Movie Title Ideas for Filmmakers and Writers
Writing is one of my several hobbies, and lists like the one below help me with writer's block every now and again.
Roll of movie film.
photo by Don
Why Good Movie Titles Matter
Coming up with a good title for your movie may seem like one of the smaller chores you must do as a movie maker, but it's actually much more important than most people think. Catchy movie titles help promote, distribute and get word of mouth going on your film. Advertising is an essential part of making a successful movie, even if most directors don't want to admit it, and great movie titles that pique the curiosity of the audience are a part of that.
Some people may think that movie title ideas are so easy to come up with, that there's no reason to spend much time on them, but they would be wrong. A good title can make a good movie even better, and ensure that people will continue talking about it for decades instead of years. The title you give your film will be forever used to describe your creation to others; would you rather have a generic or mundane title or a movie title that people know you took your time to come up with and care about.
While I hope that the movie title suggestions below will give you some inspiration, you need to be sure to look over all the tips, tricks and suggestions in the rest of the article so you can truly come up with a awesome movie title. Thank you for paying a visit and I hope your film is a great success.
Death Wish screenshot.
This title tells you exactly what you're going to get when you see this movie. Everyone knows the implication of this phrase, and if the film didn't deliver a story about revenge, it would have been a failure; it delivered and was a huge success. Make sure your movie gives what the title promises.
Action Movie Title Ideas
Pump Action Interaction | Battle Drive | Option to Kill |
Overreaction Agency | Jumpstart | Rough Talk |
Similar Attempts | Proactive | Blood Guilt |
Revenge of the Lost Pioneer | More Like Glory | Eye Spy |
All Down But One | Descent of Animals | Level Up |
Skirmish of Idaho Jones | Ouch! | Blowout |
Downswing | Cold Sweat | Second Half Retreat |
Knuckle Sandwich | Hell Low | Chewing Bubblegum |
Bullet Buried | Spit the Blood | Last Kill |
Dark Tunnel Bluff | Just Bodies | Dead Tired |
Relocation Canada | The Beast from Bostwick | Bump and Run |
Desert Dawn | No Safe Place | The Entire Piece |
The Making of Movie Titles
While you can always go for a simplified title sequence for the opening of your flick, it may be the film's benefit to splurge a little bit. There's a lot that goes into a good intro, but the good news is that the people who do it are really good. Why not let them throw some icing on an already good title?
Filmmaking Broken Down
Awesome Movie Titles That Already Exist But Much Lesser Known
- Hell Up In Harlem (1973)
- Idle Hands (1999)
- The Lickerish Quartet (1970)
- The Nickel Ride (1974)
How To Come Up With A Title for Your Movie
- The more simple you can make your title, the better. People will be able to remember and pronounce your movie better which will make word of mouth advertising more efficient. Just don't confuse "simple" with "uninteresting", as they are two very different words.
- Be careful about coming up with a title that closely resembles an existing title of a good movie. This may be acceptable when making a spoof, but frowned upon by most.
- If you don't know what your script is really about at its core, then it will be a lot tougher to choose a title that will sound natural to the finished product.
A movie name with bite.
Really simple film titles can work well, but must be chosen carefully based upon the content of your flick. Do you think "Jaws" would still be talked about today if it were called "Great White Shark Attack"? Maybe, but it wouldn't be because of the title.
Title Ideas for Horror Movies
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Transfusion | The Monster That Ate the Mutant | Abnormality |
Bad Egg | Safari Slaughter | Starving |
Head Choppers | Croc Party | Cadaver Family |
Double Guts | The Freak Scene | Revenant Devil |
Doom Switch | Right Through the Window | Headless |
Frenzy | How to Get Rid of the Survivors | Fairy Children of Toledo |
Lollipop | Tip of the Spear | Murder Noob |
Extras | We Have Eyeballs | Shout of the Sasquatch |
Into the Cut | In the Ditch | Seconds |
Epic Kills | The Mysterious Streets of Whitechapel | Off the Hooks |
Wicked Knights | Mystery of the Crooked Coffin | Night of the Killer Man Eating Bunnies |
Read More From Reelrundown
Giving Your Movie a Crazy Title
If you have a really crazy, weird and bizarre movie, then giving it an equally goofy or outlandish title can actually work in your favor. Weird titles for weird movies can actually draw in an audience looking for some mindless popcorn fodder. These kinds of titles will only work if your movie is off-the-rocker strange... and many will view the trailer first. Below are some of my favorite examples:
- Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1978)
- Eight Legged Freaks (2002)
- Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)
- Piranhaconda (2012)
- Sharknado (2013)
- Snakes on a Plane (2006)
- The Toxic Avenger (1984)
A funny movie title that rocks.
