10 Movies That Totally Surprised You When They Ended

3. Room

Pulp Fiction Ending
A24

In the case of 2015's Oscar-winning drama Room, you can really attribute the audience's surprise at where it ended to how the movie was marketed.

The trailers focused largely on Joy (Brie Larson) attempting to escape the man who has held her and her young son Jack (Jacob Tremblay) captive for years, and suggested the post-escape portion would entail just a small section of the third act.

But as it turns out, Joy and Jack spend less than half the movie in captivity, and the final hour-plus of the film explores them attempting to re-adjust to the outside world - or in Jack's case, experience it for the first time.

It's easy to see how another version of the film would've played-up the grim confinement story and put little paid to what happens next, but of course, real life trauma isn't merely resolved the moment the traumatic scenario ends.

By digging deep into the difficult experience of returning to "normal life," Room becomes something as profound as it is unexpected.

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.