and while the chief of police of Malibu isn’t hellbent on killing The Dude, his personality doesn’t seem that far off from Lockjaw’s. Like Bob to The Dude, Lockjaw is a more extreme version of the Malibu chief. Both are real reactionaries.

Neither Seems Like Father Of The Year Material

I’ll give Bob some credit here, he is trying to be a good father to Willa (Chase Infiniti). The Dude has no interest in being a father and tells Maude (Julianne Moore) as much after they enjoy coitus at The Dude’s house. Bob isn’t a great father in most ways, but his motivations are pure as he’s just trying to protect Willa.

If I’m honest, neither would be anyone’s first choice for a dad, right? Still, when Willa runs off to Oakland to protest at the end of One Battle After Another, it makes me happy. Just like knowing there is a little Lebowski on the way at the end of The Big Lebowski also makes me happy.

Returning to the Tron universe after more than a decade since his last foray, Bridges reprised a version of Kevin Flynn in Ares, his first movie role in seven years. Despite the high expectations, cutting-edge visuals, and the ever-divisive presence of Jared Leto, the film fizzled at the box office, raising questions about whether the Grid still had a pulse. But when Entertainment Weekly brought up the lukewarm reception, Bridges kept it as cool—and philosophical—as ever, saying:

It’s the kind of grounded response you’d expect from someone who’s played an iconic Zen slacker and also survived both cancer and COVID. In the same interview, Bridges compared the narrative around Tron: Ares to the backlash Heaven’s Gate received in 1980, another film initially deemed a flop that later was reappraised as an ambitious, misunderstood gem.

For those unfamiliar, Heaven’s Gate (1980) was one of the most infamous box office disasters in Hollywood history. Directed by Michael Cimino, fresh off his Oscar-winning success with The Deer Hunter, the film had an all-star cast, including Kris Kristofferson, Jeff Bridges, and Christopher Walken, and a massive $44 million budget. But it only pulled in $3.5 million, becoming a cautionary tale for big-budget ambition gone wrong.

Though it’s largely remembered as a legendary flop (and now shares its name with a cult, which doesn’t help), the film has seen a mild critical reappraisal in recent years, and Bridges talked about how a director's cut of Heaven's Gate will screen theatrically in November. So by all means, Tron: Ares could have its own fan-fest in 30 years.

Tron: Ares may not have stuck the landing at the box office, but Bridges’ perspective is a reminder that some films, much like Heaven's Gate, just take time to find their people. Sure, that’s not exactly great news for a franchise and studio banking on immediate returns, but it’s a hopeful way of looking at things. And who knows—maybe after Ares finds its cult footing, Disney will pull this dusty old cartridge out of the bargain bin, blow it off, and jam it back into the console that is the movie industry. If nothing else, the Tron faithful can keep hoping for one more ride on the Grid.

It isn’t the best movie of the year, sure, but as my colleague Hugh Scott points out, there are a ton of reasons to catch Tron: Ares in theaters still. It looks great and has a killer Nine Inch Nails soundtrack. And sure, you could wait to see the movie when it lands on streaming with your Disney+ subscription, but it's hard to imagine it’ll have the same impact, no matter how big your home theater system is, as seeing it in the cinema with an audience.

Whether Ares gets a redemption arc like Heaven’s Gate is anyone’s guess, but one thing’s sure: Jeff Bridges isn’t sweating the box office. Tron: Ares is still playing in theaters, so check your local listings. And if you’re feeling nostalgic, you can stream Heaven’s Gate with an Amazon Prime subscription, or The Big Lebowski, which is available if you have an HBO Max subscription.

However, I recently learned that Paul Rudd, who was very much an up-and-coming actor at the time, auditioned for one of The Big Lebowski’s most memorable roles, and now I want to see this audition tape. No, it’s not The Dude, Walter, or even Donnie, but instead an unforgettable (and uncomfortable) character played by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman: Brandt.

It’s Hard To Imagine Anyone Besides Philip Seymour Hoffman Playing Brandt So Well

Philip Seymour Hoffman showed up in some of the best ‘90s movies, and in a number of those cases, his characters made them even better. This was the case for Twister, Boogie Nights, and Magnolia, as was it for The Big Lebowski. Now, it’s hard to imagine anyone playing Brandt, Jeffrey “The Big” Lebowski’s awkward and uptight assistant, a.k.a. “Yes Man.”

Hoffman approached the role with the perfect balance of absurdity and earnestness, making Brandt a character that’s just so hard to read but so much fun to enjoy whenever he was on screen. From awkward encounters with Bunny Lebowski about certain favors to giving The Dude a tour of Lebowski’s estate, he had a certain je ne sais quoi that made him so fascinating, so maddening, and so ridiculous. Honestly, it’s hard picturing anyone besides Hoffman pulling that off so well.

But Based On What I’ve Heard About Paul Rudd’s Audition, It Would Have Been Wild

Though it’s hard to see anyone but Hoffman pulling off the Brandt performance so well, it turns out he wasn’t the only actor up for the part. During an appearance on the Blank Check with Griffin & David podcast, breaking down The Big Lebowski back in August 2025, Seth Rogen shared a story Paul Rudd told him about the time he auditioned for the part. This story is something:

So, what did Rudd do that made the audition one of the most humiliating experiences of his career up to that point? Rogen continued:

Honestly, I need to see this audition tape. I don’t know if Universal Pictures has it locked away somewhere or if it's part of the Coen brothers’ archive, but that video has to be one of the wildest, most ridiculous pieces of lost media. Just imagine a young Rudd (this is post Romeo + Juliet and pre The Cider House Rules) with that big Brandt smile and nervous energy.

Though Rudd didn’t get the part, Hoffman made it his own and crafted one of the best characters in the Coen brothers’ universe.

According to Variety, the faded plaid get-up wasn’t part of the plan. Costume designer Colleen Atwood revealed that Bob, DiCaprio’s revolutionary-turned-stoner-dad character, was initially supposed to just wear a sweatshirt. Then, in a very Dude-like turn of events, someone (maybe Anderson, maybe Leo) suggested, “What if he’s just in his robe?” The rest is cinematic loungewear history. Atwood explained to the outlet:

Additionally, DiCaprio leaned into the look reminiscent of one of the fit from one of the best movies of the ‘90s. At the film’s premiere, the Oscar winner even admitted his inspiration was none other than Bridges’ iconic Lebowski character, describing Bob as “a guy that sits home and smokes pot all the time.” In other words, The Dude abides… but now with a 2025 update.

Of course, the robe wasn’t the only part of Bob’s look. The whole vibe came together with a pair of sunglasses, a dad hat and sneakers DiCaprio apparently handpicked himself. Atwood says the Killers of the Flower Moon star preferred Altra Lone Peak trail runners because of their wide toe box. (Yes, even stoner dads in PT Anderson films need the proper footwear.)

The funny part? You won’t find this robe on any high-end designer rack. Atwood joked that if you want to cosplay Bob this Halloween:

This detail feels so quintessentially PTA, as he knows how to find beauty, humor and humanity in the faded corners of American life. The robe says as much about Bob as his dialogue does. He’s a man who once fought the system, and is now fighting inertia in his living room.

One Battle After Another, a book-to-screen adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland, follows Bob, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, a burned-out former revolutionary who lives a paranoid life while trying to raise his independent daughter, Willa, away from the chaos of the world. When an old rival shows up and Willa goes missing, Bob is dragged back into the life he thought he left behind. This wild search forces both of them to deal with the mess from their past. This film is Paul Thomas Anderson's second crack at adapting a Pynchon story, the first being Inherent Vice in 2014.

The Dude and his lounge wear still resonate after more than 25 years, so DiCaprio’s not about to dethrone him as the king of robes, but it’s definitely going to give it a run for its money. So don’t be surprised if you leave the theater wanting to hit up a thrift shop to hunt for the ultimate plaid robe. One Battle After Another is being touted as one of the best movies of the year and is now in theaters, so check your local listings for showtimes.

The comments come via a video posted to Variety’s X account, which caught DiCaprio discussing how Anderson pushed him toward a looser, failure-forward energy for the film’s set pieces. In the clip, you can see him grin as he connects the dots between PTA’s sensibility and the Coen Brothers’ all-time slacker, which is still resonating after more than 25 years. Then he spells it out:

That “series of failures” line is intriguing, for sure. Anderson has long loved watching glossy movie stars move like real people. So rather than stage invincible showdowns, One Battle After Another appears to build tension around near-misses and wipeouts. It’s comedy and character baked into the action, which tracks with PTA’s filmmaking sweet spots. DiCaprio also owned up to just how physical that approach became:

This is a cool shift for the Wolf of Wall Street performer. Over the last ten years or so, he’s mostly gone for those big, dramatic roles. But some of his best films let him play smaller, more relatable characters. With Anderson’s unique style and sense of humor, I think audiences can expect something really different.

One Battle After Another is set to tell the story of Bob (DiCaprio), a washed-up revolutionary marooned in stoned paranoia, who lives off-grid with his fiercely self-reliant daughter, Willa. When his old nemesis resurfaces and Willa disappears, Bob lurches back into the world he tried to escape, stumbling through a desperate search that forces both father and daughter to face the wreckage of their past choices. It's a loose book-to-screen adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland, and is the second Pynchon novel PTA has adapted after Inherent Vice (2014).

Invoking The Big Lebowski is a clever choice. The film’s scenes focus less on perfect choreography and more on tone—specifically, how a character's perspective interacts with the world around them. If Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest movie takes a similar approach, we can expect moments filled with chaotic cause-and-effect. This makes perfect sense, as Anderson’s best movies often revolve around this concept.

Audiences can catch Leonardo DiCaprio calling on “The Dude’s” essence when One Battle After Another lands in theaters on September 26th.

Napoleon Has "Canned Heat" (Napoleon Dynamite)

While most of the dialogue is extremely quotable and Jon Heder's title character is a one-of-a-kind instant comedy icon, if you ask me, the moment that 2004's Napoleon Dynamite won audiences over is its centerpiece dance sequence. In a last-ditch effort to help his best friend, Pedro (Efren Ramirez), win class president, the nerd busts out some absolutely ridiculous, yet passionate, dance moves in an impromptu routine set to Jamiroquai's "Canned Heat," which earns a roaring round of applause from his classmates.

Nothing Suits Barney Like A Suit (How I Met Your Mother)

In the 100th episode of the beloved TV sitcom, How I Met Your Mother, Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) contemplates whether or not he should give up his suits forever in order to score with an attractive bartender who hates men in business attire. He then imagines an elaborate song and dance number professing his love for his wardrobe called "Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit," featuring the rest of the snappily dressed cast.

Tom's Dreams Are Coming True ((500) Days Of Summer)

It is moments like this that make 2009's (500) Days of Summer one of the best romantic-comedy movies of its time. Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is so high on cloud nine after starting up a romance with Zooey Deschanel's title role that he imagines the local townspeople are joining him for a brief dance set to Hall & Oates' "You Make My Dreams Come True" during his morning commute.

"The Name Game" (American Horror Story)

Some of the most unsettling moments from American Horror Story masterfully utilize the power of juxtaposition, like in one of the most dazzling moments from Season 2, subtitled Asylum. After receiving shock therapy, Sister Jude (Jessica Lange) hallucinates that she is performing a rendition of Shirley Ellis' 1964 pop hit, "The Name Game," with her fellow patients at Briarcliff Manor.

Gutterballs (The Big Lebowski)

Joel and Ethan Coen's 1998 cult favorite comedy The Big Lebowski is home to two of the most iconic movie dream sequences, with the second one easily taking the cake as the most wonderfully uproarious. Knocked out by Jackie Treehorn, The Dude (Jeff Bridges) imagines he and Maude Lebowski (Julianne Moore) are the stars of an adult film shot in the style of a Busby Berkeley dance number.

Joel Likes That "Old Time Rock And Roll" (Risky Business)

What is the exact moment that Tom Cruise became a movie star? I like to think that occurred in 1983's Risky Business when the future Oscar nominee, as Chicago teen Joel, with the house to himself, celebrates his independence by dancing and lip-synching to Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll" in his underwear.

Tina Opens The Movie (Do The Right Thing)

Writer and director Spike Lee prepares you for an unforgettable and subversive cinematic experience with an unforgettable and subversive opening to 1989's Do the Right Thing. The opening credits play over Rosie Perez's character, Tina, dancing solo to Public Enemy's "Fight the Power," making for a certainly unexpected and moving way to start a film with a lot to say about society.

Jim And Pam's Wedding Party Dances Down The Aisle (The Office)

In the episode of the U.S. version of The Office when Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer), the wedding party, instead of the traditional walk down the aisle, dance to Chris Brown's "Forever," which was originally written as a Doublemint Gum commercial. While this act goes against the couple's wishes, it goes down in history as a memorably unique way to start the ceremony.

Nathan And Kyoko Tear Up The Dance Floor (Ex Machina)

Alex Garland is a writer and director who never fails to dazzle his audience, either with thought-provoking sci-fi concepts, brutally honest societal commentary, or epic dance sequences. All three of which are used to perfection in his 2015 technophobic classic, Ex Machina, when Oscar Isaac's shady, eccentric tech billionaire, Nathan, and his companion, Kyoko (Sonoya Mizuno), shift the tone in a rousing way by interrupting Caleb's (Domhnall Gleeson) interrogation by getting busy to “Get Down Saturday Night” by Oliver Cheatham.

"I'm Just Ken" (Barbie)

There had been a dance sequence earlier in 2023's Barbie when Margot Robbie's title hero hosts a party, but that was nothing out of the ordinary, even for a movie taking place in an alternate dimension where dolls are sentient. The film suddenly incorporates an elaborate, traditional Hollywood dance sequence when Ryan Gosling's Ken expresses his frustration with feeling undervalued by Barbie in the Academy Award-nominated track, "I'm Just Ken."

Jenna Thrills Her Colleagues (13 Going On 30)

One of the most iconic scenes from the hit fantasy rom-com, 13 Going On 30, sees Jennifer Garner's Jenna (an '80s teen trapped in the body of her future, adult self) try to liven things up at her company party by getting everyone to recreate the dance from Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

Rue's Relapse (Euphoria)

After giving in to her addictive urges, Zendaya's Rue imagines that she is in a music video for the actor's haunting single, "All For Us," which illustrates the complicated relationship she has with her family as a result of her habits. The sequence culminates in her being carried outside of her house by a sea of dancers in matching outfits, who also serve as her choir, at night, before a marching band joins in. It marks an invigorating, but also tragic, end to the first season of the provocative coming-of-age drama, Euphoria.

The Deetzes Do The Calypso (Beetlejuice)

One of the all-time greatest and funniest musical moments from a horror movie comes from 1988's Beetlejuice. Hoping to scare the Deetzes (Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O'Hara) and their dinner party guests out of the house, the lingering spirits of Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) use bodily possession to manipulate them into dancing and singing to Harry Belafonte's "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)." Much to their surprise, they enjoy the experience.

Wally, Charley, And Rhonda Channel Bowie (School Spirits)

School Spirits is a TV show told from the perspective of ghosts who have passed away on a midwestern high school campus, where they struggle to cope with the parameters of their afterlife. Wally (Milo Manheim), who was a star athlete in the 1980s, lets off steam by putting on a vinyl copy of David Bowie's "Let's Dance" and leading his fellow ghostly friends in a wonderfully choreographed groove through almost the entire school.

Jamal And Latika Are Victorious (Slumdog Millionaire)

Director Danny Boyle's Best Picture Oscar winner, 2008's Slumdog Millionaire, ends with an upbeat dance number set to the Academy Award-winning original song, "Jai Ho" and led by Dev Patel and Freida Pinto as Jamal and Latika. It might have been surprising to some audiences to see this production suddenly include such a sequence, but it honors a longstanding tradition in Indian cinema.

The Kids Rock The Library (The Breakfast Club)

Many have argued that 1985's The Breakfast Club is the greatest high school movie ever made, despite never taking place during school, but a Saturday detention shared by five teens who each represent a different rung of the teen social hierarchy. The unlikely friends attempt to break up the monotony with an impromptu dance to "We Are Not Alone" by Karla Devito.

"Tequila!" (Pee-wee's Big Adventure)

One reason 1985's Pee-wee's Big Adventure remains a cherished classic is how Paul Reubens' eponymous man-child wins over the hearts of nearly everyone he meets. For instance, he earns the respect of a bar full of bikers with his signature dance to The Champs' rendition of the saxy tune, "Tequila."

Don Dreams Of Bert Cooper Dancing (Mad Men)

AMC's Mad Men had its fair share of off-kilter moments, none more perplexing than when Don Draper (Jon Hamm) suddenly has a vision of the recently passed advertising veteran Bertram "Bert" Cooper (Robert Morse) singing and dancing a performance of "The Best Things in Life Are Free."

Andy Lets The Sunshine In (The 40-Year-Old Virgin)

Judd Apatow's heartfelt, raunchy comedy, 2005's The 40-Year-Old Virgin, ends with Steve Carell's Andy finally losing his "innocence" and expressing his relief through song. The song in particular is The 5th Dimension's "Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In," which transitions into a dance in a wide-open field that the rest of the cast joins him for.

"Come On, Little Sister, Let’s Dance” (The Life Of Chuck)

There are not many Stephen King movies with scenes that leave you feeling invigorated and hopeful, but that is the general response to the centerpiece dance sequence in 2025's The Life of Chuck, from writer and director Mike Flanagan. Tom Hiddleston's title character crosses paths with drumming street performer, Taylor (Taylor Gordon), and spontaneously lets the music drive him, even inviting a random young woman named Janice (played by Annalise Basso) to join him, giving a crowd of bystanders the show of their lives.

Will Shows How They Dance In Gelderland (A Knight's Tale)

A Knight's Tale may take place in 14th-century Europe, but it boasts many modern sensibilities in everything from its dialogue to its soundtrack. For instance, in a scene when William Thatcher (Heath Ledger) is forced to come up with a dance to impress the royalty, he receives some help from his "foxy lady," Jocelyn (Shannon Sossamon), and soon the entire dance floor is rocking out to what we hear as David Bowie's "Golden Years."

Raj's Romantic Fantasy (The Big Bang Theory)

In one episode of The Big Bang Theory, Raj (Kunal Nayyar) finds himself attracted to Bernadette (Melissa Rauch), leading him to have multiple daydreams about her, including one reminiscent of an Indian Cinema dance sequence.

Donkey's Swamp Dance Party (Shrek)

At the end of the Oscar-winning, acclaimed kids movie, Shrek, Smash Mouth's cover of The Monkees' "I'm a Believer" plays during Shrek (Mike Myers) and Fiona's (Cameron Diaz) nuptials before Eddie Murphy's Donkey takes over the vocals, leading the wedding guests in a breathless celebration of the event.

Terry And Holt "Push It" (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

In one of the best episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero) goes into labor in the police station during a city-wide blackout. In a hilarious effort to keep her calm and distracted, Lieutenant Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews) and Captain Holt (Andre Braugher) try dancing to Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It."

