Can You Name The Movie Based on a One-Sentence Summary?

Whether you're a casual movie watcher or a dedicated film junkie, these one-sentence summaries could trip up even the most well-studied fans. See how many of these movies you can identify from just the bare-bones plot descriptions...

A wicked witch wants to kill a young girl for stealing a pair of sparkly shoes. 

Correct

If you guessed  the1939 classic The Wizard of Oz, you got it! Dorothy's house lands on the Wicked Witch of the East, making her the new owner of the coveted ruby slippers that the Wicked Witch of the West is out to get. 

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If you guessed  the1939 classic The Wizard of Oz, you got it! Dorothy's house lands on the Wicked Witch of the East, making her the new owner of the coveted ruby slippers that the Wicked Witch of the West is out to get. 

Two men bond in prison as they make the best of their situations. 

Correct

The Shawshank Redemption is based on a novel by Stephen King and stars Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins as the leading inmates. 

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The Shawshank Redemption is based on a novel by Stephen King and stars Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins as the leading inmates. 

A manipulative, free-spirited woman unwittingly falls in love with a straight-laced man during the American Civil War. 

Correct

Gone with the Wind made lead actress Vivien Leigh famous during Hollywood's golden era.

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Gone with the Wind made lead actress Vivien Leigh famous during Hollywood's golden era.

A compassionate businessman helps save the lives of persecuted Jewish people during the Holocaust in Germany. 

Correct

Schindler's List is one of Spielberg's best — and most emotional — films to date. It stars Ralph Fiennes as Oskar Schindler, the real man responsible for saving hundreds of lives during the Holocaust. 

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Schindler's List is one of Spielberg's best — and most emotional — films to date. It stars Ralph Fiennes as Oskar Schindler, the real man responsible for saving hundreds of lives during the Holocaust. 

A waitress is enamored by an ex-con and she becomes entangled in his crime spree. 

Correct

1967's Bonnie and Clyde laid out the blueprint for the crime-loving couple trope. The film is based on two real people from the Great Depression era. 

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1967's Bonnie and Clyde laid out the blueprint for the crime-loving couple trope. The film is based on two real people from the Great Depression era. 

A man gets to see what life would have been like if he was never born. 

Correct

Arguably one of the most popular Christmas movie of all time, It's a Wonderful Life tells the story of a man who is shown an alternate life by an angel. 

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Arguably one of the most popular Christmas movie of all time, It's a Wonderful Life tells the story of a man who is shown an alternate life by an angel. 

A young boy befriends a lost alien who he helps return back to his home planet. 

Correct

A Stephen Spielberg classic, E.T. is a cute coming-of-age adventure movie about an interspecies friendship. 

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A Stephen Spielberg classic, E.T. is a cute coming-of-age adventure movie about an interspecies friendship. 

A reluctant man takes over his family's business of organized crime. 

Correct

The Godfather is one of the most iconic mobster movies ever made. It spawned an entire franchise and even created a new genre of film. 

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The Godfather is one of the most iconic mobster movies ever made. It spawned an entire franchise and even created a new genre of film. 

A group of American soldiers must search for and rescue their missing brother after he's been taken across enemy lines. 

Correct

Tom Hanks and Matt Damon star in this iconic war movie, Saving Private Ryan. 

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Tom Hanks and Matt Damon star in this iconic war movie, Saving Private Ryan. 

An archaeologist must find a rare artifact for the U.S. government before the Nazis can get to it. 

Correct

Harrison Ford's role as Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of his most exciting projects aside from his time in the Star Wars saga.

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Harrison Ford's role as Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of his most exciting projects aside from his time in the Star Wars saga.

A British officer takes on the leadership of Arab tribes during World War I to take on Turkish forces.

Correct

Lawrence of Arabia is an earlier war film from 1962. It's a historical drama based on the real life of T. E. Lawrence.

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Lawrence of Arabia is an earlier war film from 1962. It's a historical drama based on the real life of T. E. Lawrence.

An evil nurse wreaks havoc over a mental institution. 

Correct

Jack Nicholson stars in the classic One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a suspense film about the vicious Nurse Ratched. 

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Jack Nicholson stars in the classic One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a suspense film about the vicious Nurse Ratched. 

A simple man tells his life story to strangers while waiting at a bus stop. 

Correct

Forrest Gump is one of the most iconic films ever made, and it's a guaranteed tear-jerker when Forrest tells the story of all the people he's met through his life. 

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Forrest Gump is one of the most iconic films ever made, and it's a guaranteed tear-jerker when Forrest tells the story of all the people he's met through his life. 

