Ambiguous Endings - Do We Need Them?

[@_The_Archive_]

Fun Fact: In American Psycho, a sign reading "This is not an exit" is shown in the closing scene, which are the last words of the novel.

[@BugRib]

Interesting... but what does it mean? Is its meaning ambiguous too? Now I kinda want to read the novel.

[@JamesWagner1]

I read that this is a reference to “Dantes Inferno”. Wherein the sign over the entrance into hell read “Abandon all hope ye who enter here”.

[@iced.autumn]

@@BugRib You should read it! Maybe I shouldn't say this here, but I thought the book was much better than the movie.

[@VersusArdua]

​@BugRib It's a reference to the phrase 'Hell is other people', from the play 'No Exit', essentially meaning (from my basic understanding, anyway) that Bateman is a slave to how he's perceived by his peers and the vapid, materialistic lifestyle he's so absorbed by as a result. If I'm wrong there somebody please feel free to correct me. Be warned btw, if you plan on reading the book (you should, it's great) the level of violence involved makes the film adaption look like an episode of Teletubbies in comparison. Super, super brutal scenes in there, like fr. It's almost on splatterpunk levels of messed up.

[@HoopsAndDinoMan]

The Grey's ambiguous ending is genius. It's not important whether or not Ottway lives, what's important is that he completed his character arc of finding the will to live. At the beginning, he's suicidal, and at the end, he's about to fight with everything he's got in order to go on living. It's truly inspiring.

[@markh8744]

I really liked The Grey. It was a pleasant surprise in that it was much deeper than I was expecting. The ending works for the movie too. Although there is a brief post credits shot that seems to indicate the fate of main character.

[@uphillracer]

@@markh8744 that’s what I remember too.. SPOILER there’s a shot that show that he has severly wounded the wolf, and it’s unclear if he survived this himself, but he is clearly not ripped to shreds

[@magnuskallas]

@@uphillracer True. It's kind of off-credits shot. But it doesn't really change the OP idea.

[@ziroja]

🎯

[@chefhosanna]

He definitely killed that wolf…laying there in the snow, barely breathing…

[@markh8744]

I think there’s one small detail at the conclusion of Triangle Of Sadness that allows the ambiguous ending to work. Just as Abigail raises the rock to kill Yaya, we hear Yaya tell Abigail that she likes her and that she wants to hire her as an assistant. So now, the choices for Abigail become more complex: (a) remain on the island under extremely primitive conditions but possessing immense power and authority, (b) return to a much more civilized society but also to a life of servitude with no power and very little respect, or (c) return to a civilized society with an opportunity to elevate her social status albeit sacrificing some of her own dignity. It’s not an easy decision to make when you’re talking about something that could profoundly impact your way of life until the day you die. If the director provides a concise ending, he is making a commitment and a statement. He then has a responsibility to that statement. We would be inclined to take away something based on the chosen ending. By not providing a clear cut resolution, the director engages the audience at a very cerebral level. It forces the viewer to ask themselves serious questions like ‘What do I value personally?’ And ‘What am I willing to give up to attain the things I value?’ These are the sorts of questions each of us are confronted with everyday in some capacity. Every choice we make, no matter how great or small, possesses elements of reward, consequence and sacrifice. By not offering a firm conclusion in the movie, the director also seems to be addressing a couple of things. First, he is alluding to dilemmas on an individual level and how the answers to those dilemmas are unique to each individual. Second, he is acknowledging that the themes in the movie reflect very real societal issues, and the way in which he depicts those issues illustrates just how at odds humanity can often be in trying to find definitive solutions. Well done video!

[@treasonouspigeonpeckers957]

It can be fun if done correctly and if you understand what is going on throughout the movie. The Lighthouse was very ambiguous and I had to watch a video to explain all the references and even then, I still didn't understand the movie. The VVitch was a lot easier to figure out being it's a 7 deadly sins movie and I was able to come up with my own interpretation of the movie

[@csabaszabo6859]

The thing with American Psycho for me is that the whole movie is kinda ambiguous, basicly all of the scenes are left so open that the viewer can interpret it as what they want to see in it.

[@thor3279]

agreed, I was surprised when the director stated that was not her intent. I thought it demonstrated Bateman all the more shallow and pathetic if his crimes weren't even real.

