10 Movie Secrets They'll Never Tell You

The minds behind these movies are keeping shtum.

Total Recall
Tri-Star Pictures

Nothing keeps a movie in the cultural consciousness quite like an enduring mystery which leaves fans debating precisely what happened forever more.

And while filmmakers might sometimes be compelled to drop the veil and finally let fans know what was really going on, others have decided that the secret is better left a secret and categorically refused to give the game away.

And that's certainly the case with these 10 movies, each of which have fascinated viewers with their tantalising mysteries, unanswered questions, and ambiguous endings.

Though fans certainly have their persuasive theories in each case, you're never going to get confirmation either way from the horse's mouth, because the filmmakers in question have straight-up refused to do so.

While it might be frustrating for some audiences, ultimately you can't blame creatives for wanting to keep the lid on mysteries which have given their film a life long beyond its original release period.

Were they to dispense with the innuendo and "confirm" things one way or another, the fun of speculation would immediately evaporate. And though you might think you want an answer, in reality you probably don't...

10. Who Is Infected At The End? - The Thing

Total Recall
Universal

John Carpenter's sci-fi horror classic The Thing concludes with one of the most tantalising and oft-debated endings in cinema history, as the Antarctic research station burns down while remaining survivors MacReady (Kurt Russell) and Childs (Keith David) slowly freeze to death, with neither sure which one of them is infected by the Thing.

One of several prominent theories was posited by the film's cinematographer, Dean Cundey, who suggested than an "eye gleam" is visible in individuals infected by the Thing, and as Childs has this gleam in the final scene, he must be the Thing.

But in a recent interview with ComicBook.com, the ever-irreverent Carpenter said that Cundey was "full of s**t," and that he himself is the only person who knows for sure which of the two is infected.

When prodded to verbalise the answer, Carpenter refused, saying that he "cannot tell," presumably preferring to keep the iconic ending steeped in ambiguity forever more. And honestly, who can blame him?

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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.