20 Utterly Devastating Movie Endings No One Saw Coming
15. The Wrestler
It turns out that wrestling can be a pretty solid subject to base a film around. Chris Hemsworth's Hulk Hogan project may never have gotten off the ground, but look to the likes of 2024's Queen of the Ring, Fighting With My Family, and The Iron Claw for some truly outstanding pieces around the sport.
Up there with the best of them is, of course, The Wrestler. Unlike the three films mentioned above, Darren Aronofsky's 2008 effort was not based on real events, and instead revolved around the fictional performer Randy the Ram (Mickey Rourke).
As an aging wrestler, Randy faced struggles within his profession that wouldn't be too surprising given the toll such a life takes on the body. He was beaten up, and when he tried to get back into prime shape in a bid to revitalise his career, he suffered a heart attack and was told he should not wrestle anymore.
However, saying this to a wrestler is like daring them to do something, and so Randy continued, motivated by the passion he held for the show. Though you could argue that the end was left open to interpretation, Aronofsky has since confirmed that Randy did indeed die in the ring, doing what he loved.