There are some titles that when said alone, aren't that impressive, but when you combine them with good acting, good story and good advertising their stock goes through the roof.
Movie Title Ideas for Comedies
Stooge Activism | Back Seat Beggar | Cheek To Cheek |
Walkout | Nomination Blusteration | The Witch Flip |
Bus and Kiss | Floor Model | There Wolf |
Strict Tricks | Calico Queen | Take Out Tango |
Braces Off! | Shortcuts | Pushing Clouds |
Thunder Stunt | Rework | Desperate for Detroit |
Scaredy-cat | Cool Beans | Belly Up |
Flex Fury | All Good News | Hopping the Twig |
Retail Fail | Kiss the Ring | Altered Herbs |
Bird Dog | Cruisin' for a Bruisin' | First House on the Right Down the Street on the Left |
First Day Pop | Ton of Runway | Big Tickle |
Non-Starters | State of Dismay | The Hairy Ones |
Streaming for New Year's | Blame It On the Pigs | Been There Done That |
Diamonds on Call | Funkadelic | Hard Times In Paradise |
Two Shot Lead | Jack of One Trade | Awesome Mad Balls |
Kisses Galore | Friends In Common |
Good movies should be watched at least three times in your lifetime. Really good movies can be watch three times a year.
— Mark Morrow
Best Opening Title Sequences
Opening movie title sequences are a chance to see your title in all its glory. While a good title is just a small part of opening credits, it is the center of a complex wheel that can really get the audience into the movie early. The type of font you use, effects and music will only add to the choice you made in naming your film.
Movie Title Suggestions for Dramas
Forced Efforts | Adam's Ale | Frivolous Failure |
Barrens Border | No Time To Read | Crackerjacks |
A Heavy Lift | Lows of the Day | Bless Your Heart |
Terrible Madness | Over Yonder | End Pieces |
Weeknight Burden | Any Given Quarter | Silk Worms |
Ink Kingdom | Risk of Abuse | Attention Wall Street |
Carnival Magic | Five Steps Behind | The Misadventure of David |
Intimidation of Sarah | I Imagine | Stepping Off Dublin |
Burning Omaha | Visionary Needs | Abracadabra |
Wisenheimer | Majority Control | Important in the Space |
Loss In Theory | Only Eighty | Beyond the Summit |
Emporia | The Third Bind | Everything In Between |
Holiday in Winter | Drunken Kisses |
Tips For Coming Up With Cool Movie Titles
- Come up with a good title for your movie by looking at it from several perspectives (title based on setting, title based on main character, title based on situation or theme, etc.). Now you'll at least have some choices that you'll know make sense.
- If your film is about a group, couple, individual, etc. you title needs to address that in some way if at all possible.
- Don't try to be too clever with the title. A good title will almost always tell (or at least strongly hint at) what genre your movie will be in. A good title should reflect the story.
Movies With Terrible Titles
Looking at a few movies with bad titles can be a real learning experience; it will let you know what not to do when naming your film a lot better than anyone can tell you. Most of if it is common sense and taking the time to work through what you want your title to say. The question you need to answer is if your title will make people curious enough to check out your film.
Great Movie Titles for Science Fiction Films
One Kind of Machine | Pain in the Rain | Colony Empires |
Nova Busters | Quantum Mech | Warped |
Post-Human | Tim's Time Paradox | The Clones of Dark Rift |
In the Mix | Zero Hour Till Death |
Cool Movie Titles That People Already Know
The Godfather | American History X | Oldboy |
Pulp Fiction | Spirited Away | Toy Story |
Fight Club | Full Metal Jacket | The Silence of the Lambs |
Seven Samurai | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Die Hard |
North by Northwest | Braveheart | L.A. Confidential |
Finding Nemo | Fargo | Gone with the Wind |
Groundhog Day | Jurassic Park | Cool Hand Luke |
Phantasm | Up | The Princess Bride |
Blazing Saddles | Stir Crazy | A Nightmare on Elm Street |
West Side Story | Videodrome | Good Will Hunting |
Hard to Kill | Something Wicked This Way Comes | Five Deadly Venoms |
Cool Movie Title of the Month - Dial M for Murder (1954)
© 2019 Don
Any Title Suggestions?
rafael reyes on August 21, 2020:
The titles i have read on this sight are good
I would like to add to that
Title- subconcious realm
Title- street society
This movie title was used in indonesia but you can make one in the usa
Marie Lisa on May 28, 2019:
End pieces
It’s clear yet gives the zeal to want to see or read more