A 17-year-old heiress falls in love with a poor artist while on board a massive steer ship. 

Correct

Titanic is responsible for really making Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio stars. Their doomed love story while on board the iconic ship is one that will go down in history for years to come. 

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Titanic is responsible for really making Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio stars. Their doomed love story while on board the iconic ship is one that will go down in history for years to come. 

A house servant recounts a tragic love story between two people named Cathy and Heathcliff. 

Correct

The famous story by Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights, has been adapted into numerous films over the years. The first (and most famous) was released in 1939.

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The famous story by Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights, has been adapted into numerous films over the years. The first (and most famous) was released in 1939.

A scientist resurrects extinct dinosaurs, and they terrorize a theme park during a power outage. 

Correct

The original Jurassic Park stunned viewers with its realistic animatronic renderings of terrifying dinosaurs. 

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The original Jurassic Park stunned viewers with its realistic animatronic renderings of terrifying dinosaurs. 

An Austrian woman works as a nanny for a rich man and his children during WWII.

Correct

Julie Andrews plays the iconic role of Maria in The Sound of Music, and she brings joy to the Von Trapp family even during wartime.

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Julie Andrews plays the iconic role of Maria in The Sound of Music, and she brings joy to the Von Trapp family even during wartime.

Two men hide from the mob disguised as female musicians. 

Correct

Marilyn Monroe also stars in Some Like It Hot, and it's a hilarious film full of mishaps and danger.

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Marilyn Monroe also stars in Some Like It Hot, and it's a hilarious film full of mishaps and danger.

A former boxer must stand up to his corrupt union. 

Correct

Marlon Brando stars in this golden age film, On the Waterfront. 

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Marlon Brando stars in this golden age film, On the Waterfront. 

A grassroots fighter must assemble a team to rescue a captured princess from an evil overlord. 

Correct

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope is one of the first looks we get at the iconic George Lucas franchise in which Luke Skywalker must save Princess Leia from Darth Vader.

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Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope is one of the first looks we get at the iconic George Lucas franchise in which Luke Skywalker must save Princess Leia from Darth Vader.

An unhinged Vietnam veteran tries to save a child prostitute from the streets of New York City. 

Correct

Robert DeNiro's iconic role in Taxi Driver coined the phrase "You talkin' to me?!"

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Robert DeNiro's iconic role in Taxi Driver coined the phrase "You talkin' to me?!"

The press urgently try to figure out the meaning of one publishing tycoon's last words. 

Correct

Citizen Kane was directed by and starred Orson Welles, and was released in 1941. 

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Citizen Kane was directed by and starred Orson Welles, and was released in 1941. 

A young woman on the run finds shelter in a motel run by a young man and his strict mother. 

Correct

Alfred Hitchcock's iconic Psycho has gone down in history as a blueprint horror film. The Norman Bates character has been used as a role model for countless killers. 

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Alfred Hitchcock's iconic Psycho has gone down in history as a blueprint horror film. The Norman Bates character has been used as a role model for countless killers. 

Mozart's enemy, Antonio Salieri, tells the story of their lives while aging in an insane asylum. 

Correct

Amadeus won a total of eight Oscars when it was released in 1985, including Best Picture and Best Actor.

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Amadeus won a total of eight Oscars when it was released in 1985, including Best Picture and Best Actor.

An FBI agent enlists the help of an imprisoned cannibal in order to catch a new and dangerous serial killer on the rise. 

Correct

The Silence of the Lambs is one of the scariest horror movies of all time, and it put Jodie Foster on the map as a serious actress.

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The Silence of the Lambs is one of the scariest horror movies of all time, and it put Jodie Foster on the map as a serious actress.

An American seeking refuge in Europe runs into a former lover, and things take a turn for the worst. 

Correct

Casablanca is a classic love story with moral complications, and it's one of Hollywood's earliest shining achievements.  

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Casablanca is a classic love story with moral complications, and it's one of Hollywood's earliest shining achievements.  

A Roman man betrays a Jewish prince, and his infidelity which sends him into slavery. 

Correct

Ben-Hur was first filmed in 1959, and it's a religious epic that has gained several adaptations. The timeless story shows the differences between classes in ancient civilizations.

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Ben-Hur was first filmed in 1959, and it's a religious epic that has gained several adaptations. The timeless story shows the differences between classes in ancient civilizations.

A crazed general nearly sets off a series of nuclear warfares. 

Correct

Dr. Strangelove is a Cold War-era black comedy directed by Stanley Kubrick. All three of the lead roles were played by the same actor, Peter Sellers.

