The rules on naming films are surprisingly vague.
Apparently, no one can copyright a film name (even
trade marking is tricky), so as long as you’re not
breaching copyright by nicking another movie’s
storyline, you can call it what you like.
Here are a number of films with identical titles, yet
very different plots


The Deep Blue Sea (2011) / Deep Blue Sea (1999)
This week’s DVD release of ‘The Deep Blue Sea’
starring Rachel Weisz could cause confusion at the
tills if punters accidentally buy the 1999 version.
Unobservant movie fans will expect a tale of a
judge’s wife caught in a self-destructive love affair
with a Royal Air Force pilot. What they might get is
clever sharks, gallons of blood and many, many plot
holes. You’ve been warned.

Twilight (2008) / Twilight (1998)
‘Twi-hards’, no matter how much you love the blood- sucking franchise, don’t be tempted to buy the 1998
version of ‘Twilight’. Somehow we think a Gene
Hackman/Paul Newman thriller about a retired ex-
cop who lives with a rich actor dying from cancer
isn’t up your alley. The 15 certificate could be a
hindrance too.

Crash (2005) / Crash (1996)
The 2005 flick detailing the unexpected collision of
vastly separate lives of Los Angeles citizens was
criticised by director David Cronenberg for copying
his 1996 film title. Although they both involve a car
accident as a major plot point, Cronenberg’s version delves into the underground sub-culture of scarred,
omnisexual car crash victims while Paul Haggis’
iteration examined race, loss and redemption.

Deja Vu (2006) / Deja Vu (1997)
Ironic title alert! Film fans were sure they’d seen the
name of Denzel Washington’s 2006 thriller before...
and they had. There was an identically titled film
made in 1997 that followed a love affair between an
engaged L.A. shop owner and a married Englishman.

Possession (2009) / Possession (2002)
‘Possession’ is a popular name apparently. There are
at least four films we could find with the title, but
the most different are these efforts. ‘Buffy’ star
Sarah Michelle Gellar appeared in 2009’s version,
which sees her brother-in-law and husband swap
identities while in comas after a car accident. One
IMDB commentator said it was ‘Gellar’s best film’,
though that’s not saying much. The other is a
relatively sexy romance starring Gwyneth Paltrow
and Aaron Eckhart as sleuths investigating raunchy
Victorian letters.

The Descent (2007) / Descent (2005)
Flicks with ‘Descent’ in the title are not good date
movies. The 2007 iteration is an excellent but utterly terrifying horror about bitchy female potholers stalked by evil cave critters. ‘Descent’ is perhaps even more depressing, as it see Rosario Dawson play a student who struggles to rebuild her life when she is raped.