An ending makes or breaks a film. Period. If the ending sucks, you walk out of the theater feeling sluggish and upset that your $14.50 (welcome to Los Angeles) went to waste. But if that ending is chock full of awesomeness, a solid twist, epic action, etc., we can leave the theater feeling high on the talkies. A weak ending can hurt a solid film and vice versa a kick ass ending can sometimes redeem a crap fest. But once in a while there are those endings that happen and, five days later you’re still wondering…what the hell happened?
We tip our hat to the 10 Strangest Endings in Film History.
*Considering we’re talking film endings, it’s safe to assume there’s some solid spoilers in here. If you haven’t seen any of these flicks and don’t want to know how they end, avert your eyes child.*
10. The Happening
Oh yes, this IS Happening. And it’s the first. Why does it make the list? Because the movie was such an awful slap in the face to its audience that when the “twist” came, not only did everyone groan, but I think I also heard weeping and the gnashing of teeth in the halls and the mouths of babes whispered, “This is the end of the world” as I exited the theater.
It was plants. Yeah. Those plants. That nice solid basil bush you’re growing? Secret death trap. But honestly, it wasn’t so much that it was the plants twist that got me, it was the horrendously over the top ways people were dying purely for failed shock value. And for the payoff to be plants? Yeah…
Why on God’s green earth would plants evolve in such a way as to release some sort of spore into the air that causes people to commit suicide in “shocking” and “sick” ways. Some dude lies down in front of a lawn mower, lots of folks throw themselves off buildings, John Leguizamo walked in front of a car, I’m just saying, if I’m a plant and I want, to paraphrase Samuel L. Jackson, these mother fuckin’ people off this mother fuckin’ planet, I’m not going to evolve into producing suicide spores. It’s just going to be straight up murder dust. If people just dropped dead period, that would’ve been cool. But for us to believe that plants have a way of making us kill ourselves in terrible ways all because we’re ruining our own planet? That isn’t just a failed film, it’s a failed environmental statement and actually makes me pissed off at plants.
I think I went home that day and blew cigarette smoke in the general direction of my bougainvillea just to let it know how angry I was that they allowed M. Night to be their spokesman.
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15 Comments
William,
I was certain that I would see an entry featuring the end of the 2001 version of Planet of the Apes. Maybe it isn’t strange so much as incredibly confusing.
Sure lots of people think or type WTF but I actually remember saying it. Then I spent an hour trying figure out all of the possible ways the damn thing could make sense so I wouldn’t continue to feel like an idiot.
BTW I still feel like an idiot. :-)
Great article.
The ape stoaway on the craft was the first one to arrive on Earth hundreds of years in the past. He became their “Ape Lincoln” by bringing an end to mankind’s subjugation of apes. Marky Mark arrived much later in that timeline.
‘No Country For Old Men’ is brilliant and that ending is perfect.
On the other hand, Memento was a great film whose ending made me hate everything that had come before and hate the movie in general.
I’m confused, what is so “strange” about the ending to No Country for Old Men? Tommy Lee Jones’ character tells a story about a dream he had, that was it. How is that strange, or am I missing something?
I haven’t seen any of these movies but I like articles that come with pictures and stuff.
Great article mate! Still laughing at that last bit. :D
For me, the ending of No Country for Old Men sums up the title of the film. Ed (Tommy Lee Jones) recounts a dream he had about feeling safe and secure – the idea of knowing. Now he is an old and vunerable man, thrown into a world of that he no longer can tackle or feels safe in. You can really see it in his facial expression – the worry – he knows the good days are behind him.
Interesting Article, made me rethink my evaluation of the ending of American Psycho.
How can you choose #1 and then feel half way on it as being strange or not? Shouldn’t you be all on board like some of the previous selections?
I should’ve phrased it better. I’m halfsies on whether or not I like the film. I’m all in on it being the strangest ending.
2001 is a great movie and all, but the novelization, which was cowritten simultaneously with the script by Clarke and Kubrick, is essential for understanding the ending. When Dave enters the stargate generated by the Monolith, he comes into contact with the beings who made mankind, during a phase in which they had evolved beyond physical bodies and their essence lived inside machines. In the time since their seeding the universe with intelligence, they had evolved into beings of pure energy. Everything Dave sees after he emerges from the stargate is the energy beings’ attempt to allow his mind to make the transition from physical to spiritual form, so he experiences physical aging and death. in the end, he returns to earth in his new, evolved, yet still infant, form. His journey through space and back takes nine years.
