10 Movie Scenes That Unexpectedly Confused Audiences

Tenet's baffling opening sequence confused viewers from the jump.

No Country For Old Men
Mirimax

We as moviegoers can't always expect to be in-the-know at all times, and sometimes, it's absolutely beneficial for filmmakers to leave us in the dark a little.

After all, that's how compelling mysteries are crafted, and how satisfying payoffs follow up, as long as the confusion eventually gives way to an outcome that ties it all together with clarity.

But sometimes there are moments that, for one reason or another, leave audiences en masse unexpected confused, scratching their heads in ways that the filmmakers perhaps didn't actually intend.

And that's certainly true of these 10 films, each of which served up scenes which inspired a surprising amount of discussion and debate online.

From surreal asides nobody could make sense of to mysterious closing monologues, weirdly ambiguous death scenes, and a certain sound mixing issue - looking at you, Christopher Nolan - these scenes all confused audiences in ways nobody could've anticipated.

Whether the matter was later cleared up by the directors themselves or fans have been left to debate the matter amongst themselves ever since, these scenes were so, so much more baffling than anybody expected...

10. Thor Takes A Bath - Avengers: Age Of Ultron

No Country For Old Men
Marvel Studios

Avengers: Age of Ultron features perhaps the single most confusing scene in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, when Thor (Chris Hemsworth) enters a body of water referred to as the "Water of Sight" and witnesses visions of Asgard's destruction, the Infinity Stones, and the creation of Vision (Paul Bettany).

It's a brief and bizarre sequence which sticks out like a sore thumb in the movie, enough that many fans correctly assumed that it was trimmed down from a larger set-piece.

The longer, deleted scene shows Thor being possessed by the Norns, a group of female beings who can see the future and manifest within the Water of Sight. But because this scene played poorly with test audiences, Marvel executives insisted that it be heavily trimmed down.

While it's fair to say that the scene gives Thor the idea to bring Vision to life later on, its state in the final movie is so rushed and glossed-over that it's ultimately more confusing than illuminating.

Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.