10 Movies That Pissed Audiences Off In The Final Scene
3. The Grey
Liam Neeson's 2011 survival thriller The Grey was an unfortunate victim of its own misleading marketing.
The film's trailers presented it as a film in which Neeson's protagonist John Ottway faces off against not only the elements but a pack of wolves stalking him and his fellow oil men stranded in the Alaskan wilderness.
But Joe Carnahan's film was ultimately a far more philosophical and thoughtful film than just about anyone expected, and the teased showdown between Ottway and a pack of wolves never actually happens.
Well, it happens, but only off-screen, as the film's final scene cuts to black just as Ottway begins his desperate final assault against the alpha of the pack, leaving many viewers exasperated that the very thing they paid their money to see is never actually shown.
To perhaps irritate audiences even more, a post-credits scene briefly shows the aftermath of the fight, with the alpha wolf mortally wounded and Ottway's fate left unclear.
In the film's home video commentary, Carnahan confirmed that the wolf battle was actually shot but ultimately decided against including it, and criticised the marketing for creating an inaccurate representation of what the movie was really about.
That disgruntled viewers still bring that final scene up almost a decade later, long after the film has left the cultural consciousness, is the ultimate testament to just how annoying it truly was.
If you're able to put expectations aside and enjoy the movie for what it is, though, it's a great ending on its own merits.