People don't always recognize Internet memes' tangible importance to modern culture. Beyond jokes, memes have become a means of global communication in a time when everyone around the world can connect. Memes are shared sentiments that can convey a powerful message in one image. Most commonly, memes reference popular films and television.
Movies, especially, have spawned a significant percentage of popular memes over the years. Movies such as Lord of the Rings, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and American Psycho are almost as well known for their memes as the actual film. Sometimes, the Internet takes meme-ing to the next level, and the memes outshine their original works, becoming works of art themselves.
Updated September 23, 2022, by Anthony Jeanetta. Today, memes are a significant piece of popular culture. The memes from film and TV series quickly spread throughout the Internet and, in many cases, help increase the popularity or reputation of the art they're from. This list is updated to include more movies that have spawned popular memes.
15 Netflix Listed The Babadook (2014), A Horror Movie, As An LGBTQ+ Film
The Babadook was a well-crafted horror film both critics and audiences praised. So, many found it surprising when The Babadook began trending on social media as an LGBTQ+ icon. This shocking twist was due to a mistake on behalf of Netflix. The streaming company accidentally categorized The Babadook as an LGBTQ+ film.
While this was a mistake, it inspired many people from across the Internet to justify the glitch jokingly. Most notably, many said the Bi in LGBTQ+ stood for Babadook. It didn't take long for the idea of The Babadook being gay to spread like wildfire. Quickly, many fans took to social media to insist the fashion-forward horror protagonist was now an LGBTQ+ icon.
14 Joker (2019) Is Highly Rated, But Not Immune To Jokes
Joker was another critically acclaimed film that explored the titular DC villain's backstory. The movie followed Arthur Fleck, an aspiring comedian and struggling resident of Gotham City. Throughout the film, viewers watched as Arthur's mental state continuously deteriorated. Despite the serious nature of this narrative, Joker had plenty of humor, just not in the way the filmmakers intended or expected.
Upon its release, Joker received tremendous hype, especially on the Internet. So, as is commonplace online, there was a significant backlash to the movie, with many calling it overrated. Because the film was so melodramatic, it was easy for Internet jokesters to make fun of it. Even Joaquin Phoenix's Oscar-awarded performance became a target. Soon, audiences flooded the web with the "I'm going to become the Joker meme," a fictitious line referring to their headspace after a troubling event.
13 The Wicker Man (2006) Was A Parody That Wrote Itself
Nicolas Cage is the best example of an actor who has become a meme unto themselves. Thanks to his over-the-top performances in strange — and often plain bad — films, Internet users have memed several of Cage's performances. Even if the movies weren't well received, these memes often came from a loving place, as many of Cage's films developed a cult following due mainly to his committed acting.
The 2006 remake of The Wicker Man was poorly received and featured bizarre dialogue, a weak plot, and a nonsensical nature. Each of these factors made it a meme-worthy property. One scene, in particular, boosted the film to the movie to "so-bad-its-good" levels. The infamous "not the bees" scene became so well-known it's in the movie meme hall of fame.
12 Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009) Developed A Strictly Ironic Fan Base
The release of Paul Blart: Mall Cop had two unexpected consequences. First, this goofy comedy grossed more than $180 million worldwide and success spawned a sequel. Second, as evidenced by its massive box office haul, it unified society with a singular, shared belief that Mall Cop has one of the silliest premises in film history.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop isn't terrible, but its levels of pure outrageousness are so high the movie spawned a significant fan base of people who enjoyed the movie for all its quirks and plot holes. These "fans" united over the film, not in a "so-bad-it's-good" way, but in one where it's fun to love something everyone else hates.
11 Despicable Me's (2010) Minions Took Over The World
Few other movie memes have overtaken the Internet like the Minions from Despicable Me did. The origins of their popularity remain a mystery, considering how many people feel either indifferent towards or outright loathe these little yellow sidekicks. Like many Internet crazes of the 2010s, Facebook was likely a substantial factor in the Minions online takeover.
Shortly after Despicable Me's debut, Facebook users flooded the platform with thousands of Minions images that included some generic inspirational text or jokes. At first, the Minion's inclusion was seemingly perfunctory, as they didn't relate to the meme's text. Nevertheless, these countless users shared these memes to the point of exhaustion. In fact, Minion memes were one of the first widespread images of the new "meme generation."
10 The Room (2003) Became The Best Bad Movie
When discussing the crème de la crème of bad movies, The Room is almost always one of the first entries on the list. The now infamous Tommy Wiseau wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the film. Given his control over the movie, Wiseau himself carries as much lore as his debut feature itself. Nearly every aspect of The Room is guaranteed to raise eyebrows or generate a scoff.
Whether it's the bizarre plot devices, non-existent acting, or stilted dialogue, The Room is chock-full of unintentionally hilarious moments. The movie became so synonymous with bad movies it became integrated into the cultural zeitgeist. So much so that James Franco directed and starred in a Wiseau biopic that recounted The Room's making and his friendship with co-star Greg Sestero, The Disaster Artist. Franco's movie only added to The Room's popularity, cementing itself in movie meme history.
9 Star Wars Prequels (1999-2005) Had Unexpected Comedic Potential
All the Star Wars movies have spawned memes, but the prequels (The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith) were the only entries that became memes of themselves. Most of these memes came from a generally dissatisfied fan base who disliked its meandering plot elements and overwritten dialogue, such as the infamous "I don't like sand" line.
Ewan McGregor's performance as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Revenge of the Sith generated a majority of Star Wars prequel memes. Quotes such as "I have the high ground" and "you were the chosen one" quickly became ample material. One side effect of these memes' inundation is that they cultivated a new, sometimes ironic, appreciation for the prequel trilogy.
