Most often, films are a complete story and carry a very specific message. And sometimes the ending just kills the whole atmosphere created throughout the tape. When the authors thoroughly confuse the facts, and then put everything on the shelves in a couple of minutes. Viewers simply lose interest in the story right after they watch it. Therefore, some authors resort to such a technique as an open ending, when the film ends when the hero is faced with the last choice. This kind of movie has been discussed for years. It is about such films that will be discussed further.
Birdman (2014)
- KinoPoisk: 7.6.
- IMDb: 7,7.
A perfect example of a film with an open ending is “Birdman”, invented and directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu. It tells the story of a once popular actor who tries to return to fame through the theater stage. The film has an incredible cast: Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, Zach Galifianakis and others. Birdman won an Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Screenplay. And the main feature of the story was its ending. Did the daughter see the image of a superhero in her father, did she lose her mind, or did it really happen?
In the story, Riggan, a former superhero blockbuster star, tries to get a taste of fame again through a theatrical production. He is trying to achieve recognition as a serious actor. However, along the way, Riggan is literally pursued by Birdman, a character he played in the 90s. Moreover, the actor obviously associates himself with the hero. He often introduces himself doing levitation and telekinesis. Everyone around, as well as the audience, naturally understands that this is only a psychological disorder, which ultimately drives Riggan to despair and makes him commit the craziest act in life right on stage. However, the ending of the story leaves everyone at a loss.
«Home» (2010)
- KinoPoisk: 8.7.
- IMDb: 8,8.
Christopher Nolan’s film “Inception” has already become a cult, and its ending is the clearest example of an open ending in cinema. Despite the fact that the viewer will have only two options (whether the top stops or not), any of them radically changes the perception of the story. Nolan himself commented on the ending as follows: “Uncertainty is woven into the fabric of the film. It was important for me that the audience looked at this scene through the eyes of the protagonist, so the tape does not give unambiguous answers. ” And thanks to the brilliant work of the cameraman, excellent sound and visual effects, as well as the inimitable performance of Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and other actors, the film entered the list of the best in history.
Cobb is one of the most talented thieves in the world of the future, where information is the main value. And he steals nothing more than secrets from the depths of the subconscious of the victims, penetrating into their dreams. Recently, however, Cobb has begun to fail and is less and less able to control his actions during operations. Nevertheless, he decides on the last and most difficult task – not to steal information, but to introduce an idea into the head of a young entrepreneur. Together with his faithful assistant Arthur Cobb gathers a team of professionals. Eames is an imitator who can take any form in a dream, Yusuf is a chemist who developed a sleeping pill for sleeping in a dream, Ariadne is a specialist in creating the appearance of dreams. Together they have to do the impossible.
“Mr. Nobody” (2009)
- KinoPoisk: 7.9.
- IMDb: 7,8.
The open ending assumes that the viewer must decide for himself how the story ended, whether certain events actually happened, and so on. For this, the original script and the final editing of the picture must be fraught with some kind of mystery. But what if the entire film is based on the concept of an open ending? If the hero rushes from one possible development of events to another throughout the entire tape? It was in this style that Jaco van Dormel directed the film Mr. Nobody. The main character of the picture, right in front of the audience, will replay his life several times, making different decisions at different stages of his path.
The entire cast (which, by the way, included Jared Leto, Sarah Polly, Diane Krueger and others), in fact, had to play several different roles, while remaining within the same character. According to the plot, in the world of the future, where people achieved immortality, there was only one old man named Nemo. He is the last one to die a natural death. He is filmed around the clock. The whole world listens to stories about his life. But each time Nemo tells everything in a different way. Either he made friends with one girl and became a writer, then suddenly he is married to another and is going to fly into space, and another time he even managed to die in a car accident. And what is most interesting, even after the final credits, viewers will not know which of the stories actually happened.
Frederick Fitzell’s Choice (2020)
- KinoPoisk: 6.0.
- IMDb: 5,4.
Frederick Fitzell’s Choice is one of the newest films to use the concept of open storytelling. The most interesting thing about it is that the audience is so confused about what is happening on the screen that, unlike other similar tapes, which are given high marks for having a riddle, they began to underestimate the ratings. Indeed, in this thriller, the main character, played by Dylan O’Brien, then plunges into his memories, then tries a drug, then travels between different time lines, then returns to a seemingly normal state, which is already perceived as a hallucination. As a result, everyone will have their own version of what they saw.
