10 Best Let It Go Moments In Movies

Before you ask, no, Frozen is not on this list...

eternal sunshine
Focus Features

Learning to make sacrifices is an important part of life.

We all need to realise that not all of our dreams will come true, so we can compromise and focus on the ones that mean the most to us. Equally, we could just admit that we'll never get anything we want and spend our lives living in a cave somewhere talking to spiders. That sounds pretty neat too.

Learning to let go of ambitions or goals also plays a big role in the world of film. There are countless examples of heroes spending the entire runtime of a picture trying to get their hands on something, only to eventually realise that it's not going to happen.

Don't feel sorry for them though; accepting one's place in life can be an extremely cathartic moment. Equally, if they're not happy with their positions, there's always the spider cave.

The following ten entries all involve characters in films giving up on something they have been holding on to or have wanted for a long time. Whether it's an item, a relationship, or even life itself, letting go was a hard thing for these characters to do, but it was ultimately the right call.

10. Gawain Accepts Death - The Green Knight

eternal sunshine
A24

A bit of a sleeper hit from 2021, The Green Knight is a medieval fantasy epic based on a 14th Century poem. Before you baulk at the phrase "14th Century poem", hear us out, it's a good movie.

It stars Dev Patel as Gawain, a nobleman who enters into a deadly bargain with the eponymous Green Knight.

The bargain is that he who lands a blow on the Knight shall receive his powerful green axe, on the condition that he take an identical blow in one year's time. "Easy," thought Gawain "I'll just chop his stupid green head off and then I won't have to take the blow!"

Sadly for Gawain, this is exactly what he does, only for the immortal Knight to pick up his head and walk away. See you in a year!

The rest of the film is Gawain's quest to find the Knight. He originally tries to cheat death, but soon succumbs to his destiny and makes amends with the situation he has made for himself.

The film ends with Dev Patel getting his head lobbed off, which is a weird thing to think of as a happy ending, but it is one. Honest.

Contributor
Contributor

Jacob Simmons has a great many passions, including rock music, giving acclaimed films three-and-a-half stars, watching random clips from The Simpsons on YouTube at 3am, and writing about himself in the third person.