[@ClassicTor]

​@@thor3279 you should read the book before the film to be honest

[@dripfield]

It is a shame that these videos don't get more attention. Consistently fantastic work

[@Melsharpe95]

I'm not a baby. I don't need to be spoonfed. An ambiguous ending opens the film up to be watched multiple times to see if you've "missed" anything.

[@spridgejuice]

for people wanting more on this subject, you might be interested to read "Seven Types of Ambiguity" (1930) by William Empson, much more focused on the literary and word-meanings aspect but an interesting early approach to the idea that meaning is not always obvious, sometimes withheld or obfuscated and with different motivations, and as matey here observes, variably relocating the power of the reader/viewer in relation to the author.

[@jerryschramm4399]

It's surprising that you don't include either "Annihilation" or "Ex Machina", both of which had ambiguous endings. Both were terrific movies. I actually saw "Annihilation" at the local budget cinema, then went back the next night to re-see it, after watching some videos on the meaning of the film. Still one of the most disturbing films I've seen for some time.

[@andrasszabo1570]

There's a scene from Ex Machina in the montage at the beginning. He can't possibly be expected to talk about every movie that has an ambiguous ending...

[@latenightlogic]

Ex Machina isn’t actually ambiguous… it just looks like that to the casual observer. In reality she left him there to die not because she was manipulating him, but because he’s not as innocent as he appears. There’s an excellent video on it out there on youtube.

[@fridakahlo4225]

I can not even describe how deeply astonished and amazed I was with this gem of a movie. Eventhough I rarely like ambigious endings, I believe Annihilation was one of the most well written and well directed film of the last decade. And I am ready to die on that hill :)

[@GrapeApe8]

If you liked Annihilation the movie theres three books that are all really great edit - The books are Annihilation, Authority and Acceptance

[@hessu275]

If the film is well made then there's nothing wrong with an ending that challenge's you to think. Other times it feels pointless

[@kikosawa]

"Well-made" is not a critique. It doesn't say anything about the film.

[@TheManoDestra]

KZbin titles poised as questions… Do we need them?

[@TheNohero2004]

To me, an ambiguous ending works as long as it's keeping with the tone of the rest of the movie. Also, it's funny that the ending of Triangle of Sadness was one of the parts I actually liked. I don't think it's ambiguous at all really. Abigail wasn't going to kill her until Yaya told Abigail she could be her assistant. The reaction is clear Abigail decides to do it. He's running after being told she fell off the rocks. It's in line with the rest of the movie.

[@bk138gt6]

It Follows has one of my favorite ambiguous endings ever filmed. Absolutely brilliant

[@Melsharpe95]

Your description of why The Thing works as an ambiguous ending is also why i think Triangle of Sadness works as one too. For the exact same reasons. Good video though. It makes you THINK!

[@John-vp1ej]

Great video! Its a niche area in cinema before that I've never seen addressed properly as a cohort, and theres lots to unpack which you did an excellent job with. On the final note theres a question of whether these ambiguous endings can truly 'give' more than it would otherwise take away by 'robbing the viewer' of that cathartic revelational/explanation. While somewhat in the 'art-house' sub-category, I think the work of Paul Thomas Anderson, thinking of 'no country for old men'. This ending achieves a revelation WHILE simultaneously snatching away any kind of 'clarity' in the ending for a casual viewer to indulge in. But it feels perfect in delineating the movie's message ~ that 'chaos' is not the exception, its the rule... No country teaches the feeling of 'powerlessness' against the ever-changing unknown... If 'knowledge is power' then No Country achieves its purpose by inverting this idiom and explicitly provking more 'unanswered questions'. In fact it might even be the ambiguity of the ending that makes this movie seem endlessly re-watchable. Either way, its a great video subject to ponder, thanks so much! :)

[@JohnBradford14]

>Movie has a strange ending. >Doesn't bother to explain. >Leaves without a sequel. Total chad move.

[@mrgreentea4938]

Thank you! Triangle of sadness was great but that ending just rubbed me the wrong way as it didn’t need to be ambiguous at that point

[@tessiepinkman]

I love ambiguous endings, when done right. Donnie Darko is one of my all time favorite films, so that one is of course one of the best endings in my point of view. But you mentioned many more that I truly love, and I agree for the most part. An ambiguous ending done *right* shows the audience respect in a way that an ending that describes everything doesn't. It shows that the director and writers don't look down on the audience's intellect, and that's something I am a big fan of.

