One of the most powerful tropes in film history is the fish-out-of-water conflict: someone is out of touch with their environment or stuck in a world that is entirely new to them. When you hear the word, you might immediately think of some irrefutable examples of comedy, such as come to america (1988) fits the bill, but you might not realize that the other examples aren’t necessarily comedies.
The idea of fish out of water as a storytelling method lends itself to different genres such as action, drama and horroralso! If the unfamiliar circumstances and new rules of that world impact the protagonists and create conflict for them, then it qualifies as an out-of-water story, comedy or not. Learn more about how it fits into some of the best stories therecheck out our list of movies that use this trope perfectly.
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man in black (1997)
screenwriter: Lowell Cunningham and Ed Solomon
A beloved comedy that launched a franchise, man in black (1997) was adapted from a more sombre and dark comic book series, very different from the film starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones.
In the movie, Agent Jet (Smith) is recruited by Agent Kate (Jones) to join a secret organization that oversees and actively covers up extraterrestrial activity on Earth. As this new world of hidden truths and new ways of doing things comes with its own set of rules and ways of doing things, Agent Jay has a hard time adapting – and he ends up bringing his fresh perspective and old NYPD sensibilities to the agency, causing Had just as many conflicts as it resolved along the way.
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Lost in Translation (2003)
screenwriter: Sofia Coppola
Not every splash is meant to be a comedy film: some, e.g. Lost in Translation (2003) is a fish-out-of-water story that transcends the usual genre. Filled with interpersonal drama and budding romance, the film depicts two people (Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson) struggling with loneliness. This loneliness is a conflict they struggle with, caused by two sources: their culture shock in Tokyo, and the seemingly alien feel of their marriage, one new and one worn.
With this kind of “untimely” layered performance, it’s not surprising Those ones The two eventually find comfort in each other’s company in the same unfamiliar environment.
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Read more: Focus on humanity in Sofia Coppola’s films
pleasantville (1998)
screenwriter: Gary Ross
On the topic of culture shock, we can always talk about pleasantville (1998). Starring Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon, the film follows a brother and sister who time-travel into the tacky, neutered and tawdry world of David’s (Maguire) favorite 1950s TV show. A ratings-friendly world. Jennifer (Witherspoon) takes the opportunity to shake things up, while David tries to abide by the show’s rules
Soon, the two learn that their presence in Pleasantville has exposed an ugly side to the place, making it clear that the grass isn’t greener when everything is black and white.
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The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
screenwriter: Carey Kirkpatrick and Douglas Adams
Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman) lives a completely normal, mundane life on Earth. Until the Earth is destroyed and he becomes an interstellar hitchhiker with the help of his friend Chief Ford (Mos Duff), who also happens to be an alien.
While most fish out of water don’t come with an instruction manual for their new surroundings, Arthur is lucky because he has The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, an interactive resource that helps him understand the wider world he’s now forced to navigate. universe. Soon, he joins others, both alien and human, while searching for a mysterious planet and the putative answers to life, the universe and everything.
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Avatar (2009)
screenwriter: James Cameron
New worlds are often symbolic: new workplaces, countries, or similar things that take the characters out of their element. But what if that strange environment is actually a new world, like Pandora?
Jack Sully (played by Sam Worthington) was ordered to walk among the Na’vi people. Their home was now being invaded by nasty humans, and he truly realized all this. As he learns the stakes, it becomes clear that he must choose between the world he comes from and the new world he joins (in a brand new alien body).
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Read more: From Dune to Avatar, 10 Movies That Escaped Development Hell
come to america (1988)
screenwriter: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, David Sheffield and Barry W. Blaustein
Akeem (Eddie Murphy) just wants someone to love him for him. But in the wealthy African Kingdom of Zamunda, such a person is difficult to find─after all, he is the prince of this country. So when he travels to America to find romance and a way out of an arranged marriage, it’s only natural that he takes his friend and waiter Sammy (Arsenio Hall) with him.
After meeting the girl of his dreams in New York, Akeem sets out to attract the attention of Lisa (Sally Headley), but now he’s faced with all the complications of a whole new world thwarting his efforts.
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big (1988)
screenwriter: Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg
Being in a different body doesn’t always make you fly, but when you’re a kid and thrown into the adult world, it’s one of those conflicts that makes your story worth telling.
Josh Baskin (David Moscow) makes an ill-advised wish to become “great” and discovers he’s already an adult (Tom Hanks). Of course, they say be careful what you wish for, and Josh sees that up close in this 1980s comedy as he battles all the common life stressors we adults face. As expected, he learned the hard way what it meant to be an adult.
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go out (2017)
screenwriter: Jordan Peele
When Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) goes to meet the family of his white girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams), he definitely feels out of place. Chris attributes this strange behavior to outdated awkwardness when faced with interracial relationships, and he soon discovers there’s more going on nearby than just Rose’s parents’ blunder.
The unexpected tension and revelations in Jordan Peele’s first horror film make it clear that Chris’ new surroundings are very different from what they seem, and very dangerous.
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Read more: 6 Techniques Jordan Peele Used in No to Help Your Screenwriting
Zootopia (2016)
screenwriter: Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Jared Bush
The classic buddy-cop formula gets a new spin when small-town bunny Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) moves to the animal metropolis of Zootopia to join the police force. Judy dives headlong into the city and its vast problems, determined to seize the chance to prove herself by solving a crime.
As she uncovers a mystery that leads to some horrific conclusions, she teams up with a con man named Nick (Jason Bateman), whose personality drives the two at odds until the case becomes something bigger than them Two people can handle it alone on a much larger scale.
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Read more: It’s Not for Kids: The 25 Best Animated Movies for Adults
Barbie (2023)
screenwriter: Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach
In Barbie Country, every Barbie and Ken have one mindset: perfection. The world is meant for them and vice versa. But when Barbie (Margot Robbie) discovers she has bad breath and other problems, she realizes she might become human, triggering an existential crisis.
She is forced to travel to the human world to work with Ken (Ryan Gosling) to find a solution. Of course, as they embark on their journey, Barbie and Ken discover that human society is a lot different than the one they just left.
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It’s important to understand how a fish leaves the water—how your character enters a strange world. But it’s equally important to understand how the new environment affects them and their goals.
By reading or watching the movie above, you can learn how to do this with your own writing, or just revel in the awesome stories that showcase this trope!
Read more: “It was just a dream” and other literary tropes to avoid like the plague