Dance Of The Dead (The X-Files)

In a Season 7 episode of The X-Files called "Hollywood A.D.," Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) investigate a murder on a movie set, where, at the end of the episode, corpses resting underneath are reanimated and indulge in a passionate ballroom dance with one another.

Harry's Dream (3rd Rock From The Sun)

In an essential and bewilderingly surreal episode of 3rd Rock from the Sun, the Solomons experience their first-ever dreams. This proves to be a startling experience for the extra-terrestrial visitors, except for Harry (French Stewart), who imagines he is in an upbeat, urban Broadway production.

Ed Livens Things Up At The Mental Hospital (Good Burger)

In Good Burger, Ed (Kel Mitchell), Dexter (Kenan Thompson), and Otis (Abe Vigoda) are wrongfully committed to a mental hospital, where Ed responds to the request of a patient played by George Clinton himself to change to the music to something funkier, and tunes it to Funkadelic's "(Not Just) Knee Deep." He then leads most of the other patients in an impressively choreographed dance routine, which Dexter uses as an opportunity to knock out the guards and escape.

The Siblings Are Alone Now (The Umbrella Academy)

Netflix's series adaptation of the hit comic book The Umbrella Academy has a clever way of introducing its superpowered main characters early on in the premiere episode. The adoptive siblings are seen grooving to Tiffany's cover of "I Think We're Alone Now," each in a different location and boasting a different style of dance.

Backstreet's Back In Heaven (This Is The End)

Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's 2014 apocalyptic meta comedy This is the End ends with most of the main characters (actors portraying uproarious versions of themselves) meeting up in the afterlife, where they celebrate their ascent into Heaven with the Backstreet Boys, who also appear as themselves to perform “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).”

The Study Group Is Gonna Finally Be Fine (Community)

Community Season 3 begins with Jeff (Joel McHale) daydreaming about a dance number, featuring the entire cast of characters, with a hopeful outlook on the next year at Greendale.

David's Three-Way Dance Battle (Legion)

In the Season 2 opener of FX's unconventional Marvel Comics adaptation, Legion, one of David's (Dan Stevens) memories of the past year shows him at a club where the mutant engages in an intense dance battle with Lenny (Aubrey Plaza) and Oliver (Jemaine Clement).

Lucifer Is Alright (Lucifer)

The series finale of Lucifer opens with the Devil Incarnate (played by Tom Ellis) leading an upbeat ensemble dance sequence set to Kenny Loggins' "I'm Alright," which starts at a bar before transitioning to the police station, where Lucifer and Detective Dan (Kevin Alejandro) reenact an iconic moment from Dirty Dancing.

All The Dude wanted was his rug back. That simple rug, micturated upon by Woo, drives all the action in the movie, and while the audience doesn't see much of the rug that The Dude (Jeff Bridges) is trying to replace, we do see the one that he (briefly) gets from the millionaire Lebowski in the Big Lebowski.

The DeLorean Time Machine

Admit it, you wanted a DeLorean time machine. We ALL wanted one. Heck, most of us would settle for a regular DeLorean. Ever since we all went back in time with Marty and Doc in Back To The Future, we've longed for the same ability, in the same machine. Now those cars are as lost to time as Biff's Sports Almanac.

Wilson

When the only star who appears in most of a movie only has one friend and that friend is a volleyball, it's bound to be a famous prop. Wilson the Volleyball is the only companion Chuck (Tom Hanks) has in Cast Away, and just like Chuck, the audience gets pretty attached to that silly ball with a face made of Chuck's blood.

The Briefcase In Pulp Fiction

Another cool MacGuffin on this list is the briefcase from Pulp Fiction. We never actually see what's inside, just that it is glowing gold. Maybe that's why the prop has become so famous. If we knew it was just like a stolen Oscar statuette or something, we'd feel differently.

The Red And Blue Pills

While the Blue Pill and the Red Pill in The Matrix have since taken political connotations in recent years, they were famous way before that. One will wake Neo (Keanu Reeves) up, and one will put him back to sleep. Honestly, I don't care which is which, and any political connections are weird, so let's leave it at that.

One Ring To Rule Them All

Not only is The One Ring one of the most famous props in movie history, it's one of the most famous in literature these days. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is a masterpiece, and without this one ring to rule them all, it wouldn't exist.

Indy's Whip

You might say Indiana Jones' hat is the most famous prop in the Indiana Jones movies, but the whip that Harrison Ford's character is just as iconic and let's be honest, a little more interesting than a hat. So the whip gets the nod here.

The Giant Piano In Big

Any kid lucky enough to visit the FAO Schwartz in New York after Big was released, their first mission was to find the giant piano you could walk on and even play. It's one of the most iconic scenes in any movie from the era, and while I learned firsthand it was impossible for me to recreate the scene, I still dream about getting a big enough piano to make it work.

Thor's Hammer

There are a lot of famous props in the MCU, like ranking the MCU movies, we could almost do a list of props all its own. Things like the Infinity Gauntlet, or the stones that go into it, are iconic, but is there anything as iconic in the whole franchise as Thor's hammer? Heck, it's one of the famous objects in world mythology, much less Marvel's corner of it.

The Leg Lamp

After the dad in A Christmas Story wins a fragile, major award, it turns out to be a lamp in the shape of a woman's leg. He's so proud of it that he wants to display it in the window, much to the chagrin of his wife. It doesn't make it to the end of the movie, and there is another prop, the Red Ryder BB Gun, that is equally famous, but we just had to go with the leg. After all, it must be Italian.

Dorothy's Ruby Slippers

Of all the famous props and wardrobe pieces on this list, none, not a one, are as famous or as iconic as Dorothy's Ruby Slippers in The Wizard of Oz. It's a prop that is so famous that they are in the Smithsonian along with Fonzie's jacket and Archie Bunker's chair.

The Heart Of The Ocean

Sure, the boat in Titanic is probably the most famous non-character in the movie, but that would be a little on the nose. Instead, we went with the necklace that the crew led by Bill Paxton's character is searching for, The Heart of the Ocean. It ends up down with the boat, though.

The Batmobile

Pick your favorite Batmobile. Any Batmobile works here. You could go with the great one from the '60s TV show (my favorite), or the one from Tim Burton's Batman, and get even more tech with one of Christopher Nolan's versions. You can't go wrong.

Maverick's Jacket

Maverick (Tom Cruise) has one of the most iconic pieces of wardrobe ever. That bomber jacket, covered in patches, is legendary. It's such an important part of the character that when Top Gun: Maverick dropped its first teaser, it was simply a close-up of the jacket and Maverick putting it on.

Freddie's Glove

There are a lot of famous props in horror movies, many of them masks. Freddie's glove in the Nightmare on Elm Street is among the most famous, maybe the most famous. It's a terrifying weapon that has given fans nightmares for decades.

Lightsabers

Okay, so how much do we really need to say here? Of all the props in all the world, is there one more famous than the lightsabers in the Star Wars franchise? No matter what color, there is no weapon in any other franchise that has nearly the same cache as the elegant weapon of the Jedi knights.

Wonka's Golden Ticket

Without the Golden Ticket in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, none of the kids (or their parents) would get the tour of Willie's wild factory. They wouldn't have gotten in any trouble, either.

The Red Swingline Stapler

Stephen Root's character, Milton, in Office Space is one of the weirdest characters in any comedy of the era. Not only is his mumbling disturbing, but his love for his red stapler is downright scary.... and hilarious. It became so famous that Swingline made a special red version of their stapler based on the prop.

Proton Packs

According to Ray (Dan Aykroyd), each Ghostbuster is "carrying an unlicensed nuclear accelerator on his back." Those proton packs have since become a key part of every kid who dressed like our heroes in Ghostbusters for Halloween for decades. Hopefully, the ones the kids wear are a little safer.

The Maltese Falcon

This is a prop so famous, they named the movie after it! Or maybe the prop is named after the movie? I don't know. It could be either way, I suppose. It's one of the most famous MacGuffins ever, the statue in The Maltese Falcon.

Vote For Pedro Tee Shirt

Long after the hype for Napoleon Dynamite faded, we were still seeing people with "Vote For Pedro" shirts walking the streets. The shirts were so popular, it almost eclipsed the movie. Now, they still might be more popular.

The 2001 Obelisk

Obelisks are so cool that people are still randomly building them in the desert (look up Las Vegas Obelisk). That all stems from the Stanley Kubrick classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. Even people who have never seen the legendary film know the scene(s) with the obelisk.

Ghostface's Mask

There are a few very famous masks in horror history, so of course, a movie like Scream, which is essentially a love letter to the classic '70s and '80s slasher films, would end up with one of the most famous. The masks, like the franchise, have been incredibly enduring and probably will be for the next 100 years.

The Sorting Hat

In the world of Harry Potter, there are a few famous props, like the flying car and the various wands. Still, every fan of the franchise secretly has dreams about being sorted by the Sorting Hat into their favorite house at Hogwarts.

Mary Poppins' Umbrella

Every kid dreams of a flying nanny like Mary Poppins, if not having Poppins herself as their nanny. The umbrella has become one of the most recognizable props in the movie over the years. The scene where we first see Julie Andrews as Mary gently guiding herself down is one of the most famous scenes in Hollywood history.

Rita Hayworth Poster

CinemaBlend has called The Shawshank Redemption the best movie of the '90s. The Stephen King story on which it is based is called, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. That's how important the poster is that Andy (Tim Robbins) hides his escape tunnel. The moment when the warden tears it down is one of the most fun moments in any movie, ever.

The New Bluesmobile

The Bluesmobile in The Blues Brothers is not, actually, the original Bluesmobile, according to Jake (John Belushi). The original was a Cadillac, not the former Police Car that Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) shows up in to pick Jake up from prison. Elwood explains that he had to trade it for a microphone, which Jake understands. No matter what, the car is one of the most famous cars of the 1980s.

Reese's Pieces

Oh, what a mistake Mars Candy made when they reportedly didn't want Steven Spielberg to use M&M's in E.T. That opened up an opportunity for the folks over at Reese's Pieces, who did license their product, and now they are one of the most famous food items in any movie, ever.

Jason's Hockey Mask

Of all the famous masks in slasher films from the '70s and '80s, there is none more iconic than Jason's mask in the Friday the 13th franchise. We're not going to get into who was actually wearing it in the original movie, because it doesn't matter. It's the mask that matters.

The Burn Book

Ahhhh, the "Burn Book" in Mean Girls. It's the ultimate downfall of the titular click in the classic comedy written by and starring Tina Fey. It's filled with all the evidence anyone would ever need to take those terrible people down, and eventually, they are dramatically brought down.

The Box In Seven

"What's in the box?" is one of the most disturbing questions ever uttered in any movie, ever. Brad Pitt's performance in the moment is some of the best acting work of his career. We certainly don't want to go into detail with the answer to that question, but if you know, you know.

The Red Balloon In IT

Some people are scared of clowns. Some people are scared of balloons. IT finds a way to freak both groups out and in the process creates one of the most iconic props of all time. No words are needed to scare people, either. Like so many props on this list, one quick glance is all it takes to know exactly what movie it comes from.

Dawn Haunts Renton (Trainspotting)

Director Danny Boyle's 1996 adaptation of Irvine Welsh's novel Trainspotting follows a group of Scottish addicts trying to get clean, none of whom has a harder time with it than Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor). One signature scene sees him locked in his childhood bedroom by his parents and forced to wean off his habit cold turkey, during which he suffers an intense fever dream featuring hallucinations of his parents on a game show, his various friends, and the spirit of a deceased infant he once knew climbing on his ceiling.

Bruce Wayne's Alternate Life (Batman: The Animated Series)

One of the best episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, let alone one of the strangest, is "Perchance to Dream." As part of a scheme by Mad Hatter, Bruce Wayne finds himself living in a fantasy in which his parents were never murdered, he is engaged to Selina Kyle, and someone other than him is protecting the streets of Gotham as Batman.

Sarah's Apocalyptic Nightmare (Terminator 2: Judgment Day)

One thing that makes the classic sci-fi movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day one of the all-time greatest sequels is the way it depicts Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and her growth as a character following the traumatic events of the first film, especially through one wild fantasy sequence. In the dream, she witnesses her happier past self and other bystanders at a park where they suffer a nuclear blast that ends up burning off her skin, leaving her remaining skeleton clinging to a chain-link fence.

All Of Season 9 (Dallas)

Dallas delivered one of the craziest retcons in TV history when it was revealed that the death of Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) and the entire ninth season of the hit primetime soap opera all happened in the head of his wife, Pamela (Victoria Principal). The retcon was prompted after Duffy, who had previously left the show, agreed to return for Season 10, which opens with Pamela waking up to find Bobby in the shower.

Happy's Happy Place (Happy Gilmore)

The classic golf movie, 1996's Happy Gilmore, stars Adam Sandler in the title role of a guy with a talent for tee time, but the rage of a hockey player, which his trainer, Chubbs (Carl Weathers), tries to help him control by envisioning his own "happy place." He imagines his girlfriend, Virginia (Julie Bowen), carrying drink pitchers, his grandmother (Frances Bay) finding the money she needs from a slot machine, and a little cowboy riding an old-fashioned bicycle, for some reason. However, a later attempt to escape into this fantasy world is interrupted by the invasion of his nemesis, Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald).

The Solomons Suffer From Bizarre Dreams (3rd Rock From The Sun)

The two-part Season 2 finale of 3rd Rock from the Sun tried something unique by airing in 3D, but saving that format for some incredibly insane sequences. The surreal, avant garde scenes are dreams that Dick (John Lithgow) and the rest of his extra-terrestrial comrades are experiencing, but for the first time since taking human form, which leads them to assume they are ill.

Old Blue Saves The Day (A Christmas Story)

The classic holiday movie, 1983's A Christmas Story, follows young Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) and his devotion to making sure he finds an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle under the tree. He seems to believe that it will make his life better, based on a daydream in which he, dressed as a hero named Old Blue, uses the BB shooter to rescue his family from criminals.

The Opening Scene (8 1/2)

Federico Fellini's signature 1963 film opens with a bizarre dream in which the main character gets trapped in his smoke-filled car in full-stop, literal bumper-to-bumper traffic. After he finally escapes, it cuts to him flying through the clouds until he is pulled down by his ankle by a person on a beach, and descends into the water just as he awakens.

Gutterballs (The Big Lebowski)

There are two great dream sequences from Joel and Ethan Coen's hilarious, classic '90s movie, 1998's The Big Lebowski, the first of which sees The Dude (Jeff Bridges) flying over L.A. trying to reach his stolen rug after receiving a crack on the jaw. However, the more memorable scene sees him, after being sedated by Jackie Treehorn, imagining he is the star of a Busby Berkeley-inspired adult film about bowling.

The Entire Series (Newhart)

One of the most iconic, oft-parodied, and simply best TV series finales is that of Newhart, in which the actor and comedian wakes up in bed as Bob Hartley, his role from his first hit sitcom, The Bob Newhart Show. His co-star from said 1970s hit, Suzanne Pleshette, wakes up next to him as Hartley's wife, Emily, and he explains to her that his entire life as Vermont innkeeper Dick Loudon was a dream.

Rosemary Drifts On A Mattress (Rosemary's Baby)

Some of the best horror movies include a dream sequence that sneaks up on you with its more nightmarish qualities, such as in 1968's Rosemary's Baby. The first half of Rosemary's (Mia Farrow) dream is somewhat peaceful, showing her lying on a mattress floating on a bed of water, but in the second half of the dream, she is attacked by a demon. To make matters worse, that occurrence might not be part of the dream at all.

Buffy's Slaying Is A Delusion? (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

Sarah Michelle Gellar's title hero from Buffy the Vampire Slayer has likely wished that her life could be free of encounters with bloodsuckers, demons, and all kinds of things that go bump in the night, but she probably never wanted to experience it the way she does in Season 6's "Normal Again." Buffy becomes exposed to a demonic, hallucinogenic venom that causes her to become trapped in a fantasy in which she is a mental patient, and her life of fighting paranormal activity has been all in her head.

Nazi Werewolves (An American Werewolf In London)

Writer and director John Landis' An American Werewolf in London boasts one of the most incredible moments of body horror in cinematic history, but one could argue a crazier moment in the classic werewolf movie happens earlier. While recovering from his animal attack, David (David Naughton) dreams he is back in the States with his family when a group of gun-toting, lycanthropic SS soldiers invade.

Tony Becomes A Salesman (The Sopranos)

Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) experienced multiple, eye-opening dream sequences throughout HBO's run of The Sopranos, including one that took place during most of an entire episode. In Season 6's "Join the Club," a comatose Tony dreams of an alternate life away from the DiMeo Family in which he is an ordinary salesman named Kevin Finnerty.

The Clown Hospital (Pee-wee's Big Adventure)

A movie scene that scared many '80s kids occurs in Pee-wee's Big Adventure when the titular man-child (played by Paul Reubens) has a nightmare about his missing bike. The prized, two-wheel vehicle is picked up in scraps by a group of horrifying harlequins who use unconventional and concerning methods to put it back together again.

Adam's Repeated Death Row Sentence (The Twilight Zone)

All of the best episodes of The Twilight Zone feel like a dream (or a nightmare), but Season 2's "Shadow Play" actually takes place entirely in one. Dennis Weaver stars as a convicted criminal trying to convince the other characters that his condemnation is merely part of a recurring nightmare.

Sue Visits Carrie's Grave (Carrie)

Director Brian de Palma's 1976 adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie ends with one of the most iconic and influential jump scares, which actually inspired the ending of 1980's Friday the 13th. A grieving Sue Snell (Amy Irving) dreams that she is visiting the resting place of her titular telekinetic classmate (Sissy Spacek) where her bloodied arm emerges from the ground and grasps onto her. Sue does not wake up from the nightmare, but is unable to stop screaming in her sleep.

Cooper's First Visit To The Red Room (Twin Peaks)

Most of David Lynch's movies and TV projects feel like long dream sequences, but when depicting Special Agent Dale Cooper's (Kyle MacLachlan) nightmare about the Red Room in an early episode of Twin Peaks, the master of surrealism really goes for it, resulting in a dream sequence more authentic than most. The inexplicably aged-up Coop meets a dancing little person who tells him, in backwards speak, "That gum you like is going to come back in style." He then meets a blonde woman resembling Laura Palmer (played by Sheryl Lee) and asks if she is the murdered teen, to which she responds, also in backwards speak, "I feel like I know her, but sometimes my arms bend back."

Lloyd And Mary's Romance (Dumb And Dumber)

In the 1994 Jim Carrey movie favorite, Dumb and Dumber, while traveling to Aspen, Lloyd Christmas (Carrey) fantasizes that his crush, Mary Swanson (Lauren Holly), will fall for him immediately after he returns her missing briefcase. The daydream continues to show highlights of their imaginary relationship, from a party where Lloyd entertains guests with uproarious tricks (like lighting his flatus on fire), to a romantic dinner where he engages in a cinematic-style kung fu fight.

