# Movies with non-ending endings (contains boxed spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 23, 2006, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-non-ending-endings-contains-boxed-spoilers/345803 "2006-02-23T16:49:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Elmer\_MuD\_PhuD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/2bfe46/32.png) [@Elmer\_MuD\_PhuD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_MuD_PhuD)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-non-ending-endings-contains-boxed-spoilers/345803/41 "2006-02-25T06:47:23Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > Dances with Wolves. Pissed me off royally that I had sat through over three hours of that movie and then it just…ended! No resolution, not even a scrawl to tell you what happens. Just ends. Man, you want to talk about disapointment, I didn’t realize I had accidentally put on side B of the DVD first. I watched the first few minutes of the real beginning completely confused, wondering why they had chosen to show a flashback just when I thought the plot had been getting good. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-non-ending-endings-contains-boxed-spoilers/345803/42 "2006-02-25T10:03:17Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > \*_Lissener_, could you give me examples of movies you think get it wrong by trying to provide an ending? I think I have an idea what you mean, but I’m not sure. If I get his point, then my example would be _Changing Lanes._ A not great but still pretty good movie until it smears test-audience feces all over itself in the last five minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-non-ending-endings-contains-boxed-spoilers/345803/43 "2006-02-25T11:12:55Z")
Caché Caché Caché Caché Caché Caché Caché Caché Caché Caché Caché Caché Caché ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-non-ending-endings-contains-boxed-spoilers/345803/44 "2006-02-25T13:18:46Z")
> [@Dr. Rieux](#): > > The story is about Dunbar’s time with the Lakota. > When he has to leave them, the story’s over, so the movie ends. Nothing else happens next–except what happened to the Lakota in history. That’s a cop-out. The movie wants us to care about the characters, but then it abandons them without any resolution whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-non-ending-endings-contains-boxed-spoilers/345803/45 "2006-02-25T16:47:15Z")
Maybe some of you will disagree, but **The Grudge**. It seemed like they got bored of filming and just turned off the camera at the point where it “ends.” If they ever make The Little Friend by Donna Tartt into a movie, it will have no ending. The book doesn’t have one… I thought it was just me, but at least 1/2 of the reviews on Amazon have the same complaint. Maybe she forgot to send them the last chapter :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-non-ending-endings-contains-boxed-spoilers/345803/46 "2006-02-25T19:27:25Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > Okay, my guess as to what was actually happening there: [in Time Bandits] My own personal interpretation for what was happening in _Time Bandits_: [spoiler]As God is explaining the plot to Randall, he explains that Randall hadn’t _stolen_ the map; God _gave_ it to him to test his creation — and yet he simultaneously forgives and punishes them anyway (accepting them back, but cutting their salary by 19% backdated to the beginning of time). It’s a great representation between the difference between free will and determinism, and the paradox of eternal reward: nothing happens that isn’t God’s will, but we mortals are still on the hook for our actions. The same thing happens to Kevin, with his parents, as happened with Adam and Eve: don’t touch it, it’s evil — and yet they still do, presumably because God wanted them to — and they’re still punished for it. It’s an unresolved ending because the nature of good, evil, and free will are philosophically unanswered. I don’t think we’re _meant_ to understand it. Evil himself (David Warner) was part of God’s creation, who seems to think that Evil turned out rather nicely. Naturally, Evil thinks he created himself (“no one created me! I am all-powerful!”). The appearance of Sean Connery at the end was just a nod to all of the toys Kevin had in his room, which may have inspired him to _imagine_ or dream that it had all happened; but since his parents were two smoking piles of ash, we can be fairly sure that it had. And, of course, we pull back from there to a drawing of the blueprint of the universe, which is rolled up and carried off by God — it was all part of the plan, apparently.[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-non-ending-endings-contains-boxed-spoilers/345803/47 "2006-02-25T23:03:01Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > Caché > Caché > Caché > Caché > Caché > Caché > Caché > Caché > Caché > Caché > Caché > Caché > Caché Gesundheit. ---
**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2006, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-non-ending-endings-contains-boxed-spoilers/345803/48 "2006-02-26T01:19:55Z")
_Monster-a-go-go_, although in that case I suspect the creators simply ran out of money and called it the end of the film. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2006, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-non-ending-endings-contains-boxed-spoilers/345803/49 "2006-02-26T04:50:06Z")
_Egah_ And then there’a always _The Blob_ ending, a THE END follwed somewhat later by ? _The Thing_ (John Carpenter’s) makes good use of this ? ending without having to resort to actually using the ? ---
**Author:** ![Tracy\_Lord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Tracy\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracy_Lord)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2006, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-non-ending-endings-contains-boxed-spoilers/345803/50 "2006-02-26T07:40:00Z")
“Adaptation” comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2006, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-non-ending-endings-contains-boxed-spoilers/345803/51 "2006-02-26T22:07:24Z")
> [@LonesomePolecat](#): > > Sam Peckinpah’s _Cross of Iron_. Great flick, right up to the very end where it looks like Peckinpah just turned off the camera in mid scene. Very much worth watching, but be forewarned that the ending basically leaves the story unresolved and is very unsatisfying. I’d have to disagree with you there. It is a great film but the ending compliments the mood/theme of the film pretty well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-with-non-ending-endings-contains-boxed-spoilers/345803.md?page=2)