10 Recent Movie Deaths Which Left Audiences Completely Stunned

The Grand Budapest Hotel’s electrifying secondary protagonist, Gustave H is one of the most captivating characters of the 2010s and is perfectly brought to life by Ralph Fiennes in one of his funniest and most emotional performances.

The majority of the film is a comedic masterpiece, a perfectly calibrated comedic experience that shows Wes Anderson working at the height of his abilities, able to balance a variety of tones perfectly while pushing his aesthetic ideas forward.

Yet, by the end, Gustave H. is executed by the government, after we think he’s escaped all of the hindrances placed against him. Our main protagonist Zero has to reckon with the sudden loss of his mentor and friend, and the framing device amplifies the fact that he was never able to recover from Gustave’s passing.

The sudden melancholy comes seemingly out of nowhere, even if it fits perfectly with the rest of the film. It overwhelms the ending, creating this guttural feeling of heartbreak and sadness that overwhelms the comedic pleasures of the rest of the movie. Anderson effectively makes you feel safe as an audience member, before devastating you with crushing loss and prevalent ennui. It’s a masterfully shocking death.