Elliott '90s Sitcom Fantasy (Mr. Robot)

A top-rated Season 2 of Mr. Robot called "eps2.4_m4ster-s1ave.aes" is depicted predominantly in the style of '90s sitcom and even features a cameo by ALF. However, it is later revealed that this laugh-track-filled fantasy is Elliott's (Rami Malek) dream, and that he has been asleep in a hospital after being violently beaten by Ray Heyworth's (Craig Robinson) goons.

Beauty School Dropout (Grease)

In the 1978 movie musical Grease, Frenchie (Didi Conn) is encouraged to put her cosmetology career on hold and go back to high school by an unexpected person, Frankie Avalon, with a dreamy number called "Beauty School Dropout.'

Kevin Becomes An Assassin (The Leftovers)

In Season 2 of The Leftovers, Kevin (Justin Theroux) is told by Virgil (Steven Williams) that the only way to cure his persistent visions of cult leader Patti Levin (Ann Dowd) is to take his own life. This sends him into a bewildering reality in which he is a contract killer assigned to kill Patti, who is a presidential candidate.

Ronnie Births A Maggot (The Fly)

At one point in the tragic romantic thriller that is David Cronenberg's 1986 remake of The Fly, Ronnie (Geena Davis) discovers she is pregnant with the child of Dr. Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum), who has been transforming into a half-man, half-insect at this time. Her fear of what could be growing inside of her is personified in a nightmare in which, instead of a human baby, she gives birth to a giant larva.

Jeff Lives A G.I. Joe Fantasy (Community)

The best episodes of Community experiment with different genres, such as the time the series put the cast in the world of the '80s-era beloved animated series, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. The action-packed, cartoon setting of "G.I. Jeff" is revealed to be a fantasy Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) has created to cope with turning 40.

Henry Loses His Head (Eraserhead)

In Eraserhead, Henry (Jack Nantz) has a nightmare in which his head falls off his neck, where a new head resembling his mutant child pops out to replace it. Of course, this dream sequence is no more bizarre than anything else that happens in David Lynch's perplexing 1977 debut feature.

Rob Suspects There Is An Alien Invasion (The Dick Van Dyke Show)

In a classic episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show called “It May Look Like a Walnut,” Rob Petrie (Van Dyke) watches an alien invasion movie involving extraterrestrial walnuts and otherworldly visitors without thumbs. The next day, his life begins to resemble the film's plot, until he wakes up that night to discover it was all a dream.

Wayne Meets Jim Morrison (Wayne's World 2)

The plot of the hit 1993 SNL movie Wayne's World 2, in which Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers) and Garth Algar (Dana Carvey) put on their own concert, is set in motion when Wayne dreams he is in a desert where he meets the spirit of The Doors frontman, Jim Morrison (Michael Nickles).

Frasier Is Visited By Sigmund Freud (Frasier)

In the Season 4 Frasier episode "The Impossible Dream," the eponymous therapist and radio host (played by Kelsey Grammer) has a suggestive dream about his effeminate colleague, Gil Chesterson (Edward Hibbert). He eventually determines the dream is no more than a task his subconscious gave himself to satisfy his currently unchallenging career, but the episode ends with an even more confusing nighttime encounter with his idol, Sigmund Freud, who joins him in his bed and implies a request for intimacy.

Ray Gets Cooked (The 'Burbs)

In 1989's The 'Burbs, family man Ray (Tom Hanks) initially refuses to believe that his neighbors could actually be the murderous cult that other locals suspect they are. However, he does reach a breaking point when he dreams that they tear through his house with a chainsaw and sacrifice him on a giant barbecue pit.

Cliff's Muppet-Filled Nightmare (The Cosby Show)

One of the weirdest episodes of The Cosby Show involves Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby) dreaming that the Muppets have taken over his life.

Alex Gives Birth To His Doppelganger (Junior)

Arnold Schwarzenegger playing a man who becomes pregnant is a pretty intriguing concept on its own. However, things get especially bizarre in 1994's Junior when the actor's character dreams that he has given birth to the spitting image of himself.

D.J.'s SAT Disaster (Full House)

In a Season 6 episode of Full House, D.J. Tanner's (Candace Cameron Bure) stress over the upcoming SATs culminates in a nightmare in which Wheel of Fortune's Vanna White appears to inform her that she has failed the test and will go to Clown University.

North By Northwest (1959)

Many of Alfred Hitchcock's best movies followed people who find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time, with North by Northwest being a prime example. The awesome spy movie stars Cary Grant as an advertising executive who is suddenly forced to go on the run when he is mistaken for a government agent.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

The set-up for writer and director Shane Black's fun crime thriller Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a good example of how being in the wrong place at the wrong time can sort of work out in one's favor. Running away from a job gone traumatically wrong, thief Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey Jr.) accidentally walks into an audition for a movie role, has a breakdown on the spot that is mistaken for a dynamite performance, and is sent to Hollywood where he shadows a private investigator (played by Val Kilmer) as research.

Holes (2003)

Based on the award-winning novel by Louis Sachar, Holes tells the story of 14-year-old Stanley Yelnats IV (Shia LaBeouf), who comes from a long line of men known for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, as part of a mysterious curse. For instance, Stanley happens to be standing right where a pair of missing shoes fall on his head and, in turn, is accused of stealing them, which is how he ends up at the brutal Camp Green Lake.

No Country For Old Men (2007)

There are many reasons why Joel and Ethan Coen's No Country for Old Men is considered one of the best Western movies of all time, including its brilliant use of themes like "decision and consequence." In the Best Picture Oscar winner, Llewellyn Moss (Josh Brolin) comes across the aftermath of a drug deal turned deadly and decides to take $2 million left behind. His second and worse mistake is returning to deliver water to one of the dying victims at the scene, where he is spotted and soon forced to go on the run from the sadistic Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem).

Collateral (2004)

The tagline for director Michael Mann's gripping thriller, Collateral, points out that the plot "started out like any other night" before exploding into one of panic and violence. Had Max (Jamie Foxx) not apologized for accidentally ignoring Vincent (Tom Cruise) when he first approached his cab, it could have saved him from driving around Los Angeles with a sociopathic contract killer in his backseat.

Green Room (2016)

The acclaimed A24 movie, Green Room, put writer and director Jeremy Saulnier on the map as not just a master of heart-pounding tension, but of crafting compelling stories of ordinary people trapped in terrifying situations. The thriller follows an up-and-coming punk band forced to barricade themselves in the backroom at a bar crawling with Neo-nazis after witnessing a murder.

Blue Velvet (1986)

One of David Lynch's best movies, Blue Velvet, is a cautionary tale about the potentially dangerous lure of curiosity. Kyle MacLachlan plays a college student who stumbles upon a severed ear in the middle of a field, convinces himself to investigate the matter on his own, and ends up crossing paths with a menacing group of people.

Psycho (1960)

Just about any of the best horror movies are an exercise in characters being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but Psycho has to be the ultimate example of the theme's unexpected nature. Of all of the places where she could have stopped on a stormy night, the on-the-run Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) chooses to take shelter at the Bates Motel, run by the criminally unhinged Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins).

First Blood (1982)

I believe anyone who has seen First Blood would agree that Brian Dennehy's angry, prejudiced Sheriff William Teasle is to blame for the trouble that soon plagues his town at the hands of John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone). Had the lonely, traumatized, and highly-skilled Vietnam veteran walked into any other town, he would not have been caught up in a war with local law enforcement.

Die Hard (1988)

The phrase "wrong place, wrong time" is practically personified by Bruce Willis' John McClane, who becomes the only hope to save his wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia), and her co-workers when Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) takes them hostage on Christmas Eve in Die Hard. For this reason, the New York-based cop should be considered a godsend, but if given the chance, he would willfully pass on the responsibility onto someone else.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

At the beginning of The Shawshank Redemption, Frank Darabont's adaptation of Stephen King's novella, the evidence is stacked against Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) regarding whether or not he murdered his wife and her lover. Considering he was at the scene of the crime with a revolver in hand, one would understandably assume he was guilty, until it is revealed that his cellmate, Elmo Batch (Bill Bolender), is the real killer, making this a case of unfortunate coincidence.

Donnie Darko (2001)

The bizarre, perplexing high school movie favorite Donnie Darko presents a unique reversal of sorts on the "wrong place, wrong time" theme, as Jake Gyllenhaal's titular teen is spared from a tragic death by the rabbit-suited Frank (James Duval). However, avoiding this grisly fate proves to have catastrophic consequences for his family, his peers, and, potentially, the world.

The Big Lebowski (1998)

Technically, in the opening scene of the Coen Brothers' worshipped comedy, The Big Lebowski, The Dude (Jeff Bridges) is in the right place (his own home). However, he is definitely there at the wrong time, when Jackie Treehorn's goons broke into his apartment, assuming he is the wealthy Jeffrey Lebowski, which is why they "soil" his rug, leading him to become involved in "a very complicated case."

After Hours (1985)

After Hours is a rare comedy from director Martin Scorsese, but a certainly dark comedy movie, at that. It stars Griffin Dunne as computer data entry worker Paul Hackett, who becomes embroiled in a series of uproarious and deadly situations that stem from a seemingly innocent conversation with a woman (played by Rosanna Arquette) at a cafe.

Lucky Number Slevin (2006)

Admittedly, I'm cheating a little bit by adding Lucky Number Slevin, because it only seems like Josh Hartnett's title character is in the wrong place at the wrong time when he is mistaken for Nick Fisher and becomes caught up in two aging gangsters' rivalry. SPOILER ALERT: It is revealed that this case of mistaken identity is all part of a vengeful scheme against the mob bosses for murdering Slevin's parents when he was a child.

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)

Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much, a remake of his own 1934 film, is a classic film noir starring James Stewart and Doris Day as a married couple on a holiday in Paris when they happen to witness a murder. Making matters worse, soon after, their young son is suddenly kidnapped.

Breakdown (1997)

Kurt Russell stars in Breakdown as Jeff, who is on a trip with his wife, Amy (Kathleen Quinlan), when their car breaks down in the middle of the desert. A truck driver stops for them and agrees to take Amy to a nearby diner where she can call for help. However, when he can't find Amy at the diner and the trucker he met claims to have never seen either of them, Jeff begins a desperate search to find her.

Jennifer’s Body (2009)

In Jennifer's Body, Megan Fox's eponymous teen makes the mistake of agreeing to leave a local bar with struggling indie rock band Low Shoulder, who, under the impression she is a virgin, intend to sacrifice her to achieve mainstream success. As it turns out, she lied about her "innocence," and the sacrificial ritual ends up turning her into a deadly succubus.

Enemy Of The State (1998)

From director Tony Scott, Enemy of the State stars Will Smith as a lawyer who is out shopping for his wife when he unwittingly intercepts evidence of a political crime. As a result, his life begins to unravel when he becomes a target of the NSA.

Innerspace (1987)

In director Joe Dante's criminally overlooked '80s movie Innerspace, a scientist makes the spur-of-the-moment decision to save Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid), who has been miniaturized and placed into a syringe, by injecting him into the first person he sees. That person is anxious supermarket clerk Jack Putter (Martin Short), who is forced to ignore his doctor's orders and embark on an adventure to help get his new friend back to his normal size before it is too late.

Taken (2008)

Taken is the film that made Academy Award nominee Liam Neeson, as retired CIA agent Brian Mills, one of the top action stars in Hollywood. The thriller's inciting incident occurs when Mills' teenage daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace), is abducted while on a European vacation, motivating him to take drastic measures to find her himself.

Nick Of Time (1995)

From director John Badham, Nick of Time is a fun '90s thriller told in real time that deals with the concept of average people embroiled in above-average situations. Johnny Depp stars as an accountant approached at a train station by sinister individuals who coerce him into committing an assassination in exchange for his daughter's life.

Nobody (2021)

Nobody is a John Wick-style action thriller starring Bob Odenkirk as a family man harboring long-dormant violent tendencies, which he even chooses to hold inside when intruders break into his house. He is finally inspired to let out his true self when he happens to board a city bus where he spots a young woman being harassed by a gang and unleashes his own brand of justice.

Blow Out (1981)

From director Brian De Palma, Blow Out stars John Travolta as a movie studio recording artist who overhears evidence of a murder. While the film was a box office flop in the '80s, it has since been reevaluated as a taut suspense thriller by many, including Quentin Tarantino, according to Far Out.

Game Night (2018)

Imagine being invited to what you assume would be a night of innocent, if not elaborate, game play until unexpected circumstances force you and your friends to be embroiled in a deadly situation. Such is the premise of directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein's Game Night, starring Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams as a highly competitive couple who must rely on their party game skills to solve a real mystery.

Lucy (2014)

In writer and director Luc Besson's Lucy, Scarlett Johansson's title character, while living in Japan as a student, is forced to be a gangster's mule for an experimental drug inserted in her stomach. When the bag of the mysterious substance leaks out while still in her stomach, it begins rapidly evolving her brain chemistry and granting her superhuman abilities.

Pineapple Express (2007)

Writers Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and Judd Apatow envisioned Pineapple Express as what would happen if Tony Scott directed a raunchy comedy. The result is the story of a process server named Dale Denton (Seth Rogen) who witnesses a murder and his forced to go on the run with his dealer, Saul Silver (James Franco).

Frantic (1988)

From director Roman Polanski, Frantic is an international mystery thriller starring Harrison Ford. The Academy Award nominee plays a man vacationing in Paris with his wife when she suddenly goes missing, embroiling him in a deadly mystery.

Jeepers Creepers (2001)

In Jeepers Creepers, Trish (Gina Phillips) and her brother, Darry (Justin Long), are driving home for spring break on a country road when they witness a mysterious trucker (Jonathan Breck) dumping his victims' bodies down a homemade chute. When he notices them, the siblings become a special target of the trucker, whom they soon discover is a being of otherworldly origin.

The Collector (2009)

The Collector is a wild, underrated horror movie that almost plays like Home Alone in reverse. It stars Josh Stewart as a former thief-turned-handyman who breaks into his current employers' house, not realizing a sadistic killer has beaten him to it, subjecting the owners to torture and littering the place with deadly traps.

Clerks (1994)

While nothing truly tragic happens to Dante in Clerks (at least in the final cut after Kevin Smith nixed the tragic original ending), Dante (Brian O'Halloran) repeatedly makes it clear that he "is not supposed to be here today" after being called into work at Quick Stop.

Death Sentence (2007)

Had Kevin Bacon's Nick Hume not stopped at a gas station on the way back from his teenage son's hockey game, the boy would still be alive, and he would not be motivated to wage a war against a violent gang in director James Wan's thriller, Death Sentence.

And, then, there are those characters whose opportunity to become something special is ruined by, not just a lack of screen time but a lack of anything to substantially serve the story with. We cover them all in this list of movie roles who deserved more.

Boba Fett (Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back)

It is a wonder how this galactic bounty hunter (originally portrayed by Jeremy Bulloch and voiced by Jason Wingreen) became such a wildly revered Star Wars character as he does very little in his appearances in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Even when Temeura Morrison inherited the character for Disney+'s miniseries, The Book of Boba Fett, he was upstaged by Pedro Pascal's title character of the show it was spun off from, The Mandalorian.

Raoul Silva (Skyfall)

Academy Award winner Javier Bardem’s brilliant performance as elusive cyber-terrorist Raoul Silva in 2012's Skyfall comes in pretty late into the plot. While the payoff to the preceding buildup is effective, the otherwise acclaimed Daniel Craig-era James Bond film could have potentially benefitted from more of his cat-and-mouse game with 007.

Beth March (Little Women)

Writer and director Greta Gerwig's Oscar-nominated Little Women is considered one of the strongest adaptations yet of Louis May Alcott’s celebrated 1868 novel. However, even its most adoring fans may agree that the March Sister who gets the least time to shine in the 2019 period drama is Beth, portrayed by Eliza Scanlen.

Clubber Lang (Rocky III)

With all the great characters who would recur in the Rocky movies, it is hard to believe that Clubber Lang is not one of them. Mr. T gives such an intense and mesmerizing performance as Sylvester Stallone's onscreen opponent in the 1982 sequel that deserved a later reprise in some way, shape, or form.

Frozone (The Incredibles)

Bob "Mr. Incredible" Parr’s (Craig T. Nelson) best friend and former partner-in-crimefighting, Lucius, better known as Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson), is given the chance to show off his abilities in a few memorable moments from 2004’s The Incredibles. However, the ice-powered superhero deserved a more integral role in the acclaimed Pixar movie that could have provided a more solid and justified build-up toward his return from retirement in the final showdown.

Donny Kerabatsos (The Big Lebowski)

The joke about Steve Buscemi’s character in Joel and Ethan Coen’s beloved cult favorite comedy, 1998’s The Big Lebowski, is that he is rarely given a chance to speak by Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) for mysterious reasons. However, after finally learning more about Donny after his death from Walter’s impassioned eulogy, we wish we could have seen just a little bit more of his life.

The Five Wives (Mad Max: Fury Road)

One thing that makes George Miller’s 2015 post-apocalyptic thriller one of the best action movies of all time is what it consciously chooses to remain a mystery. However, what actually could have used more exposition in Mad Max: Fury Road is the group of young women (played by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Zoë Kravitz, Riley Keough, Abbey Lee, and Courtney Eaton) whom Tom Hardy’s title role and Furiosa (Charlize Theron) are racing to protect from Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne).

Batman (The Dark Knight)

Ironically, the most acclaimed installment of Christopher Nolan’s trilogy of live-action Batman movies, 2008’s The Dark Knight, is the one that makes Bruce Wayne’s alter ego (Christian Bale) the least interesting character. Actually, one could argue the same thing about Tim Burton’s DC films, 1989’s Batman and 1992’s Batman Returns, despite many believing that Michael Keaton is the best Batman actor yet.

Sloane Peterson (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off)

The core and most important relationship in John Hughes’ hilarious 1986 high school movie, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, is undeniably that of the eponymous troublemaker (Matthew Broderick) and his best friend, Cameron Fry (Alan Ruck). However, we should still know a little more about Ferris' girlfriend, Sloane Peterson (Mia Sara), than we do, which is not much at all.

Darth Maul (Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace)

Even the most casual fans of the Star Wars movies would likely agree that Ray Park's Sith Lord was killed off way too soon and should have appeared in at least one follow-up to 1999's Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. Thus, Darth Maul's return in subsequent animated series and a scene from 2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story is one of the few widely accepted retcons in pop culture history.

Charon (John Wick)

It is the late Lance Reddick's performance as Charon that made the minor role in 2014's John Wick so intriguing. However, it was not until 2019's Chapter 3 - Parabellum that we finally got just how hard-boiled the Continental's loyal concierge can be.

