Best crime movie stupidity of all time

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The Little Things picture

Stupidity: Why would the tow driver go around Deacon's truck in the one-way dead-end parking lot to pick it up from the front? He'd have to back it up on the hook, and Deacon's truck would be in Park, making it impossible. There's a reason tow trucks hook up vehicles by the drive axle ends. (00:08:40)

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Salt picture

Stupidity: When Salt is handcuffed, there is a long chain between the handcuffs. Why would they let a trained killer wear those handcuffs?

kh1616

More Salt stupidity
The Book of Henry picture

Stupidity: Henry's plan was supposed to be perfectly timed, allowing his mother 45 minutes. It doesn't make sense to waste time - and increase the chances of being spotted - by having her go home to pick up the rifle when she could have simply kept it in her vehicle's trunk.

KeyZOid

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Boon picture

Stupidity: Catherine, wearing a dress and coat, was outside in the snow chopping firewood while her teenaged son sat nearby playing video games on his tablet. This could also fall under "plot hole" because having the son close by made him available to try to help his mom when Pryce attacked her (with the intent to rape). (00:36:40 - 00:37:15)

KeyZOid

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The Assignment picture

Stupidity: It seems dumb that the doctor didn't leave Frank with more women's clothes after the operation.

Rob245

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Shoot to Kill picture

Stupidity: When Jonathan is chasing the truck to try and save Sarah, he could have removed his heavy backpack and run faster...but instead just leaves it on. No wonder he wasn't fast enough.

Gavin Jackson

More Shoot to Kill stupidity
Ten Little Indians picture

Stupidity: Ilona Bergen's murder happening as shown is laughable; she sees the hand with the syringe coming, slowly, at her, and not only she can't defend herself or avoid it (because, damsels in distress in the 60s, you know), but she does not even scream. There's no way the killer could have been sure, or even take a calculated risk, to murder her in such a way. (00:55:25)

Sammo

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A Simple Favor picture

Stupidity: Stephanie empties Emily's large closet, but when she comes back with the movers, lo and behold, all of the dead person's belongings are back. They are back though exactly as they were with superhuman inch-perfect precision. Since this movie does not have a supernatural element, that appears really silly. (01:00:30)

Sammo

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Appointment With Death picture

Stupidity: Poirot addresses the person in the shadow outside the hotel as "dear sir or madam", which would make sense given the clothes, but makes no sense with the fact that voice is definitely a male voice, there's no mystery at all there. (01:11:50)

Sammo

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Focus picture

Stupidity: With the threat of strangulating Jess, Garriga coerces a false confession from Nicky about the complicity of Jess. Garriga then laughs, calls Nicky out on it, and points out the confession's deficiencies. The film treats the whole scene as an astute reveal à la Sherlock Holmes! Nobody notices, let alone points out, that a coerced confession is worthless. In reality, Garriga would feel very stupid because he almost murdered someone. For the same reason, Jess must feel very angry.

FleetCommand

More Focus stupidity
Batman picture

Stupidity: If Batman can recognize Napier you'd think the police would, especially when he's wearing that flesh tone makeup during his public address.

Rob245

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And Then There Were None picture

Stupidity: The doctor smells the poison in the glass, but to be perfectly sure, decides also to taste it. Why not, what could possibly go wrong?

Sammo

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The Outsiders picture

Stupidity: Johnny bleaches and cuts Ponyboy's hair and cuts and washes his own, thinking that would make them not fit the pictures of them. They look the same just with blonde hair and not greasy hair.

Amy Emerick Tice

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: I think you are right to a certain extent, but not necessarily when things are put in perspective. For example, they were "Greasers" and a certain image was attached to this status. Something like washing their hair would make them less noticeable among "Soc's" and other non-Greaser statuses. Anyone looking for them would not automatically assume they washed their hair or had the time to get hair cuts and bleaching while "on the lam." If an APB went out, it would contain their usual appearances.

KeyZOid

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The Untouchables picture

Stupidity: There is no logical reason for a bookkeeper to be present at the liquor deal on the Canadian border and even less of a reason for him to bring the primary ledger with him. This is compounded by the fact this is merely a secondary bookkeeper and the main bookkeeper is subsequently subpoenaed by the district attorney.

BaconIsMyBFF

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Demolition Man picture

Stupidity: Dr. Cocteau's choice to unleash an enhanced Simon Phoenix without any way to restrain him is incredibly reckless and stupid. Even if Simon were to kill Eager Friendly, in the best case situation, you'd still have a madman with total computer access, martial arts knowledge, etc., that you would have no way to rein in. Sure, he can't kill Dr. Cocteau, but what would stop him from say, holding the city hostage or something? Why not add in a kill code or something to keep him in check?

Mlp1327

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: Who says he didn't? Cocteau has put in mental conditioning compelling Phoenix to kill Edgar Friendly and make him unable to kill Cocteau. Who says he hasn't put in something that makes him kill himself after the deed is done? Or perhaps paralyze him so he can be put back on ice. It's just that Cocteau didn't count on the fact that his henchmen could kill him. He doesn't care about how dangerous he is, not until he has done the deed.

lionhead

Dr. Cocteau is a narcissistic egomaniac type that would see himself as a king or a god, even. And Simon is making him very angry. He even tells Simon, "you're beginning to be more trouble than you're worth..." Someone with an ego like Cocteau wouldn't stand for Simon's antics for very long. And would happily enjoy putting Simon back in his place by shocking, paralyzing, etc.

Mlp1327

But he first needs him to kill Friendly. Until he does that, he'll let him play. He still sees no danger to himself.

lionhead

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Escape From New York picture

Stupidity: When the duke approaches the wall at the end, Snake dives on him and briefly knocks him out. Snake could have easily grabbed his gun back and left the duke unarmed (or even just killed the duke there and then), but just gets up and runs, leaving it with him.

Gavin Jackson

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XXX: State of the Union picture

Stupidity: The highly trained commandos who knew everything about the NSA base and penetrated it during a perfectly planned operation through weapons and devices that pierce steel like butter, decided to stand outside the barn (so they knew something valuable was there) and its wooden door. It even has a direct line to the command center.

Sammo

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Murder at 1600 picture

Stupidity: Anyone with a job in the White House would have to be known to the Secret Service on a daily basis, so the two Secret Service agents that find Cory the janitor should have been aware of his identity without him having to state who he was and that he worked there.

More Murder at 1600 stupidity

Stupidity: I seriously doubt that any Mexican Mafia cartel operating here in the U.S. would waste their time eliminating two simple patrol officers. There's nothing to gain by doing so, and it would bring a war between themselves and the police, which in return would bring hundreds of arrests of key members, drug busts, raids of their operations within Southern Cali, etc. They wouldn't risk their business taking millions of loss of revenue all to kill two patrol beat cops.

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The Silencing picture

Stupidity: Molly was being hunted and didn't know if she could trust Rayburn when he encountered her. Rayburn told Molly that he wanted to help, wouldn't hurt her, put a blanket around her, and even carried her in the woods for some distance. When he put her on the ground (along with his backpack and rifle) to go find the rope to open the pitfall doors and had his back turned, Molly got out from under the blanket and hid nearby. Rayburn quickly found Molly, and Molly made a lame attempt at attacking him with some kind of club. The next day when Rayburn and Molly were in Rayburn's house and her hunter showed up and attacked Rayburn, Molly grabbed Rayburn's rifle and fired several shots at the hunter. Molly obviously knew how to use a rifle, so it was asinine for her to have hidden from Rayburn the previously night without taking his rifle (or the blanket). (00:36:22)

KeyZOid

More The Silencing stupidity

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