9. Ridiciulously Abrupt Ending - The Master
Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master was a challenging, exhausting, hugely impressive cinematic experience, and one that we knew would be just that going in. Joaquin Phoenix delivered a masterful performance as Freddie Quell, the sex-crazed alcoholic who struggles to adjust to regular life after returning from World War II, thus aligning himself with glorified cult leader Lancaster Dodd and The Cause. The narrative asks a lot of interesting questions about the nature of religion in all its forms, and the ability for human beings to find a way to transcend existential anguish and mental illness. While the film doesn't provide many answers, that's not exactly a fault in of itself; it is thought-provoking and asking the questions in such an arresting fashion is sufficient work for Anderson. The problem comes with how one can then end the film on a note that's anything approaching satisfactory, for The Master ends with Quell having sex with a woman before lying on the beach - as he did at the start of the film - next to a sand sculpture of a woman he made. Cut to black. When I first saw the film, I thought perhaps there had been a projection issue, yet when "The Master" title-card appeared, it became clear that The Master's ending was instead abrupt and wholly ambiguous, a statement that audiences will have to struggle to understand themselves and strive to imbue meaning into. It is without question a great film, but one that proves infuriatingly vague in its final few moments.