The internet ruining something? Since when?! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the dramatic movie moments that have been most subverted by their viral memes.
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00:00I don't know what you want.
00:02If you're looking for a ransom, I can tell you I don't have money.
00:06Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the dramatic movie moments
00:11that have been most subverted by their viral memes.
00:14One does not simply live through a movie.
00:17Number 10. A Solemn Confirmation.
00:20Oppenheimer.
00:21This stirring and alarming war epic ends on a disturbing note.
00:25Instead of absolution, Chris Nolan gives Oppie a glimpse at the chilling future he's helped create.
00:30Now it's your turn to deal with the consequences of your achievement.
00:37Thus, the film's final beat is one of condemnation.
00:40He's forced to finally acknowledge his complicity, with literally the biggest stakes possible.
00:45But of course, such a heavy atmosphere made for prime meme material.
00:49Cillian Murphy's devastated look quickly became online royalty, along with several other shots of the actor.
00:55If we did it, they would have to do it.
00:57Our efforts would only fuel their efforts just as it had with the atomic bomb.
01:01Things hit another level, though, once users started imagining much more cheerful versions of history.
01:06These gags took the movie's gravitas and mixed in some good old ironic detachment.
01:10You know, to take the edge off.
01:12We just hope Cillian isn't too disappointed.
01:15Is anyone ever going to tell the truth about what's happening here?
01:23Ari Aster's horror masterpiece is a rollercoaster, to put it mildly.
01:27This could not be more true than for its protagonist, Dani.
01:30What's that?
01:31That's not for us.
01:38I think you should not.
01:39We watch as her mounting anxieties lead her into the arms of the Horga.
01:43The film carefully shows us how dogma is designed as comfort for those who simply need a friend,
01:48regardless of its true intentions.
01:50That process reaches a fever pitch when Dani breaks down, screaming with a group of Horgan women.
02:02And we are treated to the now iconic image of their collective vent sesh.
02:06It's a surreal moment, and understandably amusing out of context.
02:11As such, it grew as a favorite for users to convey explosive catharsis.
02:15Alongside other emotive clips from the movie, Florence Pugh really just became everyone's mood avatar.
02:27The Star Wars prequel trilogy is perhaps the holy grail of classic memes.
02:31It feels like every character has at least a handful of inside jokes among fans,
02:35and Hayden Christensen's Anakin might just be their patron saint.
02:40There are too many of them. What are we going to do?
02:43That fact, however, sits squarely opposite how tragic and sinister his story becomes.
02:48This concoction of drama and farce is at its most guiltily funny with the Order 66 sequence.
02:53Even its most harrowing bit, when the newly crowned Darth Vader encounters a group of younglings,
02:58isn't safe from the meme machine.
03:02Over the years, users have consistently found ways to get a chuckle out of it,
03:06despite the tonal contrast.
03:08We are not banking on Obi-Wan seeing the appeal, though.
03:17In one of the film's many incredible stretches, protagonist Cooper is hit with back-to-back haymakers.
03:27After escaping from a planet of literal tidal waves, he's then met with an emotional one.
03:32Due to time dilation, he has to witness his family age decades between meager video messages.
03:37It's devastating to watch.
03:39But that does not stop it from being perfect as a reaction template.
03:52Users leapt at the chance to splice in their own context for Cooper's vividly expressive display.
03:57For some, the scene was reduced to just Matthew McConaughey crying.
04:08Luckily, Christopher Nolan's work is no stranger to being memed,
04:12and is often too good to be kept down.
04:17Thanks to captivating performances from its two leads,
04:20Noah Baumbach's divorce drama was a significant success.
04:24They trade searing, resentful barbs as Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver pour their hearts out.
04:30Naturally, though, that amount of vulnerability would not stay serious for long.
04:34It's a long story, and it's a great way to end it.
04:37But it's a good story to end on a positive note.
04:41What do you think would have been the best way to end the film?
04:43Leave a comment below and let us know.
04:46If you liked this video, please, give a thumbs up.
04:48And if you haven't already, subscribe to our channel for more great content.
04:51And we'll see you next time.
04:59on the internet. The scene saw an avalanche of custom captions and clever edits.
05:03Some have even dubbed it their heir apparent to the classic format from American Shopper.
05:07I don't get it. It's like, wait a second, wait a minute, wait a minute. You come in at a quarter
05:12to eight, break time, you leave, you don't come back and for an hour later, then you leave here
05:18at three thirty in the afternoon. I don't understand.
