It’s not unusual for a line or a short scene in a movie to feel a little outdated over time. Even films that feel timeless as a whole may contain elements that don’t always hold up perfectly. But once in a while, There are entire films whose plots are becoming obsolete due to development in modern technology. Problems that once would have sent characters off on entire adventures can now be solved with the push of a button.
Now, this doesn’t necessarily take away from the quality of the film itself. It is important to remember that All films are the product of their time; It is not the filmmakers’ fault that this new technology did not exist when the idea for the movie was conceived. Nevertheless, it can still be enjoyable to reflect on how different these films would be if they took place in the present day. Although these films may still be loved by their audience, it is impossible to deny the massive impact that modern technology would have on their site.
10
12 angry people (1957)
Home security cameras would solve this case in a snap
Sidney Lumet’s 1957 court drama, 12 angry peopleIs widely treated as One of the greatest films of all time. However, although the characters and the setting feel timeless, the entire basis of the plot could be completely avoided with the presence of modern surveillance technology. in this film, A jury is forced to decide whether a teenager is guilty of murdering his own father.
If the film took place today, there would almost certainly be much more evidence, thanks to the presence of more sophisticated surveillance technology.
This does not prove to be an easy matter, because much of the evidence in this case is based on unreliable testimony from the neighbors of the accused. If the film took place today, there would almost certainly be much more evidence, thanks to the presence of more sophisticated surveillance technology.
12 Angry Men is a 1957 drama centered on twelve jurors in New York City who decide the verdict of a murder trial. Eleven of the jurors are set on a guilty verdict, but one stubborn juror slowly starts to change the other’s opinion with his careful consideration of the evidence.
- Director
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Sidney Lumet
- Release date
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April 10, 1957
- Writers
-
Reginald Rose
- Figure
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John Fiedler, Henry Fonda, Martin Balsam, Jack Klugman, Lee J. Cobb, EG Marshall
- runtime
-
96 minutes
This case could have been solved in seconds if the defendant had owned a home security camera. The jurors would only have to look at the pictures, and they would know whether to vote “guilty” or “not guilty”. Fortunately, the heroics of Henry Fonda in court make the film so captivating that the audience is unlikely to think about this fact.
9
The Apartment (1960)
Airbnb would have saved Baxter a lot of trouble
Billy Wilder’s 1960s Best Picture Winner, The apartmentStarring Jack Lemmon as “Bud” Baxter, an insurance clerk who aspires to move up in the business by letting the executives at his company use his apartment for their extramarital affairs. Baxter eventually becomes bored with the situation, but is left in quite a predicament; He can either live unhappily and continue to let the higher-ups use his apartment, or he can kick them out, and risk being fired.
Billy Wilder’s The Apartment is a comedy-drama film starring Jack Lemmon as CC Baxter, an ambitious office worker who lends his apartment to company executives for extramarital affairs to advance his career.
- Director
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Billy Wilder
- Release date
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June 15, 1960
- Writers
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Billy Wilder, IAL Diamond
- runtime
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125 minutes
Baxter could have gotten out of this pickle smoothly if he had just presented the executives with another option. Nowadays, there are companies like Airbnbwhich allow users to sell entire houses and apartments for any period of time (even just one night). Baxter could have the best of both worlds by reclaiming his apartment, but offering to arrange an Airbnb for the executives when they asked him. So he could enjoy his own apartment in peace, and also maintain a favorable status with his company.
8
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
An Apple Airtag may have found the legendary bird
The critically-acclaimed 1941 film noir, The Maltese Falcon (directed by John Huston) follows A private detective who gets involved with a series of people looking for the title treasureA jewel-coated statuette of a falcon. As the opening titles indicate, the film is centered around the story that the Knights Templar of Malta tried to send the falcon as a gift to Charles V of Spain, only for it to be stolen and lost forever.
The Maltese Falcon (1931) follows private detective Sam Spade as he navigates a complex web of deception and treachery in pursuit of a priceless artifact. The film, directed by Roy Del Ruth, is a gripping crime drama that delves into themes of greed, trust and morality in the dark underbelly of society.
- Director
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Roy Del Ruth
- Release date
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May 23, 1931
- Writers
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Dashiell Hammett, Brown Holmes, Maude Fulton
- Figure
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Ricardo Cortez, Bebe Daniels, Dudley Digges, Una Merkel, Robert Elliott, Thelma Todd, Otto Matieson, Walter Long, Dwight Frye, J. Farrell MacDonald, Agostino Borgato, Morgan Wallace, Lucille Ward.
