The term ‘fish-out-of-water’ refers to someone who feels out of place due to being in an environment or surroundings different to their own. It’s likely we’ve all been in this situation at some point in our lives, feeling uncomfortable and lost in a setting we’re not familiar with, just trying to make sense of it all. However, cinema has borrowed the fish-out-of-water concept and taken it to the highest level of stakes and creativity through a number of films.

These stories see a character on an adventure that takes them out of their world and into a foreign one. Whether it’s another country, a geological environment, or even a completely different realm, these characters are tested in both comedic and dramatic fashion as they try to adapt. The trope has made for some classic movies and memorable characters, and here are the 10 best movies that perfectly define the fish-out-of-water trope.

10 ‘Army of Darkness’ (1992)

Directed by Sam Raimi

The Evil Dead series is one of the longest-running horror franchises of all time, with Sam Raimi’s original low-budget cult classic releasing in 1981. It is also one of the most unique horror franchises, as the genre and tone changes with each installment. The Evil Dead is a stright up horror classic, with Evil Dead II taking a more comedic route, using comedy more than horror to move the story. The third installment, Army of Darkness, mixes both horror and comedy with fantasy elements, creating the perfect concoction.

Army of Darkness moves from the cabin in the woods to 300 A.D., when Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) is transported back in time and must fight an army of skeletons to return home. In Medieval Europe, all Ash had was a modern chainsaw and shotgun to defeat the living dead, which makes taking on flesh-eating demons look like a piece of cake. With the area the Evil Dead franchise was moving into at the time, it made a lot of sense for Army of Darkness to incorporate more fantasy and comedic themes to really highlight just how out of place Ash must have felt.

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9 ‘Wonder Woman’ (2017)

Directed by Patty Jenkins

DC’s iconic superhero finally got her own film with 2017’s Wonder Woman, starring Gal Gadot as Diana Prince. The blockbuster was a massive box office success, breaking new ground for female-led superhero films. Set during World War I, the story sees pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crash on Themyscira, where female Amazonian warriors reside.

He tells Diana of the war raging on in the human world, and she leaves with him to stop Ares, the God of War, who she believes to be responsible. As Diana finds herself in 1918 London, she is a world away from her Amazonian paradise. Used to fighting, Diana is expected to wear tight-fitting dresses and behave like a ‘lady’. As Diana learns more about the human world, particularly through her relationship with Steve, she realizes that humans aren’t as black-and-white as she thought they were.

Wonder Woman

Release Date

May 30, 2017

Runtime

141

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8 ‘Witness’ (1985)

Directed by Peter Weir

One of Harrison Ford’s most acclaimed roles is in the 1985 Oscar-winning dramatic thriller Witness. Ford stars as John Book, a detective who must protect an Amish boy (Lukas Haas) and his mother (Kelly McGillis) when the boy is the sole witness of a murder. When John discovers that the murderer (Danny Glover) is an undercover cop he works with, his life is endangered, and he seeks refuge within the Amish community.

As Book spends time among the Amish, he learns to adjust to their stripped-back ways of living, including non-violence and agriculture. While John’s modern lifestyle and mentality is challenged, he becomes more open-minded and educated, even finding forbidden romance within the community. Witness explores how people are both divided and united, and how both are intertwined with each other, with a brilliant lead performance from Ford.

Witness

Release Date

February 8, 1985

Runtime

112 minutes

Watch on Prime

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7 ‘Thor’ (2011)

Directed by Kenneth Branagh

With over thirty films and over fifteen years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become a cultural juggernaut like no other. However, the MCU had humble beginnings, with the first Thor film releasing in 2011. When Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is exiled by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) from Asgard to Earth, he must live among mortals and fulfill his destiny as the God of Thunder.

Scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) tries to enlighten him about human ways and customs, which Thor has a bit of trouble getting used to at first. While the later Thor films are branded as comedies, the character’s shenanigans as he tries to navigate the human world in the first film make for some hilarious moments. Two that stand out are when Thor smashes his mug in a diner and yells “ANOTHER!”, and when he enters a pet store asking for a horse, making the audience fully aware that the God of Thunder had some adjustments to make in our world.

Thor

Release Date

May 6, 2011

Runtime

115 minutes

Watch on Disney+

6 ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ (1984)

Directed by Martin Brest

Eddie Murphy’s filmography is full of iconic characters, but none as hilarious as his star-making turn as Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop. Murphy has played Foley in three films, with a fourth on the way, but it’s the original that has always stood the test of time. In the film, Foley, a street-smart and clever Detroit cop who has to the glitz and glamour of Beverly Hills to investigates the murder of a childhood friend.

