If nothing else, Twitter is a great source for comedy. Following our favorite comedians online can be a great source of constant humor, obviously, but the world at large loves a good joke and the occasional hashtag war inspires the whole lot of us to put on our thinking caps and say some truly dumb/clever/wonderful crap.
Case in point: this week’s awesome new hashtag #ExplainAFilmPlotBadly, which inspired thousands upon thousands of Twitter users to rethink and reinterpret their favorite or most hated movies, and describe them in a way that makes sense but also completely misses the point. Celebrities and film critics even joined the fray, including Crave’s own @WilliamBibbiani, who fired off his own handful of zingers (some of which you’ll see below).
With so many contributions to the #ExplainAFilmPlotBadly zeitgeist, we realized that you would probably never have time to read them all. Fortunately for you, we have OODLES of time. So we delved deep into Twitter’s archives and we’ve emerged with our 25 favorites. Let’s see how these enterprising tweetsters decided to #ExplainAFilmPlotBadly…
The Phantom Menace:
Future genocidal child-murdering fascist becomes unhealthily fixated on woman twice his age. #ExplainAFilmPlotBadly pic.twitter.com/tJfXTnUXhZ
— William Bibbiani (@WilliamBibbiani) December 13, 2015
The Hunger Games:
#ExplainAFilmPlotBadly Older sister ruins younger sister’s chance to be on nationally televised game show. pic.twitter.com/J4tngi6LGP
— Wickedshrapnel (@wickedshrapnel) December 15, 2015
The Matrix:
A group of friends decides to spend less time online. #ExplainAFilmPlotBadly pic.twitter.com/yRcnFYUqkF
— Saladin Ahmed (@saladinahmed) December 13, 2015
The Matrix Reloaded:
#ExplainAFilmPlotBadly pic.twitter.com/kqRgHW89uO
— olilyttelton (@olilyttelton) December 14, 2015
Se7en:
Brad Pitt waits for 2 hours for Gwyneth Paltrow to give him head #ExplainAFilmPlotBadly pic.twitter.com/zN0kSJIB2d
— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) December 14, 2015
Casablanca:
Dull revolutionary, wife visit Northwestern Africa, then have trouble booking flight home. #ExplainAFilmPlotBadly pic.twitter.com/3MeRlZy83I
— Ben Mankiewicz (@BenMank77) December 14, 2015
The Hateful Eight:
Eight strangers find out what happens when people stop being polite and start getting real. #ExplainAFilmPlotBadly pic.twitter.com/lN2HgkTx1m
— Neil Miller (@rejects) December 14, 2015
Speed:
Public transportation running ahead of schedule for once. #ExplainAFilmPlotBadly pic.twitter.com/PUJXeVHNgE
— Scott Tobias (@scott_tobias) December 14, 2015
Psycho:
Mild-mannered motel owner balances business and family on an unusually busy week. #ExplainAFilmPlotBadly pic.twitter.com/xcCy1BiMPd
— William Bibbiani (@WilliamBibbiani) December 13, 2015
Up:
An elderly man abducts a young overweight Asian boy to replace his dead wife. #ExplainAFilmPlotBadly pic.twitter.com/3uGng9Gjlv
— Harrison Ward (@NotHarrisonF0rd) December 15, 2015
Man of Steel:
Father would rather die than allow son to selflessly help others. #ExplainAFilmPlotBadly pic.twitter.com/3P2EuiOHwP
— Donna Dickens (@MildlyAmused) December 14, 2015
Batman v Superman:
Rich white man scared of illegal alien #ExplainAFilmPlotBadly pic.twitter.com/ZcNkHIwIwp
— Jim Vejvoda (@JimVejvoda) December 14, 2015
Ghostbusters:
A dedicated civil servant struggles w/his physical disfigurement being revealed to a superior #ExplainAFilmPlotBadly pic.twitter.com/uV7kH1EfVO
— Alexander Huls (@alxhuls) December 14, 2015
Boyz n the Hood:
Local teen loses football scholarship #ExplainAFilmPlotBadly pic.twitter.com/djqvCO2wb3
— Jim Vejvoda (@JimVejvoda) December 14, 2015
Gone with the Wind:
Ending slavery inconveniences some white people. #ExplainAFilmPlotBadly pic.twitter.com/tXKp6oyBl3
— Scott Wooledge (@Clarknt67) December 14, 2015
A Nightmare on Elm Street:
#ExplainAFilmPlotBadly A wise-cracking boiler technician teaches high school students to believe in their dreams. pic.twitter.com/6iUUwNopCR
— Eric Weiss (@ZombieRiot) December 13, 2015
Beauty and the Beast:
Stockholm syndrome works. #ExplainAFilmPlotBadly pic.twitter.com/nuYKOeneYD
— Dan Slott (@DanSlott) December 13, 2015
Sunset Boulevard:
Actress explains a film plot badly. #ExplainAFilmPlotBadly pic.twitter.com/hKtoQJwYip
— James Urbaniak (@JamesUrbaniak) December 13, 2015
A Christmas Story:
Schoolboy in grip of violent fantasies plots access to firearms. #ExplainAFilmPlotBadly pic.twitter.com/gT8PygtFpd
— Holly Hunt (@hollye_h) December 13, 2015
Serenity:
#ExplainAFilmPlotBadly Space captain tries to reduce the size of his crew, succeeds. pic.twitter.com/TxSSD6E7IA
— Whedonesque (@whedonesque) December 13, 2015
Avatar:
White man aids and abets terrorist attack, makes amends by deporting immigrants. #ExplainAFilmPlotBadly pic.twitter.com/2VJJ9FXHwJ
— William Bibbiani (@WilliamBibbiani) December 13, 2015
Edge of Tomorrow:
Tom Cruise lives. Tom Cruise dies. Tom Cruise lives. Tom Cruise dies. Tom Cruise lives. Tom Cruise dies. #ExplainAFilmPlotBadly
— Ian Hughes (@ilhughes) December 13, 2015
Home Alone:
At Christmas, a lone-wolf hero no one expected defends a building from invading terrorists. #ExplainAFilmPlotBadly pic.twitter.com/VtfAIZ2T77
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) December 14, 2015
I Know What You Did Last Summer
#ExplainAFilmPlotBadly Somebody knows what someone did last summer
— Christmas Gosse (@CidGaius) December 13, 2015
And finally…
Roger Ebert’s review of HALLOWEEN III #ExplainAFilmPlotBadly
— Brian Collins (@BrianWCollins) December 14, 2015