5 Movie Endings That Made NO Sense

As an avid consumer of any and all kinds of movies, I can sympathize with the struggle of thinking up a really great ending.

You might have a fantastic story, but finding a way to wrap up all your plot points and create a final scene that resonates with your audience has to be difficult.

But just because I can get the struggle doesn't mean I'm going to forgive it. After all, it's their job to come up with a fantastic conclusion to their film. And it's my job to point out all the ways some of our favorite cinematic masterpieces went wrong.

Keep scrolling for five movie endings that made no sense.

Grease (1978) 

I have many well-documented problems with Grease, but the ending has got to be one of the most egregious issues in the entire film. I'm not even talking about the fact that Sandy changes her entire personality and wardrobe for a man who's shown very little genuine interest in who she really is, which is all problematic enough. My real issue here is why does the car fly?! 

There's been nothing in the movie up to this point to indicate there's anything magical or technologically advanced about this world. It's a totally random scene that would have had the same exact effect if Danny and Sandy has simply driven away—you know, like the car was designed to do. It's a completely random addition that will never fail to annoy and irritate me.

(Grease via Paramount Pictures)

 

Titanic (1997) 

I know, I know, I know—the ending of Titanic has been discussed and re-hashed thousands of times, but I'm still going to bring it up. It's just a fact at this point that Jack could have fit on that board. But my confusion comes from the fact that he didn't even try. After fighting so hard to survive for the entirety of the movie, he just gives up after the board rocks a little when he puts pressure on it? It's in water Jack—of course it's going to shift under your weight! It all seems highly out of character. Not that I'm trying to victim-blame, as it's clearly Rose's selfishness that's the true problem.

In addition, why does older Rose throw the Heart of the Ocean into the sea at the end of the film? I understand it's supposed to be symbolic, but the necklace is a highly coveted artifact that could have set up Rose's family for a very comfortable life after Rose's death. 84 years hasn't changed Rose's selfish nature apparently. 

(Titanic via Twentieth Century Fox)

 

Source Code (2011) 

Source Code, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, was a wild story from start to finish. Over the course of the movie, we learn that Captain Colter Stevens (Jake) is in a comatose state in a military lab, but he's being used in an experiment where he can occupy another recently deceased person's body for eight minutes. He's sent into the body of Sean Fentress, a victim of a terror attack, to investigate the bombing that lead to Sean's death. Although he's told that he can't change anything, by the end of the movie it's clear that Captain Stevens now exists in an alternate timeline where he thwarted the train bombing and went on to have a happy ending with a friend of Sean's he fell in love with.

It's all a very interesting and thrilling idea, but it has some profound problems. Stevens, who's painted as the moral and ethical hero of the story, suddenly has no problem with blinking out another man's existence, simply because he fell in love with a random woman he only met in eight-minute spurts. Stevens' consciousness in Sean's brain means that Sean himself just doesn't exist anymore, which is never actually discussed in the film. It's a severe divergence from Stevens' moral dilemmas earlier in the film, and it definitely puts a dark cloud over the seemingly happy ending.

(Source Code via Summit Entertainment)

 

Sixteen Candles (1984) 

I know we're all supposed to be so excited and happy that Sam is finally noticed by the boy of her dreams, especially after everyone forgot her 16th birthday, but I have too many complaints to just accept this happy ending. Primarily I'm upset with the fact that this is the first time Jake and Sam have even spoken, and yet she misses her sister's wedding reception to drive off into the sunset with him. I know your family hasn't been the greatest, Sam, but I think a wedding reception trumps a cute boy around whom you can barely form a coherent sentence.

It's also never explained why Jake is even into Sam. They've never spoken, and yet he traverses all over town and cuts off his other romantic ties trying to start a relationship with her. It's cute in theory, but highly implausible, which made the whole end of the movie a little frustrating for me.

(Sixteen Candles via Universal Pictures)

 

Ready Player One (2018) 

While I was fully obsessed with the Ready Player One novel, the movie just wasn't up to snuff. Nolan Sorrento spent the entire film clearly showing his heartlessness and lack of care for human life, and yet his entire evil plan is foiled because of a bright, shiny light? I'm not buying it. He just chased Wade and his friends through an entire city and pulled a gun on a mob of people—there's no way he was delaying taking that shot for anything. 

Plus, Ogden Morrow shows up at the end and reveals he was watching the children the entire time. But if that was the truth, why on earth did he not use his excessive power, money and influence to at least try to save their lives?! He basically sat back as they were chased and nearly killed by a psychopath and then swooped in at the end to be their friend. I'm not buying it, buddy. With friends like that who needs enemies, amiright?

(Ready Player One via Amblin Entertainment)

 

Looking to ruin more of your favorite films? Click HERE for four movie couples who should not have ended up together.