The Joker (Suicide Squad)

Many audiences might argue that Jared Leto’s iteration of The Clown Prince of Crime could have used even less screen time in 2016’s Suicide Squad. However, there are a few DC fans who believe the Oscar winner had the potential to make a better impression than he did – as evidenced by his appearance in the recut Zack Snyder’s Justice League – and, perhaps, should have been the main villain instead of a wasted B-plot.

Michael Myers (Halloween Ends)

While marketed as an epic final showdown between the quintessential horror movie Final Girl, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney), 2022's Halloween Ends instead focused largely on the tarnished reputation of a new character named Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell) and his ill-fated romance with Laurie granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak). With very little screentime for the aging masked boogeyman, the finale to director David Gordon Green’s requel trilogy ended on a severely divisive note.

Boo (Monsters, Inc.)

Much of Boo's backstory is left a mystery, which is why it would have been appreciated to see her return in a sequel to Monsters Inc. instead of the otherwise well-received prequel, Monsters University. Not to mention, what happened to the adorable interdimensional traveler after she returned to her world? There had to have been an intense search for her during the many hours she was gone.

Ned Ryerson (Groundhog Day)

Stephen Tobolowsky’s annoying insurance agent deserved more to do than, essentially, repeat the exact same thing in his brief appearances in the hilarious 1993 time loop movie, Groundhog Day. On the other hand, the popular, bizarre fan theory that Ned Ryerson is really the Devil in disguise and the orchestrator of Phil Connors’ (Bill Murray) insane predicament is proof that the character has achieved icon status.

The Salesman (Sin City)

Perhaps Josh Hartnett’s contract killer, who seems to specialize in assisted suicide, is used the right amount in directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller's visually astonishing comic book thriller, Sin City. Then again, the 2005 film noir favorite could have dropped a couple more hints and teases to his story to give "The Salesman" an even more memorable role.

Blanche (Drive)

Considering she was played by an actor who resembles a sultry, Silver Age femme fatale, Christina Hendricks’ role in Nicolas Winding Refn’s 2011 neo-noir thriller could have been iconic. Perhaps she could have if Blanche was given more than a page’s worth of dialogue in her three scenes from Drive.

Kaecilius (Doctor Strange)

When you cast an actor who has absolutely mastered the art of portraying villainy like Mads Mikkelsen as your antagonist, you better give him enough material to deliver. Unfortunately, the vengeful sorcerer Kaecilius is mostly an afterthought in the MCU’s Doctor Strange – the origin story of Benedict Cumberbatch’s surgeon-turned-Sorcerer Supreme – and is an even less memorable villain than Dormammu, who only shows up for one fun scene.

Scrat (Ice Age)

He was the face of the marketing for, arguably, Blue Sky Studios’ best-animated movie but is treated as an afterthought, appearing in funny interstitial bits outside of the main storyline. At least Scrat (whose name, a combination of “squirrel” and “rat,” is never even explicitly mentioned in any of the Ice Age movies) got to be the star of his own short spin-offs.

Dracula (Renfield)

Obviously, the star of director Chris McKay's 2022 horror-comedy movie is Dracula’s eponymous familiar, Renfield (Nicholas Hoult). However, the film does not spend quite enough time exploring his one-sided, abusive relationship with the ruthless vampire, who is portrayed brilliantly by Nicolas Cage.

Emma Watson (This Is The End)

A fictionalized version of the Harry Potter movies’ Hermione Granger actor only shows up for one scene in This is the End, in which she assumes a house full of male celebrities have ill intentions for her. Yet, it would have been fun to see much more of Emma Watson and her skills with an axe against the nightmarish circumstances outside in Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s 2014 post-apocalyptic comedy.

Gorr The Godbutcher (Thor: Love And Thunder)

Some fans of the Marvel movies might say that Christian Bale’s vengeful antagonist is the best thing about Taika Waititi’s follow-up to Thor: Ragnarok. Unfortunately, Gorr the Godbutcher's screentime in 2022's Thor: Love and Thunder is, much like the tragic deaths of his family, not justified.

Helga Sinclair (Atlantis: The Lost Empire)

In one of the best Disney animated movies from the 2000s, 2001's Atlantis: The Lost Empire, ambitious linguist Milo Thatch (voiced by Michael J. Fox) is recruited onto an expedition to find the eponymous fabled kingdom by the wealthy Preston Whitmore (John Mahoney). His personal assistant, the attractive Lt. Helga Sinclair (Claudia Christian) is considered the secondary antagonist of the story but boasts far more charisma than the main villain, Commander Lyle Tiberius Rourke (James Garner).

Sandman (Spider-Man 3)

The final installment of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man Trilogy is one of the most essential examples of the superhero movie genre's “too many villains” trope, with three villains fighting for screen time. The one with the most engaging and sympathetic arc – and, thus, the one who, arguably, should have been the only antagonist – is Flint "Sandman" Marko (Thomas Haden Church), whose biological makeup becomes bonded with sand after a bizarre accident.

Wizard (Taxi Driver)

The most deeply underrated character in director Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver is easily Peter Boyle's Wizard. The wise veteran cabbie is one of the few characters in the bleak 1976 drama whom Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) could genuinely call a friend and, perhaps, if he was around more, he could have helped steer the disturbed former marine in a more favorable direction.

Boris Podgorny (The Fabelmans)

Judd Hirsch’s Academy Award nomination for portraying a fictionalized version of director Steven Spielberg’s granduncle in 2022's The Fabelmans was well deserved. What the character, Boris Podgorny, really deserved, however, was to play a larger role in the story, as long as it would be accurate to the semi-autobiographical story that the esteemed filmmaker was crafting.

Luna Lovegood (The Harry Potter Movies)

Evanna Lynch portrays Luna Lovegood – a refreshingly positive fan-favorite character from J.K. Rowling’s magical Harry Potter novels. However, most fans of the Wizarding World would argue that the Ravenclaw was significantly underutilized in the blockbuster film adaptations.

Jeff Portnoy (Tropic Thunder)

The famously animated Jack Black has higher billing than Robert Downey Jr.'s Academy Award-nominated role in the cast of 2008's Tropic Thunder. Yet, his role as Jeff Portnoy – an unhinged comedian attempting a serious war movie – gets the least amount of screentime or material to work with in star and director Ben Stiller’s hilarious Hollywood satire.

Lady Sif (Thor)

One of the most heavily underrated MCU characters is Lady Sif, who has appeared in every one of Thor's solo movies but only briefly. We might go so far as to say that Jaimie Alexander’s portrayal of the Asgardian Goddess of War should have her own solo movie, or at least deserves a more substantial role in the franchise.

Rhino (The Amazing Spider-Man 2)

Paul Giamatti’s cinematic iteration of the Spider-Man villain, Rhino, makes his grand entrance at the end of the widely reviled sequel, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and was supposed to have a bigger role in a third installment starring Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker. Of course, the poor reception to the 2014 film led to the cancellation of the follow-up before Tom Holland stepped in to play the MCU-canon webslinger.

Officer Benjamin Clawhauser (Zootopia)

Voiced by Nate Torrence, the doughnut-chomping Officer Benjamin Clawhauser is about the funniest character from 2016's Zootopia. For that reason alone, the tiger deserves a more integral role in the family-friendly police dramedy about anthropomorphic animals.

Garraka (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire)

The fifth installment of the Ghostbusters franchise gets its subtitle (Frozen Empire) from the main antagonist's power to create a second Ice Age. However, said malevolent entity, Garraka, officially shows up far too late in the 2024 sequel's runtime.

Cher's Plaid Set From Clueless

Alicia Silverstone's Cher has been sparking closet envy ever since we saw her computer whip up the perfect outfit combination in the first scenes of Clueless. And her sunshine-yellow plaid suit, paired with a Collie-esque faux-fur backpack and her best accessory of all — equally stylish BFF Dionne Davenport (Stacey Dash), of course — is as instantly iconic as her trademark rebuttal of "As if!"

Tyler Durden's Leather Jacket From Fight Club

We won't spoil that mind-blowing plot twist — though the film has been out for decades at this point — but we will say that Brad Pitt's Tyler Durden sure packs a punch in the style department. Throughout the 1999 David Fincher flick, the Fight Club character routinely sports a uniform comprised of a wide-lapeled red leather jacket, a patterned button-down and a pair of scarlet-lensed sunglasses. It's a fit so cool, it's almost too good to be true.

The Metallic Dresses From Romy and Michele's High School Reunion

If you're going to make an impression at your high school reunion, coordinating metallic mini-dresses is certainly the way to do it. After shedding their Post-it-inventing businesswomen blazers, besties Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michele (Lisa Kudrow) make their grand reentrance in ensembles entirely their own: a set of super-shiny, dance-friendly frocks in bubblegum pink and baby blue. Just think of the style moments a Romy and Michele sequel could bring!

Vivian's Crimson Opera Dress From Pretty Woman

There are many memorable fashion moments in the Julia Roberts classic Pretty Woman, from the $20 white-and-blue call girl outfit we first meet Vivian Ward in, to the pretty, polka-dotted number she later wears to polo. (Heck, the movie pretty much perfected the shopping montage!) But no look was as significant as the stunning red carpet-worth gown the character wears to attend a performance of La Traviata at the San Francisco Opera alongside Richard Gere's Edward Lewis.

The Desert Denim From Thelma & Louise

If you're going to be on the run from the law — in self-defense or otherwise — you might as well look great doing it. And road-tripping pals Thelma Dickinson (Geena Davis) and Louise Sawyer (Susan Sarandon) certainly do in the boundary-breaking Ridley Scott drama Thelma & Louise, which sees the two Arkansas women dash and dart away from police in dusty dungarees, sleeveless tops, ripped neckerchiefs and cowgirl hats. If being stylish was a crime, consider these two guilty.

Neo’s Trench Coat From The Matrix

From Casablanca to Kill Bill, the trench coat is a cinematic fashion staple, but nowhere has it looked cooler than when worn by Keanu Reeves as computer hacker Neo in the sci-fi masterpiece The Matrix. Per Dazed, the iconic black trench the character sports throughout the futuristic franchise was crafted by costume designer Kym Barrett with traditional Chinese robes and clergy garb in mind. Whatever the sartorial inspiration, the outcome was truly otherworldly.

Mia's Bob and Button-Down From Pulp Fiction

Proof that simple doesn't mean snooze-worthy where style is concerned, mob wife Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman, in her breakthrough role) twisted her way into cultural iconography with her blunt brunette bob, crisp white button-down and perpetually lit cigarette in Quentin Tarantino's best movie, Pulp Fiction. Costume designer Betsy Heimann reportedly modeled Mia's signature look after silent film stars and French New Wave figures.

The Cheer Squad Uniforms From Bring It On

The Rancho Carne Toros in San Diego and the East Compton Clovers in Los Angeles may have been rivals on the cheer mat, but they were equals where fashion is concerned. In their peppy, contrasting red and green uniforms, the cheerleading squads led by captains Torrance (Kirsten Dunst) and Isis (Gabrielle Union) looked surprisingly sophisticated while performing their high-flying routines. And the looks are still relevant these decades later — Union even sweetly broke out her old Clovers uniform as a fun movie-themed Halloween costume alongside her daughter.

The Orange and Blue Tuxes From Dumb and Dumber

Talk about not adhering to a black-tie dress code! Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) and Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels) made quite a bold fashion statement when they showed up to a formal fundraising event in a bright-orange and powder-blue tuxedo, respectively, in the classic Farrelly Brothers comedy Dumb and Dumber. They're simultaneously some of the best (in terms of funniness) and worst (in terms of fashion) suits ever put to celluloid.

The Goth Schoolgirl Garb From The Craft

The Power of Four, indeed. Each of the witchy teens at the center of the '90s cult hit The Craft — played by Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell and Rachel True — was a style goddess in her own right. But together they made quite a mystical impression with their schoolgirl style edged up with a touch of the occult, from their gothic choker necklaces to their lace-up black boots. Our wardrobes invoke thee!

Catherine's White Turtleneck Dress From Basic Instinct

Funnily enough, Basic Instinct star Sharon Stone believed that nobody would care about what femme fatale Catherine Tramell was wearing during an otherwise straightforward interrogation scene. “The movie was a thriller and we were stopping the action to watch me sit still in a chair, so I thought the possibility of anybody giving two s—ts about it was zero," the actress revealed to InStyle. How wrong she was — that leggy white dress and cashmere Hermès throw helped create one of the most infamous and controversial scenes in movie history, thanks to yet another style choice: her lack of undergarments.

Janet Jackson's Hat and Hoops From Poetic Justice

On stage, on screen, on the street — Janet Jackson is a veritable style icon wherever she goes. And the music legend certainly lived up to that sartorial greatness in the 1993 romantic drama Poetic Justice as the Los Angeles-based poet-hairdresser Justice, memorably accessorized with hoop earrings and a pageboy cap to go with her still-en-vogue ensemble of baggy high-waisted jeans and a black crop top.

Leeloo's Orange Suspenders From The Fifth Element

As a famous model-turned-actress, Milla Jovovich could pull off any costume, even ridiculous outfits from movies set in the future. Her iconic role as Leeloo in the 1997 sci-fi favorite The Fifth Element is certainly proof: the character famously wears rubber neon-orange suspenders — as citrus-bright as her dyed hair — with a ribbed crop top and gold disco pants, all designed by the one and only Jean-Paul Gaultier.

The Dude’s Sweater From The Big Lebowski

The original Westerly men's cardigan by Pendleton Woolen Mills debuted all the way back in 1974, but it become immortalized when the lambswool sweater was worn by Jeff Lebowski. a.k.a. The Dude, in The Coen Brothers' classic The Big Lebowski. The garment became so popular thanks to the groovy Jeff Bridges character that the brand permanently brought the cardigan back in stock. Style abides!

Juliet’s Angel Wings From Romeo + Juliet

Baz Luhrmann's magnetic, modernized Romeo + Juliet adaptation was packed with flamboyant reimaginings of the Shakespearean classic, particularly in the costume department. The most famous example, no doubt, is the ballroom scene that brings together our titular star-crossed lovers (played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes), with Danes' Juliet looking positively ethereal in a chaste white dress and angel's wings. Nineties-era DiCaprio dressed as a literal knight in shining armor isn't too shabby, either.

Ellie Sattler's Safari Styles From Jurassic Park

Few people could make digging through dinosaur poop look fashionable, and Laura Dern is one of them. For much of the 1993 Steven Spielberg-helmed action flick, Dern's beloved Jurassic Park heroine Dr. Ellie Sattler is durably decked out in a salmon-colored shirt tied in a knot over a blue tank, a pair of khaki shorts and some jungle-ready work boots. Dern paid homage to that very outfit when she reprised the iconic character three decades later in Jurassic World Dominion.

Kathryn's Power Suit From Cruel Intentions

Any other high schooler parading around uptown Manhattan in a power suit would look foolish, but not Cruel Intentions' Kathryn Merteuil. Formidably played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, the merciless mean girl made being bad look good in a sleek Dolce & Gabbana suit, with a custom skintight corset hidden underneath and a rosary necklace filled with, well, not holy water. The only thing sharper than that tailoring? Kathryn's manipulative edge.

Josie's First Day-Of-School Feathers From Never Been Kissed

If you're a 20-something newspaper reporter trying to go undercover as a high school student to research for a story, maybe wearing a feather boa to homeroom isn't the best move. Sure, Josie Geller's all-white get-up — worn in one of the best Drew Barrymore romantic comedies, Never Been Kissed — was nonsensical, especially paired with a giant lemon-printed tot in place of a traditional backpack, but overall, it was definitely rufus!

Wooderson's White Tee and 'Stache From Dazed & Confused

Few film breakthroughs have been as indelible as Matthew McConaughey in the Richard Linklater-directed coming-of-age comedy Dazed and Confused. One of McConaughey's best roles, his Texan townie David Wooderson wasn't just iconic because of his one-liners (including that infamous "Alright, alright, alright" drawl) but also because of his authentic '70s digs: a tight Ted Nugent T-shirt tucked into salmon-pink pants, capped off with a groovy mustache and that easy McConaughey smile.

Nisi and Mickey's Super-Shiny Coats From B.A.P.S.

Nisi (Halle Berry) and Mickey (the late Natalie Desselle) — a.k.a. the "Black American Princesses" at the focus of the cultish 1997 buddy comedy B.A.P.S. —know that a good outfit means serving looks from head to toe. Put together by Oscar-winning costume director Ruth E. Carter, those incredible sky-high hairdos are matched with heavily lacquered outerwear in tropical tangerine and animal print, plus heaps of gold jewelry and a fresh set of acrylic nails.

Corey's Rex Manning Day Outfit From Empire Records

The '90s cult favorite Empire Records takes place over the course of one day in the lives of a plucky group of record store employees. But it's no ordinary day: it's Rex Manning Day when the childhood crush of staffer Corey Mason (played by Liv Tyler) — washed-up pop star Rex Manning (Maxwell Caulfield) — comes in for an album-signing event. Of course, that means Corey wants to look her best and she sure does, in a soft blue mohair sweater, plaid skirt and combat boots that, per Elle, were the actress's own.

The Pink Camp Uniforms From But I'm a Cheerleader

One of the best and most satirical teen rom-coms out there, But I'm a Cheerleader stars Natasha Lyonne as Megan Bloomfield, a high school cheerleader whose parents send her to a conversion therapy camp to "cure" her lesbianism. All attendees of True Directions are made to wear campy color-coded uniforms — pale pink for the girls, bright blue for the boys — a hilariously subversive sendup of absurd gender stereotypes. That candy-colored clothing is made sweeter when Megan falls for another queer girl (played by Clea DuVall) in the program.

Tupac's Layered Outerwear From Juice

The 1992 crime thriller Juice was the feature film debut of rap icon Tupac Shakur, and the rapper made a great big-screen first impression. As Roland Bishop, an aimless Harlem youth walking the chilly, dangerous streets of early-nineties New York City with his friends, Tupac wears a top-notch outerwear uniform — we're talking sporty crewnecks layered over hoodies and topped with an oversized jean jacket. It may be cold, but Pac always looks cool.

Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman Suit From Batman Returns

Superheroes usually have pretty cool costumes, tricked out with gadgets and gizmos, but for Michelle Pfeiffer, all her Catwoman needed was a skintight latex suit and a simple whip to create a seminal cinematic villain. Beyond being "black and sexy and tight and shiny," costume designer Mary Vogt revealed to AnOther, the infamous suit shrewdly incorporated silicon stitching to mimic a calico cat. "Since she was moving around at night, it looked really fluid. That costume is all about the light – and of course, all about Michelle.”

Selena's Purple Performing Jumpsuit From Selena

Jennifer Lopez is a fashion legend in her own right — her famous green Grammy dress literally inspired the invention of Google Images — but in 1997, she had her Golden Globe-nominated breakthrough for portraying another style icon, the late Tejano superstar Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, in the music biopic Selena. The titular star had many notable performing outfits throughout her short-lived career, many of which were recreated for the film, but the glittering purple jumpsuit Selena wore while performing at the Houston Astrodome might just be her most unforgettable look.