- runtime
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80 minutes
The task of finding the lost treasure would be much more difficult in today’s world. Thanks to the invention of Apple AirTag technology, people can basically mark any of their valuables with the tags, which will allow the user to monitor the location of the item. If the Knights Templar had access to AirTags, they could have tracked the Maltese Falcon right away. Unfortunately, this would have deprived audiences of seeing Humphrey Bogart put his sleeping skills to the test.
7
Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
A ridesharing app would get Neil home in time
Planes, trains and automobiles is the beloved 1987 John Hughes buddy comedy about two unlucky men trying their hardest to get home in time for Thanksgiving. In the course of the film, the unlikely duo of Neil Page and Del Griffith are Forced to travel in almost every vehicle imaginable on their journey back to Chicago.
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Although the chaotic trip is non-stop fun for the audience, it could all be easily avoided with more modern means of travel. today, Rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft have become incredibly popular for people looking to get from one place to another when they don’t have a car.
Directed by John Hughes, Planes, Trains and Automobiles stars Steve Martin as Neil Page, a busy advertising executive who finds himself the unwilling traveling companion of salesman Dale Griffith as the two attempt to return to Chicago for the Thanksgiving holiday. Neal and Del must work together, but reluctantly, to achieve their shared goal with bad weather and a constant comedy of errors in trying to make travel plans. John Candy also stars alongside Martin as Dale.
- Release date
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November 25, 1987
- runtime
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93 minutes
Of course, it wouldn’t have been reasonable to expect the couple to Uber all the way from New York to Illinois. However, it would have been very easy for them to get a ride to another airport or rent-a-car agency after their initial flight was redirected. This would have saved Neil and Dell a ton of time, although it would have cost them many valuable memories.
6
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Frank’s schemes never would have worked in 2024
Steven Spielberg’s 2002 film, Catch me if you canTells the mind-boggling true story of Frank Abagnale Jr., a young man who successfully conned his way into millions of dollars by creating various fake identities. the film, Set largely in the 1960sExplores Frank’s various exploits, diving into the complex world of the fake life he decided to live. One of the very first tricks Frank managed to pull involved successfully (and repeatedly) posing as a Pan Am pilot, earning millions of dollars as he did so.
Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 biographical crime film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is based on the true story of real-life con artist Frank Abagnale Jr., who successfully impersonated an airline pilot, doctor and lawyer. Leonardo DiCaprio stars in the lead role and Tom Hanks co-stars as FBI agent Carl Hanratty.
- Release date
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December 25, 2002
- Writers
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Frank Abagnale Jr., Stan Redding, Jeff Nathanson
- runtime
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141 minutes
Unfortunately Frank, It would have been practically impossible to pull off the scheme today. Significant improvements in airport security technology would have certainly prevented him from simply putting on someone else’s uniform and getting on a plane, no questions asked. Further developments in surveillance systems would likely have also led to Frank being captured much sooner than he was in the film. The new technology would have made the film much less entertaining, regardless of whether you’re rooting for Frank or the officer chasing him.
5
Jingle All the Way (1996)
The whole plot can be solved with a couple of clicks
The 1996 family comedy, Jingle all the wayStar Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad as HWo fathers are desperately trying to find a Turbo-Man action figure to give to their respective sons On Christmas. The over-the-top comedy is packed with crazy situations, as neither father is ready to give up on their mission. If the film had been released even just a few years later, however, it would have been completely different.
Jingle All The Way is a Christmas-themed comedy film by director Brian Levant, released in 1996. After a business-focused father fails to buy a wildly popular toy for his son before Christmas, he must go on a city-wide hunt to Find one. His hunt is further complicated when he is forced to go head-to-head with a postal worker on the same quest, which leads to a series of ever-escalating events during the holiday season.
- Director
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Brian Levant
- Release date
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November 22, 1996
- Writers
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Randy Kornfield
- runtime
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89 minutes
A popular toy that is sold out in stores is no longer the reason for hopelessness that it was in the 80s and 90s. Thanks to the astronomical growth of online retailers like Amazon, almost Everything can be purchased online and shipped to your house at any time. All Blackjack and Sinbad had to do was head online, find out where the toy was available, and then sit back and wait for a merry Christmas.
4
Home alone (1990)
Kevin could have a nice vacation if his mom had a cell phone
Home alone has been a classic holiday film since its release in 1990, but the entire plot would never have happened if it had come out a decade later. In the film, eight-year-old Kevin McAllister was accidentally left behind When his family leaves in the early morning for a trip to Paris for Christmas. This, of course, leaves Kevin alone for a few days until his family can return home.
