25 Films That Intentionally Spoil Other Films

20th Century Women is Mike Mills’ masterpiece, bringing together Annette Bening, Greta Gerwig, Elle Fanning, Billy Crudup, and others to tell an intergenerational story about family, gender, and role models in America.

At the big table scene towards the end, in which Abbie (Gerwig) goes around the table and has all the men say "menstruation", Julie (Fanning) character proffers the story of when she got her first period, watching One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and she missed the ending of the film. So, William (Crudup) gives one of the most concise summaries of the movie's ending out there, saying that Jack Nicholson got a lobotomy and the "big Indian guy" smothered him with a pillow so he could "be free."

The whole point of this dialogue is that it relieves the tension that has been building around the table, and provides an unexpected moment of comedy, as everyone is expected to react to Julie’s story about her period and how she had it alone, and how her mum never asked about it, but instead William responds to the least important part of the story. It’s one of many slick moments Mike Mills peppers throughout his whole film, perfectly juxtaposing drama and comedy. And, hey, you’ve had half a century to find out what happens in Cuckoo’s Nest.