Whether writing a movie or a TV series, there is one universal truth: endings are hard.
Many films deliver an intriguing premise, compelling action, or powerful messages, only
to fumble in the closing act.
Our list of 10 Good Movies Ruined By Terrible Endings shows that strong films can succeed
despite flawed climaxes, but in our opinion, they would have been even better if their
conclusions were just as flawless.
A.I.
Artificial Intelligence
Stanley Kubrick�s A.I.
Artificial Intelligence, a futuristic retelling of Pinocchio, was put on hold with Kubrick�s
death in 1999, eventually falling into the hands of Steven Spielberg.
For most of the film, the robotic child�s quest to find a mystical �Blue Fairy�
to make him �a real boy� fits Kubrick�s style.
But when the film reaches its climax, the plot abruptly sends David millennia into the
future.
The ending can�t decide whether it�s sentimental or somber; it�s thought-provoking, but more
straightforward than expected.
The Ninth Gate
Roman Polanski�s The Ninth Gate follows rare book dealer Dean Corso (played by Johnny
Depp) as he works to verify a centuries-old text designed to conjure Satan.
When a missing page leads to a botched attempt at summoning the devil, that page literally
flutters into the story, landing squarely in Corso�s lap.
The climax brings him to the threshold of immortality before the screen fades to white.
Ultimately The Ninth Gate falls short by lacking a real ending (and leaving viewers scratching
their heads over its message).
Signs
Although the climax of The Sixth Sense made M. Night Shyamalan a house hold name, it didn't
take long for his flaws to show.
In Signs, a family in rural Pennsylvania bears witness to an alien invasion of Earth.
The twist ending plants an alien in their living room and it�s revealed that the family�s
traumas and failures were fated to save them.
Aliens choosing to invade a planet that is covered in their only weakness (water) is
enough of a plot hole, but the fact that human�s weapons (drinks scattered throughout the house)
could have been anything else, shows how clumsy the conclusion really is.
The Devil�s Advocate
The Devil�s Advocate packs one heck of a twist: after young defense attorney Kevin
Lomax rises to the top of his field, it�s revealed that his boss, John Milton, is Lucifer
himself - and that Kevin is his son.
Kevin kills himself to foil Lucifer�s plan to breed the Antichrist, but then the story
rewinds and returns Lomax to the film�s first scenes.
The final shot of a laughing Al Pacino clearly still set on corrupting his son turns the
movie into a confusing morality tale, instead of the descent into immorality it had been
to that point.
2001: A Space Odyssey
The final sequence of Stanley Kubrick�s 2001: A Space Odyssey sends the audience hurtling
through space, before closing on a shot of the infamous �Starchild�: a colossal fetus
floating in space next to Earth.
Critics were just as confused as audiences, but the message isn�t entirely ambiguous:
the monolith gave apes the wisdom to use weapons and tools, and this second evolutionary leap
turns humans into a newborn with new awareness of the larger universe.
While 2001 remains a classic for everything from music to set design, its finale left
many curious viewers confused and the film�s message remained lost on many.
The Wolverine
Hugh Jackman�s Wolverine is one of the most popular superheroes of modern comic book blockbusters.
So fans were elated when director James Mangold promised that The Wolverine would take the
character seriously and set the film in Japan.
For most of the movie, the story and themes fit perfectly, but following Wolverine�s
journey of introspection, rebirth, and renewal, he must fight an enormous Adamantium samurai
and a venomous mutant femme fatale.
While the film succeeds in drama and urban martial arts action, its final fight descends
into far-fetched comic book cliche.
High Tension
Horror filmmakers often rely on twists as a final thrill, and horror fans have come
to expect them just as reliably.
Such is the case with French indie slasher High Tension, which depicts a weekend retreat
gone horribly wrong.
Unfortunately, the film�s twist � the depraved killer is a split personality of
the main character � spoils the experience.
This is nothing new for the genre, but in High Tension, it simply doesn�t make sense.
After a moment�s thought, entire sequences seem implausible, if not completely impossible.
I Am Legend
I Am Legend keeps close to author Richard Matheson�s original novel, following Robert
Neville (played by Will Smith) as he attempts to cure to a disease that has ravaged Earth�s
population.
But the movie hints that his view of the afflicted humans as �mindless animals� isn�t accurate.
When the story comes to a head, Neville ignores the evidence altogether, handing a �cure�
to other survivors before blowing himself up with a hand grenade.
It�s an odd resolution given the build-up, but in the alternate ending, Neville realizes
he has killed countless thinking, feeling mutants, and returns a test subject to her
loved ones.
The fact that fans seem to prefer this ending shows that the studio made the wrong call.
Sunshine
Few directors have applied their talents across as many genres as Danny Boyle, from horror
to survivalist drama.
Sunshine, his foray into science fiction, was certain to be thought-provoking, and it
delivered � for the most part.
Following a small crew of astronauts charged with re-starting the Sun to save Earth from
a solar winter, the film explores the psychology of space travel, a multicultural future, and
man�s role in the universe.
But just as it seemed that the film had earned its place alongside 2001: A Space Odyssey,
Alien, and Solaris, it takes a hard right turn and becomes a run-of-the-mill slasher
movie, leading to an underwhelming final act.
Superman: The Movie
Richard Donner�s Superman: The Movie is considered the �best� film version of
the superhero by many, but its ending is puzzling nonetheless.
When Lex Luthor�s devious plans come to fruition, Superman is forced to choose which
American coast to save, resulting in the death of Lois Lane.
Enraged, Superman takes to the skies and flies around the Earth against its rotation.
Suddenly, the catastrophe and destruction rewinds, revealing the Kryptonian to have
control over time itself.
No matter how you explain it, granting the hero such power forever changes his mythology.
Superman has traveled through time, but he�s never reversed it.
As one of the first successful comic book movies, Superman: The Movie�s ending can
be forgiven, but the filmmakers backed themselves into a corner by refusing to commit.