MovieChat Forums > Severance (2022) Discussion > Movies this show rips off

Movies this show rips off


When you watch this incredibly slowly-plodding thing that guards its mystery so tightly it even kills expository clichés we could normally enjoy from, you can't help but start feeling you've seen it all before somehwere else.

Let's think about movies this show rips off..

- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

The crazy visuals, the whole 'memory is physical'-lie, the 'procedure'-thing, the paranoia of being chased, and so on and so forth.

- Paycheck

The whole 'memory procedure idea' (geez, HOW common is this trope?), the tight corporation that controls your stuff, the chasing and reveal at the end, 'the world must know' and all that.

- Total Recall

The whole 'memory implant' idea, different personalities when your memory has been altered, the 'synthetic personality overriding the original one' and so on.

- The Arrival (Charlie Cheen's version, not the other)

Mainly the ending and the 'corporation chases individuals'-stuff. But mainly the ending.

- Moon

The idea that synthetic personalities are 'different versions of yourself', but yet individuals. Shocking, horrible thing that a corporation does with these personalities. The whole 'work persona never gets deserved rest' or 'is always working for the corporation'. The ending, my goodness, THE ENDING (the world must know).

- They Live

Mainly the ending - 'the world must know' AGAIN. How many times do we have to see this ending? However, there are other parallels, as in corporations lying to the individual to gain control over them, trying to
punish individuals if they know or think for themselves too much.

Sort of brainwashing stuff, which teeters a bit on the edge, but there's a similar overall 'reality paranoia'.

- Fight Club

Different personalities existing as their own people, but the protagonist only figuring out what's going on near the end. At least this doesn't have the 'world must know' ending, but more like 'world gets destroyed' ending (sort of).

Need I go on? What does this TV show offer that these movies don't? I mean, WHAT can you get out of this slow, gloomy, drunken drama that you wouldn't get from those entertaining and more energetic movies?

I am sure there are more, but these came to MY mind when watching to this show.. it's like I have seen THAT idea before, this ending feels awfully familiar, I've heard that before, etc. etc.. constant déjà vu, and now I know the reason.

Can anyone think more movies that have something too similar with this TV show?

reply

Office Space - because it’s about an office and dissatisfaction with work, mindless routines
Twilight - because it is also set in a snowy, piney place
Minority Report - not as much action as that, but same aesthetic
Solaris - kind of same trance vibe
Dream Scenario - just saw that. Also about weird new ways the brain can work.

reply

The hints at deeper "mysteries," (deeper purpose to the Severance procedure, what does Lumon actually do? what do the other sections of the company do?) the focus on "the numbers," etc., remind me of the TV show "Lost."

reply