10 Movie Characters Whose Fates Are Never Resolved

Dead or alive?

Inglourious Basterds
Universal

Though it's enormously satisfying when a movie reveals the truth about an ongoing mystery, both ambiguity and subtle restraint can also be dramatically rewarding in their own ways, giving the audience plenty to think about once the end credits roll.

But sometimes movies take this to head-scratching extremes, such as by leaving viewers bafflingly clueless as to the fates of certain characters.

To be clear, we're not so much talking about films where a character's unknown fate is the entire point of the movie - say, The Wrestler, for example - but rather films where a character just...disappears from the story.

This list is mostly concerned with significant supporting characters who, despite their prominent placement in the narrative, are left dangling on a thread by film's end.

While none of these unresolved character arcs are movie-derailing, they are all in the very least mystifying and some might say frustrating.

In some cases we know that the original plan for the character was scrapped during post-production, leaving fans to draw their own conclusions, while in others the filmmakers just clearly didn't perceive the character to be as valuable as the audience did.

Either way, the means by which these supporting players duck out of their respective movies are very strange indeed...

Advertisement
Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.