War of the Worlds
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Robbie should have died, that is the first problem with the ending to War of the Worlds. Robbie was asking to die in the alien invasion and it seemed like he certainly was going to meet his end the last time we saw him…until he appears out of thin air post-battle and is completely unharmed. Additionally, how the hell is Boston still standing?
The aliens were destroying everything and everyone with ease, and yet Boston looked untouched? And of course, Tom Cruise was the wrong choice to recognize the birds were able to approach the alien tripods. Enough of him playing the hero.
No Country For Old Men
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When a film is based upon a novel, it is obviously difficult to stray from the original work. If the director changes too many things — or anything at all — people will likely complain. With that being said, the ending to No Country for Old Men could have benefitted from a change. When Tommy Lee Jones’ character — Sherriff Ed Tom Bell — steps away from the force, he is asked about the events covered in the film. Did they actually happen? Was everything real? Bell’s answer was trash. Basically, he leaves it up in the air as to whether the events were real or not.
Sinister
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Released in 2012, Sinister is one of the best and most underrated horror films of the past decade. Starring Ethan Hawke as Ellison Oswalt — a former crime writer who is in a rut — Sinister follows Oswalt and his family as they move into a new home. We quickly learn that the property is the site of some truly terrible incidents, and that a demonic spirit, Buhguul, is partly responsible.
And while the movie as a whole is incredibly dark and twisted, it isn’t until the end that we feel any sense of disappointment. Oswalt’s 7-year-old daughter commits a crime so horrific and disturbing that you can’t help but look away. However, it is impossible to believe that the little girl would be able to do what she did without the help of others. Too much to overlook.
Signs
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Signs is a classic movie, thanks in large part to fun performances by Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix and the overall creepiness that surrounds the mysterious crop circles. With that being said, the ending is a complete travesty. After Phoenix’s character attacks an alien with a baseball bat, he inadvertently learns that water is the alien’s ultimate weakness. WATER. Are you kidding me? All you need to take down an alien is a squirt gun or a glass of water? Give me a break.
Captain America: Civil War
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For starters, this movie is overrated. In fact, most of the MCU films are overhyped. But when it comes to Captain America: Civil War, its ending is what ruined an otherwise fine experience. The Avengers are fighting amongst themselves — specifically Captain America and Iron Man. Each hero has his supporters within the Avengers, and the two sides clash in a big way. However, once the ultimate battle comes to an end, Captain America decides to make nice with Iron Man by offering his help moving forward. Why must every superhero film end on a happy note?
I Am Legend
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Two things about I Am Legend do not sit right with me. One, the death of Robert Neville’s (Will Smith) dog. Two, the dumb ending. For the entirety of the movie, Neville was searching for a cure to the plague that wiped out most of the world. So, why would he intentionally kill numerous ‘monsters’ at the end of the film? The same ones that could have been saved with the cure he had just discovered. And guess what? If the studio stuck with the original ending, the entire film would have come together nicely and we would have avoided this mess.
Lucy
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Lucy, played by Scarlett Johansson, is turned into a drug mule. While acting as the mule, a drug breaks inside her body and starts to change her being — giving her powers that are beyond human capability. Cool! At the end of the film, Lucy DISSAPATES like a Death Eater in a Harry Potter film and taps into the villain’s cell phone to say “I am everywhere.” The brainchild behind this ending should leave Hollywood.
The Dark Knight Rises
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How could you do that to Alfred, Batman? Easily the worst of the three Christopher Nolan Batman films (it’s not up for debate), The Dark Knight Rises ended on a very odd note. Bruce Wayne aka Batman seemingly dies when he attaches Bane’s bomb to the Bat and it detonates over the water. A funeral is had in his honor, and Alfred cries as he believes he failed Bruce’s parents by not protecting their son. Only…when Alfred travels to Italy, he sees Bruce and Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) at a cafe. Not great!
Law Abiding Citizen
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The set up for this film is solid — Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) seeks revenge following the aftermath of his family being killed. Towards the end of the movie, Shelton plants a bomb at City Hall in an effort to kill the mayor and others. There was only one problem — and it is one we can’t stand. Jamie Foxx’s Nick Rice got a hold of the bomb and MOVED IT to Shelton’s prison cell. Tell me, how would a lawyer know how to safely move a bomb?
Now You See Me
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Now You See Me is an awesome movie. Everyone likes magic. If you say you don’t, you are just lying to yourself. Starring Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg, and Dave Franco, the movie follows a group of four illusionists who rob banks during their shows. Ruffalo plays an FBI agent who is tasked with stopping them, and Freeman does his best to expose the ruse.
The reveal at the end of the movie is cool — Ruffalo’s character is actually an illusionist who led the group to do what they did. However, when the film ended when the five people stepped onto a carousel and vanished? The magic went too far.
