Being a filmmaker is advantageous in many ways. Nobody can call you out if you repeat writing tropes or cinematic clichés. It is equally easy to get away with them, too, without anyone ever realizing exactly how “inspired” you were. That’s because filmmaking is as much about the visual narration as it is about the story. So, while one half of the community is obsessed with original ideas, the other half believes that no idea is really original—it is all about finding new ways to tell those age-old stories.
No wonder we fail to notice (at least right away) when an old wine is packed and sold in a new bottle.
In this article, we have compiled pairs of movies, where two films had exactly the same plot (only we never noticed, really!)
9 Pairs Of Films With The Same Plots
1. Point Break (1991) and The Fast And the Furious (2001)
No, wait, there is a difference. Point Break is all about fast surfers, and The Fast And The Furious is all about fast cars. Save that, they’re basically twins—if not identical. Both protagonists are undercover FBI agents, both infiltrate a gang to nab the criminals, and finally, both fall in love with waitresses associated with the criminals. There's also a mutual scene where the protagonist and the antagonist bond at the beach in both films.
2. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) and Looper (2012)
No, time-traveling is not the only similarity between the two (although it is indeed a very major one). Both T-800 and Joe follow almost the very same character arc: they begin as a threat to the prophesied child until they switch sides to become the protector. Both characters sacrifice themselves for the win of the good over the evil. In Looper, Joe’s younger self shoots himself to ensure that his older self never existed, and therefore cannot harm Sara or her son Cid. T-800 in T2 asks Sarah to drop him into molten metal to ensure that his digital conscience cannot be used to seed Skynet.
3. No Strings Attached (2011) and Friends With Benefits (2011)
With synonymous titles, I’d be surprised if they were not twin movies! It’s like watching the same movie (with a slightly different ending) but with the freedom to pick your own preferred couple: Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher or Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake? Pick the film accordingly and you’re good. Funnily, both films were released in the same year!
4. The Illusionist (2006) and The Prestige (2006)
Definitely not identical twins, but you cannot ignore the similarities between The Illusionist and The Prestige after a couple of rewatches. Both films are centrally themed on magic, and while the former is not about rivalry, both films intensely deal with the loss of a loved one. For the magician in The Illusionist, he is trying to win his love back, while in The Prestige, Angier’s wife dies during a magic trick being performed by his rival Borden, which sets off their rivalry.
5. Rear Window (1954) and Disturbia (2007)
Both Rear Window and Disturbia follow their protagonists (homebound men), who develop a hobby of looking out of the window at their neighbor until eventually, something convinces them that their neighbor is a murderer.
I guess we must also include the entire first Act of Home Alone 3 here, considering young Kevin also watches into his neighbors’ homes with binoculars, but in his case, he was watching over some perpetrators who were trying to break into different homes, so there it becomes a different story. Circling back, Rear Window and Disturbia are so similar that the former tried to sue the latter for plagiarism, which, however, was later dismissed by the judge, considering that the similarities are too generalized for any voyeuristic movie.
6. Dances With Wolves (1990) and Avatar (2009)
The major distinction between Dances With Wolves and Avatar is their world-building. Save that, there are too many similarities in the two movies, and why not? Admittedly, Dances With Wolves was a major inspiration for James Cameron while conceptualizing Avatar. Both films follow their protagonists as they embark on a new life in an unknown world, become one of the natives, meet their soulmate, and eventually lead a battle to save their newfound people.
7. Rio Bravo (1959) and Assault On Precinct 13 (1976)
The similarity might feel slightly subversive here, but hear me out. In Assault On Precinct 13, a street gang gangs up against the police to avenge the deaths of several gang members who died in a police ambush by attacking the police precinct 13. In Rio Bravo, the Sheriff and his men defend the police station when a powerful local crime-lord tries to rescue his brother, who was recently arrested by the police for murder. See the similarity now?
8. The Thin Red Line (1998) And Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Not exactly the same, but there are glaring similarities in the themes of The Thin Red Line and Saving Private Ryan. Except for the element where Captain Miller is tasked with safely bringing Private Ryan back home after his brothers are killed in the war, both films explore similar themes of war, death, and human relationships in remarkably identical ways.
9. The Secret Life of Pets ( 2016) and Toy Story (1995)
Now that I’ve mentioned it, I’m sure you must have already connected the dots. In The Secret Life of Pets, Max, the dog, is basically Woody from Toy Story, who gets insecure after his owner adopts another dog, Duke, the equivalent of Buzz. In both stories, the protagonist’s jealousy drives the story as they work out an unlikely friendship with their rival, navigating adversities together.
Did you notice these similarities in these movies before? Let us know which is your favorite movie in the list!