The film tells the story of a man named Frederick Fitzell, who was overtaken by a midlife crisis. And he seemed to be doing well: a loving wife, a new prestigious job, good prospects for the future. However, the health problems of the mother, as well as one chance meeting, absolutely unsettle him. Frederic is immersed in the memories of school life. It is during this period that people make most of the important decisions that affect their entire future life. And the more a man immerses himself in memories, the more his perception of both the past and the present changes. But what if there are several options for your life in the world at the same time and you can decide at any moment which one is correct?
“Gone Girl” (2014)
- KinoPoisk: 8.0.
- IMDb: 8,1.
In 2014, David Fincher’s “Gone Girl” was released, based on the novel of the same name by Gillian Flynn, who herself wrote the screenplay. The tape has received many nominations for various awards. The critics were very pleased with what they saw. They noted both the director’s work, the script, the visual style, and the acting of the actors, among whom were Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris and others. “Gone Girl” was called the perfect adaptation of the book. As for the finale, here the viewer clearly understands what happened, how and what the heroes came to. But the understatement is manifested in the fact that the viewer will have to imagine for himself what the decisions made at the end of the picture will lead to. Will the hero go for it?
Nick and Amy have been married for five years. However, their relationship was fading away. As a result, Nick wanted to talk to his wife about parting right on the anniversary. But he could not do this, as Amy disappeared. There were traces of a struggle in the house, blood, which they obviously tried to wipe off. Suspicions immediately fall on her husband, given that everyone around him considers him an abuser in this relationship. The situation is aggravated by the fact that Amy is the daughter of writers, and therefore the media make a fuss about her disappearance. From the good news, the girl managed to leave a chain of clues that can shed light on her fate. True, the further they lead, the more terrifying it becomes to find out the answer.
“Lost Highway” (1996)
- KinoPoisk: 7.5.
- IMDb: 7,6.
One can say simply about “Lost Highway” – it is a film by David Lynch. The director is adored and hated for the same trait – he often makes incomprehensible films. So “Lost Highway”, which the creators themselves call “noir horror of the XXI century”, leaves people in confusion. What did they see, who were all these characters, and most importantly – what really happened from this, and what was just a fantasy? There can be many interpretations here, and each of them radically changes the meaning of what is happening and the message of the tape. However, it often happens with a picture of Lynch that viewers cannot find any explanation at all, which makes it unique on this list.
The film begins with the viewer’s acquaintance with the musician Fred Madison, who suspects his wife Rene of treason. From the very first minutes, strange events begin to occur: an unknown person reports through an intercom that Dick Laurent is dead, strange cassettes appear and so on. As a result, Fred finds himself sentenced to death for the murder of his wife, although he is sure that he did not touch her with a finger. However, shortly before the execution of the sentence, the man mysteriously disappears from the death row, and in his place they find a confused and incomprehensible Pete Dayton. This guy had been doing great in life before, but now a series of horrific events awaits him.
12 Monkeys (1995)
- KinoPoisk: 7.8.
- IMDb: 8,0.
Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys is the oldest open-ended movie on this list. Moreover, it stands out against the background of the others in that, in the course of the action, it seems to the viewer that everything seems to be logical and understandable. But the closer to the end, the louder the question sounds in the subconscious: “Maybe this is not really happening”? And what is most interesting, the film leaves this question open, throwing oil on the fire of reflections with the final shots. “12 Monkeys” also amazes with the acting work of Madeleine Stowe, Christopher Plummer, David Morse, and especially Bruce Willis, for whom this is almost the best role in his career, and Brad Pitt, who received the Golden Globe.
In the story, a monstrous virus destroys most of the world’s population by 2035, and the remaining people are forced to live underground. James Cole, sentenced to 25 years for audacity and disobedience to the authorities, is chosen as a “volunteer” to be sent to the surface, where he will have to collect valuable scientific data. For this he is promised to shorten the term. And if everything goes smoothly, then Cole may be offered a more important and dangerous task – to travel back in time to prevent the spread of the virus. He agrees. This is how one of the most incredible time travels in film history begins.
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