Foley quickly learns that he’s way out of his element, realizing that the culture of posh Beverly Hills is vastly different from the grittiness of the Motor City. As Foley tries to solve the murder, he finds humor in the city’s artistic scene, challenges racial stereotypes, and uses his own unorthodox methods in his work. Axel may clash with the posh style of Beverly Hills, but he proves their law enforcement to be incompetent, at first stirring up trouble but, eventually, winning over the local detectives (and taking a couple of expensive bathrobes back home with him).

Beverly Hills Cop

Release Date

November 30, 1984

Cast

Eddie Murphy , Judge Reinhold , John Ashton , Lisa Eilbacher , Ronny Cox , Steven Berkoff

Runtime

105 minutes

Watch on Netflix

5 ‘Elf’ (2002)

Directed by Jon Favreau

When it comes to Christmas movies, it really doesn’t get any better or merrier than Elf. The holiday classic starring Will Ferrell is among the best Christmas films and is required as essential viewing during the festive season. Buddy (Ferrell) is a human raised among elves at the North Pole. When he discovers he isn’t an elf, he travels to New York City to find his biological father, Walter Hobbs (James Caan).

However, Hobbs isn’t exactly the kind of guy to get into the Christmas spirit. Hilarity and chaos ensue when an innocent and naive Buddy arrives in New York, bringing joy and cheer to the tough mundanity of the city. Whether he’s awkwardly spread out on an escalator, running through revolving doors, eating chewed gum or believing a department store employee is the real Santa, the film is an absolute delight.

Elf

Release Date

October 9, 2003

Runtime

97

Watch on AppleTV+

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4 ‘Splash’ (1984)

Directed by Ron Howard

Splash takes the fish-out-of-water concept quite literally, with a mermaid leaving the ocean to live on land. In the film, Allen (Tom Hanks) is reunited with Madison (Daryl Hannah), the mermaid who rescued him as a child. He falls in love with her, but doesn’t know her fishy secret. When her tail dries, Madison is able to walk on land, so she must keep it from getting wet in front of anybody.

Madison humorously tries to adjust to human customs, eventually learning how to speak by watching television. One of the most memorable scenes in the film is when Allen takes Madison out to dinner, and she eats a whole lobster with her bare hands like a burger. With the perfect mix of laughs and charm, Splash is a highlight in Ron Howard’s career as a director.

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3 ‘Enchanted’ (2007)

Directed by Kevin Lima

The animated and real worlds collide in Disney’s Enchanted. Princess Giselle (Amy Adams) lives in the fairytale land of Andalasia, and is set to be wed to Prince Edward (James Marsden). When the evil Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) learns of this, she banishes Giselle to the real world – specifically, modern day New York City. There, Giselle meets lawyer Robert (Patrick Dempsey), as she struggles to deal with the cruelty of this new place.

Seeing a Disney princess in the streets of New York is hilariously absurd, particularly as she butts heads with the straight Robert. Giselle brings her own fairytale traditions into his life, such as musical numbers and animals helping her clean. What’s even funnier is when Prince Edward joins her in the real world, and is running around thinking buses are monstrous beasts and TVs are magic mirrors.

Enchanted

Release Date

November 20, 2007

Runtime

107

Watch on Disney+

2 ‘Coming to America’ (1988)

Directed by John Landis

After Eddie Murphy starred as Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop, he followed it up with another fish-out-of-water film that would also become another ‘80s classic. In Coming to America, Murphy plays Prince Akeem, heir to the throne of Zamunda. When he is set to be married to a woman he’s never met, he travels to New York to find a bride who he can both love and respect.

The streets of Queens are a far cry from the lavish palace Akeem resides in, but he is more than happy to embrace this lifestyle so a woman can love him for who he is, rather than his money. He and his servant Semi (Arsenio Hall) take up jobs at fast-food restaurant McDowells, with owner Cleo McDowell (John Amos) and his daughter Lisa (Shari Headley) none the wiser regarding Akeem’s royal heritage.

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1 ‘Barbie’ (2023)

Directed by Greta Gerwig

As both the highest grossing movie of 2023 and the highest grossing movie from a female director, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is a hit comedy that broke all kinds of records and surpassed all expectations. Barbie (Margot Robbie) lives in Barbie Land with Ken (Ryan Gosling), where everything is pink and perfect, and every day is the best day ever.

When Barbie suffers an existential crisis, the pair travel to the real world and learn about the complexity of humans. While women have control and power in Barbie Land, Barbie soon realizes that the real world is male-dominated and that there is significant gender inequality, much to Ken’s delight. Ken revels in the history of the patriarchy (and horses), while Barbie seeks something deeper and tries to discover life beyond being a plastic doll.

Barbie

Release Date

July 21, 2023

Runtime

114 minutes

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