10 Horror Movies That Subtly Spoil The Ending Early

Prior to Matt Ryan’s definitive take on the character in 2014’s Constantine TV series, Keanu Reeves stepped into the role of the supernatural detective for the 2005 film of the same name.

Nihilistic, morose, and angry, the Canadian’s portrayal of the iconic John Constantine character is a far cry from the charismatic, quick-tongued troublemaker of the Hellblazer comics. Neither Liverpudlian nor blonde, one of the few elements retained from the comics is that Constantine is still a smoker in the film, with the character’s iconic cigarettes and lighter making an appearance in many scenes. However, he is also dying of lung cancer and, as if by the magic of public safety announcements, switches to nicotine gum at the film’s conclusion, but not before the big reveal: turns out the angel Gabriel (Tilda Swinton) has been pulling his strings this whole time, trying to unleash Hell on Earth, before facing Lucifer himself.

This ending, and the final battle involving Gabriel, Lucifer, and Constantine, is signposted early on. In a first act tete-a-tete, Constantine tells Gabriel to go to Hell, which, given the ending sees Gabriel mortal and stuck on Earth, is bad enough. But Gabriel also inadvertently tells Constantine the way to escape his fate, saying self-sacrifice is the only thing that will earn him redemption. And this - Constantine sacrificing himself to save the damned Isabel (Rachel Weisz) from Hell - is precisely what stops Lucifer dragging him through the fiery gates.