Movies with ambiguous endings? - Page 2

Robert · 05-20-12, 04:56 PM

Basic Instinct

Shannon Nutt · 05-20-12, 05:00 PM

The ending to Basic Instinct isn't really ambigious unless

Spoiler:

Rampart is another...watched it this weekend.

Dr Mabuse · 05-20-12, 05:28 PM

Some good ones mentioned already.

'Cache' was wonderful, it ended perfectly.

'Memories of Murder' - A type of ambiguity, anyway one of the best endings to film I've ever seen, so rare a conclusion adds so much to what you just watched.
'Local Hero' - Love it
'Shane' - arguably the greatest western ever made
'Pale Rider' - Eastwood's homage to Shane
'A Serious Man'
'Monsters'
'Zodiac'
'Meeks' Cutoff' - excellence in every way, including the ending
'Children of Men'

Spottedfeather · 05-20-12, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KillerCannibal

The Thing

The original movie wasn't ambiguous. The alien had to be destroyed so that two remaining humans had to stay behind to make sure it was done. And the recent prequel wasn't ambiguous, either. It ended with the beginning of the original movie.

PopcornTreeCt · 05-20-12, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spottedfeather

The original movie wasn't ambiguous. The alien had to be destroyed so that two remaining humans had to stay behind to make sure it was done. And the recent prequel wasn't ambiguous, either. It ended with the beginning of the original movie.

The 1982 movie isn't the original. And it ended with one of them being the alien.

Spottedfeather · 05-20-12, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RocShemp

Highlander

Spoiler:

Even considering the other 3 movies and the two tv series, Connor had won the prize. If you recall, the third movie had an immortal trapped in a cave. I've always thought that if one of the immortals was trapped or shut off from the others, he wasn't participating in the fight and therefore didn't count. That was even the whole idea behind the 4th movie. There was a group of Watchers that kept a bunch of immortals in a coma and restrained so that they couldn't fight, keeping the ultimate prize from just one person.

Spottedfeather · 05-20-12, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PopcornTreeCt

The 1982 movie isn't the original. And it ended with one of them being the alien.

The so called original 50s version was so far off from the story, I don't really count it as the same story. Where was it said that one of them at the end was the alien ?

PopcornTreeCt · 05-20-12, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spottedfeather

The so called original 50s version was so far off from the story, I don't really count it as the same story. Where was it said that one of them at the end was the alien ?

I think it was heavily implied.

Dr. DVD · 05-20-12, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PopcornTreeCt

I think it was heavily implied.

Which one do you think it is?

troystiffler · 05-20-12, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PopcornTreeCt

I think it was heavily implied.

Kurt Russell passively accuses Keith David of being the alien. Then they swig some booze and presumably die. That's all there really is to it.

The Bus · 05-20-12, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quatermass

Limbo

Came in to post this.

PopcornTreeCt · 05-20-12, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by troystiffler

Kurt Russell passively accuses Keith David of being the alien. Then they swig some booze and presumably die. That's all there really is to it.

I thought it was purposely ambiguous to everyone?? I decided to google it and here's a thing I found about the Carpenter commentary track Most notably:

"Carpenter still doesn’t know whether one, both, or neither of the men at the end are the Thing."

Time Warrior · 05-20-12, 11:00 PM

The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961)

Shane (1953) - Most people watching it do not understand why it is ambigous, but it is.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - At the time the ending was very ambigous indeed but of course the sequels removed any such ambiguity. The ending to this one is great.

dvdjunkie32 · 05-21-12, 09:17 AM

I would include Inception with that spinning top ending.

TV shows with these type of endings would be The Shield. In the final scene, Vic grabs his gun, and the viewer is left wondering what Vic does next. Lost's ending is also highly open to interpretation.

conscience · 05-21-12, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Dogtooth
Cruising
Cast Away
Cache

Excellent choices.

I'll throw in Ghost World and The Door in the Floor.

RocShemp · 05-21-12, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spottedfeather

Even considering the other 3 movies and the two tv series, Connor had won the prize. If you recall, the third movie had an immortal trapped in a cave. I've always thought that if one of the immortals was trapped or shut off from the others, he wasn't participating in the fight and therefore didn't count. That was even the whole idea behind the 4th movie. There was a group of Watchers that kept a bunch of immortals in a coma and restrained so that they couldn't fight, keeping the ultimate prize from just one person.

