12 Greatest Red Herring Movie Endings

5. The Spinning Top Doesn't Really Matter - Inception

Now, this is a really interesting one. Christopher Nolan's mind-melting sci-fi masterwork concludes with Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) completing his titular mission and being granted a safe passage home to the U.S., so he can once again take custody of his two young children.

The ambiguous final scene, however, makes it unclear whether Cobb is actually back in reality or simply living out a dream, and true to form, Nolan hasn't offered up much of an answer.

What's telling, though, is Nolan's response when asked about the ending. He's stated numerous times that the reality (or un-reality) of Cobb's reunion isn't the important part of the scene, but simply that he has chosen to accept whatever is presented before him by walking way from the spinning top in the final shot.

Nolan elaborates, "He didn’t really care any more, and that makes a statement: perhaps, all levels of reality are valid."

While it's unavoidable that fans are going to agonise and deliberate over that final shot until the end of time, it's actually a red herring of a different kind, steering viewers away from the film's true final meaning.