Please stop using flash-forward openings. We see them coming a mile away. One of the characters -- typically the main character -- is shown in a desperate and dire situation. Then BOOM -- we flashback, something pop ups that says “Two Days Earlier” and our main character is now perfectly fine, cooking up some eggs or doing something mundane.
The trope has been used for years -- and in nearly every genre of film. So before we flash back to the beginning, let’s just skip ahead to end -- the end where movies avoid this cliche at all costs.
Dear movies,
We get it. Sometimes we just want to jump right into the story. There’s nothing better than kicking off the action right away. Just look at all the Scream openings or the Bourne Ultimatum. After a thrilling opening scene, we can settle down, get to know characters, and then move forward with the plot. Unfortunately, many movies do not have the A-to-B plotline that fits well with engaging the audience right away. So many films decide to give up a glimmer of what’s to come using a flash-forward sequence.
Don’t believe us, movies? Don’t worry, we’ll show you plenty of examples of this process. The Hangover. Three guys just outside the Las Vegas strip -- Doug is missing. And we flashback to a few days before.
Fight Club starts off with an intense scene where Tyler Durden holds a gun to the narrator’s mouth. And boom, we start from the beginning. Deadpool features our favorite merc with a mouth in an intense battle -- but nope, we don’t skip this origin story...time to FLASHBACK.
The Matrix Reloaded loaded up on the cliche, showcasing Trinity falling from a building. Birdbox was compelling, with a trip down the river...only to flashback to the day when the monster invasion began.
We think you get the point...but why not toss in Sonic the Hedgehog as well. The recent hit just did the same thing too. On the surface, the effect seems clever and hooks viewers in. But slowly, over time, the flash forward has crumbled under the weight of itself, turning into more of a frustration rather than an “Ah-Ha!”.
The first problem we have with it? The scene cut-off. The movies often leave main characters or side-kicks in desperation mode. Some about to parish, some in seemingly impossible circumstances. The movie pulls a cliffhanger, not revealing the true result until we loop back around, showcase how events unfolded and then reach the point again to offer a conclusion. A majority of the time, our hero manages to get out of the situation perfectly fine. There’s Sonic getting chased through the streets of San Francisco -- he’s A-OK!
In Marvel’s Thor, Thor gets hit by a truck, but gets taken to the hospital. That truck was the least of his problems. In Daredevil, the opening begins with Daredevil severely hurt in church and a voice-over where he talks about his life-flashing before him before he dies. When we circle back around to present time Daredevil is perfectly fine and healthy enough to take on Bullseye! Oddly, one of the flash-forwards that doesn’t work out for a character is in Ladder 49. Spoiler alert: the firefighter doesn’t make it. Yikes -- they really toiled with us there, jumping all the way back to showcase his life, friends, and firefighting journey only to have him parish in the end. An odd choice, but it does stand out among others.
Dear movies, when you show us the flash-forward, our impatient mind kicks in and we just want to get back to that point already. Why do we have to sit through so much exposition and set-up, when we just want to see what happens. And that’s all your fault, movies. If you just started at the beginning, then we wouldn’t want to rush through all these other scenes.
There are also a lot of clues and spoilers the flash-forwards give away. In Fight Club, we know the relationship between Tyler and the narrator goes off the deep end because of the opening scene. In Bird Box, we know only Sandra Bullock and the kids survive because they are the only ones in the boat. This makes it a little hard to root for the other characters in the movie when we know they are going to be off-screen sooner rather than later. OF course, there are always exceptions to the rule. Mission Impossible 3 showed the apparent loss of Ethan Hunt’s wife, only it turned out to be someone else in a mask. Now there’s a nice little swerve. Only those are too far and between. A lot of times, we can put the pieces of the puzzle together on our own, taking away some of the surprise, tension, and build of the story.
Not to mention, these flash-forward scenes are exactly what the trailers are for. We get it, movies. Trailers are the most exciting two minutes in Hollywood, but you don’t have to steal their thunder. In Sonic the Hedgehog, we know Sonic will eventually do battle with a crazed Jim Carrey. Why do we know that? We saw it in the trailer! The flash-forwards are essentially small trailers tacked onto the beginning of a movie. In Thor, we know that Thor is going to Earth, we don’t need to see his first moments there. Just start the movie in Asgard and build up the story from there. A comedy film like Just Married sets up the movie with the end of a disastrous honeymoon. Yeah...so did the trailer, not only showcasing the plot of the film, but a majority of the comedy bits too.
Let the movies play out naturally. Another major problem with the flash forward openings? The narration that goes with them. How many times do we have to hear “Let’s go back to the beginning” or “I’m getting a little ahead of myself here”. Ugh. The snarky lines get old, have been overused, and make us want to flash forward to the end credits. See what we did there movies?
Dear movies,
Not all is lost. It’s always refreshing to see when movies rely on the flash forward in unique ways. Take Birds of Prey where Harley Quinn mixes up the timeline to showcase essential parts and introduce us to characters.
Then there’s American Beauty where the “less is more” approach works as Lester tells us he has died, but doesn’t get into the details of who, how, or why his life ended. Another Award Winner is Forrest Gump, a movie that uses a flash-forward in the form of Forrest telling his story on a bench. To viewers, he’s simply sitting there as a narrator with no other details until the climax of the movie when he reveals he’s on his way to see Jenny. The simplicity of the scenes ties everything together without following the flash-forward cliches.
There’s also the masterpiece flash-forward film Memento. Christopher Nolan’s thriller features multiple timelines and starts off with the ending, a man who was shot. Everything builds from this moment, including a lot of plot twists and tension as we reach the infamous Polaroid again. Nolan gives us just enough information, builds up the timelines well, and then turns the whole flash-forward concept into the rest of the film. Brilliant.
Dear Movies,
We know you can make good films without the need to rely on flash forwards all the time.
Sincerely,
Movie fans.
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