Home Alone tells the story of Kevin McAllister, an eight-year-old who is left behind in his Chicago home when his family flies to Paris for the holidays. Kevin not only has to stay safe while his mother flies back and forth across the world, but he has to protect his home from the Nas Bandits – serial burglars who are targeting the McAllister house. Kevin must use every trick in the book to stop the wet bandits from stealing Christmas before his mother returns.
- Director
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Chris Columbus
- Release date
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November 16, 1990
- Figure
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Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard, Roberts Blossom, Catherine O’Hara
- runtime
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103 minutes
The slip-up that caused the entire plot of the movie could have been prevented by using a single piece of modern technology: a cell phone. If anyone else in the family had a cell phone, Kevin could have called them As soon as they left for the airport.
Nowadays, it would seem almost impossible that Kevin has any means of contacting any of his parents or siblings.
So, they could have realized their mistake, picked up Kevin, and enjoyed a fun holiday together in Paris. Nowadays, it would seem almost impossible that Kevin has any means of contacting any of his parents or siblings. Of course, that means the audience would have missed out on a classic holiday.
3
The Lord of the Rings series (2001-2003)
A drone would have saved the fellowship a lot of walking
Peter Jackson’s adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Ringsis among the most critically acclaimed film trilogies of all time. The three-film series continues The epic journey of a diverse group of characters as they travel across Middle-earth In a once-and-for-all attempt to destroy the legendary One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom. The perilous journey highlights the heroism and perseverance of the characters, as they travel a great distance and face many dangerous threats.
However, the entire three-film-long journey would have been unnecessary with the help of modern technology. Frodo could only have attached the One Ring to a droneAnd then relaxed in the Shire while it flew off to Mount Doom on its own. of course, The Lord of the Rings Takes place in a fictional world without such technologies, but one cannot help but wonder how differently the story would unfold if the characters had access to these tools.
2
Safety Last! (1923)
Much easier ways to get publicity today
In the 1923 silent film, Safety Last!A series of misunderstandings and unfortunate coincidences leave Harold Lloyd in quite a sticky situation. when The manager of the De Vore Department Store offers a thousand dollars to any employee who is able to attract more customers To the store, Harold jumps at the opportunity.
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He convinces his friend, Bill (a skilled climber) to perform a stunt with him climbing up the twelve-story building where the store resides. Unfortunately, circumstances demand that Harold performs the treacherous climb himself. Now, over a hundred years later, technology has provided society with much more effective methods of stirring up publicity.
Safety Last! is a 1923 silent romantic comedy starring Harold Lloyd. Directed by Fred C. Newmeyer and Sam Taylor, the film follows a young man who relocates to the city to achieve success and impress his girlfriend. Featuring Lloyd’s iconic clock-hanging scene, Safety Last! Blend physical comedy with a story that captures the tenacity and ambition of early 20th-century urban life.
- Director
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Fred C. Neumeier, Sam Taylor
- Release date
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April 1, 1923
- Writers
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Hal Roach, Sam Taylor, Tim Whelan
- Figure
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Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis, Bill Strother, Noah Young, Westcott Clark, Chester A. Bachman, Ed Brandenburg, Roy Brooks
If the film was set in the 2020s, Harold might just have started a social media campaignFind some creative way to promote the store on popular apps like Instagram or TikTok. Needless to say, using these technologies would have been much safer (and perhaps more efficient) than scaling the side of a large building.
1
The Notebook (2004)
Distance no longer means the end of communication
The decade-long romance between Noah and Ally in the 2004 film, The notebookis one of the most famous love stories in cinema. Unfortunately for the young lovers, many of the obstacles they encountered could be avoided very easily in the present day.
In the film, after Noah and Ali find themselves physically separated After a falling-out, Noah famously writes a heartfelt letter to Allie every day for a year. Unfortunately, Ally’s mother intercepts the letter, leaving Ally with no idea how much Noah still cares for her. The troubles that follow this disconnect all would have been avoided if Noah had access to modern long-distance communication technologies.
Adapted from Nicholas Sparks’ novel of the same name, The Notebook is a romantic drama film that follows a couple who fall in love during the 1940s. Duke, an elderly man, tells the story of two young lovers whose lives never quite lined up due to a fellow patient in his nursing home. Reading from the notebook pages, the movie keeps flashing from the present into the past to tell the story of the one who left.
- Director
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Nick Cassavetes
- Release date
-
June 25, 2004
- distributor(s)
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New Line Cinema
- runtime
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124 minutes
Put his thoughts and feelings into a phone call, text or even email would have ensured that the message is straight to Allie. That way, they would have been able to communicate openly and understand their feelings for each other. This would have erased all the later obstacles caused by their disconnection during this time (although it would not have felt quite as romantic).