Doctors Strange in the Multiverse of Madness already has somewhat of an open ending, as Strange falls to his knees and the third eye opens, but the original ending was much darker and more open-ended. The original ending for the 2022 MCU movie would have had Stange trapped in the incursion universe not knowing how to get out, which would have been way more disturbing than fans are used to.
Open endings generally go down well with audiences, as they leave viewers to interpret what happens after it cuts to black for themselves. But not all of them go down as well as the studios think they will. Between a movie ending that directs audiences to a website and a particular spinning top that left some annoyed, these films should have had definitive endings.
The Devil Inside (2012)
Ever since The Exorcist was released, not a single movie about exorcisms has measured up to the storytelling or terror of the 1973 film. But it was almost as if The Devil Inside didn't even try. The movie is actually frightening at times and has some impressive visual effects, but it ends with the mystery left unsolved. And Zancrowe notes that one more title card appears at the very end.
The Redditor explains, "Movie ends with a damn website address, which I am not even sure is up anymore. I'm sure the director would have shown up on screen and flipped you off if he could." While some studios have impressively used mysterious websites to mar movies (such as Cloverfield,) this exorcism movie does the opposite.
Cosmopolis (2012)
Cosmopolis was one of the first examples of Robert Pattinson proving how much range he has as an actor outside of the Twilight franchise. But while his acting was superb, he also had the whole weight of the film on his shoulders. The 2012 movie is about a billionaire who rides across Manhattan in a limo only for his day to become increasingly peculiar, but it was criticized for being too bleak and dull.
This user was even less enthralled, especially when it came to the ambiguous ending. The Redditor explains, "For me, it was particularly egregious in a film already full of pseudo-philosophical jibber jabber, an open-ended conclusion on top of that is just felt kind of boring." The film ends with a gun being held to the billionaire's head, and audiences are left to wonder whether or not the trigger was pulled, but by that point, nobody cared.
Inception (2010)
Inception is one of the most intelligent and mind-bending blockbuster action movies ever made, and what blows audiences' minds the most is the open ending. But Fafnir13 thinks the ending is exactly what ruins the movie for them. The Redditor argues, "It went from being one of the best and most creative movies I’d seen in years to a bucket of week-old tripe that needed to be tossed in the dumpster. You don’t end a colossal thrill ride with an open-ended question mark."
Inception has one of the most memorable final shots of 2010s movies, as it cuts to black before the spinning top stops spinning, and it's unknown if Cobb is in the real world or the dream world, leaving audiences to decide for themselves what the truth is. But what makes the ending better is that it ultimately doesn't matter, as Cobb is just happy to be reunited with his children again.
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
The Empire Strikes Back is a sci-fi epic, but the title spoils the movie's ending, as everything ends terribly for the rebellion: Han is frozen in carbonite, and Luke loses an arm and gains a genocidal villain for a father. While it isn't quite an ambiguous ending, everything is certainly left in limbo until the sequel, which Bobby_tables takes issue with.
The Redditor argues, "As a 14-year-old having waited three years for a sequel, I was not prepared nor happy with a cliffhanger ending." It was followed up with the sequel Return of the Jedi, which was an epic conclusion that satisfyingly wrapped everything up. But in fairness, a lot of cinephiles have a problem with movies that simply set up sequels, which is why many even took issue with the universally acclaimed Dune.
Enemy (2013)
Director Denis Villeneuve is starting to become known for his open-ended movies. Not only does Dune end just as the story begins, and not only does Prisoners end before Detective Loki has found Keller, but Enemy has the most bizarre open ending of them all. The 2013 movie is essentially about a man who discovers he has a doppelganger, and it ends with that man looking in a closet and sighing at the sight of an almost kaiju-sized spider.
Fedaykin13 notes, "It was a movie made purposely vague because that is how the director wanted it to be seen AND because the director also had no clear vision what it meant to him." The movie's message and even its themes aren't entirely clear, and some critics argued that the different elements of the movie, such as the mystery and the spider theme, were badly cobbled together. In this case, it might be better if viewers picked up The Double, the book it's based on, instead.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
2001: A Space Odyssey is one of the most celebrated science fiction films ever made. Whether it's the groundbreaking visual effects or the thought-provoking narrative about artificial intelligence taking over, the movie is very rarely criticized. However, this user takes issue with the open-ended finale.
The Redditor knows how much of a hot take it is, commenting, "Might take s*** for this but 2001: Space Odyssey. Great film ends with a giant stupid baby, because...?" The film ends with David Bowman transforming into the Star Child, a giant space baby, which has become iconic, and fans are still debating what it means over 50 years later. But the endlessly interpretable meaning is why A Space Odyssey still holds up.
The Grey (2011)
Sleepsox hates The Grey's open ending, explaining, "The ending itself wasn't so bad, but considering I saw the trailer and was waiting for him to fight wolves with the badass glass gloves the entire time, I was thoroughly disappointed." Leading up to the release of The Grey, which was the latest in a series of Liam Neeson vs. [blank] following the huge success of Taken, the studio had people believe that the actor would be fighting wolves with some serious hand-to-hand combat.
The trailer saw Neeson staring down a pack of wolves with shards of glass between his fingers. However, that shot just so happened to be the very final shot in the movie, and it was a total bait and switch. If that shot wasn't in the trailer, the open ending might have been considered one of the best ever.
No Country For Old Men (2007)
The Best Picture-winning No Country for Old Men is considered one of the Coen brothers' best movies, which is saying a lot considering they have a ton of classics in their filmography. But as they're known to do, the filmmaking duo couldn't help but end the thriller ambiguously. Echo_troop hates the ending, arguing, "So anticlimactic from the deaths and killings in the middle of the movie."
The 2007 film literally cuts to black when Ed Bell is discussing his dreams. The story sees the killer escape, so ending the movie with a man nihilistically thinking about his dreams and the meaninglessness of life is fairly appropriate. But the Redditor's frustration is understandable, as it isn't clear how long the scene takes place after the scene before it, and it isn't totally clear what Ed is getting at.
Monsters Inc. (2001)
Monsters, Inc. follows Pixar's winning formula, as it builds an incredible fantastical world while telling an engaging and emotional story. The most emotional part comes at the very end when Sully attempts to reunite with Boo, but it cuts to black before audiences see the reunion happen.
PrettyLittleHigher was most heartbroken by the cut to black and thinks it was made even worse by the fact that Monsters University was a prequel instead of a sequel. The Redditor posits, "Monster Inc. And the fricken second one was a pointless prequel I will never be bothered to watch." However, if Pixar had done its original plan for a Monsters, Inc. sequel, the Redditor might have gotten to see that reunion.
The Wrestler (2008)
Edgefish hates the ending of the Darren Aronofsky-directed The Wrestler, a drama about an aged wrestler trying to continue his profession despite his declining health. The Redditor posits, "It wasn't s****, but it makes you hold your breath when Randy leaps from the ropes and the scene goes black and the movie ends."
The Redditor would be outraged if they watched Black Swan, also directed by Aronofsky, as it's essentially the exact same movie and ends in the exact same way. Both movies are about two perfectionists essentially killing themselves for their art, and they both end with them perfecting their crafts in front of an audience only for it to end before they either survive or die.