high concept

American  

noun

1. a simple and often striking idea or premise, as of a story or film, that lends itself to easy promotion and marketing.

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high concept British  

noun

1. 1. popular appeal

   2.  high-concept.  ( as modifier )

      Baz Luhrmann's high-concept Romeo and Juliet

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Etymology

Origin of high concept

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

So was everything that high concept?

From New York Times

“The Icepick Surgeon” is a hodgepodge of stories about malfeasance and evil, loosely grouped under a high concept.

From New York Times

Movie lovers don’t necessarily come to high concept horrors like “Escape Room” or its sequel “Tournament of Champions” for the acting.

From Seattle Times

Netflix tweeted out the “Sexy Beasts” trailer Wednesday with a message explaining the high concept: “Sexy Beasts is a new dating show where real-life singles sport elaborate makeup and prosthetics to put true blind-date chemistry to the test.”

From Los Angeles Times

This multimedia “video docudrama” from Tei Blow and Sean McElroy, who write and perform as Royal Osiris Karaoke Ensemble, is so high concept that its content seemed to vaporize as I stared at its bizarre images and tried to decipher its opaque dialogue.

From New York Times