[@williammesaeh1847]

The ending of Sopranos is one of the best ambiguous endings ever

[@adrithmanvik1853]

Complete facts. Probably the best imo.

[@babscabs1987]

I'm not sure it was that ambiguous. Tony ate lead with those onion rings.

[@RaegisKhan]

To me, if you were paying attention to the background details.(and not in the final scene)..you knew who came to kill him

[@adrithmanvik1853]

The sopranos ending is so damn unique and despite it being seen as a copout you can argue the conplete opposite. So much depth.

[@paulcarlsen5787]

was looking for thid

[@BugRib]

Not only is the ending ambiguous, but how I feel about it is ambiguous to me as well. Like, I'm not sure how I feel about it... ...But I would've probably preferred some kind of "standard" ending, like Tony being killed and Camilla becoming the new "Don". Yes, this has really happened before in mob history. Okay, maybe that would've been really dumb, haha. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@kevinw712]

If one was actually paying attention to The Sopranos ending, it's not really ambiguous at all (and I don't mean that in a "find the clues" way of who any of the additional people in the diner were). In fact the question's even kinda answered pretty early on in the series, that Tony acknowledges the only way out of this life is with a bullet or a jail cell. In the actual dialog, Tony remarks that Carmello (I think was his name) the one guy from his crew is definitely gonna testify. So whether it ends with him getting shot in 5 minutes, or him getting life in prison in 5 months, either way everything he knew of how his life was is over. The specific time frame is essentially irrelevant.

[@kevinmcqueenie7420]

“Still a man sees what he wants to see and disregards the rest” Paul Simon - The Boxer

[@Frank7489]

I can’t believe Scorsese intended for audiences to interpret everything had worked out for Travis. That was never what I got from it. Another great video man, thanks

[@mackychloe]

I'm sure I've heard Scorsese say different in another interview. some thing along the lines of "Travis is not cured. he will end up going off the rails again"???? which makes way more sense.

[@ajtaylor8750]

Clearly it depends on the story being told, but I love ambiguous endings because they show respect to the audience by allowing them to come to their own conclusions because the filmmaker knows you're smart enough to make it for yourself. One of my favorite ambiguous endings is "The French Connection" because William Friedkin doesn't wrap things up perfectly and leaves you wondering what actually happened.

[@TwoGraves284]

The Best ever ambiguous ending is No country for old men. It works with the themes of the story and allows the viewer to speculate for the better.

[@magnuskallas]

Ehm... I don't know if it was ambiguous, especially when sided with the book. In the context of the movie alone, maybe; but even then I would say everyone had something coming. Even the force of nature.

[@TwoGraves284]

@@magnuskallas do you understand the point of the ending? That's not it.

[@magnuskallas]

@@TwoGraves284 I suspect by your suggestion I don't. So explain to me, how No Country For Old Men was ambiguous? The dream about violence finding its way? (We might jump back to the original books of Cormac, let's say Blood Meridian, and the Judge was indeed proto-Chigurh, and the ending was somewhat ambiguous, but less in NCFOM)

[@TwoGraves284]

@@magnuskallas Well, Its ambiguous from the perspective of somebody who dosen't actually understand the ending (I'm not talking about you just the general public watching because it is a deep story). Everything is there, its just unexplained therefore a lot of people call it ambiguous but it really isnt. My interpretation was always that Anton was a representation more than a real person. not that he was actually fake, just that his representation was the most important part of his character. He represents both the ruthlessness of the actual fate of everyone's story "both ruthless and fair" but more importantly he represents Ed tom's idea of all the evil in the world "What if to end all the evil in the world all you had to do was get one guy" After being sheriff for years all he wants is to try and catch this one guy, this is how much it means to him. In the end, you cant solve all the evil in the world, and that's what the dreams are about. If he cant solve all the evil in the world himself, then he should try and make the world as good a place as he can for the future generations while he's on earth, and he needs to "Pass the torch" (raise children) and "Ride on ahead" (Die) but he still has some time to do so.

[@GrainneMhaol]

There's a vital difference between a ambiguous ending and a deliberately vague or obscure ending. Birdman is obscure to me, just being weird for weirdness' sake. A ending that is ambiguous, yet whose emotional themes and stakes are set up in the film, can be truly satisfying. An example of this is An Cailín Ciúin (The Quiet Girl), where the ending is not handed to us, but it doesn't really matter. The film gave us enough.

