10 Confusing Movie Questions We Still Don't Understand

4. What Happened to Sean? - Minority Report

Demolition Man Three Seashells
DreamWork Pictures

In this Philip K. Dick adaptation, a cop called John Anderton (Tom Cruise) uses precognitive technology to catch criminals before they have a chance to commit murders. When the PreCogs predict John will murder a man called Leo Crow, he assumes he's being framed.

When our protagonist confronts his supposed victim, Crow claims to be the person who kidnapped John's son, Sean, who disappeared years ago. When John refuses to kill him, Crow confesses he was paid by an unknown benefactor to pretend he kidnapped Sean. After John proves he was set up, he's exonerated of all crimes.

Despite the happy ending, John never reunites with Sean, nor does he learn what happened to him. In fact, it's unknown whether he's still alive.

When one of the PreCogs talks about Sean living as an adult, it sounds like John's son is still out there somewhere. But after the PreCog contradicts her own statement, she demonstrates how inconsistent her premonitions are, dashing John's hopes once again.

Even though it's reassuring to see John move on, it's a pity he (and the audience) never learned what really happened to Sean.

 
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James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows