10 Worst Movies With Non-Linear Plots, Ranked

Non-linear movie plots are uncommon because filmmakers and audiences usually find a single chronological thread easier to follow. When the technique works—examples cited include Pulp Fiction and The Godfather Part II—it can produce some of the greatest films. Done poorly, though, the structure can make a movie feel insufferable and incoherent.

This roundup collects ten non-linear films that struggle to make the approach pay off. Richard LaGravenese’s The Last Five Years, adapted from Jason Robert Brown’s musical, benefits from capable casting but its structure keeps viewers from connecting with the central relationship.

Vantage Point, despite a starry cast, never commits to its multiple-perspective setup and ends up predictable and chaotic. Takashi Shimizu’s Hollywood remake The Grudge feels disjointed compared with the original, and The Number 23 is a muddled thriller whose nonlinear conceit mainly confuses.

United States, Hollywood

nonlinear plots, pulp fiction, godfather ii, vantage point, the grudge, number 23, richard lagravenese, takashi shimizu, multiple perspectives, hollywood remake