[@CiaoRooster]

I think that a better analysis of American Psycho (and most ambiguous endings of this sort) would be to look for not two different themes arising from the ambiguity, but rather one overarching theme that both paths ultimately lead to. To wit, if Bateman did it, then he is sociopathic (i.e., asocial), apart from society, isolated in the knowledge of his crimes. If he did not do it, he is schizophrenic, unable to reality test, to engage with reality or society at large. Either way Patrick is an unknowable island… layer on, forged by the dehumanizing capitalism and consumption of the 1980s.

[@hsonmari6665]

I thought the ending of triangle of sadness layered greater meaning to what came before and put the focus on the viewer. So yes, ambiguity can be used very effectively. Still, it is personal preference in the end.

[@JustanObservation]

I disagree on that specific ending but it is personal preference

[@DavidN369]

Brilliant. Simply briliant. Thank you so much, though perhaps we should be a bit more ambiguous. But, seriously, brilliant.

[@nothanks...]

The Italian Job is the perfect cliffhanger. That movie is amazing.

[@Lksz-l9k]

YES! Now, to the video...

[@williamwatkins809]

Always look forward to your videos! Thank you!

[@professorbaxtercarelessdre1075]

great video, well thought out and explained, and the ending to the shining is great, i love seeing that photo and being like "wait what?" Donnie Darko is fine as an ending, i guess its more the question how did time travel happen, but if you allow yourself not to care how then i think that's what makes it enjoyable

[@GregorZamsa]

-- Can you think of a great movie with a bad ending? -- Interstellar

[@Dc-alpha]

Weirdly, about the only "modern" Nolan movie I think is any good.

[@ferdia748]

false

[@Accountnamehere1968]

I would say Inception, but I think that movie's shit all around. Interstellar's ending wasn't terrible or anything considering the story, but I think it could've been better written.

[@benjamingentile1660]

In the case of The Grey, the question of the film was whether or not he was going to give up and let himself die. When we meet him in the beginning of the movie he is contemplating suicide and after the plane crash leaves him looking like he almost definitely will die, we the audience are wondering if he’s going to find the will to live. The movie answers that question by the end. It’s not a cliffhanger because the important question was where or not he would try. I would put it in the thematic continuity ending category.

[@WeirdWhiteRabbit]

at the very end , after the credits... it shows the wolf breathing hos last breath... the same as were shown with the 1st wolf at the very beginning ... oh and you can just barely see Liam Neeson's head is laying on the wolf.. he won the battle... lost the war

[@JasanFitness1]

Great video brother you are killing it

[@VideotecaNaturista]

Since Charlbi Dean (Yaya) passed away a couple of months after the Cannes premiere of Triangle of Sadness (and months before the theatrical release), I wonder if the director/producers decided to re-edit the ending not to show her violent death onscreen, in respect.

[@seen921]

Definitely applies to each film and it’s overarching theme -- if it’s there “just because”truly is a letdown

[@Christopher-ss8cz]

I don't hate ambiguous endings, I'm just tired of them

[@Linklex7]

Especially in tv shows. Every tv show now has an ambiguous ending which just feels like a lazy excuse to get out of writing an actual ending. Of course fans will always praise the tv ambiguous ending cause they had to come up with the perfect in their heads. No, you the writer, need to come up with an ending.

[@BlastBoyX]

This is my most hated style of ending. The writer was too fucking lazy to finish the story and now they are going to make me do the work and pretend it's avant garde.

[@Linklex7]

This right here. Sometimes I think an ambiguous ending can work sometimes, but often times especially in tv, it’s just a lazy excuse to get out of having to write a real ending. Then fans will point it out as the greatest thing of all time. No shit you see it as a perfect ending, you had to come up with the ending and you thought of the best ending to you in your head.

[@elonif4125]

I can safely like your videos before watching them since everyone one of them is an absolute banger.