The Spice Force Five Looks From Spice World

World-famous pop group, The Spice Girls are known for their individual personas and signature styles, from Victoria Beckham's "posh" little black dresses to Geri Halliwell's Union Jack frocks. But in their 1997 musical comedy film Spice World, the gals come together for a true joint slay as the "Spice Force Five," hamming it up as seriously stylish espionage agents in matching silver fits and, of course, massive platform shoes.

Laney's Little Red Dress From She's All That

Some outfits deserve their own slow-mo moment, and the post-makeover red dress that artsy nerd Laney Boggs (played by Rachael Leigh Cook) wears in the classic '90s teen flick She's All That is certainly one of them. "Up until that point her palette was very drab," costume designer Denise Wingate told Interview Magazine. "That’s why when she comes down the stairs to meet Zach that moment was more about the color than the dress itself." (Cue the "Kiss Me"!) Not that we don't love her paint-splattered overalls and bookish eyeglasses, too!

The Beach Hats From How Stella Got Her Groove Back

Angela Bassett always looks incredible, but especially while on vacation — the tropical costuming in one of the actress's best movies, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, certainly proves that point. The island-ready looks worn by Bassett's character Stella Payne and her best friend Delilah (Whoopi Goldberg), complete with fabulous, wide-brimmed beach hats, will make you want to book a trip ASAP.

Madeline's Silver Ensemble From Death Becomes Her

When Hollywood icons like Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn and Isabella Rossellini come together, you know the fashion moments will be aplenty. The '90s dark comedy Death Becomes Her is packed with them, like the silky silver jacket that Meryl's Madeline Ashton character wears while she blasts a hole straight through the stomach of her former friend Helen Sharp (Hawn). The outfit was so iconic that Adele herself wore it while crooning to Streep at one of her Vegas shows.

Rose's Dinner Dress From Titanic

It's no surprise that, out of its whopping 11 wins, Titanic took home the Oscar for Best Costume Design at the 70th Academy Awards. The ornate lace gown that Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) wears in that romantic scene as she glides down the grand staircase to meet Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) alone was worth the award!

The Wonders' Matching Suits From That Thing You Do!

"You guys look great in red, have I told you that?" It's the go-to compliment from The Wonders' band manager Mr. White (played by Tom Hanks, who also wrote and directed the movie) in the 1996 musical comedy That Thing You Do! And honestly, he's right: the matching suits he makes bandmates Jimmy (Johnathon Schaech), Lenny (Steve Zahn), Guy (Tom Everett Scott) and the bass player (Ethan Embry) wear on tour do look great, especially when finished off with some cool sunnies for "Shades" to wear.

Dickie's Italian Wardrobe From The Talented Mr. Ripley

It would be near-impossible to make film heartthrob Jude Law ever look bad, but the classic Riviera-chic stylings that the actor wears as Dickie Greenleaf in The Talented Mr. Ripley —think striped polo, breezy white trousers, boat-ready loafers and stretches of tanned skin — arguably might be the best he's ever looked onscreen.

Moore went on The Drew Barrymore Show to talk about her new film with Tilda Swinton, The Room Next Door. While in conversation with Barrymore, the May December star threw it back to her time as part of The Big Lebowski cast too, revealing that she was expecting her first child while filming it. However, that didn't stop her from wearing that crazy viking dress and performing that wild dream sequence, as she explained, via EW:

If you need a memory jog, Moore, as Maude Lebowski, wore a gold armor-like dress that hit mid-thigh, a bowling ball bra (in the style of a coconut bra), and a horned hat, plus, she had a trident staff of sorts. To learn that the dress from the legendary Lebowski moment was made of styrofoam and she was pregnant too surprises me, because it makes the situation even crazier.

What a complete badass, though, because the thought of pulling off what she did while pregnant makes my stomach turn and she did it effortlessly.

For context, this scene in question plays out in a grandiose fever sequence for The Dude (Jeff Bridges), and it's comparable to an Old Hollywood show, complete with decorated dancers and a grand staircase. Then, Maude Lebowski is revealed among them all. She and The Dude have a moment together, and then, they’re bowling. In the last leg of the dream, The Dude turns into the bowling ball and floats down the alley under a bunch of female legs–which Bridges shared later that he was surprised when he looked up those skirts–to get a strike. That's all to say, the whole sequence is one wild ride, man.

The takeaway here is that Julianne Moore deserves big props, as she played it cool in that styrofoam fever dream get-up while also being secretly pregnant. And while the whole thing makes me want to go bowling or drum up my rewatch plans, Donny’s demise is a heartbreaking movie death I will never get over. So, maybe I'll just stick to re-watching this fever dream and appreciating the actress's hard work in it.

If you’d like to experience the bowling dream from The Big Lebowski, you’ll need a premium Hulu subscription or Starz subscription.

The Baby In American Sniper

American Sniper is a tension-filled masterpiece with a fantastic performance by Bradley Cooper as Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. The movie works on almost every level and yet there is that one scene, when Kyle is holding his newborn baby and it is clear to anyone watching that the baby is a prop. It's hard to believe the makers of the movie let that scene go like they did.

The Rat In The Departed

As if the lesson in The Departed wasn't clear enough, Martin Scorsese hits viewers across the face with a frying pan when the CGI rat walks across the balcony railing in the last shot of the movie. Why a genius like Scorsese felt the need to drive the point home in such a hacky way, we'll never understand.

The Bad Audio Sync In The Big Lebowski

Fans of The Big Lebowski know what we're talking about here. After Walter (John Goodman) fails to get Larry Sellers to crack, he decides to take to the streets and destroy what he thinks is Larry's new car. It's not Larry's, it's the neighbor's car and when the neighbor comes out, there is a really bad audio sync, and all of a sudden it feels like a bad Hong Kong action movie from the '70s. It may be the only flaw in an almost perfect movie.

Superman Turning Back Time In Superman

The Christopher Reeve Superman is still beloved to this day, and with good reason. It's among the best superhero movies ever made and it always will be. But let's be honest about the ending. The scene after Lois dies in her car and Superman is forced to fly around the world and actually turn back time is... awful. It's just so dumb and there are a million better ways that could have been handled.

The Laptop In Skyfall

Skyfall is a great Craig-era James Bond movie. There is no way around the fatal flaw that Q (Ben Whishaw) makes when he plugs a laptop recovered by Bond into MI-5's computer system. Of course, it's a booby-trapped computer that takes down the whole system. Who trained Q? his technology-challenged uncle? Come on, no one in his position would make that kind of mistake, It may sound pedantic, but it's just not reasonable.

Questionable Fight Blocking In The Godfather

Even a masterpiece like The Godfather has a moment that completely takes viewers out of the moment. When Sonny (James Caan) goes to confront Carlo, it's one of the most intense moments of the movie. Unfortunately, the fight blocking is, frankly, terrible and it looks really bad. Even the best can have flaws.

The Off-Color Joke At The End Of Kingsman: The Secret Service

Kingsman: The Secret Service is a really fun movie with some completely ridiculous moments that somehow work, like Samuel L. Jackson eating McDonalds. One insanely stupid moment that doesn't work is the off-color joke at the end of the movie by the damsel in distress. It just doesn't work at all.

Greedo Shooting First In The Re-Edited Star Wars

There are a lot of reasons to complain about George Lucas tinkering with perfection when he re-edited Star Wars in the '90s. Most of it is stuff people can live with, but reworking the scene in the cantina to make Greedo shot at Han Solo first really changes too much about the character and the movie. It should have never been done.

Tell Me I'm A Good Man In Saving Private Ryan

Saving Private Ryan is among the best war movies ever made. It doesn't need that final scene of Ryan asking his wife to "tell him he's been a good man." Even if director Steven Spielberg felt that the final scene at the cemetery in Normandy was needed, the shot of the elder Ryan walking with his family is all that the audience would need to understand who he was. The cheesy line just ruins it.

Mom's Named Martha In Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn Of Justice

People can argue all day long if Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn Of Justice is a good movie. It's certainly a lot better than many critics believe. But there is still that incredibly stupid and silly moment when the two titular superheroes almost bond over the shared name of their mothers. Cheesy!

Darth Vadar's "NOOOOO" In Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith

Whether you love the Star Wars prequels or not, most people agree that Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith is the best of the three. That's even taking into account the oh-so-silly "NOOOOOO" when the newly formed Vader realized his love was gone. You know the others are rough movies when this is including in the best one.

Deadpool In X-Men Origins: Wolverine

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a movie that some love and some despise. It can really go either way. But what can't be disputed is how terrible Deadpool is in it. Enough said. Even Deadpool though Deadpool was terrible as we learn in the post-credits scene of Deadpool 2.

The CGI Of Old Characters In Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is arguably the best Star Wars movie since Return of the Jedi. It takes a classic bit of Star Wars lore and makes it real. What isn't real, and almost takes the audience completely out of the movie is the CGI versions of Princess Leia and Grand Moff Tarkin. It's so disconcerting it can't help but distract from what is otherwise a really great movie.

Flying Through Space In The Martian

For a movie that spends so much time and effort on the scientific details of surviving on Mars, The Martian completely throws it all out of the window at the end with the flying through space bit at the end as Matt Damon's character attempts to reconnect with his crew. It's such a shame such a fantastic movie ends with such a silly scene.

John Michael Higgins' Questionable Accent In Licorice Pizza

It's hard to say if John Michael Higgins' questionable Japanese accent when he is mocking his wife is supposed to play for laughs or what in Licorice Pizza, but the scene really doesn't work no matter what the intention was. It is a rare example of a scene in a Paul Thomas Anderson movie that should have been left on the cutting room floor.

Singing Elton John In Almost Famous

There is just something about a '70s rock band that is sort of loosely based on Led Zeppelin bonding over an Elton John song. It just seems so unlikely that Led Zeppelin or a band of their ilk would ever do something like that. It's so out of place in an otherwise fantastic movie.

Midi-chlorians - The Entire Star Wars Franchise

Midi-chlorians. There is probably no Star Wars fan on Earth who understands why the decision was made to make up these stupid things. They are so unpopular with the fanbase that they have essentially been reconned out of the whole universe and we're all grateful for it.

The Makeover In The Breakfast Club

Like a lot of comedies from the 1980s, The Breakfast Club has some problematic moments. Though not as extreme as a movie like Revenge of the Nerds and its very problematic content, the scene that sticks out like a sore thumb is when Claire (Molly Ringwald) does a makeover on Allison (Ally Sheedy) and she gets the attention of Andrew (Emilio Estevez) because all of a sudden she's pretty. Yikes.

The Plane Chase In Argo

Argo is a fantastic movie based on an even more fantastic true story. One thing that isn't true to the real-life escape portrayed in the film is the chase by the Iranian police of the plane on the runway as the embassy workers escape to freedom. It's a totally unnecessary addition to "Hollywood up" the ending. Just tell the remarkable story! It doesn't need more action!

Miranda Tate's Death In The Dark Knight Rises

Miranda Tate's death in The Dark Knight Rises has been derided by many as not worthy of the character. And that is totally true. It's just so...anti-climatic. She just... dies.

Every Scene With Mickey Rooney In Breakfast At Tiffany's

Breakfast At Tiffany's is one of the best rom-coms of all time. Still, modern audiences cannot get through the movie without wincing every time Mickey Rooney's incredibly racist portrayal of an Asian man is on the screen. Even in 1961 this should have been called out and left out of the movie. It's not just a bad accent, it's a very offensive one,

Surfing The Tidal Wave In Die Another Day

There are a lot of ridiculous moments in the James Bond franchise. Most of them are excusable, especially from the Roger Moore-era movies. The one scene that really isn't is when the Pierce Brosnan version of Bond para-surfs on a giant tidal wave. The CGI alone is offensive, even if we can suspend reality long enough for the ride.

The Hookup In Big

The Tom Hanks' classic Big plays out like a weird rom-com at times. It's unsettling at the least when you think about the real age difference between the characters. That's all we really need to say here.

Quentin's Cameo In Pulp Fiction

Quentin Tarantino is one of the best filmmakers of his generation and Pulp Fiction is his masterpiece. Still, the scene that he is in, when he repeatedly uses a racial slur as he sips coffee is extremely obnoxious and completely unneeded. The bit about his wife and the coffee is fantastic, but everything after that should have just been cut.

Regina George's Death In Mean Girls

Why does Regina George need to die at the end of Mean Girls? It's such a weird exclamation point at the end of the movie that feels very unnecessary. She's been disgraced and disregarded, with good reason, does she really deserve to die? It really takes away from one of the best movies 2000s.

The God Of War In Wonder Woman

There is no question that the DCEU had a lot of problems really coming together and a great example of everything that was wrong with the now-rebooted franchise is adding scenes like Wonder Woman's battle with the God Of War at the end of the first Wonder Woman movie. It's just not needed. The movie could have ended before it and been an almost perfect superhero movie, instead, it just goes one step too far and almost gets ruined because of it.

The Rocket Launcher In Falling Down

Micheal Douglas' performance in Falling Down is amazing. The movie, for the most part, is fantastic. Sadly, what starts out as a very grounded yet terrifying look into one man's breakdown reaches the point of absurdity when he suddenly decides he needs to use a rocket launcher to get his point across. From a realistic movie to a cartoon in moments.

The Pictures At The End Of Crazy, Stupid, Love

Crazy, Stupid, Love goes from super fun to disturbing in the very last moments of the movie when Jessica, played by Lio Tipton gives Cal racy photos of herself. She is Cal's babysitter! Who thought that was a good way to end the movie?

The Explanation At The End Of Unbreakable

There are times when people are blown away by writer and director M. Night Shyamalan and there are other times he leaves everyone shaking their heads. The explanation of how everything worked in Unbreakable is the latter. We got, man, you don't need to bang us on the end with what it all means.

9/11 In Remember Me

One of the weirdest endings to a movie has to be the final scene of Remember Me. Everything romantic that has happened in the movie is rendered moot when it is revealed that Tyler (Robert Pattison) dies in the World Trade Center attack on 9/11. What? Why would anyone think that added anything to the story? So weird.

Nuking The Fridge In Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull

Okay fair enough, we can hear you saying Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull isn't a good movie. And you're right, it's not. But we just had to include the famous "Nuke the Fridge" scene because it makes a bad movie even worse and other than the weird choice of an ending involving aliens the "Nuke the Fridge" moment came when the movie still held promise.

Explaining Love In Interstellar

Interstellar is an awesome that asks at least as many questions as it answers. Why then did director and writer Christopher Nolan include such a hacky scene explaining the meaning of love? The world may never know.

Speaking of those dancers, remember when The Dude catches a peek underneath their skirts while sliding down the lane like a bowling ball about to make a strike? Bridges has a story about what took place while he was rehearsing that particular moment that is even racier than what ended up in the finished picture. Take a look at the uproarious story behind one of the most memorable scenes from one of the best movies of the ‘90s.

Jeff Bridges Got a Big Surprise Rehearsing The Gutterballs Dream Sequence

While appearing on TBS’ Conan, Jeff Bridges recalled to host Conan O’Brien about the day he was set to rehearse the Gutterballs scene in the now classic Coen Brothers movie, which had him lay on a skateboard that pulled him along the bowling lane underneath the “Bowling Pin Corinnes.” Seeing this as an ample opportunity to use his Widelux panning still camera, after receiving unusually enthusiastic permission from the head dancer, he laid down on his skateboard and set up the shot. The following is his description of what he saw:

The Academy Award winner finally mentions, before the then late night talk show host goes insane with embarrassment, that the “tufts” were actually crepe hair that had been applied by the makeup department as a practical joke on the actor. While I imagine this was a hilarious discovery to make after the fact, I also would not be surprised if experiencing the prank in the moment must have been very uncomfortable for Bridges, considering who was on set that day.

Jeff Bridges' Family Was In On The Prank

At the beginning of the actor’s story to O’Brien, Bridges says that he believed it would be a fun idea to invite his wife, Susan Geston, and three daughters, who were within the 7 to 9-year-old age range at the time, to the Big Lebowski set on the day he was scheduled to shoot the Gutterballs scene. However, he was told that was a “terrible error,” given the cheekily sexual nature of the scene. He must have really felt like he messed up when he saw the “tufts” sticking out from underneath the dancers.

Luckily, as it turns out, Bridges’ wife and children were actually involved in crafting the prank – a detail that was especially bewildering to O’Brien. Yet, I suppose you could call that the kind of moment that brings families closer together.

As Bridges also mentions during his conversation with O’Brien, the photograph he took with his Widelux on that very day can be found on his website, JeffBridges.com, along with other photos he snapped while making The Big Lebowski and other great Jeff Bridges movies. I can certainly understand if you would rather leave the visual of the prank up to the imagination but, you have to admit, just knowing this story makes rewatching the rewatchable cinematic classic even more interesting.

Superman II (Clark Gives Up His Powers)

In 1980's Superman II, Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve) believes he can only have a normal life with Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) by becoming human, which he achieves by entering a device at the fortress of solitude. Soon after, he realizes the error of this decision when General Zod (Terrence Stamp) and his allies take over the White House.

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack Of The Clones (The Jedi Council Hires Anakin To Protect Padme)

In the second Star Wars movie (in chronological order), when Padmé Amidala's (Natalie Portman) life is threatened, the Jedi Council chooses none other than trainee Anakin Skywalker to be her bodyguard. They should have known better, given his obvious emotional connection to her, which would eventually lead to a forbidden affair and marriage. Silver lining: the birth of Luke and Leia in the next movie.

Inglourious Basterds (Lt. Hicox Flashes The American Three)

One of the most intense moments from one of Quentin Tarantino's best movies, 2009's Inglourious Basterds, sees a disguised Lt. Archie Hicox (Michael Fassbender) accidentally reveal to Major Hellstrom (August Diehl) that he is not German by merely holding up the wrong fingers when asking the bar for three drinks. Perhaps this one is really on the British Army for not teaching him that the German Three is made up of the thumb, index, and middle finger but who could have known when that would come in handy?

Avengers: Age Of Ultron (Tony Stark Creates Ultron)

Wanting to create a "suit of armor for the entire world," Tony "Iron Man" Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) teams with Bruce "Hulk" Banner (Mark Ruffalo) to develop a powerful computer program that could do their work for them. Little did he know that this creation would become the eponymous villain of 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron (voiced by James Spader), providing another cautionary lesson against relying on AI.

Scream (Sydney Runs Upstairs Away From Ghostface)

Minutes after condemning the slasher movie trope of women running upstairs from the killer instead of out the front door, Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell) does the same exact thing after Ghostface first attacks her. The star of the Scream movies is still one of our favorite horror final girls but it almost makes you wonder how she manages to survive as long as she would with a blemish like that on her track record.

Prometheus (Meredith Vickers Runs From A Rolling Spacecraft In A Straight Line)

Ridley Scott's 2012 Alien prequel, Prometheus, is one of the most divisive sci-fi movies ever made but even its strongest supporters cannot argue against one character's uproarious miscalculation. Why Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron) does not choose to easily run out of the way of the alien spaceship rolling toward her and, instead, keep running straight until it crushes her is a mystery that may remain unsolved.

