5 Movie Endings That Made Viewers Go ‘Wait, That’s It?’
Instead of finally providing some long-awaited answers, these five took a completely opposite approach.
Most movies tend to have a pretty clear division into acts, setting up the story and characters, steadily developing them, and eventually delivering a conclusion, even if the finale itself can sometimes be quite open-ended.
However, some movies take "vague" conclusions one step further, and after a lot of build-up, when you expect things to go in an even more intense direction, they instead just end abruptly, leaving the viewer speechless.
So let's take a look at five such movies that immediately made the viewers think, "Wait, that's it?"
The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
Yorgos Lanthimos' style of filmmaking is definitely quite unusual and even strange, for lack of a better word, often leaving the audience with more questions than answers, and this psychological thriller starring Colin Farrell and Barry Keoghan is no exception.
After an elaborate plot orchestrated by Martin Lang culminates in cardiothoracic surgeon Steven Murphy being forced to kill his own son, one might expect Martin not to get away with it.
But that's exactly what happens, as the final scene shows Steven and his remaining family bumping into Martin in a local diner and pretending they don't know the young man who destroyed their lives.
Dune ( 2021)
It could be argued that it was known from the start that Denis Villeneuve's 2021 film wouldn't cover the entire story of the original novel, but it still managed to catch many viewers off guard.
As soon as Paul Atreides wins an intense duel and finally becomes a member of the Fremen people, which is probably the most important moment in the story, the movie suddenly ends, leaving the audience desperate for more.
District 9 (2009)
Neill Blomkamp's full-length directorial debut, still considered by many fans to be the director's best work, delivered a fresh, gritty take on the well-worn theme of first contact with aliens.
Without any in-depth explanation, the story simply presented the audience with the fact that aliens had come to Earth and that they were not doing well, being forced to live as refugees in a special district of Johannesburg.
Most viewers expected more details to be provided as the movie progressed, but the story took a completely opposite direction, as after Sharlto Copley's Wikus helps his newfound alien allies get back on their ship, they just fly away, leaving no clue as to what to expect next.
Chronicle (2012)
This 2012 movie delivered a fairly grounded approach to the superhero genre, combining a found footage style with a story of flawed characters who suddenly get superpowers, mostly avoiding the common tropes of the genre.
Unfortunately, after the climactic battle between Alex Russell's Matt Garetty and Dane DeHaan's Andrew Detmer, the movie simply ends with Matt leaving a final recording, providing no much-needed answers as to what gave them their powers or how he will live with them from now on.
Fight Club (1999)
David Fincher's 1999 film based on the iconic novel of the same name is definitely one of the most faithful adaptations to date, but it changed the finale of the story, making it much more abrupt.
While the novel ends with the narrator going completely delusional and being committed to a mental hospital, the film concludes on a hopeful note with him making up with Marla, but also leaving the viewer wondering what fate ultimately awaits him.