[@JustanObservation]

Thanks! Really appreciate it

[@davidbjacobs3598]

For me, ambiguous endings work if, and only if, the ambiguity is ultimately irrelevant. In The Thing -- it doesn't matter which, if either, is an alien. They're going to sit here until they die, and they don't trust each other. That's the point, and and that's what matters. In Inception -- it doesn't matter if Cobb is still dreaming. What matters is that he no longer cares. An American Werewolf In London -- This one's interesting because I didn't even read it as ambiguous until it was pointed out to me. The question is, when David-Wolf lunges at Alex, is it because he does not recognize her OR is it a brief spark of humanity choosing to unalive himself by cop shooting? Alex will never know, so we don't either. A Serious Man might have the best ambiguous ending. Literally all of the characters may or may not die, and somehow that doesn't matter. Because the point of the movie is... none of it matters. There is no lesson. Life is random and merciless, often humorously so, and entirely impersonal. To me, the Triangle of Sadness ending does work (except for the weird out-of-place running shot). Abigail has already considered killing Yaya. The mere consideration is enough. And Yaya is so oblivious to her danger, that she offers Abigail a job. An action both kind and condescending all at once. These two are on completely different wavelengths. Their brains don't even work the same way. For an ambiguous movie that doesn't work... Mm, I'm gonna go with Antichrist. I couldn't stand that movie, and in interpretations I've seen that people come away with literally opposing analyses. That's where I draw the line and think the filmmakers simply failed -- because viewers can't agree on the most basic understanding of what the film is about. Tàr fits that category as well for me, although it's less an ambiguous ending and more an ambiguous... tone? I'm not sure, but it doesn't really take any stance at all.

[@VersusArdua]

I've always considered the idea that the violent events of American Psycho were all in Patrick's head to be a misconception that ultimately misses the point (at least as far as I perceive it), but your comment about how that being so would fit because it would actually make Bateman even more conformist is really interesting to me. Great analysis, all round 😂

[@lizardog]

There's an "end credits" scene in the The Gray that you should probably have watched. It's still ambiguous but less ambiguous than a "cut to black."

[@bastiangugu4083]

I think a master of ambiguous endings is Satoshi Kon. But then again, his stories are often ambiguous too. 🙂 Well worth a study.

[@M-Cherian]

I genuinely enjoy these videos and your perspective. Thank you.

[@rottensquid]

For writing ambiguous stories, I think the best way to handle it is for any answer the story suggests to potentially be the story. American Psycho works equally well if Patrick is a real serial killer, or if it's all in his head. In fact, I'd say the magic of a well-executed ambiguous ending is when both endings can be true, while also being contradictory. Mary W. Shelley's Frankenstein famously offers two conflicting narratives, of a tragic hero creator and a victimized creation. Both stories contradict one another, yet both are true. I think with some of these stories, one answer can be literally true, while the other might still be symbolically true. In Blade Runner, Deckard may not literal be a replicant, yet as his former chief pointed out, "If you're not cop, you're little people." Human or not, to those in power, he's just as disposable. And Patrick Bateman may not literally be a serial killer, but as his sketchbook shows his secretary, he's still a psycho at his core.

[@GayleColson]

Maybe I'm a sucker for a happy ending; but even when the story ends without a visual outcome, I love it when I'm reassured that things ended out well. In a Russian fairy tale, I read about a young hero whom sets out to locate and marry a beautiful princess. He passed many tests and trials; just to fail a vital test inches before reaching his goal. He's magically returned to the beginning of his journey and starts again; promising himself that he'd succeed this time and reach his goal. The last words of the story are " And eventually , he did" l felt I could walk away satisfied that the hero's work was rewarded at the end. But, that's just me.

[@redrumnoir7552]

Your second description of an ambiguous ending immediately made me think of Vivarium. Bc what the fuck was that, lol. It could have been good, but it was so odd and strangely paced that it just left me thinking “…ok…so what was this movie about? Wtf was that” and you’re right, people reeeeeally don’t like those kinds of endings (and I am people lmao)

[@brettsutherland8390]

I absolutely love how Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels ends

[@Dc-alpha]

Ambiguity has elevated mediocre to good (Nolan), good to great (Italian Job, The Thing) and great to cult (Kubrick and the Coen boys mostly). That being said, when piled atop shite it can drag it down further (Nolan again). I never bought the Travis fantasy thing in Taxi Driver, I'd argue it's still somewhat ambiguous though. That last look in the rearview and then the sharp out of place note over the pleasant score leaving whether Travis will need to be a "hero" again soon up to the audience. That or assassinate someone. I never thought much of American Psycho, movie or book. The whole he being protected by privilege aspect was a new one on me, had they pulled it off I think I would have liked it more. As it stands all I got was the realtor covered it up to sell the apartment or he does just hallucinate all the murders. Kind of "Aaaaaaaandddddd?" either way. I heard Kubrick argued against that last Shining shot of the photo. The whole movie was supposed to be ambiguous. Ghosts or Cabin Fever. The book is 100% supernatural though, which I think was Kubrick's point. It's a better story with the ambiguity. Love the book, movie is better..