Guardians Of The Galaxy (Drax Summons Ronan)

In 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, a few drinks make Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) confident enough to fight Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) himself, so he sends the tyrant to his current location. As a result, he gets his butt handed to him and Ronan gets away with The Power Stone.

Shrek Forever After (Shrek Makes A Deal With Rumpelstiltskin)

If there is one downside to Shrek (Mike Myers) finding love with Fiona (Cameron Diaz), she may have made him more willing to let his guard down a bit, potentially leading to his disastrous decision in 2010's Shrek Forever After. His nostalgia for his swamp-dwelling days clouds the ogre's judgment when speaking with Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn), who convinces him to wish himself into an alternate reality where the trickster rules Far Far Away.

Bee Movie (Barry Sues Humanity)

Writer Jerry Seinfeld's Bee Movie stars the comedian as an insect named Barry B. Benson, who becomes angry at humans profiting off of their honey and seeks legal action. He succeeds and bees no longer work in favor of the human race but it ends up causing an environmental disaster.

Avengers: Infinity War (Star-Lord Punches Thanos)

By putting Thanos (Josh Brolin) under Mantis' (Pom Klementieef's) trance, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Peter Parker (Tom Holland), and the remaining Guardians come super close to removing the Infinity Gauntlet from his hand. However, Peter "Star-Lord" Quill (Chris Pratt) learns that the Titan killed Gamora and punches Thanos in anger, breaking the trance and allowing him to get away. This is one moment from 2018's Avengers: Infinity War that understandably prevents some fans from calling it one of the best Marvel movies.

The Descent (Juno Chooses An Unmapped Cave To Explore)

We are not sure if we can count Juno (Natalie Mendoza) as a hero of 2005's The Descent, due to the idiotic stunt she pulls in the otherwise great horror movie. Her friends learn that she chose an unexplored cavern for their spelunking trip only after they get trapped inside with man-eating, nocturnal mutants.

Hancock (Hancock Fights Mary)

It is revealed in Hancock that Will Smith's eponymous superhuman gets weaker the longer he stays in contact with Mary Embrey (Charlize Theron), who turns out to be part of his kind, too. That does not stop him from engaging in a cataclysmic fight with her near the end of the superhero movie not based on a comic book from 2008.

The Blair Witch Project (Mike Throws The Map In The River)

It is not unusual for horror movie characters to make questionable decisions but when Mike (Michael C. Williams) tosses the map to the Black Hills Forest in The Blair Witch Project is simply unforgivable. He argues in the 1999 found footage thriller that the map was ultimately useless, and he may have been right, but discarding the one chance you may have of reaching safety is never the right move.

Skyfall (Q Connects Silva's Computer To MI6's Mainframe)

There is a reason they say you should go through IT before you investigate a suspicious piece of equipment at the office yourself and Q (Ben Whishaw) demonstrates why in 2012's Skyfall. Perhaps the older version of the tech wizard from previous James Bond movies would have been smarter about hooking up Silva's (Javier Bardem) laptop to MI6's main system, which causes the organization to lose control of their tech to the villain.

Army Of Darkness (Ash Speaks The Wrong Incantation)

Bruce Campbell's Ash Williams becomes increasingly dumber in each of the Evil Dead movies, leading up to his absolute worst mistake while trapped in the Middle Ages in 1992's Army of Darkness. He does not even bother to properly memorize a set of words that will take him back to modern times when he finds the Necronomicon and, in attempting to fake his way through it, ends up unleashing more evil forces.

The Big Lebowski (Walter Destroys A Stranger’s Car)

Suspecting that teenage Larry Sellers used stolen ransom money to purchase a hot Corvette, Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) smashes it repeatedly with a crowbar, only to discover it belongs to Larry's angry neighbor. It is easily one of the funniest moments from one of the best movies of the 1990s, The Big Lebowski, but also makes us sad for The Dude (Jeff Bridges) that he is best friends with such an impulse-driven dolt.

Jeepers Creepers (Darry Tries To See Into The Creeper's Pipe)

In Jeepers Creepers, witnessing the Creeper (Jonathan Breck) shoving dead bodies down a large pipe sticking out of the ground, Darry (Justin Long) tries to investigate by looking down the pipe himself but ends up sliding right into the killer's lair. If only he had listened to his sister, Trish's (Gina Philips), meta warning: "You know the part in scary movies when somebody does something really stupid, and everybody hates them for it? This is it."

The Flash (Batman Sacrifices Himself To Destroy Zod's Ship)

While Michael Keaton's return as Batman in 2023's The Flash was awesome, one not-so-stellar moment sees him attempting to save the day by crashing the Batwing into Zod's ship. Unfortunately, the otherwise valiant effort caused very little damage to the craft and only the Dark Knight fatally succumbed to the crash.

Moana (Maui Steals The Heart Of Te Fiti)

The opening scene of the modern Disney animated movie classic, 2016's Moana, explains how Maui (Dwayne Johnson) stole and misplaced the heart of Te Fiti, which he insists was for humanity's benefit. It is not until he meets the title character (voiced by Auliʻi Cravalho) that he realizes that the artifact's absence caused damage to the Hawaiian Islands and their locals.

Jumanji (Peter Tries To Cheat The Game)

In the original 1995 adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg's children's book, Jumanji, Peter (Bradley Pierce) tries to end the wild board game's reign of terror by dropping the dice at the right number to finish. Unfortunately, the game knows better and punishes him for trying to beat it by reverting the evolutionary process, turning him into a monkey.

Iron Man 3 (Tony Stark Gives The Mandarin His Address)

One of the major issues fans have with Iron Man 3 is Tony Stark's (Robert Downey Jr.) rash decision to challenge The Mandarin to a one-on-one duel, going as far as revealing where he lives on a video recorded by a press member. Well, the fearsome terrorist clearly got the message, based on the violent attack on Stark's home, which forced him to jump ship and get stuck in Tennessee.

Paranormal Activity (Micah Breaks Out A Ouija Board)

If we were to make a list of the worst significant others in horror movie history, there would definitely be a place for Micah (Micah Sloat) from the first Paranormal Activity movie, released in 2009. Exhibit A: after a medium warns against using a Ouija board, as that would make his and Katie's (Katie Featherston) haunting situation much worse, Micah decides to bring one into the house and makes their haunting situation much worse.

Sleeping Beauty (Flora And Merryweather Fight Over Aurora's Dress Color)

In 1959's Sleeping Beauty, Aurora's fairy guardians want to make a dress just for her but Flora wants it to be pink and Merryweather is dead set on making it blue. Despite being advised not to, they use magic to change the dress' color over and over, which ends up alerting Maleficient of their location and putting Aurora in danger.

Evil Dead (Eric Reads From The Necronomicon)

Fede Alvarez's Evil Dead is considered one of the best horror movie remakes of its time but is certainly not without its flaws. In fact, the demonic carnage is caused when Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci), for no reason at all, reads aloud from the Necronomicon, ignoring blatant warnings written into the flesh-bound, blood-inked book to leave it alone.

Deadpool (Wade Leaves His Ammo Bag Behind)

Twice in the 2016's Deadpool does the Merc with the Mouth (Ryan Reynolds) leave behind a huge duffle bag full of weaponry that certainly would have really come in handy against his foes. Instead, he is forced to rely on "maximum effort"... and his immortality, of course.

Spider-Man: Far From Home (Peter Gives Mysterio E.D.I.T.H.)

In 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home, feeling that he has found a trusted friend in Quentin "Mysterio" Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal), Peter Parker (Tom Holland) decides to give him full control of E.D.I.T.H. – an augmented reality security, defense, and artificial tactical intelligence system designed by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). Unfortunately, that is exactly what the disgruntled former Stark Industries employee wanted him to do, planning to use it to launch an attack on London.

Annabelle Comes Home (Daniela Explores The Warrens' Artifact Room Alone)

Whether or not you believe in the stories behind the Conjuring Universe movies, we imagine no one wants to be caught dead where Ed and Lorraine Warren keep their collection of haunted heirlooms. However, Daniela (Katie Sarife) braves the forbidden room in hopes of making contact with her late father but ends up unleashing the demon that possesses the eponymous doll in Annabelle Comes Home.

Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (Clark Fails To Properly Explain His Situation To Bruce)

In the moments leading to the climactic battle of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) takes way too long to explain to Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) that Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) is holding his mother (Diane Lane) captive and, instead, resorts to doing exactly what the evil billionaire wants him to do and fight the Dark Knight. When he finally gives an explanation, with Batman seconds away from killing him with a Kryptonite spear, he says, "Save Martha," instead of the more matter-of-fact, "Lex is going to kill my mom."

The Marvels (Carol Destroys The Supreme Intelligence)

In The Marvels, Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) is forced to work with Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) after their powers become linked but the hero otherwise known as Captain Marvel is reluctant to rope her friends into the battle against Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton). This is because she is personally responsible for their enemy's vengeful motivation, having created a Civil War among the Kree after destroying their A.I. leader.

Fantastic Four (Reed And Others Test Their Teleportation Device While Inebriated)

The 2015 Fantastic Four adaptation was widely disliked for a multitude of reasons, including the dumb decision that leads to the four main characters gaining their superpowers. After a few too many drinks, the designers of a groundbreaking teleportation device decide to test it out themselves, changing their lives forever.

Thor: Ragnarok (Loki Summons The Bifrost To Escape Hela)

In 2017's Thor: Ragnarok, when he and the God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth) are confronted by their sister, Hela (Cate Blanchett), Loki (Tom Hiddleston) tries to make a quick getaway with the Bifrost. It may have seemed like a good idea at the time but Hela ends up chasing after them, ultimately leading her right to Asgard while the half-brothers get stranded on Sakaar.

Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery (Austin Keeps The Receipt For His Special Pump)

In the spy movie parody, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, when the titular agent (Mike Myers) is collecting the belongings he left behind before being cryogenically frozen, he claims that a certain special, Swedish-made pump does not belong to him. However, a credit card receipt for the item, a warranty slip with his name on it, and a book about his experiences using the product found with his stuff prove otherwise.

There is debate amongst film fans as to whether a MacGuffin can be a person, or if it has to be something that is otherwise pointless to the plot, but for this list's sake, we're not making any kind of distinction. It can be a person or a character. It can be crucial to the plot, or irrelevant. It is just something that carries the plot forward.

Pee-Wee's Bicycle In Pee-Wee's Big Adventure

One of the classic '80s MacGuffins is, of course, Pee-Wee Herman's bicycle in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. After it is stolen, Pee-Wee embarks on a cross-country trip to the Alamo's basement to find it. Without the stolen bicycle, there is no movie, so it is, indeed, a true MacGuffin.

The Briefcase In Pulp Fiction

One of the coolest uses of a MacGuffin is by Quentin Tarantino in Pulp Fiction. We never even see what the MacGuffin really is, just the briefcase it's housed in. We know it radiates golden light and leaves everyone who sees it a little speechless, so it must be something either incredibly beautiful, incredibly valuable, or both.

Doug In The Hangover

Sometimes, the MacGuffin is a person. You can argue all you want about whether or not that counts, but we're not listening. The best example we can think of to prove it can be a character is Doug in The Hangover. The movie doesn't happen without the search for Doug, and the groom-to-be isn't really much of a character otherwise, with only a few scenes at the beginning and at the end. Without him though, there isn't even a bachelor party to create the hangovers in the movie.

Big Worm's Money In Friday

In Friday Craig (Ice Cube) gets sucked into Smokey's bad day after Smokey (Chris Tucker) gets himself into trouble with the local neighborhood dealer and must come up with the money he owes him or else. It doesn't motivate Smokey all the much, but hey, it finally does by the end.

The Death Star Plans In Star Wars

There is a lot of debate over what the MacGuffin is in the original Star Wars. Some say it's the plans for the Death Star that R2-D2 is tasked by Princess Leia to deliver, others say it's the droid itself. Let's quit splitting hairs here because they are both kind of the same thing, and they are both critical to the whole adventure.

The Letters Of Transit In Casablanca

In the very beginning of Casablanca, it's explained that everyone in Casablanca during World War II is trying to get out and on to their next place of safety, usually the U.S. via Portugal. That's what makes letters of transit so important, especially when you are wanted by the Germans for being a spy, as Victor Lazlo (Paul Henreid) is. His hunt for them, and Rick (Humphrey Bogart) hiding them is what drives the plot (along with Rick and Elsa's love story).

The Dude's Rug In The Big Lebowski

The Coen Brothers love to use MacGuffins in their movies, and for The Big Lebowski, they created the perfect one - The Dude's rug. It's a completely meaningless object in the grand scheme of things, but without The Dude's ire at the destruction of it and the hunt to replace it (because it really tied the room together), there would be no adventure at all.

The Ring In The Lord Of The Rings

One of the greatest MacGuffins in film and literature is the one ring to rule them all in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. There is no question it's a true MacGuffin, as literally everyone and everything in the franchise is motivated by it.

The Ark In Raiders Of The Lost Ark

All of the Indiana Jones movies have used MacGuffins to send our hero, played by Harrison Ford, on his adventures. In the first of the five movies, it is, of course, the Lost Ark of the Covenant. It's being chased by both Indy and the Germans, and whoever gets it first could change the fate of World War II and, indeed, the whole world.

The Fabergé Egg In Octopussy

A lot of James Bond movies employ MacGuffins to motivate the super spy into action. One of the most fun has to be the Fabergé Egg in Octopussy. Not only is it a really cool-looking MacGuffin, but it's not something you'd ever think a spy like Bond would need to be worried about, yet it also works perfectly within the story.

Rosebud In Citizen Kane

At the very beginning of Citizen Kane, we hear Kane say "Rosebud." For the rest of the movie, we are left wondering what that means. It turns out, as we discover in the final scene that Rosebud was Kane's childhood sled and that his entire motivation in life and through the movie was to find that lost bit of his youth. Without the sled, there is no Charles Foster Kane, tycoon.

The Plans For The Silent Plane In The 39 Steps

Of course, you have to include Hitchcock on this list, as he was the master of the MacGuffin. The most common one people point to comes from one of his earliest movies, The 39 Steps. You can argue over whether it's the secret plans for the plan themselves, or Mr. Memory, who has memorized those plans as the MacGuffin, but either way, the movie's plot relies on those plans to motivate all the characters in the film.

Ruby Slippers In The Wizard Of Oz

Two of the most famous props in history are Dorothy's ruby slippers in The Wizard Of Oz. The twist here is that it's not our hero Dorothy looking for the MacGuffin, it's the Wicked Witch of the West desperately seeking them out and trying to steal them. "Home" motivates Dorothy, while the shoes motivate her enemy.

The Grail In Monty Python And The Holy Grail

The Cup of Christ, or The Holy Grail, is a common MacGuffin in pop culture. Indiana Jones and his father search for it, and so does Robert Langdon in The Da Vinci Code. The most ridiculous (and hilarious) search for the mythical cup has to be Monty Python's quest for The Grail. Like so many others, they come close to grasping the holy relic, only to be thwarted by the police in the end. It's really a silly story.

Private Ryan In Saving Private Ryan

One great example of a person or a character being a solid MacGuffin is Private Ryan (Matt Damon) in Saving Private Ryan. Ryan is really only there to motivate Miller (Tom Hanks) and his chosen team to save him. He's otherwise irrelevant to the story. Sure, we care if Ryan's been a good man since getting saved, but mostly, we care about the other characters in their hunt for him.

The Maltese Falcon In The Maltese Falcon

The Maltese Falcon in The Maltese Falcon is a wonderful example of a MacGuffin being basically just a random object. The object could be anything, it just happens to be the little statue that is motivating everyone in the movie. It's maybe the most basic example of a successful MacGuffin in film history.

The Chimera Virus In Mission: Impossible 2

Every Mission: Impossible movie has a MacGuffin. Some are cooler than others and even though Mission: Impossible 2 is generally ranked as the worst in the franchise, the MacGuffin is kinda the coolest. A virus that could wipe out life on Earth. Now that we've all gone through a traumatizing pandemic, it feels even more motivating.

The Infinity Stones In The MCU

There is no more ubiquitous MacGuffin in movie history than the Infinity Stones in the MCU. They appear in one form or another in more than a dozen movies, culminating with the destruction of Thanos and his minions at the end of Avengers: Endgame when Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr) sacrifices himself to save the world and prove he has a heart.

Colonel Kurtz In Apocalypse Now

Marlon Brando's wild performance as Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now is part of what makes it such an incredible movie. Without it, it would unquestionably be less of a film. BUT, Willard (Martin Sheen) could have been searching for anything important to motivate him and the boat's crew up the river. It just happened to be a rogue psychopath.

The Necklace in Ocean's 8

Obviously all the best heist movies usually have a pretty motivating MacGuffin. In Ocean's 8 it is a pretty traditional one. It's simply a very valuable necklace around the neck of an actress played by Anne Hathaway. How Ocean's crew goes about stealing it is what makes the movie great, but it's still just a thing at the end of the day that could have been anything else.

The Declaration Of Independence In National Treasure

There is no bigger piece of American history than the actual Declaration Of Independence. As a MacGuffin in National Treasure, it makes for the perfect object worth stealing. For Benjamin (Nicholas Cage), the motivation is pathological, as he'll stop at nothing to acquire it.

The President In Escape From New York

There are arguments that the briefcase handcuffed to the President (Donald Pleasance) is the real MacGuffin in Escape From New York, but let's give those going after it a little credit and hope that they at least partly wanted to save the man himself.

The Heart Of The Ocean Necklace In Titanic

James Cameron needed to find a good reason for us to get invested in the love story in Titanic because, without it, it's just a disaster movie that would have been over too quickly. The way he brings us all into the hunt for the ship and the stories on it before it sinks is the fictional "Heart Of The Ocean" necklace owned by Rose and had been in her possession all that time.

Red Ryder BB Gun In A Christmas Story

Ralphie gets berated by Santa, dismissed by his mother, pens a wonderful composition for his teacher, and eventually shoots his eye out all in his desire to own a "Red Ryder BB gun with a compass in the stock, and this thing which tells time." It's the ultimate MacGuffin.

The Briefcase Full Of Money - No Country For Old Men

There is no bigger motivator in the world than money. For better or for worse, that's how it goes. Even someone like Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) in No Country For Old Men, who seems only slightly motivated by money goes through a terrible ordeal to keep the briefcase full of money he found and everyone else is after.

The Buried Money/The Big W In It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World

A MacGuffin doesn't get any plainer than cash at the end of an epic race like in It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World. The price, $350,000 buried under "a big W" in a California state park motivates one of the greatest comedic casts ever assembled to race each other to find the buried money.

Genesis Device In Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan

Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan is often thought of as the best of all the Star Trek movies, and certainly the best that features the cast of the original series. In it, both the crew of the Enterprise and their arch-enemy, Khan, are in desperate search of The Genesis Device.

