10 Movies Saved By Their Final Shot

5. The Grey

Leave The World Behind
Open Road Films

The Grey is a contentious film largely due to the disingenuous manner in which Open Road Films marketed it.

The trailers sold it as a junky action flick centered around Liam Neeson punching wolves in the Alaskan wilderness, yet the final film is actually a far more thoughtful and philosophical survival thriller about grief and man's relationship with nature.

The ending, in fact, was widely accused of trolling audiences, given that the final scene sees Neeson's John Ottway left with no choice but to fight back against the alpha of the wolfpack - the very scene that the trailers spent so much time teasing.

Except, just as Neeson readies himself to fight, director Carnahan cuts to black, and that's all she wrote.

Given that, contrary to the marketing's presentation, this was actually a smart and well-crafted film rather than a wolf-punching schlock-fest, it was absolutely appropriate for Carnahan to cut the movie off where he did, even if some might not agree.

It would've conversely been incredibly easy for it to devolve into a dumb farce if we saw what happened next, so restraint was definitely the smart, right choice.

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.