[@plaidchuck]

Nah even Kubrick was quoted as saying that once Jack was let out of the pantry the audience had to accept the supernatural

[@Dc-alpha]

@@plaidchuck Years after, I believe there may have even been test screenings without the shot. Personal preference, supernatural. Though I'd argue the non supernatural angle scarier.

[@petel5781]

I love most of these but my favourite is Limbo, a massively under watched but really great John Sayles film.

[@samgoodman2128]

One of the best ambiguous ending is that of the movie vanilla sky with Tom cruise. Major spoilers below. Towards the end we discover that tom cruise’s character David Ames has been in a virtual reality dream for a good portion of the movie, and has been asleep for 150 years in the movies world. Which at the end he wakes up from. But thing is, all we see is him opening his eyes, and someone saying “relax david open your eyes.”, and he then sighs a sigh of relief. This final shot doesn’t confirm along with somethings from the VR dream explanation leaves it open to other ideas. Such that the entire film is a dream, he was in a dream or at a different point he fell into a coma. But potentially also that he wasn’t even dreaming at all.

[@judywright4241]

We had a weird showing of Vanilla Sky. The film abruptly stops when we see Tom meet the ‘guide’. Screen went black and the lights in the theater came on. There were about twenty people in the room and we all glance uneasily at each other--is that it? Son and I walk out discussing the ending and it was great! Piecing events together all the way home. A week later I got contacted by e mail with free tickets to another showing for people ‘affected by a mistake.’ We were excited to get to see it finished. Then we were disappointed having put it together just talking excitedly just the week before! Almost anticlimactic. I still liked the movie even with our weird experience, up there with ‘Memento’

[@peacorptv6502]

I would categorise the "Thematic Continuity" examples as "the answer to the question doesn't matter".

[@universome511]

The ending of Taxi Driver is about how Bickle would be a lone nut if he shot up the rally but because he ended up shooting up the brothel it makes him a hero

[@Barbaryotaku]

My preferred type of ending is

[@azathothmateria3748]

Actually, in "The Thing" they do answer the question. You just have to be as paranoid as the characters to see it. Childs is handed a bottle from which he takes a nice big swig. After that, the two men laugh, starting with the guy that handed him the bottle. Why are they laughing? If you recall, all the bottles were full of gasoline.

[@superherofreak837]

Hey peoples from the comment section recommend some more KZbin channel like this channel

[@Geek37664]

I’m surprised you didn’t include A Serious Man by The Coen Brothers, which has an ambiguous ending…or does it? The film starts out ambiguous enough with a scene that doesn’t really connect to the main narrative…or does it? It’s such a strange, weird entry into their filmography but it’s likely one of their best because they have a penchant for telling weird, compelling stories with no easy themes to divine or easy conclusions to draw. Barton Fink, likely their strangest before the aforementioned, had a tighter ending even though we go through this strange fever dream to get there. It’s likely why they are my favorite filmmakers. They tell well-crafted stories that don’t give you satisfying conclusions.

[@alisdairmckenzie]

The writer/director of Triangle of Sadness confirmed that Abigail does indeed kill Yaya and as others have pointed out, I think Yaya saying Abigail could work for her as an assistant, sealed her fate.

[@Leppter]

I think the ending should add to what the movie is trying to achieve, and not just be a cheap gotcha/sequel bait at the end. If its a popcorn flick, you want everything to be tied up neatly at the end so everyone can leave happy. If its intending to get you to think about the ideas and themes in a movie rather than just tell a story then an ambiguous ending helps. One of the best examples I can think of off the top of my head is Memento, this hits that rare double whammy as the story IS all wound up succinctly however you are left with the lingering thought of whether the main character was an evil person or just trying to survive, and mull over what you might do if you were in his situation.

[@universome511]

Kubrick said that this was only the most literal interpretation of a Space Odyssey not the definitive one

[@lizardog]

Great video. Thank you.