05:21And Driver's half of the tussle in particular has made its mark.
05:24Who knew this type of accomplished drama could be such a treasure trove for memes?
05:28You used me so you could get out of L.A.
05:30I didn't use you.
05:32You did and then you blamed me for it.
05:34Number five, K Meets Dr. Anna Staline, Blade Runner 2049.
05:39Denis Villeneuve's seminal sci-fi ballad is a stunning exploration of identity and purpose.
05:44Ryan Gosling's K is forced to take a sobering journey through his distorted past.
05:48A crucial reveal comes in Dr. Staline's lab, where K fosters an inkling that he's a messianic figure.
05:55It's a slow haunting scene that culminates in a startling outburst.
05:59Someone lived this, yes.
06:02This happened.
06:09But the philosophical weight of his story would be muddled by its online legacy.
06:14An influx of edgy fan cams and moody profile
06:17pics turned K into a shallow stand-in for toxic stoicism and rage.
06:25K! K!
06:29While there are certainly many that are self-aware, some just missed the point.
06:34The character actually reconciles with his isolation,
06:37rejects narcissism, and becomes more human for it.
06:40Because after all, even K is enough.
06:46Thank you, Barbie.
06:50Number four, Dinner with Calvin Candy, Django Unchained.
06:54Leonardo DiCaprio has a really well-known face,
06:57and it's not just because of the movies themselves.
07:00He has a surprisingly large portfolio of memes and reaction gifs.
07:04The least expected of them, though, is the still image of a laugh by the horrible Calvin Candy.
07:10See, you two getting on.
07:12Famously.
07:13As Django and Dr. Schultz enact their plan to rescue Brumhilda,
07:17the pair finds themselves playing nice at supper.
07:19During a tension-filled sequence that runs for over 20 minutes,
07:23we're treated to amazing performances and rich detail.
07:26In that case, allow me to propose another proposition.
07:32Tucked inside of it is the split-second frame that would take the internet by storm.
07:37Turning a character of such outright evil into a glorified smug emoji felt weird, though.
07:42Fortunately, viewers of the film know what fate ultimately befalls the so-called Candyland.
07:48Number three, Hitler's Meltdown, Downfall.
07:52A major turn in this World War II drama comes
07:54when Adolf Hitler discovers that a critical attack never actually took place.
08:02With the war basically lost, the reprehensible dictator lashes out in a petulant episode.
08:07What follows, for years after release, can only be described as a meme sensation.
08:13Seemingly every niche possible, no matter how trivial,
08:22saw a version of the clip with custom-fitted subtitles.
08:25Through these, the film found a new irreverent claim to fame.
08:29Suddenly, the figure of despicable evil was just yapping into the void.
08:43Over the years, major outlets have covered the trend,
08:53with the director himself expressing his approval.
08:56Number two, Brian Mills Takes a Phone Call, Taken.
08:59Liam Neeson's action hero renaissance can be traced back to his time as Brian Mills.
09:04With the latter's very particular set of skills,
09:06both became pop culture mainstays, and this iconic monologue did a lot of the heavy lifting.
09:13What began as a chilling threat, however, has since become more of a punchline.
09:37It permeated nearly every level of mainstream entertainment.
09:40That's a telling sign that a meme is reaching oversaturation.
09:44Even Neeson himself began to play into the caricature that his persona became.
09:52One could argue that the franchise didn't have much prestige to begin with,
09:56but it does not help that Brian's later rescue missions would fail to make the same impact.
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10:20Number one, Boromir Warns the Council, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring.
10:26This legendary trilogy's opening chapter remains a masterclass in setting the stakes,
10:31and we'd be hard-pressed to find a sequence better at it than The Council of Elrond.
10:35But even beyond the Fellowship assembling,
10:37it's Boromir's anxious warning that steals the spotlight.
10:43It's a frightening sermon that genuinely tees up the rest of the series,
10:46and as he describes this Herculean task waiting in Mordor, a stone-cold classic is born.
10:52The veteran meme has stood the test of time as one of the most recognizable gags in internet history.
11:00Whether changing the verb or the noun, it'll land in nearly any context.
11:04And despite how essential the scene is, one does not simply watch it the same again.
11:10One does not simply break the internet.
11:12Can you think of a scene that was actually made better by its memes?
11:15Let us know in the comments.
11:23Did you enjoy this video?
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