Badly described movies: a quiz round

Badly described movies are a pub quiz staple for good reason: they're funny to read out, satisfying to solve, and tend to get the whole room laughing. The format is simple: describe a film's plot in a technically accurate but deliberately misleading way, then watch teams argue about whether Wall-E really counts as a story about workplace theft.

These 14 questions work well as a standalone picture round alternative or mixed into a general entertainment round.

The questions

1An older sister steals her little sister's place on live TV.Use in quizUse

Answer:The Hunger Games (Katniss volunteers as tribute to take Prim's place)(click to reveal)

2A man is forced to participate in the rescue of a hostage by a government that has turned his residence into a refugee camp.Use in quizUse

Answer:Shrek (Lord Farquaad dumps the fairy tale creatures in his swamp; the hostage is Princess Fiona) Credit(click to reveal)

3A man beats himself up over his midlife crisis.Use in quizUse

Answer:Fight Club(click to reveal)

4A family road trip goes wrong when Dad refuses to ask for directions and everyone almost freezes to death.Use in quizUse

Answer:The Shining (Jack Torrance takes a caretaker job at the Overlook Hotel)(click to reveal)

5A young girl is kidnapped by a group of senior citizens and forced into domestic labour.Use in quizUse

Answer:Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs(click to reveal)

6A child befriends an illegal immigrant and helps him phone home.Use in quizUse

Answer:E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial(click to reveal)

7A little guy works overtime while also stealing body parts from his dead coworkers before ditching his job to go on a cruise with his unconscious girlfriend.Use in quizUse

Answer:WALL-E Credit(click to reveal)

8A group of coworkers take a really long nap to save a business empire.Use in quizUse

Answer:Inception(click to reveal)

9An old guy tries reclaiming his favourite piece of jewellery.Use in quizUse

Answer:The Lord of the Rings (Sauron just wants his ring back) Credit(click to reveal)

10An elderly man avoids moving house by illegally transporting a minor across international borders.Use in quizUse

Answer:Up (Carl Fredricksen kidnaps Russell and flies to Venezuela)(click to reveal)

11An employee visits his wife's workplace after hours and encounters unexpected resistance.Use in quizUse

Answer:Die Hard (John McClane just wanted to see his wife at the office Christmas party)(click to reveal)

12A billionaire devotes his fortune to cosplay and beating up the mentally ill.Use in quizUse

Answer:Batman (also accept The Dark Knight or any Batman film)(click to reveal)

13A mentally challenged woman helps a single father track down his abducted son.Use in quizUse

Answer:Finding Nemo (Dory has short-term memory loss; Marlin is looking for Nemo)(click to reveal)

14A health code violation creates a culinary masterpiece.Use in quizUse

Answer:Ratatouille(click to reveal)

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Want more rounds like this? Our funny quiz questions keep the laughs going, and the film quiz questions cover the straight version. You can build the whole night, picture rounds included, in our quiz creator.