8 Sam Raimi's Spider-Man Trilogy (2002-2007) Inspired A New Term
The fans of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy created so many movie-related memes they made a new term: "Raimi-posting." Spider-Man supporters had already created memes of the web-slinger throughout his many forms and eras — such as the two Spider-Mans pointing at each other — but Raimi Spider-Man memes were different.
Raimi Spider-Man memes were often in response to inappropriate themes featured in these family movies or other signature Raimi elements present throughout his trilogy. Still, Raimi-posting is rarely negative, and typically, it's a celebration of all the imperfections and silliness of the Raimi Spider-Man saga. The memes captured the campiness of the lead performances by Tobey Maguire, James Franco, and Willem Dafoe, which only further cemented their place in fans' hearts.
7 Shrek (2001) Has A New, Nostalgia-Based Appreciation
Upon its release, audiences considered Shrek a high mark in animated films, securing Dreamwork's place alongside Disney and Pixar as a top-notch animation studio. The film appealed to both adults and children alike, making it unclear how it became a meme years later. Many contribute this development to nostalgia from those who grew up in the early 2000s, who felt Shrek was a seminal movie.
The same generation that enjoyed Shrek in theaters as children is the same group that later made it a meme. Years after its release, numerous Shrek fan pages and websites popped up, such as "Shrek Is Love, Shrek Is Life." Similarly, its opening song, All Star, by Smash Mouth, became one of the most memed songs in recent history, primarily from its inclusion in Shrek.
6 Bee Movie (2007) Took On A New Level Of Absurdity
Internet users' "appreciation" of Bee Movie didn't come from the film's quality; instead, it formed from its absolute absurdity. Jerry Seinfeld stars a talking bee, Barry. A woman falls in love with Barry, and he then sues all of humanity for its honey consumption. Given this plot, it's no wonder the Internet took to mocking it, given how truly bizarre the Bee Movie is.
The most notable Bee Movie meme format is "Bee Movie But," in which fans would create YouTube videos remixing certain aspects of the film. For example, one of the most famous "Bee Movie But" videos plays the whole film but speeds it up every time a character says the word "bee." Seinfeld is also involved in many Bee Movie memes, especially over the line "you like jazz," uttered with his signature delivery.
5 Django Unchained (2012) Delivered Several Meme Worthy Moments
As his eighth feature film, fans eagerly anticipated auteur Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained before its debut. While it received positive reviews and was successful at the box office, Django wasn't without its controversy. After the dust settled, it wasn't Jamie Foxx in the lead performance or Christoph Waltz, who won an Oscar for his supporting role, that garnered the Internet's attention.
Django Unchained's primary point of Internet interest focused on Leonardo DiCaprio's turn as the villainous plantation owner, Calvin Candie. The most memed moment of DiCaprio's performance came during a harrowing dinner scene that marked the final turn in Django Unchained. DiCaprio's Candie held up a drink in front of a capricious smirk, and thus a million memes were born.
4 One Shot From The Original Predator (1987) Is Meme Canon
The first Predator movie, by John McTiernan, is one of the most well-regarded action movies. The streamlined story, quality set pieces, and tense filmmaking made it an instant classic that endured to this day. Despite all these positives, Predator was a movie from the 80s some moments aged poorly.
One such moment from Predator occurs between the two main characters: Arnold Schwarzenegger (Dutch) and Carl Weathers (Dillon). When the two first meet on screen, they greet each other with a now iconic handshake. The two grip each other's hand while squeezing as hard as possible. The camera zooms in on their arms as their massive biceps strain and flex. This shot is now a popular meme where users depict two disparate groups finding common ground.
3 The Big Lebowski (1998) Continues To Generate Hoards Of Content
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The Cohen brother's cult classic, The Big Lebowski, tells the story of Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski. Mistaken for a millionaire of the same name, Lebowski soon finds himself entangled in a scheme involving the missing millionaire's wife, German debt collectors, and a rogues' gallery of zany characters.
Unlike other movies, there's no one shot or image from The Big Lebowski that audiences have pulled to create memes. Still, the most common Lebowski memes center on one of The Dude's best friends, Walter, played by John Goodman. Typically, many of these memes show Walter from a scene where he pulls out a pistol in a bowling alley. Creators use this image to demonstrate their ire towards a person or situation they illustrate through the meme's text.
2 Sean Bean Is The Unexpected Star Of Countless Lord Of The Rings (2001) Memes
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is the movie that kick-started film adaptations of J. R. R. Tolkien's work. This introduction to Middle Earth was so successful it spawned two sequels, a Hobbit trilogy, and now an expensive TV series produced by Amazon. Although the first movie featured stars like Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee, Viggo Mortensen, and Orlando Bloom, actor Sean Bean stole the Internet's heart.
Sean Bean's scene-stealing turn as Boromir came during a meeting where those gathered decide what to do with the titular ring. Here, Boromir voices a line that's now immortalized in the meme community. The council decides they must take the ring to Mordor to destroy it once and for all. Bean, in a nonchalant slouch, declares, "one does not simply walk into Mordor." Using this line, Internet users have created countless "one does not simply..." memes using the iconic image of a nonplused Boromir.
1 Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971) Is A Piece Of Meme History
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory follows Charlie, a poor child in London who lives in a small home with his parents and four bedridden grandparents. The local chocolate magnate, Willy Wonka, announces a lottery for a guided tour through his factory, and there's nothing more Charlie wants. However, Charlie gets more than he bargained for when he finds a golden ticket, and the tour quickly devolves into mayhem.
Even those who haven't seen Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory would likely recognize the image of Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. People have used the image widely known as "Condescending Wonka" for over a decade. The image, which comes from a scene where Wonka asks the group if they want to see the new gobstoppers, depicts Wonka propping his head up and sporting a Cheshire grin.