10 Deleted Movie Endings Way Better Than What We Got

The most famous example that cinephiles like to point to as evidence of the ineffectiveness of test audiences is the infamous theatrical cut for I Am Legend. And it's most certainly not hard to see why with this entry, seeing as how this is basically the Scott Pilgrim situation cranked up to 11. The ending that we got actively ruins what this movie was building up, from its themes, to its character arc, the ending hamstrung everything and sent it falling face first into a bear trap.

In the theatrical ending, any sympathy that might have been built up for the monsters, who have been heavily implied to be the new version of humanity, goes out the window for the sake of a big climax that makes Will Smith's character out to be a hero.

While in the original ending, Smith's character dies realizing that for all of his struggles, he has become less than human in trying to destroy these creatures, who have become essentially human themselves. Taking what seemed like a normal zombie horror movie, and turned it into a meditation on man's hubris and arrogance, as the monsters are revealed to be humans. And the human protagonist, the monster.

Or, you know, we could have a bunch of explosions. That's nice too.