It’s not always leisurely to make a fine film. Sometimes a hilarious film keeps us on our toes until the very end … and then falls apart right before the credits. Here are some movies that made us scratch our heads as we left the theater.
Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane, considered by many to be one of the greatest films ever made, is renowned for his filmmaking accomplishments and ending twist – but was this a breakthrough? Orson Welles sparked public interest when its protagonist, Kane, mysteriously muttered “rosebud” on his deathbed, but we were pretty confused when it was revealed that it was just the name of his sled. They then opted for a career over an unconscious relationship, and the audience was heartbroken.
Vanilla Sky
This whole “this is just a dream” thing has been done before … and much better. Vanilla Sky was such a fun movie with stellar interpretations of Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, and Cameron Diaz, but it all ended with a thud in an anti-climatic conversation with a tech support guy.
Birdbox
Some people might argue that Bird Box wasn’t the best movie to start with, but there’s no denying that it had a pop culture moment. The blindfold looked entirely believable until Sandra Bullock’s character hit the river rapids with two children in tow. There is no chance these bandages will remain.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
And if that’s not far-fetched enough, the whole adventure leads to a school for the blind, where they take refuge with other survivors, but nothing really gets solved. It just makes the entire thing a little pointless. Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick gave us this robotic riff about Pinocchio that could have been the cinematic event of the decade … if not for that ending.
Hailey Joel Osment’s character freezes in time, waiting for a statue of a blue fairy that will turn him into a real boy. Thousands of years later, aliens thawed him, and they could clone his adoptive mother to spend the last day together. The unprecedented ending was a real headache.
Lucy
. It’s nice to watch the brilliant Scarlett Johansson kick her ass while absorbing a ton of knowledge. However, things take a strange turn when his characters reveal 100% of their mental abilities and become one with the world … literally disappear into thin air. Oh, and don’t forget that he gave his friend Professor (Morgan Freeman) a flash drive that they have led us to believe contains all the secrets of the universe.
The Shape of Water
Yes, this sounds unusual. The shape of water is an undeniable visual masterpiece, but the Oscar-winning ending is entirely unoriginal. It may bring the best movies, but this 2017 T.V. series ended up being just a genre flipped Splash.
War of the Worlds
This is an exciting sci-fi action movie with a plot hole revealed when everything is over. How is it possible that advanced beings who harvest humans to fertilize their vegetation do not consider the billions of microbes on our planet?
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Avengers: Infinity War
Watching so many of our favorite heroes crushed to dust could have had a more significant impact if the studio behind these films hadn’t already announced a full calendar of upcoming movies with the same characters. Why should we cry over T’Challa’s disappearance when we know Black Panther 2 is coming? It’s foolish to think that most (if not all) of these heroes will not be restored to their former glory through some loophole in the next Avengers movie.
Titanic
Our hearts will forever root for Leo and Kate, but there are two big complaints about the Best Picture winner. The first is the often discussed door puzzle. The second, which is also mentioned by many, is the old Rose, who tosses the Heart of the Ocean necklace into the ocean at the end of the film. If you remember, the whole story began with the search for this necklace, and she casually threw it overboard as if her family could not benefit from its contents. You can’t help looking at Rose in a completely different way when you consider these two apparent factors.