20 Movies That Took HUGE Risks (And NAILED It)

Derek Cianfrance's epic crime drama The Place Beyond the Pines was marketed as following Ryan Gosling's motorcycle stuntman Luke Glanton, and while that's true up to a point, Luke ultimately dies at the end of the first act, being shot by cop Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper) and falling out of a window.

It's a hugely shocking moment and one which had the sure potential to alienate audiences, especially as the perspective then shifts abruptly to Avery and, later on, both Luke and Avery's teenage sons (Dane DeHaan and Emory Cohen).

But Cianfrance's engrossing script and evocative direction hold firm, ensuring that though some Gosling die-hards might've been left disappointed by the unexpected brevity of his part, the movie had plenty left to fill the void.

It's an especially ballsy creative decision considering the film's hefty 140-minute runtime - ensuring Gosling is missing for the back 90 - but it didn't stop the film tripling its $15 million budget at the box office.