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Dr. Strangelove is a Cold War-era black comedy directed by Stanley Kubrick. All three of the lead roles were played by the same actor, Peter Sellers.

A screenwriter becomes entangled in a dangerous relationship while attempting to fix a former silent film star's script. 

Correct

Sunset Boulevard features crazed former starlet Norma Desmond, played by Gloria Swanson. This is one of the most successful early dark comedies.

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Sunset Boulevard features crazed former starlet Norma Desmond, played by Gloria Swanson. This is one of the most successful early dark comedies.

A Roman general seeks revenge against the powerful man who killed his family. 

Correct

Gladiator won Best Picture when it was released, and stars Joaquin Phoenix as the heinous emperor's son, Commodus, and Russell Crowe as the vengeful Maximus. 

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Gladiator won Best Picture when it was released, and stars Joaquin Phoenix as the heinous emperor's son, Commodus, and Russell Crowe as the vengeful Maximus. 

Instead of exposing the affair he was hired to investigate, a P.I. finds himself caught in the middle of a murder. 

Correct

Jack Nicholson plays the leading investigator in Chinatown.

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Jack Nicholson plays the leading investigator in Chinatown.

An angry man in need of a change claws his way to the top of the boxing charts. 

Correct

Robert DeNiro's career was at an all-time high in the 1980s. He starred in Raging Bull, which followed in the footsteps of the Rocky hype created by Sylvester Stalone in 1976.

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Robert DeNiro's career was at an all-time high in the 1980s. He starred in Raging Bull, which followed in the footsteps of the Rocky hype created by Sylvester Stalone in 1976.

One woman wins over the hearts of two different men while in Paris. 

Correct

the 1951 film An American in Paris stars Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron in two of the dance-heavy leading roles.

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the 1951 film An American in Paris stars Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron in two of the dance-heavy leading roles.

A rogue colonel is the central target of a mission during the Vietnam War.

Correct

Marlon Brando's last role was in Apocalypse Now, and he played the dangerous colonel based on a character from the novel "Heart of Darkness."

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Marlon Brando's last role was in Apocalypse Now, and he played the dangerous colonel based on a character from the novel "Heart of Darkness."

A production company must find a way to transition out of silent films and into "talkies."

Correct

Singin' in the Rain is one of Gene Kelly's most famous movies and features raining milk instead of water for the actual "outdoor" shots!

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Singin' in the Rain is one of Gene Kelly's most famous movies and features raining milk instead of water for the actual "outdoor" shots!

A local sheriff takes it upon himself to kill a bloodthirsty shark that's ravaging his seaside town. 

Correct

Another classic Spielberg film, Jaws kept people out of the water for years after its release.

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Another classic Spielberg film, Jaws kept people out of the water for years after its release.

An elderly woman losing her memory is read a romance story every day by a man who lives in her nursing home. 

Correct

The Notebook is one of Nicholas Sparks's most iconic film adaptations. Noah and Allie are brought to life by Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, a real-life couple at the time. 

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The Notebook is one of Nicholas Sparks's most iconic film adaptations. Noah and Allie are brought to life by Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, a real-life couple at the time. 

A murderous young man tracks down his half-sister in hopes of killing her on Halloween night. 

Correct

Halloween made slasher films famous with the endless wrath of Michael Myers.

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Halloween made slasher films famous with the endless wrath of Michael Myers.

Two children stranded on an island grow up and fall in love while living in isolation. 

Correct

Blue Lagoon made Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins stars when they played the leading roles in this coming of age yet risque romance movie. 

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Blue Lagoon made Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins stars when they played the leading roles in this coming of age yet risque romance movie. 

Mobster hitmen, a gangster and his wife, and a boxer tell their stories in this non-linear film. 

Correct

This Quentin Tarantino film, Pulp Fiction, is arguably one of the best film noir pictures to ever come out of Hollywood. It stars John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson in the lead roles.

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This Quentin Tarantino film, Pulp Fiction, is arguably one of the best film noir pictures to ever come out of Hollywood. It stars John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson in the lead roles.

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The More You Know

  • In classic Hitchcock movie North by Northwest, Cary Grant was actually older than his on-screen mother, Jessie Royce Landis.
  • The Postman, Costner’s second jaunt to a post-apocalyptic world, holds the 8th spot on the biggest flops losing $62m.
  • While shooting 'Batman Begins' (2005) in Chicago, a drunk driver panicked and crashed into the Batmobile because he thought it was an invading alien.spacecraft
  • Each frame of the CGI scenes in James Cameron’s, Avatar (1/24 of a second) took an average of 47 hours to render.
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