8 Big Movie Cliffhangers That Will NEVER Be Resolved

8. The Actual Cliff-Hanger - The Italian Job

The first example is a literal cliffhanger ending. This classic British caper follows Michael Caine and his crew of thieves, as they set out to steal some nice Italian gold. From the cool soundtrack to the quotable lines to the Mini Cooper car chase, The Italian Job has a welcome place in pop culture.

The iconic ending sees the victorious thieves in the back of a bus with their ill-gotten loot, driving along a dangerous mountain path. Their celebration is cut short however when the bus gets into a skid, and the back ends up teetering perilously over the edge of the mountain. The gold starts sliding towards the back door, and things are looking bleak for the group, but then Caine announces that he has an idea, and the credits roll.

There was initially some discussion of a sequel that would pick up from this ending, with the bus being rescued by helicopters (from the bottom of the cliff). But it turns out the helicopters belong to the mafia, who promptly steal the gold, forcing the gang to enact a plot to steal it back. But time rolled on and a sequel never came together. Which is probably a good thing, as that ending is kind of perfect.