Fumbling The Ending
Sometimes an ending can make or break a film. Buckle up, because these movie endings were so infuriating—fans lost their minds.
War of the Worlds (2005)
2005's War of the Worlds—directed by Stephen Spielberg and starring Tom Cruise—should have been a blast from start to finish, but something about its ending didn't sit right.
Paramount, War of the Worlds (2005)
War of the Worlds (2005)
Even Stephen Spielberg confessed, "I never could figure out how to end that darn thing." It seemed as though the ending just seemed more suited for its original book form—a novel written by H.G. Wells in the 1890s.
War of the Worlds (2005)
The big, bad aliens do not perish in a particularly dramatic way: They become vulnerable to earth's diseases. Germs ends us being their ultimate downfall. Unfortunately, this inevitably slowed down the most exciting part of the film.
Paramount, War of the Worlds (2005)
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Most people adore Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy—but some fans weren't too happy with the very final scene of the third film.
Warner Bros., The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
At the end of The Dark Knight Rises, Bruce Wayne ends up sacrificing himself for the greater good, ultimately saving Gotham City. In the final scene, we see Bruce's butler Alfred on vacation in Florence.
Warner Bros., The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
While sitting out on a patio, Alfred looks up—and freezes. He sees Bruce, alive and well. They make eye contact and silently acknowledge one another, which is a heartwarming way to end the series with a happy ending.
It also hearkens back to an earlier exchange between Alfred and Bruce. However, some argue that this scene just didn't make any sense.
Warner Bros., The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
To fully enjoy this ending scene, one has to completely suspend their disbelief. It definitely raises the unanswered question: How in the world did Bruce survive?
It's a fantastical Hollywood ending—and you either love it, or you hate it. (I love it).
Warner Bros., The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The Mist (2007)
Stephen King fans who'd already read The Mist were in for a chilling surprise when they went to see the film adaptation. The ending was completely different.
Dimension Films, The Mist (2007)
The Mist (2007)
The main characters seek refuge from an encroaching mist by staying inside a supermarket. There are monsters in the mist that wreak havoc—but things take a dark turn when David finally ventures into the unknown.
Dimension Films, The Mist (2007)
The Mist (2007)
In the book, there's a somewhat hopeful, ambiguous ending where David and a group of survivors leave the grocery store in search of help. However, the film's ending was downright gut-wrenching.
Dimension Films, The Mist (2007)
The Mist (2007)
In the film, David has lost all hope. In a desperate bid to save his son and three other characters from a gruesome end, he does the unthinkable: He shoots them all. Horrifyingly, on the heels of this harrowing scene, the army arrives to save them. Absolutely brutal.
Dimension Films, The Mist (2007)
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Star Wars fans were pretty pumped when the first installation of the sequel trilogy released, The Force Awakens. However, by the time the third film came out, The Rise of Skywalker, the fans had low expectations.
Lucasfilm, Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Somehow, The Rise of Skywalker was even worse than The Last Jedi. The plot takes an insane twist when the protagonist Rey ends up being Emperor Palpatine's grandaughter. But that's not all. Palpatine is also still alive, which just doesn't make much sense.
However, it was the film's final scene that had audience members groaning in their seats.
Lucasfilm, Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
At the end of The Rise of Skywalker, Rey adopts the name Skywalker. When asked for her last name, she replies, "Rey Skywalker" after seeing an apparition of Luke and Leia.
Some felt this missed the whole point of Rey's character, who had always been independent. Not defining herself as a Skywalker may have been the better choice.
Lucasfilm, Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Halloween Ends (2022)
Bringing the classic horror film Halloween back to life may have sounded like a good idea, but fans were 100% expecting a better ending to the trilogy that began in 2018.
Miramax, Halloween Ends (2022)
Halloween Ends (2022)
The reboot was supposed to come to a stunning conclusion with 2022's Halloween Ends. Everyone was looking forward to a dramatic final fight between Laurie Strode and Michael Myers, but instead, they walked away feeling pretty dissatisfied—and for good reason.
Miramax, Halloween Ends (2022)
Halloween Ends (2022)
Halloween Ends focuses more on a completely new character, Corey Cunningham, which is not what people expected. And though audiences did get the much-anticipated Laurie versus Michael showdown, the buildup was pretty clunky, making the final result pretty underwhelming.
Miramax, Halloween Ends (2022)
Jaws: The Revenge (1987)
Clearly, any sequel to the classic film Jaws was never going to live up to the original. However, the fourth installment of this franchise is undoubtedly the worst one.
Universal, Jaws: The Revenge (1987)
Jaws: The Revenge (1987)
To begin with, the plot of Jaws: The Revenge is just too ridiculous for viewers to even attempt to suspend their disbelief: A shark is ruthlessly targeting Ellen Brody's family. Not only that but the script and special effects did the project no favors.
Universal, Jaws: The Revenge (1987)
Jaws: The Revenge (1987)
One of the most unbelievable scenes involves Ellen Brody having a flashback of something she didn't even witness: Her husband defeating the shark from the first film.
Instead of being utterly captivated by the watery thrills, audiences were left feeling frustrated.
Universal, Jaws: The Revenge (1987)
Morbius (2022)
Morbius flopped hard for a number of reasons. There were issues with its coherency, editing, and script—but somehow, the ending credits served up the the rotten cherry on top.
Morbius (2022)
In the middle of the credits, an additional scene plays. A character from the MCU makes an appearance—the Vulture, or Adrian Toomes. He comes out of nowhere, miraculously transplanted into Morbius's universe. But that's not all.
Morbius (2022)
In yet another bonus scene, the Vulture comes face to face with Morbius and tries to recruit him. The script makes a cringeworthy attempt to connect Morbius to the successful Spider-Man films by having the Vulture name-drop Spider-Man.
It Chapter Two (2019)
When it came to the first installment of the It remake, many audiences were pleasantly surprised. However, 2019's It Chapter Two brought the story to a very underwhelming conclusion.
New Line Cinema, It Chapter Two (2019)
It Chapter Two (2019)
It Chapter Two is about the reunion of the Losers Club. The members, now adults, plan to take down the villain Pennywise the Clown. However, fans were not pleased by how simple it was for the protagonists to kill such a n evil monster. They simply face their fear... and bully Pennywise to death.
New Line Cinema, It Chapter Two (2019)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
In the late 2000s, Spielberg attempted to revive the fan-favorite Indiana Jones movies with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. For the most part, it was a nostalgic and fun ride, but the film fell apart once it reached the climax.
Paramount, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Most audiences were expecting along the lines of the original films—a plot centered around history and archaeology, perhaps with a religious bent. Instead, things took a turn toward... science fiction?
Paramount, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Indiana Jones ends ups discovering an alien spaceship. While this might not be a jarring pivot away from fantastical artifacts like the Holy Grail, the alien storyline really bothered some fans.
However, others were more bothered by the quality of the CGI and action scenes.
Paramount, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Remember Me (2010)
Robert Pattinson fans may have been excited to watch 2010's Remember Me, but the critics were out for blood. Almost the entire film was average at best, but its final scene was the real nail in the coffin.
Summit Entertainment, Remember Me (2010)
Remember Me (2010)
If you went into this film blind then you may have been utterly shocked by the final twist. Pattinson ends up visiting his father's office on September 11, 2001... His father's office is located in the World Trade Center.
Some people were seriously offended by this tragic ending.
