In reality, being at the wrong place at the wrong time is inconvenient. In the movies, it can be life-changing in strange and even horrific ways. See for yourself by revisiting cinematic classics about people getting caught in some unexpected trouble.
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.