Titanic
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Excuse me while I yell from the rooftop (or the bow of the Titanic) — THERE WAS ENOUGH ROOM ON THE DOOR FOR JACK. That’s it. That is my problem with Titanic‘s ending. Jack didn’t need to die as a human iceberg. Rose was selfish.
The Village
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M. Night Shyamalan has directed some great films including The Sixth Sense and Signs, but he has also come up with some infuriating endings. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sigourney Weaver, and Adrien Brody, The Village is a story about a group of people who believe they can’t leave their village or else a monster will attack them.
Despite making viewers believe the film is set in the 19th century, it turns out that everything is taking place in modern day — and that everything is fake, everyone is living in one giant experiment. Not the best twist, M. Night.
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi
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I can hear the angry Star Wars fans as I type this — don’t hate me too much. The final entry to the famed OG Star Wars trilogy, Return of the Jedi was far too soft when it mattered most. Darth Vader — the same guy we came to fear the most — opted to kill the Emperor in order to save Luke Skywalker, his son. Listen, I get it. It was a feel good moment and one that makes sense for the story. But screw that. This was the perfect time for the bad guy to win.
Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise Of Skywalker
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*Avoids flying tomatoes*
What do ya know, another Star Wars film ruined by the ending! The conclusion of the Skywalker story was a resounding dud. Yet again, the bad guy (turned good guy?) sacrificed himself to save the real good guy. That’s right, Ben Solo aka Kylo Ren transfers his life force to Rey Skywalker — who is a descendent of the Palpatine family — to save his lover. This comes after Rey killed Emperor Palpatine. If that wasn’t bad enough, Rey buries the Skywalker lightsabers and we see ghosts of Luke and Leia. Horrendous.
Iron Man 3
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If you are a true fan of the Iron Man story, there is an excellent chance that you were furious at the end of Iron Man 3. Director Shane Black opted to turn a fantastic villain into a laughing stock — a truly disgraceful decision. The Mandarin, played by Ben Kingsley, is not only Iron Man’s archenemy, but also the world’s scariest terrorist. So what did Black do? He turned the Mandarin into a phony. A fake. Another shambolic choice.
Insidious
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Insidious is an awesome horror movie. Starring Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne as Josh and Renai Lambert, the couple desperately looks for ways to help their comatose son. However, they don’t know that their son is in a different realm — known as The Further. The movie was both scary and very good throughout.
Unfortunately, the ending sucked. Not only did Rose Byrne’s character take a step back for no reason, but who asked for Elise — an elderly paranormal investigator — to be choked to death in the closing seconds by Josh/the old ghostly hag? Nobody.
Mama
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Another underrated horror film from recent times, Mama was ultimately upended by a mind-numbing ending. The film stars Jessica Chastain and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau — better known as Game of Throne’s Jaime Lannister. The two become the caretakers of their two nieces, but quickly come to believe an evil spirit named Mama has attached itself to the girls. At the end of the movie, Mama grabs one of the little girls (Lily) and jumps off a cliff…and then Mama and Lily turn into butterflies. In the words of one of my favorite authors, that is WHACK.
Spider-Man 3
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The first two Spider-Man films with Tobey Maguire playing the masked hero are fantastic. Sadly, the third entry to that franchise fell short of expectations for a few reasons. For starters, there is just too much going on at the end of the story. Not only is Spider-Man battling his old friend Harry/New Goblin, but he is fighting Venom and Sandman. In typical cheesy fashion, Sandman apologizes to Peter Parker for Uncle Ben’s death and Harry dies trying to protect Peter. Emo Tobey ruined the day.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
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Let’s go, Voldemort! The penultimate film of the Harry Potter franchise, Deathly Hallows: Part 1 deals with the aftermath of Dumbledore’s death. Snape is now the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Harry and crew are on the search for Voldemort’s remaining Horcruxes, and Voldemort is trying to take over the world. After we sadly watch Dobby die, we see Voldemort break into Dumbledore’s tomb — giving us this creepy shot — in search of the Elder Wand. Once he finds it, Voldemort shoots a spell into the sky and the film ends — giving us a cliffhanger that absolutely nobody asked for.
The Devil Inside
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“In Italy, a woman becomes involved in a series of unauthorized exorcisms during her mission to discover what happened to her mother, who allegedly murdered three people during her own exorcism.”
Not all exorcism films are made equal, but The Devil Inside gave us some truly haunting moments — “Connect the cuts, connect the cuts, connect the cuts.” After a fiery ending to the film, a title card appears on the screen informing us that the story is unresolved and that we can follow the investigation on a website…that is dumb to begin with, but it became worse once the website stopped operating.