10 Movies That Start At The End

9. American Beauty

'American Beauty' stars Kevin Spacey as Lester Burnham: a man in the centre of a serious midlife crisis. He despises his job, his marriage is falling apart and to top it off, he develops an obsession with Angela, his teenage daughter's best friend; an obsession that clearly cannot materialise.

The Start The film begins with a home video of Lester's daughter and her boyfriend. His daughter claims that she wishes her father was dead, an act that her boyfriend gladly offers his services for. Lester then begins the narration of the film himself; a narration that evidently takes place from beyond the grave, as he states immediately that he will die soon. At first, knowing Lester's fate adds to his character's personality. His attitude towards everything grows more and more nonchalant and he notably states he has nothing to lose.

The End At the end of the film however, the fact that we know this simply augments the sympathy we feel towards Lester. Just when the temptation to act upon his sexual desires begins to consume him, Angela confesses she is a virgin, stopping him dead in his tracks. This is the moment his feelings for Angela cease to be anything other than like that of a father. He thinks about his actions and smiles at a family photograph. The camera pans and he is shot.