[@mortal3861]

In general I don't like unanswered questions in a movie, especially when is concerns the ending, for the ending is the completion of the film and , if it is missing, our opinion and criticism can not be conducted because it would be incomplete. I believe that a director(filmmaker) should not allow the audience to speculate at all. This is their craft, their piece of art, they should own up to it. Good,bad,mediocre it does not matter. I want the movie to take me wherever the creator desires. It is their message, their story . I am just a curious spectator .

[@eataneraser]

Ambiguity hater here, this was a cathartic video. It's not even a takedown of ambiguity, but I think critically questioning it is very valid, and I wish I'd had the language to take ambiguity apart the way he did since I've been frustrated by it so long.

[@ryeguy7471]

Lovers of movie making and film really appreciate ambiguous endings, mainstream moviegoers, not so much.

[@ziroja]

I love some of these endings, American Psycho is my favorite, the more I watch it the more I like it. Inception is also great, as well as Gray. The one that I really hate is Donnie Darko, too many plot holes if you ask me, and also Enemy, I did get it, but I think it was to complicated nonetheless.

[@Joshua-uw7wm]

I think that people want taxi driver to be ambiguous and ignore the ending presented

[@kevinw712]

In a broader sense, I understand why you would include INCEPTION as one of the examples for this essay, but honestly I don't really regard it as "ambiguous" at all. I mean even setting aside that by way of 'the rules' they established for the totems in the story, Cobb is not dreaming because the top clearly is beginning the process of slowing down and falling when the cut to black happens, but that that's not really even what the nature of the story is. It's not about "is he still dreaming or not", it's the fact of whether or not Cobb even CARES if he's dreaming or not. That's what the arc is, him being a slave to that paranoia. And it's perfectly clear at the end that no, he doesn't care, since he doesn't even bother to continue watching the top spin.

[@demonstructie]

I have less of a problem with ambiguous endings than I do with movies that leave you wondering what the f is going on and who the f is everybody for the first 80% of the movie. And I don't mean movies with intricate plot lines or non-linear stories like Pulp Fiction, where it's clear that they're separate story lines until their lines cross - I mean the kind where you don't know who the protagonist is or what motivates them, and they're beholden to some people for some reason and in danger from some others who are just angry with them somehow and then seemingly random things happen and it's all just a blurred web of names and places you can't be bothered to try and remember because none of it makes any sense and before the last 20% of the movie where it's all supposed to come together and everything will be explained you've totally checked out and lost interest and possibly switched the movie off already. And the worst thing is even if you do persevere and watch until the end, the people who make such movies always think they're much more clever than they actually are so you're left with massive plot holes anyway. It's just bad filmmaking, no more and no less.

[@thonkingintensifies9510]

Ayee new video

[@CatalinBoc]

lovely

[@garycarter6773]

I have and/or have seen all of these but Triangle of Sadness. Now I have to get it!! Lol

[@Jess-Rabbit]

After being a long time fan of American Psycho, book and movie, I don't feel we were given any indication that Patrick was imagining everything. The fact that people are telling him Paul Allen is alive is a commentary on yuppie society and how they are so similar no one can even tell eachother apart. They think they saw Paul Allen even though he is dead not because Patrick imagined it, but because they didn't actually see Paul. They saw someone else they assumed was Paul. They are so obsessed with status and wealth and self absorption they don't actually pay attention to the world around them. Thats why Patrick can get away with so much. Notice that the detective who isn't in that circle suspects Patrick immediately

[@krishc1798]

I love learning and knowing what IS and what NOT, but there is 1 thing in this world that I would like it to be ambiguous and that is how did the world came about

[@filmreviewer117]

The thing ending the way it did is for me the better ending as if it wasn't ambiguous then it wouldn't still be haunting to think about that maybe the monster did escape.

[@hawlitakerful]

I never saw a film like total recall as an ending like this... Because the story itself is closed. Of course there is the possibility that it is just the recall program playing out at this point. But the screen did not cut to black at the moment the button of tje machine is pressed.

[@haret0n]

i paused your clip to watch triangle of sadness. the ambiguous ending frustrated me. mainly because yaya is an almost dead ringer for one of my daughters and i can't deal with the idea of her having her head smashed in. aaaaarrrggghhh.

