20 Movies People Missed The Point Of

Jake Valentine

July 18, 2025

It’s okay to admit that there have been times you don’t understand a movie’s message at first. We’ve all been there, myself included.

There are countless examples of this happening, so we decided to compile some notable films where people missed the message.

(500) Days of Summer

The film begins with a warning: this is not a love story. Yet many seem to forget that fact.

It doesn’t help that it’s easy to root for Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). He’s a good looking guy and easy to relate to! That’s part of the problem, though. Tom is a jerk who has some growing up to do. It wasn’t until we grew older and matured ourselves that we realized this.

Scarface

Many people tend to idolize Tony Montana. Why not? It seems like he has it all.

However, Tony didn’t learn the most important lesson of his profession, and it’s one that’s said at the start of the film. Keep a low profile and you’ll live long and prosper. He did the exact opposite, and look what happened.

Fight Club

The older I get, the more I realize The Narrator’s life wasn’t so bad before Tyler Durden. He has a job, his own place, and peace of mind.

There’s no need to embrace materialism or toxic masculinity to find happiness. You can find that with what you already have.

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Rocky

Despite the amount of boxing that takes place in Rocky, the movie itself isn’t a sports movie, nor is it about boxing.

It’s an underdog story about Rocky Balboa, the person, not the boxer, and how he gives it his all to chase his dreams. If you ever get your chance, take it and run with it. That’s what Rocky did.

Blazing Saddles

If I had a dollar every time someone said, “You can’t make this movie today,” I’d be pretty rich.

Mel Brooks’ iconic comedy has a method to its madness. They’re not laughing with you, they’re laughing at you, pointing out the ridiculousness of a white guy playing a Native American.

Tropic Thunder

In a similar vein, Ben Stiller’s satirical takedown of Hollywood is quite impressive.

Again, they’re laughing at the stereotypes they mock, and it has led to some surprisingly nuanced discourse, especially when it comes to Robert Downey Jr.’s role.

Starship Troopers

The marketing campaign didn’t help this one at all.

On the surface, it’s a sci-fi action movie about killing space bugs. In reality, it’s about fascism, nationalism, and right-wing militarism.

Dune

Book readers know exactly what I’m talking about.

Paul Atredies is no hero. He’s begun a global jihad, and the Fremen are blindly following him. At least Chani knew what was happening.

The Punisher

Based on the number of bumper stickers I see, it’s not just the movie people don’t get, but the character itself.

The Punisher is a vigilante notorious for getting the job done because the police are either too corrupt or ineffective. He does not support cops.

The Menu

Despite the fact that The Menu openly mocks pretentious restaurant dishes, this one still went over people’s heads.

As appealing as these extravagant means can be, nothing beats the simplicity of comfort, whether it’s a humble cheeseburger or a night in with loved ones.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

I honestly don’t blame you if your takeaway here is that relationships stink, but that’s not the message of the movie.

Joel and Clementine are naturally drawn together as soulmates, proving that true love conquers all. The real message is that relationships aren’t easy and require work, but they’re worth it.

Titanic

Let’s get one thing straight. Jack Dawson was not a random fling or one night stand for Rose.

He has her escape mechanism, allowing her to leave a life and relationship she wanted no part of. When she promised that she’ll never let go, she meant it, never letting go of the new lease on life she was given.

Gone Girl

It’s not often a movie comes along where no one is worth rooting for, but Gone Girl is in rarefied air.

Yes, Nick is far from a model husband, but Amy is a psychotic psychopath who went over the line. There’s no “right side” here; they both suck.

No Country For Old Men

This is one that took me a while to comprehend, partly because the narrative between Javier Bardem’s and Josh Brolin’s characters is so gripping.

It’s not their story, though. It’s about Tommy Lee Jones’ character realizing he’s getting too old. The world is as bad as it’s always been; he’s just no longer able to keep up.

Toy Story 4

Look, I was as skeptical as everyone else when Toy Story 4 was released. I was already cautious leading into Toy Story 3, and everyone loves that movie. Surely, this is Disney and Pixar being too greedy, right? Wrong.

You may look at this, even after watching, as a mindless cash grab that introduces new characters to sell merchandise. I see it as Woody searching for a new purpose in life. I’m not ashamed to admit that I love everything about this movie.

Midsommar

It’s really easy to watch the movie’s ending and think “good for her,” but Midsommar is an emotional movie centered around grief.

There isn’t some twisted happy ending here; Dani was in her worst possible state and was fully taken advantage of by a cult.

Don’t Look Up

This one is a victim of unfortunate timing.

Many people saw it as a metaphor for COVID-19 deniers, but there’s no deeper meaning here. It’s literally about people denying climate change!

RoboCop

This is much more than an enjoyable 1980s B-movie.

RoboCop is a biting commentary on the power of corporations and the policies of then President Ronald Reagan in particular.

Watchmen

What makes Watchmen so beautiful is that it portrays a more realistic version of superheroes than anything we’ve ever seen.

It acknowledges the harsh reality that there are no heroes, because heroes don’t exist, a sentiment also shared by The Boys. In this vein, Rorschach isn’t a hero. He’s just a psychopathic murderer who happens to be targeting the bad guys.