The Buried Treasure In O Brother Where Art Thou?

Yet another movie where the MacGuffin is buried treasure, but we couldn't leave the Coen Brothers' classic O Brother Where Art Thou? off the list. Though it's based on The Oddessy, where the motivation was to get home, this one is a little simpler. Three idiot prisoners trying to get rich quickly. In the end, it's more about the friends we met along the way.

The Diamonds In Diamonds Are Forever

James Bond often has some interesting MacGuffins and as the years have worn on, they've gotten increasingly complicated. It makes us yearn for the days when it was just a simple bag of diamonds, as it is in the aptly titled Diamonds Are Forever.

Turboman Doll In the Jingle All The Way

Every Christmas there is a hot toy that people occasionally come to blows over, like Frank in Seinfeld, for example. In Jingle All The Way, it's a Turbo Man doll and one father is willing to go to extreme lengths to get one for his son!

The Pink Panther Diamond In The Pink Panther

Peter Sellers' portrayal of Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther is one of the all-time great comedic performances. In it, he is searching for the stolen Pink Panther diamond. It's a classic MacGuffin, but worth mentioning because the hunter is such a goof.

Green Destiny Sword In Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Occasionally, a MacGuffin is a supernatural object or even a supernatural weapon like the Green Destiny Sword in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The movie, though highly stylized and more of a visual work of art than a true quest, still has a fairly simple motivating device, just like all the best MacGuffins.

Los Angeles - The Big Lebowski

There are a lot of movies set in Los Angeles. Narrowing it down to one is almost impossible, so we chose a movie that at its heart is pure LA. The Big Lebowski has become one of the most beloved movies of all time, and since the protagonist, The Dude (Jeff Bridges) plays "the laziest man in Los Angeles County," well, his movie just had to be on the list.

Atlanta - Gone With The Wind

Gone With The Wind may have some very problematic themes, to say the least, but it is still the highest-grossing movie (adjusted for inflation) of all time. Set in and around the city of Atlanta during the Civil War, it's a timeless bit of history both in story and in production.

Houston - Rushmore

Director Wes Anderson is from Houston and Rushmore, as only his second feature film, has a bit of an autobiographical feel to it. It is set in his hometown, and much of it was filmed there as well, including his own high school for the fictional Rushmore Academy.

San Francisco - Vertigo

San Francisco is one of the most iconic and picturesque cities in the whole country so it's no surprise that a lot of movies have been shot there. Everything from The Rock to Bullitt, to more. However, there is no way you can't pick the Alfred Hitchcock classic Vertigo to go on this list. Not only is it one of Hitchcock's best, it's among the best films of all time.

Philadelphia - Rocky

When you mention Philadelphia on a list like this, almost everyone is going to think of one movie: Rocky. There may be no movie more identified with the city it takes place in than the 1977 Best Picture winner. Sure, there are other fantastic movies set in the City of Brotherly Love, but none compare to Sly Stallone's classic. Or, if we're honest, all the other movies in the Rocky franchise.

Dallas - Dallas Buyers Club

Dallas Buyers Club is a heartbreaking, but incredible picture. Matthew McConaughey's performance earned him a well-deserved Oscar and while Dallas, Texas, has been the setting for quite a few films, none are as important, or as good, as this one.

Cleveland - Major League

In the opening song to Major League, Randy Newman sings "Cleveland, city of light, city of magic." It's meant to be ironic in the song, but the movie is as much a love letter to the city and the fans of the former Indians (now Guardians) baseball team. It's one of the best sports movies ever made and there is nothing more Cleveland than long-suffering sports fans.

Austin - Dazed And Confused

When you watch Dazed And Confused, you feel Austin in the 1970s as much as you see it. Director Richard Linklater truly made a love letter to his hometown and his high school years with this classic film, filled with amazing moments and hilarious quotes. It's truly one of the best movies set in Texas.

Washington DC - All the President's Men

Washington DC is an iconic world capital and as such, has been the setting for dozens of movies. From biopics about Presidents like Nixon to horror movies like The Exorcist, DC has seen it all. There isn't a movie that oozes DC power and corruption quite like All The President's Men, which tells the story of the two reporters who broke one of the biggest scandals of all time with the Watergate break-in.

Miami - Scarface

Florida has been described as a sunny place for shady people and there is no film that portrays that better than Scarface. Al Pacino's classic performance as Cuban-criminal-turned-refugee-turned-drug-kingpin is a stone-cold classic. There are lighter films set in Miami, but there are no better films than the dark and violent Scarface.

New York City - Do The Right Thing

How do you pick just one movie to represent New York City on film? It could be a classic Woody Allen movie or one of the many rom-coms set in the Big Apple. Maybe it's a comedy like Ghostbusters. It's an impossible task, but for this one, we've settled on a native New Yorker's classic. Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing simply is New York.

Boston - Good Will Hunting

Boston is one of the oldest and most iconic cities in the U.S. Picking one movie from here is tough, but you simply can't go wrong with Good Will Hunting. Written by and starring two Beantown stars, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, the movie was filmed all over town and Boston is as much a character in the film as Will and Chuckie Sullivan. Just the name "Chuckie Sullivan" oozes Southie.

San Diego - Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

San Diego may only be about 100 miles from the capital of the film industry, but sometimes it feels like a million. There are a few movies set there, but fewer than you would think. Still, it's easy to pick the best one. Anchorman was an instant classic and all the humor holds up as well today as when it was released in 2004.

Seattle - Sleepless In Seattle

While it's true that much of Sleepless In Seattle actually takes place in New York, including the classic final scene, it's still a movie very much about Seattle in the early '90s. It's a classic Tom Hanks rom-com filled with some of his funniest lines and was among the first movies to put Seattle on the Hollywood map (though far from the only).

Memphis - The Firm

Memphis may be the home of Elvis, but it hasn't seen a ton of movies set in it. The iconic southern city invented rock and roll and still hosts some of the best music festivals in the country, but it's just not the most picturesque place to set a movie. The Firm goes against that wisdom with great success and as much of the film was actually shot there, you get a real feel for what the city is all about.

St. Louis - Meet Me In St. Louis

For many years, St. Louis was the fourth largest city in the United States. The town started to lose its luster towards the middle of the 20th Century, but it's still a classic American city. Surprisingly few films are set there, but there is no greater classic than Meet Me In St. Louis, set at the apex of the city's history during the 1904 World's Fair.

Detroit - Dreamgirls

Motor City. Motown. Detroit is known for two American icons. The auto industry and Motown records. The latter is where Dreamgirls comes from as a fictionalized version of the amazing music scene in the city in the 1960s. Like other cities on this list, Detroit may have lost some of its luster, but it'll never lose its history.

Minneapolis/St. Paul - Fargo

The Coen Brothers grew up in Minnesota, so that makes Fargo their most personal film in a way. No other movie oozes The Land of 10,000 Lakes quite like the Academy Award winner. From the ubiquitous snow to the spot-on accents, there is simply no other movie about the Twin Cities or the state of Minnesota quite as good.

Chicago - The Untouchables

Chicago has long been one of America's most iconic (and largest) cities. There have been dozens and dozens of great movies filmed there, including most of the late, great John Hughes movies. If you travel abroad, though, you'll find that around the world, the city is still famous for Al Capone and Chicago's organized crime during prohibition. That means you have to include The Untouchables on this list.

Las Vegas - Ocean's Eleven

Ocean's Eleven is one of the great heist movies of all time. Whether it's the original starring the Rat Pack in the 1960s, or the amazing 2001 version starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and the rest of that amazing cast, you get a full view of "cool" Las Vegas. Both movies represent different eras of the gambling mecca, but the more modern version is the better movie, if we're honest.

Birmingham - Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried Green Tomatoes is not only a wonderful representation of Birmingham, Alabama, it's a great representation of the whole state. Sure, you might think of Forrest Gump for the state, but Gump travels all over the place, while Fried Green Tomatoes sticks close to home and highlights everything about Birmingham folks that makes them great.

Nashville - Nashville

The city of Nashville means one thing to most people: Country music. So it tracks that the best movie set in Nashville is not only called Nashville, but is about breaking through the competitive music scene in the city. The Robert Altman classic shows why the city is such a crossroads in American music.

New Orleans - A Streetcar Named Desire

Tennessee Williams may have been born and raised in St. Louis, but he is most associated with New Orleans. NOLA, as it's known, is maybe the most unique city in America and it's been the subject of all kinds of storytelling over the years, but A Streetcar Named Desire tells the story like few other.

Pittsburgh - Fences

Like many other rustbelt cities, Pittsburgh's best days seem to be in its past, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have interesting stories to tell today, even if they are about its past. Fences is a perfect example of that. The Academy Award-nominated movie starring the brilliant Denzel Washington isn't always the easiest movie to watch, but it's just so satisfying in the end, even as tragic as it is.

Columbus - Ready Player One

According to Ready Player One, the future belongs to Columbus, OH. It's not the most likely place to be tech capital, but in the sci-fi movie filled with '80s nostalgia and endless amazing easter eggs, it is just that. We'll just have to see if this version of a dystopian future pans out.

Tampa - Cocoon

Tampa is one of the fastest-growing cities in America, but its film history is pretty thin. One major exception to that is the classic Cocoon. With an all-star cast including Wilford Brimley, Don Ameche, Steve Guttenberg, Jessica Tandy, and Brian Dennehy, the movie is set in Florida for good reason, it's about retired folks finding the fountain of youth, of sorts. Two things long associated with the Sunshine State.

Kansas City - Kansas City

Jazz is one of the truly "American" forms of music and Kansas City is one of the homes of the homegrown art form. The movie Kansas City draws on that rich history as director Robert Altman, who was born and raised in the Missouri city, made a true love letter to his hometown, showing the highs and lows of Kansas City's most important historical era in the 1930s.

Denver - Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead

Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead is a strange, but wonderful movie if you are in the mood for it. While the Colorado mountains have long held a mystique for Hollywood, the city of Denver itself hasn't been held in quite the same esteem. This movie shows why it should, and as Denver is growing by leaps and bounds these days, we'll probably see more of the Mile High City in the future.

Baltimore - Hairspray

Whether it's the original version of Hairspray directed by John Waters or the more recent musical version, both ooze the great city of Baltimore in the early '60s. If The Wire is the definitive take on the city on television, Hairspray is a different, yet equally important take on the silver screen.

Charleston - The Notebook

Set in Charleston, SC, The Notebook is one of the best romantic movies of all time. Though the love is interrupted by World War II, and it's set in a number of locations, the movie still highlights just what Charleston was and is today, to some extent.

Cincinnati - Traffic

Cincinnati is a great river city in American and it feels like there should be more stories to tell about the city. There surely are and while Traffic is set in a number of places around the world, the story that takes place in Cincinnati feels the most American of the whole movie. It's a story that could happen anywhere, but setting in Cincinnati makes it uniquely American.

San Antonio - Cloak & Dagger

If you grew up in the '80s and had cable TV, there is a good chance you watched Cloak & Dagger a lot. It was on all the time in the mid-eighties and it remains an under-appreciated gem by anyone who didn't grow up watching the Dabney Coleman classic. One of its most iconic scenes happens on the Riverwalk in San Antonio.

"Flower Duet" - True Romance

Composer Léo Delibes' "Flower Duet" sets the backdrop for the amazing, and intense, scene between Christopher Walken and Dennis Hopper in Tony Scott's True Romance. Not only is it a fantastic use of music in film, it's one of the best scenes of any movie from the '90s. Maybe one of the best of all time.

"O-o-h Child" - Boyz 'N The Hood

The melancholy music and lyrics of "O-o-h Child" by the Five Stairsteps set the perfect tone for the scene in Boyz In The Hood where we see a young Dough Boy getting arrested for the first time as Tre and his father Furious look on after a nice afternoon fishing. The scene says so much about how each kid would grow up stuck in an unsustainable system.

"Layla" - GoodFellas

Martin Scorcese has always been great with his use of music in movies. Goodfellas is filled with classic songs and the most dramatic of all of them has to be the coda of the Derek and the Dominos' song "Layla." The piano, along with Eric Clapton and Duane Allman's soaring, dueling guitar solo, sets the perfect tone as bodies from the crew turn up everywhere as Jimmy (Robert DeNiro) cleans up the heist.

"Bittersweet Symphony" - Cruel Intentions

One of the best songs of the '90s, and indeed of all time, is "Bittersweet Symphony" by the Verve. The use of it at the end of Cruel Intentions as Kathryn (Sarah Michelle Gellar) gets busted and embarrassed in front of the whole school is, in one word, epic.

"Sweet Emotion" - Dazed And Confused

The opening moments of Dazed and Confused, accompanied by Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion" make it immediately clear just how cool the movie is going to be. When the beat kicks in and we see Pickford (Shawn Andrews) and Michelle (Milla Jovovich) cruising the parking lot in his car, it draws the audience in immediately.

"Son Of Preacher Man" - Pulp Fiction

There are a lot of songs you can choose from in Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece Pulp Fiction. The dancing scene with Chuck Berry certainly stands out, but we just have to go with "Son of a Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield when Vincent (John Travolta) first arrives to pick up Mia (Uma Thurman). If nothing else, it's really cool, and the scene is now a legendary meme.

"Supermodel" - Clueless

"Cher's main thrill in life is a makeover," is one of the defining lines of Clueless, and the montage that follows accompanied by "Supermodel" by Jill Sobule, is one of the most iconic scenes from one of the most iconic movies of the '90s.

"Jungle Fever" - Jungle Fever

You can't have a list like this and not include the music from Spike Lee's Jungle Fever. The songs, all written and performed by the great Stevie Wonder, fit the movie perfectly. It would be a very different movie without them and while it's hard to pick just one, we went with the title track to the movie, played over the opening credits, to represent them all.

"Still" - Office Space

Sure, the most famous song featured in Office Space is "Feels Good To Be A Gangsta" but it's another song by The Geto Boys, "Still," that gets the nod here. There isn't a harder song director Mike Judge could have gone with to play along with the most famous scene in the movie when the office crew finally put their misery to an end and killed the janky printer.

"Hotel California" - The Big Lebowski

The Big Lebowski has some amazing quotes and is filled with unforgettable moments and lines. None more so than the moment cast member John Turturro's character, Jesus, is introduced while The Gypsy Kings' version of The Eagles' "Hotel California" plays.

"My Heart Will Go On" - Titanic

While Celine Dion's song "My Heart Will Go On" is not part of one particular scene in Titanic, the theme, written by James Horner (in the composer's most famous work), is played so much that it's as much a part of everyone's fond memories of the movie as the wonderful sets and incredible special effects arfe.

"Unchained Melody" - Ghost

"Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers may have been a quarter of a century old when it was used in Ghost but there are generations of movie fans that only associate with that famous scene of Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze throwing some pottery together.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” - Wayne’s World

It's incredible to think that Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" was almost cut from Wayne's World. Not only did end up being the most iconic scene in the movie, it introduced a whole new audience to Queen's music. The movie world would be very different with it.

"Bring The Pain" - The Great White Hype

1996's The Great White Hype is one of the great underrated movies of the decade. Not only does it have a stacked cast with Damon Wayons, Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L. Jackson, Peter Berg, Jamie Foxx, and others, but it also has one amazing moment when Wayons' character, heavyweight champion James "The Grim Reaper" Roper enters the ring with Method Man rapping "Bring The Pain."

"Goodbye Horses" - Silence Of The Lambs

There are very few songs in the history of film that can creep you out quite like "Goodbye Horses" by Q Lazzarus. The song, used in one of the most traumatic scenes in Silence Of The Lambs will immediately put you back in that moment whenever and wherever you hear it.

"Lust For Life" - Trainspotting

Director Danny Boyle is a master of using music in his movies and the best example of this is probably Trainspotting. From the opening moments of the movie with "Lust For Life" by Iggy Pop playing to the end of the movie with the epic "Born Slippy" by Underworld, the music is just amazing.

"The Stroke" - Billy Madison

Billy Madison launched Adam Sandler's movie career. The Sand Man plays a idiot 20-something who is forced to redo all 12 grades to earn his father's company. As a guy who clearly grew up in the 1980s, turning up to his first day of "high school" in a Trans Am while "The Stroke" by Billy Squire plays is, well, radical and perfect.

“I Will Always Love You” - The Bodyguard

We simply couldn't have put together this list without including one of the most popular songs of all time. Whitney Houston's version of the Dolly Parton-penned "I Will Always Love You" was a cultural atom bomb in the '90s. The song was everywhere and while the movie, which also stars Houston has mostly been forgotten, the song and the soundtrack live on forever.

"Everybody Knows" - Pump Up The Volume

Pump Up The Volume is an excellent example of a great movie from the 1990s that no one talks about anymore. The Christian Slater-led movie about a disaffected high school kid who broadcasts his own pirate radio station did, at the time, do as much to define Gen X culture as any movie from the era. The fact that it predates Grunge makes it all the more defining. All of the music is great, but his theme song, "Everybody Knows" by Leonard Cohen is just so... cool.

"My Sharona" - Reality Bites

No movie oozes "Gen X" quite like Reality Bites. Not only does it star actors like Ethan Hawke, Winona Ryder, Janeane Garofalo, and Steve Zahn, but the soundtrack is very '90s. With one exception - "My Sharona" by The Knack. The '80s song fits perfectly though, as the stars all take a moment to turn it up and dance in a convenience store.

“Sister Christian” - Boogie Nights

The scene with "Sister Christian" in Boogie Nights is INTENSE. It's a scene that is, honestly, hard to watch because it makes your skin crawl. That's also what makes the scene, and the movie, such a masterpiece.

"99 Luftballoons" - Grosse Pointe Blank

Grosse Pointe Blank has a truly great soundtrack made up of some of the coolest songs of the 1980s. This is unsurprising given the cast and crew of the movie, including star John Cusack. One of the more ridiculous scenes in this underrated dark romantic comedy is Cusack's character getting help from Jeremy Piven's character to haul a dead body out of a high school reunion with Nena's "99 Luftballoons" playing in the background.

"Stuck In The Middle With You" - Reservoir Dogs

Quentin Tarantino burst onto the scene with his first movie Reservoir Dogs and he immediately set the kind of tone he would carry into most of his movies with the ultra-violent scene of Mr. Blonde (Michael Madson) cutting the ear off a cop. The fact that the sweet love song "Stuck In The Middle With You" by Stealers Wheel plays over it makes it all the more jarring.

"Only You" - Can't Hardly Wait

Can't Hardly Wait is a very '90s with a very '80s aesthetic in a lot of ways, especially the music. The movie's title comes from an '80s song of the same name by The Replacements and the last song of the movie, "Only You" by Yazoo is an '80s New Wave classic. It all fits perfectly though.

"Something I Can Never Have" - Natural Born Killers

Nine Inch Nails have the well-earned reputation of being one of the darkest bands of the 1990s and so when their song "Something I Can Never Have" was included in one of the darkest movies of the decade, it was a marriage made in Heaven, or Hell, depending on how you look at it.

