Generally, movies are held together by a coherent plot.

Sometimes this means there’s a strong overarching narrative that can tie everything together. Other times, there’s a plot device that’s strong enough to keep things moving forward.

Now, the plot device doesn’t have to be anything meaningful long-term; there are plenty of classic movies with objects whose sole purpose is to kickstart the plot. They’re called MacGuffins. We’re not here to talk about those, though. They at least make sense.

No, we’re talking about premises, ideas, or plots in movies that, despite being incredibly dumb and absurd, defy the odds and work, resulting in a great movie.

Being John Malkovich

I’m not sure where else you can start, so here we go.

The premise of Being John Malkovich centers around a puppeteer who finds a door that puts him into the mind of actor John Malkovich.

Fifteen minutes later, he’s thrown out of Malkovich’s mind and onto the side of the New Jersey Turnpike.

I dare you to find another movie as absurd as this one, but here’s the kicker: it’s unique, it’s intelligent, and it’s surprisingly meaningful. Definitely worth the watch if you’re looking for something unique and different.

Face/Off

Might as well get this one out of the way, too.

John Woo is known for his action. He’s also known for his dumb, absurd, and ridiculous plots.

I mean, let’s cut to the chase here: John Travolta transforms into Nic Cage to go undercover, but Nic Cage wakes up after surgery (without a face, mind you), so he takes John Travolta’s face and assumes the role of an FBI agent to kill John Travolta. The real one that looks like Nic Cage.

Yeah, it’s silly, but my god, it’s a great action movie. Turn your brain off, buckle up, and enjoy the ride.

The Purge

It’s a silly idea in theory, but one that does well enough as a modern horror/thriller.

For those that don’t know, The Purge, as well as the other films in the franchise, follow one simple rule: crime is legal for 24 hours, and the movie (generally) follows the events during this time period.

It feels like a more modern take on the tired-out found-footage genre of films and one that works to surprising results. It’s a silly plot device that kickstarts things and adds to the tension and duress the main characters are under.

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Ratatouille

Walt Disney movies ask a lot of the viewers when it comes to suspending their disbelief, especially Pixar films. Talking toys? Monsters actually living in our closets, only some of them are nice? Exactly.

Arguably, Ratatouille is the Pixar film with the silliest plot device: a rodent not only has an impressive palette, but is able to control a terrible chef by pulling his hair.

Then again, we’re not watching Disney and Pixar movies for their realistic plots. We’re watching them for their charm and heart, and Ratatouille has that in spades.

Pirates of the Caribbean

Let’s stay on theme with Disney, because while Pirates of the Caribbean is a fantastic movie that kickstarted one of the most successful film franchises of all time, you have to consider the source material: a ride.

That’s right; these movies originated from the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at various Walt Disney parks.

To be perfectly honest, Johnny Depp as the incredibly charismatic Captain Jack Sparrow is what makes these movies so iconic. It’s certainly not the films staying faithful to the “source material.”

Edward Scissorhands

Speaking of Johnny Depp, when he’s not busy being a pirate asking where the rum has run off to, he frequently collaborates with acclaimed filmmaker Tim Burton.

Burton’s movies are certainly known for their unique gothic horror flair, but no film’s premise is absurd or (as much as I love this movie, it’s true) dumb as Edward Scissorhands.

Edward literally has scissors for his hands. While yes, it’s meant as a metaphor for how we should be accepting of everyone, no matter how different everyone is, it’s still about a guy with scissors for hands.

Violent Night

It should come as no surprise that David Harbour’s stock rose dramatically following the success of Stranger Things.

One of his leading roles was the 2002 Christmas action/comedy Violent Night, with a premise that just screams a 2020-era attempt at a new holiday classic.

Harbour stars as Santa Claus, only he’s fighting mercenaries as if he’s John McClain in Die Hard on Christmas Eve.

Silly? Yes. A holiday classic? Not quite. Harmless fun? You bet.

Speed

Look, sometimes I want my action movies to have a dumb plot.

In the case of Speed, that’s exactly what’s happening.

Keanu Reeves needs to make sure the bus he’s driving is always going faster than 50 miles per hour. Silly? Yes. Effective? You bet.

Let’s just not talk about the sequel, though, because that showcased the limitations of the plot.

Crank

Crank is the type of movie that thinks Speed took itself too seriously.

Why bother with a bus that has to always go faster than 50 miles per hour when you can be an assassin who has to constantly keep his adrenaline flowing?

Let’s not beat around the bush: this stupid plot is merely a device for a stylish Jason Statham action flick, and in that regard, it works, so why complain?

Hot Tub Time Machine

Surprise, surprise: a dumb comedy has a dumb plot device. Normally, though, the film is at least attempting to normalize what’s going on. Classic comedies like Dumb & Dumber and Tommy Boy are essentially road trip comedies.

Hot Tub Time Machine doesn’t bother to hide its intentions: it knows it’s a dumb concept, even poking fun at itself while breaking the fourth wall.

Yet that’s why it works so well. It knows that there’s no need to take things seriously, so why not have fun with a silly idea?

22 Jump Street

The 21 Jump Street movie, while not original, was the latest in a trend of movies adapting television shows.

Surely the concept wouldn’t work again, right? Well, about that: it does.

22 Jump Street is in on the joke, knowing how silly it is to run back the same joke twice, but the impressive chemistry of Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, combined with more intelligent writing, is a reason why it’s arguably better than its predecessor.

The best part is the end credits, which continue the joke as we see “future installments” of the Jump Street franchise. Still waiting for 23 Jump Street, by the way!

Bubba Ho-Tep

It has Bruce Campbell, so yeah, you know you’re in for a ride here.

Bubba Ho-Tep follows Elvis Presley (Campbell) after he wakes up in an East Texas Nursing home, befriends a black man who claims to be JFK, and discovers that an Egyptian mummy is killing people in their retirement community.

Movie plots don’t get dumber or more absurd than that, but guess what: this film is a trip.

Clue

This is the exception to the rule: a movie based on a board game that actually works.

Clue is a classic because, unlike Hot Tub Time Machine, it does take things a little too seriously.

For example, the theatrical release had multiple endings, mirroring how the actual game of Clue can have multiple outcomes.

Eurotrip

While not a direct sequel to Road Trip, let’s be honest here: there are so many similarities that it might as well be a spiritual successor to the 2000 comedy.

Instead of driving across America, though, it’s time to travel to Europe so some dude can confess his love to a pen pal after a surprisingly catchy and iconic song (“Scotty Doesn’t Know” – Lustra) that also features a Matt Damon cameo.

And that’s just the movie’s setup!

Yes, Eurotrip is a time capsule of everything that makes early 2000s comedies beloved, or in some cases, disliked, but everything works out surprisingly well.

Pleasantville

The trailers and marketing for Pleasantville painted it as a “fish out of water” type movie where modern teens were transported to a classic television show through a magical remote.

Pretty ho hum on the surface, but as is often the case, looks can be deceiving.

The black and white television show Pleasantville serves as a metaphor for the pressures of society, racial issues, and gender roles.

Is it one of the best movies of all time? Not necessarily, but it’s certainly a movie with a dumb plot that actually worked.