[@OlgaZuccati]

To me the ending in American Psycho works both ways for the exact same thematic reason. Whether Patrick is a serial murderer or not, his ways of distinguishing himself won't work even if he wants to be hated, everyone will always just judge him for his outwards appearances and his job description and nothing more, and his only means of asserting any freedom over his own circumstances is completely denied. That's why when Bryce comments about Reagan and says "but inside..." Patrick says "But inside doesn't matters." His choices are meaningless and he's condemned to a life of mediocrity and compliance.

[@abosworth]

There are many times where I think ambiguous endings work beautifully. The Thing is a perfect example. I'm sure this pisses a lot of people off but I also really liked the ambiguous ending of The Sound Of My Voice.

[@phyarth8082]

A. Huxley - "Brave New World". Dystopian society and production of sensual movies based on happy ending where hero kiss the girl and villains punished for bad deeds in the end of movie. Movies based on not to intellectually overcomplicate matters not rise questions about things, white is white and black is black. Life is complicated many parameters many biases, in German propaganda movies of some period Germany never showed as aggressor but liberator. Same in American anti-terrorists propaganda movies. Fact that terrorist's exist but not perfectly clear where is good and bad. Ambiguity.

[@jesusrox0903]

While I don't love The Thing as much as I wish I did, I do think it probably has the best ambiguous ending of a movie I can think of.

[@alexandermarcelhovel6440]

With triangle of sadness, I actually like the ending. We Don't need to figure it out, we know what she does even if he doesn't show it. I think everyone came to the same conclusion, so why show it ? It's not a puzzle to solve, just a why of letting the audience reinforce the theme themselves

[@Linklex7]

Movies I think is mostly fine. However, sometimes (more so in tv shows) ambiguous ending are just a lazy excuse to get out of making an actual ending.

[@davidsawyer219]

I agree. If the film is deep like 2001, American Psycho, Taxi Driver and other great works, ambiguity is in place. But if the film isn't very deep than give us the point. Especially with all this woke propaganda. Nobody wants to even stomach paying for some obvious crap. Like that rich white elites can afford a certain lifestyle and the servant class gets the opportunity of their dreams to get some sort of power crap is offensive to true film lovers. Triangle of Sadness. WFT? A good film to watch is Brazil by Terry Gilliam.

[@davidsawyer219]

Brazil by Terry Gilliam is the mission. Plus, it's a subliminal for the trade industry

[@drbuckley1]

"Mississippi Burning" and "Miss Sloane" have great, ambiguous endings.

[@Einherjer895]

Maybe, maybe not

[@74Cheshire]

The real question - What sort of person needs unambiguous endings? The point of an ambiguous ending is not to create talking points, but to allow for reflection of the theme for the viewer. Most storytelling is about engaging with a theme, and NOT about just spitting out a plot. People who don't like this are typically people who simply don't reflect or try to adopt different perspectives. The real point of variance is how obfuscated points relating to the theme are handed to the audience. If the audience has to think exactly like the director to even spot the thematic implication, it's arguably a failure of execution.

[@HydraulicDesign]

That's being kinda pretentious. As the video said, most of the Best Films Ever don't have ambiguous endings, and often it's just something "artsy" movies do to leave you going WTF was that on about? It has to be done well or it just seems like a gimmick.

[@cookieface80]

Yes.

[@PixelatedFlu]

*12 year old voice* : "no dude" I NEED to know what happens to Anton Chigurh!"

[@andrefernandez5431]

Ever seen the white ribbon?

[@Joemama55122]

We might do or we might not who knows

[@curiousworld7912]

Like most elements of any given story, it depends upon reason and necessity, and should be used, only in a deliberate way by the writer. My complaints with particular films' ambiguous endings, mirror yours, frankly. If an ambiguous ending makes sense, as far as the story and characters have led; it can make a film more memorable, with a reasonable 'what if?'

[@AMITAWAGHADE]

YES

[@M3plusYOU]

The Whale is hilarious from beginning to end

[@RiC_David]

Snails.....Do we *need* them? Well we'll have to keep em then, won't we?

[@juhokivi9693]

I would lovw if you made a vido about house m.d because hw is onw of the most complex careter in tv

[@ellossszz]

What I think about ambiguous endings is

[@KingcoleIIV]

ATM: "feed me a stray cat"

[@HydraulicDesign]

I know Ridley Scott intended it but geez the "Deckard is a replicant" thing is dumb, the whole point of the story is that the "robots" are more human than the human hunting them.

[@Patrick-wl6pw]

Love America psycho Patrick batman is crazy