"Mary Jane" - Friday

We all know what Friday is about. The Ice Cube/Chris Tucker comedy classic is one of the funniest movies of the '90s and while "Mary Jane" by Rick James dates back to the '70s, there isn't a more perfect song for the movie.

"Fortunate Son" - Forrest Gump

It's become a comedic trope that Credence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son" is in every Vietnam War movie, but the facts actually show it's not used all that much. One movie it is used perfectly in is Forrest Gump, as the first song we hear when Forrest (Tom Hanks) gets to Vietnam.

"I Got You Babe" - Groundhog Day

There is no more perfect song than "I Got You Babe" to be played over and over and over and over as it is in Groundhog's Day. It does an amazing job just sucking the audience into Bill Murray's character's frustration again and again...and again.

“That Thing You Do” - That Thing You Do!

That Thing You Do! is a really fun movie about a fictional band, so it just had to be included here. None of the songs are all that great, except the star of the show, the song with the same name as the movie, written by the late Adam Schlesinger. It's just so darn catchy!

"State of Love and Trust and Breathe" - Singles

In 1992 the music scene was completely overrun with Grunge. Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Alice In Chains, were just a few of the Seattle bands dominating the charts. Another one of those Seattle bands was, of course, Pearl Jam. Not only did Eddie Veddar and company write and perform the best song on the soundtrack, "State of Love and Trust" but Veddar even showed up in the movie.

"Secret Garden" - Jerry Maguire

Bruce Springsteen had some great contributions to '90s movies, like the theme to Philadelphia, called ""Streets of Philadelphia" for which he won an Oscar, and "Dead Man Walkin'" from Dead Man Walking. We went with another Springsteen choice, "Secret Garden" which is played over the scene in Jerry Maguire when Renee Zelleweger's character is forced to break up with Jerry (Tom Cruise).

"Love Stinks" - The Wedding Singer

Some could argue that The Wedding Singer was the last great movie from Adam Sandler's early career. It's a funny movie, with an even funnier premise and that premise, of Sandler as a washed up singer playing weddings is highlighted perfectly when a depressed singer chooses to sing "Love Stinks" by the J. Geils Band at a wedding. A very Sandler choice.

It goes without saying, but there are major spoilers ahead!

Tony Stark - Avengers: Endgame

Over the first 22 MCU movies Tony Stark/Iron Man was the heart of the franchise. Robert Downey Jr.'s character started the whole thing off in the original Iron Man and in a lot of ways, the Infinity Saga (the first three phases of the MCU) should have ended with Avengers: End Game and the death of Tony Stark. We all knew something like this was likely, but it didn't make it any easier when it came.

Thomas J. - My Girl

There is nothing harder in life than children dying long, long before their time. The fact that no one saw it coming in My Girl makes it doubly tough. What seems like a sweet, innocent childhood romance comes to a crashing halt with the death of Macauley Culkin's character Thomas. It's just brutal, but props to Anna Chlumsky who does an amazing job as Vada.

Ricky - Boyz In the Hood

Of all the characters in Boyz In The Hood that you most want to see get out of the cycle of poverty and despair in the movie, Ricky tops the list. You always have the sense that Tre (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) is going to make it and you always sense Doughboy (Ice Cube) won't. Ricky (Morris Chestnut) is in the middle and could go either way. That's what makes his death so heartbreaking. He's so close to getting out, but just can't escape the violence.

Mufasa - The Lion King

How much detail do we really need to go into here? Mufasa's death is the catalyst for Simba's growth, but that doesn't make his untimely death any easier to watch. Disney really knows how to tug at the heartstrings, don't they?

Jenny - Forrest Gump

Jenny (Robin Wright) never really treats Forrest (Tom Hanks) all that well in Forrest Gump. Most of the time, she kinda treats him like dirt. In the end, she does come around, and when she does, you feel the pain right along with Forrest. It's even harder than watching his mother (Sally Field) go earlier in the movie.

Marley - Marley And Me

Pets dying. We all know it's coming, yet, we're never fully prepared for it. Not in life, nor on the big screen. Marley's death in Marley In Me is inevitable, but that doesn't make it any easier at all.

John Coffey - The Green Mile

In Frank Darabont's 1999 classic The Green Mile, we know that Michael Clarke Duncan's character John Coffey is locked up for a crime he didn't commit and is facing a punishment not of his own making. Not only do we feel for Coffey for his wrongful conviction, but because Duncan plays the role with such sweet sincerity that we can't help but love the guy. His execution is like our own, it hurts way too much.

Shelby - Steel Magnolias

Julia Robert's first big break came in Steel Magnolias and like all her work, her infectious smile and great attitude endear us to her quickly. Her death, though part of life, is excruciating as a result.

Neil - Dead Poets Society

When someone dies by suicide, especially a teenager, there is an extra level of sorrow and frustration. Such is definitely the case with Neil (Robert Sean Leonard) in Dead Poets Society. It's so unfair for everyone, and you even feel for his domineering father who drove him to it. Robin Williams gives one his best performances in the movie, but it's Leonard's role as Neil that really sticks with you.

Jack Dawson - Titanic

Say what you want about Titanic, love it or hate it, but you can't deny the impact of Jack's death at the end. Leonardo DiCaprio's performance in the movie made him one of the biggest stars of all time, and his death takes our breath away every time.

Radio Raheem - Do The Right Thing

Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing is one of the best debuts by a director ever. Radio Raheem's death isn't like most of the others on this list because it doesn't just make audiences sad, it makes them mad. It's the anger part of grieving that hits the hardest here.

Guido - Life Is Beautiful

The director, writer, and star of Life Is Beautiful, Roberto Benigni, is wonderful in the movie. He makes us laugh throughout and then, near the end, he crushes our hearts with his death. Like others on this list, we sense the dread from the outset, but when the end comes, it leaves us shattered.

Old Yeller - Old Yeller

There is no one who can stop a tear from rolling down your cheek at the end of Old Yeller when Travis (Tommy Kirk) is faced with doing the inevitable after his dog is infected with rabies. Most of us see the movie as kids and the trauma lives on with us far into adulthood.

Goose - Top Gun

It's not often that a big summer blockbuster hits you as hard in the guy as Top Gun does when Goose (Anthony Edwards) is killed in a training exercise. You see it on Maverick's (Tom Cruise) in the aftermath, but when Goose's widow (Meg Ryan) tells Mav how much Goose loved flying with him, turn on the waterworks and let it all out, because you're going to need to.

Brooks - The Shawshank Redemption

If you know anything about prison movies, you probably know that someone is going to get killed. One of the many things that sets The Shawshank Redemption apart and makes it one of the best movies of the 1990s, is that you don't expect the death you get in it or how it happens. The affable Brooks seems like a good guy, and that makes his suicide in the end just brutal to take in.

Johnny - The Outsiders

Johnny (Ralph Macchio) goes out as a hero in The Outsiders and that's something even he can't believe. It's a brutal moment, as he is in the hospital after the fire when he tells Pony Boy (C. Thomas Howell) to stay golden and it's stuck with audiences forever.

Maximus - Gladiator

Given the circumstances, Maximus' death is as satisfying as it is tragic in Gladiator. Russell Crowe's character's vengeance is what drives the movie and when he finally gets it at the end, there is nothing more left to do in this world. It doesn't make it easy though.

Maggie - Million Dollar Movie

Maggie's (Hillary Swank) death in Million Dollar Baby isn't easy to ever watch. You spend so much time rooting for her, that while her death doesn't feel like a waste, it sure feels like she had so much more left in her. It's not just the injury that leads to her death, but it's her tragic desire to see things through to their natural (or unnatural) end that makes it so hard to watch.

Father - The Road

There is nothing about The Road that is easy to watch. It's not a movie you really ever want to want a second time, despite how fantastic it is. Viggo Mortensen is fantastic as the character simply known as "Father" and his death is really hard to take, because he and his son are the only hope in the movie.

Jack - Brokeback Mountain

Brokeback Mountain is a classic love story with a twist that changed cinema forever and even if Jack's denial is in some ways a predictable event in this kind of story, it doesn't make it any easier for audiences.

Dobby - Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1

Dobby may just be a side character in the Harry Potter series, but his death in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1 is still one of the hardest to take to in the whole franchise. Dobby's innocent nature and good heart quickly made him a fan favorite and watching him die is heart-wrenching.

William Wallace - Braveheart

"Freedom!" Or something like that. Setting aside just how historically inaccurate Braveheart is and looking at it as a stirring movie with some awesome action scenes, it makes William Wallace's death brutal at the end. It crushes Scotland's dreams, sure, but it's also the tragic end of a love story and that's what makes it so heartbreaking.

Brian Piccalo - Brian's Song

James Caan played a lot of tough guys over his brilliant career, but it was the softer side of a tough guy, the real-life Brian Piccalo, whose death haunts us the most. The true story about the tragic life of Piccalo and his wonderful friendship with Gale Sayers, played by Billy Dee Williams, is meant to rip out the audience's hearts, and boy oh boy does it.

Apollo - Rocky IV

Like a few others on this list, if you weren't prepared for it, Apollo Creed's death in Rocky IV is a serious blow. It's not the kind of thing you'd ever expect from a big summer popcorn-chomper of a movie. It brilliantly raises the stakes in the movie and is, in the end, what makes it such an enduring movie, despite being a relic of the Cold War.

Captain Miller - Saving Private Ryan

Audiences really come to love and respect Tom Hanks' Captain Miller in Saving Private Ryan and after all he'd been through, and all he'd done, to see him not make it to the end of the movie, or the end of D-Day for that matter, really stings. We hope Ryan made it worth it, and we think he did, aside from the cheesy ending.

Bing Bong - Inside Out

How is it that a cartoon's death can bring anyone to tears? Let alone one that isn't even "real" in the movie? Yet here we are, wiping our faces as Bing Bong sacrifices himself in Inside Out. The power of cinema indeed.

Wolverine - Logan

For decades we watched Wolverine over the entire life of the X-Men franchise. Hugh Jackman's performance was perfect every time, right up until the end when the seemingly immortal anti-hero becomes as mortal as the rest of us at the end of Logan. Deadpool may have celebrated his death, but we don't.

Rosie - JoJo Rabbit

Even the most absurd films, like Jojo Rabbit, can have devastatingly heartbreaking moments in them. Rosie (Scarlett Johansson) dying, despite the movie being about the subject matter it is about, is still a little shocking and very sad. Jojo finding her the way he does makes it even tougher to watch.

Gwen Stacy - Amazing Spider-Man 2

When you watch a superhero movie, you really never expect the hero to suffer any real heartbreak that you aren't ready for. Batman's parents are always going to die, for example, but you know that going in. Spider-man failing to save Gwen (Emma Stone) in Amazing Spider-Man 2 is shocking and completely heartbreaking.

The Iron Giant - The Iron Giant

There is, at least, some respite from the death of the Iron Giant in The Iron Giant - we know in the end that he's going to be okay. That doesn't make the initial moment of his destruction any easier though. Once again cartoons break out hearts.

Bambi's Mother - Bambi

Disney is responsible for some of our favorite cinematic moments as kids. And some of our most traumatic. There is a very good chance that everyone reading this was deeply traumatized by the death of Bambi's mother in Bambi, no matter what age you are now.

Donny - The Big Lebowski

Donnie was a bowler. He also loved to surf, probably. the Steve Buscemi character's death at the end of The Big Lebowski is not what anyone would have ever expected from the shaggy dog story we enjoyed for the previous two hours. It turns out that Donnie really tied the movie together and no one liked seeing him go.

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

One of the best Studio Ghibli movies, My Neighbor Totoro, follows the adventures Satsuki and Mei (voiced by Dakota and Elle Fanning in Disney's 2005 English dub) in an enchanted forest. Along the way, they meet the titular, whimsical, furry spirit that they call Totoro (after its own species), who would also become Studio Ghibli's mascot.

Abigail (2024)

Filmmaking collective Radio Silence's modern update of the 1936 vampire movie, Dracula's Daughter, is called Abigail, which takes its name from Alisha Weir's young ballerina who turns out to be not so young and not so friendly. However, the story is told mainly from the perspective of Melissa Barrera's "Joey" and the other professional thieves who are shocked and devastated to learn they were hired to kidnap an immortal bloodsucker.

The Terminator (1984)

Arnold Schwarzenegger was, understandably, the face of the marketing and got top billing for the classic sci-fi movie, The Terminator, since he played the eponymous cyborg, which also made him the action icon he is known as today. However, writer and director James Cameron's breakout hit is really about the woman he is programmed to murder, Sarah Conner (Linda Hamilton), who is destined to be the mother of humanity's savior in a world ravaged by machines.

Chasing Amy (1997)

Anyone who watches the acclaimed Kevin Smith movie Chasing Amy for the first time is probably surprised to learn that Joey Lauren Adams' character (and unlikely love interest for Ben Affleck's Holden due) is named Alyssa. Amy is not even a character in the story but an ex-girlfriend the normally quiet Silent Bob (Smith) recalls in conversation to demonstrate the film's theme of unattainable romance.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

One of the best romantic-comedy movies of its time, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, is the story of Peter Bretter (writer Jason Segel), who takes a Hawaiian vacation in hopes of getting over his recent break-up with the titular actor, played by Kristen Bell. Unfortunately, Peter discovers that Sarah is at the same resort and even in the suite right next to his and has brought along her new beau, rock star Aldous Snow (Russell Brand).

Kill Bill (2003-2004)

Uma Thurman's The Bride has such a raging vendetta for her former boss (and justifiably so) that writer and director Quentin Tarantino named his two-part revenge movie saga after him. We do not even get to officially meet David Carradine's Bill until Kill Bill Vol. 2. and see him earn his deserved comeuppance until after our deadly protagonist has rid the world of her four other most hated enemies.

The Wizard Of Oz (1939)

Oscar "Oz" Diggs (James Franco) is the title character of Oz the Great and Powerful, Sam Raimi's 2013 prequel to the 1939 film adaptation of L. Frank Baum's novel, The Wizard of Oz. Of course, that seminal classic is all about Dorothy (Judy Garland) and her quest to find said "wizard" so she can return home (which there is no place like) after a wicked tornado whisks her and her dog, Toto, into the mystical land.

The Big Lebowski (1998)

The name of the Coen Brothers' cult favorite comedy about a case of mistaken identity gone out of control, The Big Lebowski, is a play on the title of the classic film noir movie that inspired it, The Big Sleep. It is also the nickname that Jeff Bridges' aging hippie protagonist, The Dude, gives to a Los Angeles millionaire who also bears his legal name, Jeffrey Lebowski (played by David Huddleston).

Coco (2017)

One of the best Pixar movies (and also one of the animation studio's biggest tearjerkers), Coco, is a winning fantasy about young music lover, Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez), and his adventure through the afterlife on Dia de los Muertos. We never actually learn just how important his great-grandmother, Mamá Coco (Ana Ofelia Murguía), is to the story until near the end.

Beetlejuice (1988)

Tim Burton and co. must have realized Michael Keaton's mischievous bio-exorcist (whose name is really spelled "Betelgeuse") was going to be the most memorable character in the beloved horror-comedy movie (despite only 17 minutes of screentime). Otherwise Beetlejuice — which is really about the recently deceased Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara Maitland (Geena Davis), and their bid to scare a new family out of their house — could have been named House Guests or even Scared Sheetless.

The Great Gatsby (2013)

Talk to any connoisseur of fine literature and they might tell you that Jay Gatsby is the central character of F. Scott Fitzgerald's tragic rags-to-riches story, The Great Gatsby, which Baz Luhrmann adapted into a hit in 2013. However, the entire story is told from the point of view of the narrator, Nick Carraway (played by Tobey Maguire in the Luhrmann version), which makes him a better fit to be called the protagonist.

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Tom Hanks leads Saving Private Ryan as Capt. Miller, whose crew is tasked with finding the sole surviving son of the Ryan family (played by Matt Damon) behind enemy lines. The opening flash-forward of Steven Spielberg's masterful war movie even tricks you into believing the elderly World War II veteran is Hanks' character since we witness the harrowing action through his eyes.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

The acclaimed fourth installment of George Miller's Mad Max movies gives the titular post-apocalyptic drifter (now played by Tom Hardy) a co-pilot in the form of Charlize Theron's Furiosa. Even the biggest fans of Mad Max: Fury Road would agree that the instant classic action movie really belongs to the one-armed warrior woman who deservingly earned her own prequel spin-off called Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

Tron (1982)

The visually groundbreaking Disney favorite, Tron, is named after a sentient digital security program that appears in the digital world with a resemblance to its creator, Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner). Of course, the hero of the story is Alan's co-worker, Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), who is forcibly sent to the digital world where his video game skills certainly come in handy.

Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (1971)

Gene Wilder's performance as the titular chocolatier in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is so wonderfully whimsical and iconic that it is easy to forget poor, young Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum, a child star who walked away from Hollywood soon after) is the true protagonist. In fact, Roald Dahl's novel is called Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which Tim Burton honored with the title of his 2005 adaptation.

Rebecca (1940)

Played by Joan Fontaine, the central character of director Alfred Hitchcock's Best Picture Oscar winner Rebecca remains unnamed throughout the story. The psychological thriller's title character is the former wife of our protagonist's new husband, 'Maxim' de Winter (Laurence Olivier), who has died but her memory continues to haunt his lavish estate.

The Exorcist (1973)

I would not be surprised if many audiences did not know what an exorcist was before seeing William Friedkin's horror movie masterpiece about a secular actor (played by Ellen Burstyn) who turns to religion for an answer to her young daughter, Regan's (Linda Blair) concerning behavior. Thus, they might not have not realized that Max von Sydow's Father Merrin (who only appears at the beginning and near the end to cure Regan's demonic possession, with help from Jason Miller as Father Karras) was the title character of The Exorcist.

Weekend At Bernie's (1989)

It is not unusual for a movie's title character to be dead most of the time (see Casper) but murdered businessman Bernie Lomax (Terry Kiser) is not the protagonist of Weekend at Bernie's or its 1993 sequel. The screwball comedy follows Bernie's employees, Larry Wilson (Andrew McCarthy) and Richard Parker (Jonathan Silverman), who try to conceal the fact that their boss is dead while spending a few days at his beach house in the Hamptons.

The Invisible Man (2020)

On the ReelBlend podcast, Leigh Whannell recalled when Blumhouse asked how he would reimagine the classic Universal Monster Movie, The Invisible Man, and said he would tell it from the point of view of the transparent fiend's victim. This led him to craft the story of Cecelia Kass (Elisabeth Moss), who suspects that her abusive, supposedly dead, tech innovator husband is alive and has figured out a way to be close to her without being seen.

Laura (1944)

In the 1940s mystery drama Laura, Det. Lt. Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) finds himself falling in love with the titular femme fatale, played by Gene Tierney. The only problem is that the object of his affection is the woman whose murder he is investigating.