10 Recent Movie Deaths Which Left Audiences Completely Stunned
3. Howard Ratner - Uncut Gems
The ending of the Safdie Brothers’ critically beloved Uncut Gems has already gained notoriety. One of 2019’s biggest cultural successes, the immaculately executed and tense climax of protagonist Howard Ratner’s adrenaline fuelled adventure through New York City cements the film as a towering accomplishment.
After hours of witnessing insane sports betting, antagonistic encounters with a variety of secondary characters, intense stress and brief moments of genuine affection, Howard reaches an overwhelming high of catharsis. The notorious gambler puts everything on the line with this bet in favour of the Boston Celtics basketball team, using every last scam and cent he had for one last hurrah, and manages to win.
After all the tension and anxiety experienced beforehand, this moment is one of the most joyous in modern cinema. As soon as you’ve processed his victory, Howard gets suddenly shot in the head, and that joy transitions into overwhelming shock.
His death wasn’t necessarily unpredictable from the start of the film, but after the rollercoaster of emotions that the audience goes through with him, his sudden execution becomes of the most affecting death sequences in recent memory. He managed to touch the sun before falling back to Earth.