8 Disappointing Endings To 8 Awesome Films
It’s a sad fact of life that even the most enjoyable of movies can be let down by a lacklustre ending...
Its a sad fact of life that even the most enjoyable of movies can be let down by a lacklustre ending. It can be a mighty fine piece of filmmaking, gripping, tense and engrossing, only to leave you completely deflated come the dénouement as all that good work suddenly goes to waste. Sometimes its a completely illogical turn of events, a completely crowbarred in deus ex machina or perhaps just a really dull and unimaginative resolution to a films story. The movies Ive chosen here represent a wide range of genres and include some big name directors too, proof that even the masters of the art form can occasionally have an off day. Just a brief warning, as this is a list about movie endings, I cannot emphasise enough how much of a big fat SPOILER ALERT is required here. 8. The Birds
Even the maestro himself is allowed to make the odd mistake I guess. The Birds is a typically Hitchcockian thriller and though not amongst his every best, its nonetheless a tense and gripping film as one would expect from the Hitch in his prime. The effects may look a touch dated to our 21st Century eyes, but the peril facing Tippi Hedrens Melanie and Rod Taylors Mitch as they and the rest of their community are continually attacked by flocks of birds, is ramped up brilliantly as the film goes on. Its all racing towards a big climax as Melanie, Mitch and his family take refuge in their home as the birds close in. They even break through the roof and viciously attack Melanie, leaving her in a state of shock. How will they ever get out of this terrible situation? Well, they just stroll out of the front door, saunter over to their car and drive quietly away as the birds suddenly go all docile. Talk about an anti-climax. It is slightly eerie seeing all the birds sat there watching the humans leave, but it is still ultimately a bit of cinematic shrug of the shoulders. Imagine if Zulu ended with Michael Caine and his mates just wandering out of Rorkes Drift midway through the battle and slowly shuffling past the watching Zulu warriors who decide to have a bit of a breather. Ok, so its not an exact comparison, but you see my point.