AUTHOR: TOMMY, Feb 20, 2023
These days when you watch a movie on the big or small screen, often not a lot gets left to the imagination. With the advent of cinematic universes, it feels very much like movie studio’s are priming us for a follow-up (or twelve).
At best this can come across as a cute nod to something you might recognise in popular culture, though at worst they can be egregious, non-sensical half stories which are more interested in setting-up what is “coming next” and billion dollar franchises. We might come back to this well, with a look at some of the worst sequel bating movies of all time..
But what I’d like to talk about today is those rare gems, which leave the viewer with as many questions as it answers. We recently asked Chat GPT to give a definitive answer to the ending of one of our favourite ambiguous movies (Inception), go check it out after you’ve finished here! However here are my top 5 most ambiguous movie endings.
The Shining (1980)
The Shining is a psychological horror film directed by the Stanley Kubrick - who depending on who you ask is either a visionary, or a lunatic (Shelley Duval might have a work place complaint or two…). Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, the movie follows Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrence. Jack, a writer who along with his family become the caretakers of an isolated hotel, see their stay becoming increasingly terrifying as the father succumbs to the hotel's sinister supernatural influences. The film's ending is a master piece of skullduggery and is considered amongst the most ambiguous in history. It is left unclear whether the Jack’s descent into madness is a product of his own psyche or the malevolent forces of the hotel - what's not to love?
Blade Runner (1982)
Released in 1982, Blade Runner is a science fiction film, which frankly is one of our absolute favourite movies. Directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, the movie is set in a dystopian future where synthetic humanoids known as replicants are created to perform dangerous tasks in off-world colonies. When a group of replicants escapes and returns to Earth, a former Blade Runner and perennial heartthrob named Rick Deckard is tasked with hunting them down. The film is known for its stunning visual effects and atmospheric soundtrack, but more interestingly is its deep dive into themes of identity, mortality, and what it means to be truly human. Depending on which version you watch *ahem* the ending of the movie is a masterclass in ambiguity, leaving open the question of whether main character Deckard himself is in fact a replicant. It’s deliciously devious!
Drive (2011)
The neo-noir crime film Drive is director Nicolas Winding Refn magnum opus and stars Ryan Gosling. In the movie a Hollywood stunt performer who moonlights as a getaway driver gets into hot water when he becomes involved with his neighbour (Carey Mulligan) and her husband's criminal schemes. The film beats the heck out of your senses with its stylish visuals, intense action scenes, and a moody electronic soundtrack composed by Cliff Martinez, (fun side note, this is the second vinyl I ever bought). The ambiguous ending leaves the fate of the “protagonist” unknown, leaving it up to the audience to interpret whether Ryan Gosling bleeding out is indeed where his story ends.
Total Recall (1990)
Bat-sh*t crazy, enthralling, visually ambitious - Total Recall is a science fiction, action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and stars Arnold Schwarzenegger. Set in a future with a rapidly declining likelihood, the year is 2084 and construction worker Quaid discovers that his memories of a vacation to Mars may not be real, he sets out on a dangerous mission to uncover the “truth” about his past and save the future of a planet that's become a battleground for warring factions. Mocking the viewer with its ambiguity - Total Recall’s mind-bending final scene solves little, leaving the viewer utterly perplexed as to if what took place was real or a dream implanted in the protagonist's mind. Even after multiple rewatches.
The Thing (1982)
Another of our favourite movies, John Carpenter’s The Thing re-wrote the rulebook on how to deliver intense sci-fi thriller, action horror! The movie follows a group of researchers in Antarctica who are infiltrated and picked off one-by-one by a parasitic extraterrestrial life form - who just happens to be able to perfectly imitate its victims. FUN! This leads to a paranoia-fuelled battle-royal for survival, with the film's ambiguous ending leaving open the possibility that one or more of the remaining characters may have been infected by the alien and could continue to spread the threat beyond the outpost. Kurt Russel’s Macready gives a rye smile, which leaves the viewer asking more questions than you have answers for…
What is your favourite movie with an ambiguous ending?
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