So many multiple interpretations, philosophical meanings and theories about the ending of Kubrik’s ’2001′ that we may all be overlooking the obvious. The space baby isnt actually this that or anything. It’s Kubrik, heavily influenced by LSD at the time remember, simply using images to say a simple phrase “SPACE BABY!”
As in “It’s SPACE, baby! an its pretty damn awesome!”
1. You probably heard the ending of Fight Club, whether you realize it or not.
2. I swear I listened to an audio commentary from Richard Kelly in which he clearly stated he would *never* reveal the plot of Donnie Darko and that it was *so* complicated ‘even he didn’t understand it’, that doesn’t even make sense, I lost all respect for him, and most of my respect for the film itself. Once I heard the “Director’s Cut” featured a commentary track that ‘explained everything’ I called BS, and thought this was (probably) the sequence of events as they occurred in reality (about as likely as his eventual “explanation” for the plot): Richard Kelly writes a massively convoluted time travel story. At some point, probably during post production, someone reveals a massive hole in the plot that completely eviscerates its cohesion. Realizing that this is a right problem, he racks his brain. However, unable to rectify this setback, he “decides” that it doesn’t matter, because the movie is so smart – it’s too smart – too smart even for him – and he’s the writer/director! How deep is he!? He writes above his own intelligence level! It MUST have been fate. Then at some point, before the release of a Director’s Cut, he thinks of a plot that can actually be explained with some coherence by the events on screen. And viola!: I still hate the movie, and don’t trust anything the douche says. For one thing unless I listened to that commentary in a dream, why else would the guy say he was never going to explain the plot (in one commentary), and then immediately proceed to explain it, once given the chance to do so in another commentary? He’s a liar, and the movie is only psuedo intellectual, that’s the best explanation. The movie makes no sense because it actually makes no sense. How’bout that!?
3. I left the theatre after “No Country” and some guy went “Awww WHAT!?” when the credits rolled, from a higher seat a patron screamed “That’s how it ended in the book!” So yeah…
4. I completely understood the ending of Memento, it wasn’t that hard to piece together, I spent my childhood playing games with stories that were sometimes 60 hours in length, that included managing the several character’s stats and items at once. You think maybe a few people can decipher the sequence of events without having to watch the film in chronological order? Geez. The format was pretty clear after a short time. That said, I did think it was about a guy who *spoilers by the way* killed his friend. I didn’t even consider how Teddy might be “evil” or “turning him into a murderer” until I listened to Nolan’s commentary. Yes, that was blatantly obvious even as the film ran forward and backward simultaneously, but I just figured one guy had vowed to kill “John G” and he was going to go on killing “John G’s” like a crazy ass serial killer, so Teddy was just directing the flow of murder in way that would allow them to profit. As a couple criminals go, that seems like mutual gain to me. Lenny is the one who won’t stop killing people.
5. I heard a (possibly apocryphal) story that either Mary Harron or Guinevere Turner (perhaps both) did American Psycho because they thought the book was incredibly misogynistic and felt it was their duty to make sure it didn’t get made “accurately” – in that event. Though I can’t seem to find where I read that originally and it’s at odds with their promotional statements – for what those are worth. Given statements Ellis’ made about “women directors” (including Harron) this theoretical assumption may have been well founded. Like I said, I couldn’t find it though, so take it with a grain of salt.
“The Happening” is hilariously bad. You should watch the outtakes on Youtube Wahlberg actually (briefly) confronts Shyamalan on the ridiculousness of one of the scenes.
I’m surprised you didn’t include The Mist, the ending was unbelievable. The father shooting his whole family as a way to put them out of their misery. Running out of bullets before he can shoot himself. Then moments later the army rolls in and leaves you thinking… “Wow are you serious”
Fight Club – Strange? Maybe. Top 10? Not even close.
No Country for Old Men – Read the book.
Memento – I don’t know how old you are but this is not the first movie in film history that adopts this narrative style. Just because you don’t get it doesn’t mean its strange.
Wicker Man (06) – This doesn’t even make sense. What do you mean by placing this 2nd on the list with the topic sentence emphasising “the remake, not the original, cause the remake sucked” : when they basically have the same ending?
2011- Read the book.
You are right about one thing: This doesn’t even come near to covering all the strange endings out there.