Most movie-goers want to see a movie with an exciting plot. But sometimes you watch a movie where absolutely nothing happens. These films may have a slower pace or focus more on character development and relationships than action or plot.
A user asked the forum, “Which film can be summed up as ‘nothing really happens’?”
Here are the top picks from the movie buffs on the forum.
MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO
“Nothing really happens in My Neighbour Totoro, but in a good way. That’s what makes it so peaceful and relaxing to watch. Studio Ghibli movies have something special, almost magical about them that I don’t know how to describe in words.”
DAZED AND CONFUSED
“Good movie, but nothing happens. I mean, things happen, but nothing really happens.”
SLACKER
“In Richard Linklater’s (writer/director of Dazed and Confused) first film, Slacker, even less actually happens. It’s just a day in the summer of ’89 in Austin, Texas. There are no professional actors; it is shot entirely in public on a $23,000 budget.
It’s also one of the funniest, most original films of all time.”
BOYHOOD
“Oddly enough, my first thought in response to this question was Boyhood. I mean, Linklater had an interesting concept with the passage of time, but in a way, I just felt like time passed, and that was about it.”
MAN AND EARTH
“Don’t be confused; it’s an amazing movie.”
“I just didn’t like the ending to Man from Earth. Like they didn’t trust the audience to connect the dots, they should have left it up in the air with just a hint that he’s who he claimed to be.”
AD ASTRA
“I VERY rarely leave a film thinking “yep, I got literally nothing out of that” but Ad Astra was the picture-perfect example of that.”
“I left it thinking, How did they make a Brad Pitt/Tommy Lee Jones astronaut movie with moon pirates and killer space monkeys completely unenjoyable?”
LOST IN TRANSLATION
“I was so disappointed in that movie the first time I saw it. I think I may have watched it too young, but for some reason, the movie always stuck with me, so I recently decided to rewatch it, and I’m actually really enjoying it.”
SLEEP
“Warhol’s 1964 movie Sleep. Over 5 hours looped video of a guy sleeping.”
“They taught it to me like it was just some random guy and therefore meaningless boredom, but it was his boyfriend then. Watching a person that you love sleep is totally different. You get fascinated by every little thing they do.”
STALKER
“Knew it must have been mentioned here, not disappointed. Stalker, or how three guys do the mile in 2h43m. Still an incredible movie with an even more insane backstory: it was effectively re-shot three times.”
CLERKS
“Another amazing movie where nothing happens. I can argue that in this movie, nothing happening is kind of the point.”
THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT
“Nothing’s happening. Nothing’s happening… Something about a map. Nothing’s happening.
…It’s over. A lot of people in the audience look annoyed.”
PATERSON
“Wonderful, beautiful movie where absolutely nothing happens.”
THE BIG LEBOWSKI
The main guy is tired of everything, the kidnapped girl never got kidnapped, the “villains” are just lame nihilists, and the Dude’s friends are just stirring the pot. The only real plot point where something actually happens is what happens to Donny.”
EMPIRE RECORDS
“It’s a great movie, but just a day in the life of an indie record store.”
ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
“30 minutes of something happening diluted by 2.5 hours of nothing.”
NEVERENDING STORY
“The entire film is about nothing happening.”
GO
“Young people party and get into some shenanigans, but nothing much changes between the start and the end. The implication of Manny’s last line of dialogue really sums up the film for me.”
AMERICAN HUSTLE
” You have a stellar cast where literally nothing happens the entire movie.”
12 ANGRY MEN
“Just a few guys sitting in a room talking. It’s so good.”
“No ACTION happens in that movie, if that’s what you mean? There is an obvious storyline with lots of dramatic dialog pushing the plot forward. Tons happen in that movie.”
THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY
” It’s good scenery, sure, but in the grand scheme of things, nothing happens.”
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Chhavi
Chhavi Agarwal is a lawyer who quit her job to become a full-time work-from-home blogger. She shares tips and tricks on making money online, side hustles, freelancing, and blogging through her blog, Mrs. Daaku Studio. She has been featured on Forbes, Business Insider, Peru Tribune, Kentucky Today and More. Byline: MSN, AP Wire, Newsbreak