Except that idea of 4 (keeping a group of immortals out of the Game in order for no one to win the Prize) goes against 3's concept that the Prize could be won (albeit temporarily) even if a group of immortals was kept out of the Game.

cliffzig · 05-21-12, 10:00 AM

My vote goes to 25th Hour.

godzilla rules · 05-21-12, 11:37 AM

If we are talking about tv shows too then I have to bring up The Sopranos.

GreenVulture · 05-21-12, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cliffzig

My vote goes to 25th Hour.

I haven't seen this since it was in theaters, but if I recall correctly, there was nothing remotely ambiguous about the ending.

argh923 · 05-21-12, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dvdjunkie32

Lost's ending is also highly open to interpretation.

How? It's pretty cut and dry.

RocShemp · 05-21-12, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by argh923

How? It's pretty cut and dry.

Well they didn't actually explain who the other Others were.

Why So Blu? · 05-22-12, 10:35 AM

Rampart

TheMadMonk · 05-22-12, 04:52 PM

A Clockwork Orange (was he really cured, or was he saying that sarcastically? I feel he was being sarcastic in the movie, but the novel tells a different story.)

whoopdido · 05-22-12, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Mabuse

'Monsters'

God I hated this piece of crap. I thought it was very clear what happened at the end though. I just wish I would have watched the first two minutes and the last two minutes and skipped everything in between.

whoopdido · 05-22-12, 06:27 PM

Shutter Island's ending is ambiguous. There's only 2 possibilities but there seems to be decent evidence for either one.

05-20-12, 04:56 PM	#26
Robert DVD Talk Ultimate Edition Join Date: Jun 1999 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 4,427	Re: Movies with ambiguous endings? Basic Instinct __________________ DVDs HD DVD Blu-ray

05-20-12, 05:00 PM	#27
Shannon Nutt DVD Talk Hall of Fame Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 9,748	Re: Movies with ambiguous endings? The ending to Basic Instinct isn't really ambigious unless Spoiler: you're wondering if Michael Douglas gets offed or not...if you're wondering who the killer was, you're just not paying attention Rampart is another...watched it this weekend. __________________ http://www.highdefdigest.com/author/shannon-nutt.html XBox Live Gamertag: PittsburghNutt

05-20-12, 05:28 PM	#28
Dr Mabuse DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: 75 clicks above the Do Lung bridge... Posts: 18,851	Re: Movies with ambiguous endings? Some good ones mentioned already. 'Cache' was wonderful, it ended perfectly. 'Memories of Murder' - A type of ambiguity, anyway one of the best endings to film I've ever seen, so rare a conclusion adds so much to what you just watched. 'Local Hero' - Love it 'Shane' - arguably the greatest western ever made 'Pale Rider' - Eastwood's homage to Shane 'A Serious Man' 'Monsters' 'Zodiac' 'Meeks' Cutoff' - excellence in every way, including the ending 'Children of Men' __________________ "A moment's insight is sometimes worth a life's experience." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

05-20-12, 11:00 PM	#38
Time Warrior Member Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 167	Re: Movies with ambiguous endings? The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961) Shane (1953) - Most people watching it do not understand why it is ambigous, but it is. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - At the time the ending was very ambigous indeed but of course the sequels removed any such ambiguity. The ending to this one is great.

05-21-12, 09:17 AM	#39
dvdjunkie32 DVD Talk Gold Edition Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 2,214	Re: Movies with ambiguous endings? I would include Inception with that spinning top ending. TV shows with these type of endings would be The Shield. In the final scene, Vic grabs his gun, and the viewer is left wondering what Vic does next. Lost's ending is also highly open to interpretation.

05-21-12, 10:00 AM	#42
cliffzig DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 1,267	Re: Movies with ambiguous endings? My vote goes to 25th Hour. __________________ Y'all don't know what it's like, being male, middle-class and white.

05-21-12, 11:37 AM	#43
godzilla rules Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 268	Re: Movies with ambiguous endings? If we are talking about tv shows too then I have to bring up The Sopranos.

05-22-12, 10:35 AM	#47
Why So Blu? DVD Talk Platinum Edition Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 3,931	Re: Movies with ambiguous endings? Rampart

05-22-12, 04:52 PM	#48
TheMadMonk DVD Talk Platinum Edition Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 3,170	Re: Movies with ambiguous endings? A Clockwork Orange (was he really cured, or was he saying that sarcastically? I feel he was being sarcastic in the movie, but the novel tells a different story.)

05-22-12, 06:27 PM	#50
whoopdido DVD Talk Limited Edition Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 6,306	Re: Movies with ambiguous endings? Shutter Island's ending is ambiguous. There's only 2 possibilities but there seems to be decent evidence for either one.