Top 10 Outrageous Movie Plots That Actually Came True
#10: “The Dead Zone” (1983)
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Stephen King plots are often thrilling, but they’re usually not all that realistic. One aspect of “The Dead Zone,” an adaptation of King’s book about a man who emerges from a coma with psychic abilities, feels eerily similar to reality, and it’s not the supernatural element. The film's villain, played by Martin Sheen, is a salesman-turned-political candidate who earns a passionate following despite not seeming completely right in the head. If that reminds you of a certain President, you’re not alone. King himself has made the comparison. Maybe he was the real psychic all along?
#9: “Office Space” (1999)
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The disgruntled employees in this classic workplace comedy develop an ingenious plan for getting back at the uncaring Initech. They use a virus to embezzle small amounts of money from the company. This soon backfires for them, and their arrest seems imminent until a certain fire bails them out. Michael Largent, a California resident, did something similar in 2007 when he started 58,000 accounts with E-Trade and Schwab.com. Since these companies verify accounts through small deposits, he was able to fraudulently earn thousands. Largent was sentenced to 15 months of prison time. Unlike “Office Space,” his crime was no laughing matter.
#8: “Slumdog Millionaire” (2008)
In the Best Picture-winning “Slumdog Millionaire,” a poor 18-year-old in Mumbai ends up achieving game show success thanks to the questions aligning with his life. In 2011, Sushil Kumar became the first person to win 50 million rupees on the Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" Kumar has been compared to Dev Patel’s character, as both were earning meager livings before their quiz show achievements. Although Kumar made a fortune on the show, the aftermath wasn't as rosy. He described 2015 to 2016 as "the most difficult time of [his] life." This was a time wracked by marriage problems, investment troubles, and substance abuse. Kumar has since rebounded, but it's a good reminder that happy endings can still have some sadness.
#7: “Bad Santa” (2003)
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If you’re looking for a Christmas comedy that’s heavy on the naughty, it’s hard to beat “Bad Santa.” The movie stars Billy Bob Thornton as a thief who schemes to rob the mall he’s working at during the holidays. In late December 2012, someone in a Santa suit, beard and all, was seen on security camera footage robbing a safe at a mall in the Liverpool suburb of New South Wales. He also had a red bag and a cane, not a candy one. Something tells us he didn't give this haul to any children.
#6: “Real Genius” (1985)
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A subplot in this sci-fi college comedy involves a former student named Lazlo Hollyfeld, who ends up living in the protagonists’ closet. Life imitated art in 2013, when some Ohio State University students noticed some strange things at their off-campus house, such as cupboards being open for no reason. They even joked that there might’ve been a ghost in their home. When they investigated, they found a full bedroom setup in the basement, complete with a man living down there. Once they realized this, he was promptly evicted. We're all for 80s nostalgia but not like this.
#5: “The Birds” (1963)
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Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller depicts a sleepy seaside village where birds come in droves and start attacking people for no apparent reason. And in 2021, birds in Australia appeared in a suburb without explanation. Video was taken of cockatoos acting out of the Nowra suburb in New South Wales. Swarms of these birds were shown shrieking and flying around the area. Cockatoos are native to Australia, but this kind of invasion isn't exactly welcome, especially with their destructive tendencies. Some have speculated the cause is a lack of available habitats and food. Whatever the cause is, we hope nobody got hurt.
#4: “Wag the Dog” (1997)
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Sometimes, real-life imitates movie plots with remarkable timing. In this political comedy, a scandal involving the President causes a fake war in Albania to be devised to distract the public. One month later, another scandal broke, this one involving real-life U.S. President Bill Clinton. The Clinton scandal dominated the news in 1998, and during it, the Clinton administration took numerous military measures. While they didn't declare any wars, some found parallels between the film and reality. Dustin Hoffman received a Best Actor nomination for “Wag the Dog,” but it was Clinton’s acting that made the most headlines.
#3: “The Shawshank Redemption” (1994)
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This classic prison drama shows that all you need to be free is hope. Well, having the right tools and smarts also helps. In 2007, a pair of clever inmates at a New Jersey prison used a hole covered by photos to escape, just like Andy Dufresne. They then made it to the roof of another building and jumped off before climbing over a 30-foot tall fence. Unlike in the movie, the pair was caught after just a few weeks. In a possible nod to the film’s famous Rita Hayworth poster, the escapees covered their hole with pinup photos.
#2: “Snakes on a Plane” (2006)
We all laughed at the ridiculousness of this thriller, about a bunch of deadly snakes let loose on a flight. But we probably wouldn’t be laughing if we were on board when a snake was discovered on a plane headed to Dubai in early 2017. This flight, leaving from Oman, was grounded after baggage handlers found a snake in the cargo bay. There’s no telling what kind of snake it was, or if it was venomous, but it was evidently enough to get the flight canceled. Strangely enough, this isn’t the first time a snake has been found on a plane. Where’s Samuel L. Jackson when you need him?
#1: “Weekend at Bernie’s” (1989)
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In "Weekend at Bernie's," a pair of hapless workers find their boss dead and pretend he's still alive, which the other characters somehow don't realize. In 2011, a Denver man found their friend dead, so he did what any reasonable person would do: he called up his friend and the three of them went out for a night on the town. This meant Mexican cuisine, drinks, and a stop at a strip club. They charged $400 to their deceased friend's bank card before reporting his death to the police hours later. The pair were charged with multiple crimes, including identity theft and abusing a corpse. At least it was just a night, not a whole weekend.