5. Idiocracy (2006)
The dumb premise: When a thoroughly average man wakes up 500 years in the future, he finds society drastically changed. Advancements in technology have rendered all of humanity stupid and incredibly unfit, making him the smartest and most capable man on Earth. Naturally, he struggles to integrate into this new society in which he suddenly finds himself considered exceptional in all ways.
Written and directed by Mike Judge, Idiocracy boasts a lot of talent both on and off-screen. With an all-star comedy cast comprised of Luke Wilson, Terry Crews, Maya Rudolph, Dax Shepard, and Justin Long, it really does have a lot going for it. Even so, its premise is thoroughly stupid in more ways than one.
Did it work? Yes, with a very large asterisk. Idiocracy is funny and entertaining in a major way, but it does come with some troubling subtext. There’s a (hopefully) unintentional theme of eugenics which is surprisingly sympathetic to a handful of utterly horrific ideals. However, it still makes a stupid premise seem somewhat fun.