Summary
Great cliffhangers are much more common in TV than they are in movies, but there are still a few unforgettable examples that elevated their movies. Since a cliffhanger is usually designed to get audiences excited for the next chapter, movie franchises have a better chance at pulling them off. However, standalone movies can often use cliffhangers to pose an ambiguous question right at the end.
Whether they are standalone movies or part of a big franchise, movies with good cliffhangers ensure that they have memorable endings. These endings naturally inspire audiences to debate what might happen next, even if the filmmakers have no intention of revealing this secret. With the best cliffhangers, they can live long in the memory even after their sequels have resolved the dramatic tension.
10 Unanswered Movie Cliffhangers & What Was Supposed To Happen Next
Countless movie franchises have abruptly ended without a satisfying conclusion, but luckily, many of their stories live on in books or other media.
The MCU has so many interconnected movies that it’s uniquely positioned to deliver great cliffhangers. Each post-credits scene from Phase One shows Nick Fury putting together the Avengers, withIron ManandCaptain America: The First Avengerdelivering particularly exciting cliffhangers. The heroes finally get some time to relax in the post-credits scene of 2012’sThe Avengers,where they eat some shawarma together, but the MCU had more cliffhangers in store.
The MCU has so many interconnected movies that it’s uniquely positioned to deliver great cliffhangers.
Arguably thebest cliffhanger in the MCUcame in 2018’sAvengers: Infinity War.The Avengers teamed up with the Guardians of the Galaxy and practically every other superhero in existence to stop Thanos, but in the end, they are unsuccessful. Thanos' snap wipes out half of all life in existence, andone-by-one, the MCU’s greatest heroes are turned to dust. This is a huge shock, and it sets upAvengers: Endgameperfectly.
Back to the Futureends with a fun cliffhanger, as Doc Brown suddenly reappears in the DeLorean to tell Marty that his children are in danger in the future. This shifts the focus from Marty’s genesis to his legacy. After that particular crisis is dealt with,Back to the Future Part IIends with a cliffhanger that’s much bolder and unpredictable. Doc’s DeLorean is struck by lightning, and a courier arrives with a message from Doc, trapped in 1885.
Back to the Future Part II’s unexpected cliffhanger is perfectly in keeping with the trilogy’s zany humor.
Back to the Future Part II’s unexpected cliffhanger is perfectly in keeping with the trilogy’s zany humor. SincePart IIandPart IIIwere filmed back-to-back, audiences knew that they wouldn’t have as long to wait for the next chapter. This meant thatPart IIhad license to throw something completely unusual at them.Few movie franchises could pull off such a bizarre ending, claiming that the next movie would be a Western, apropos of nothing, butBack to the Futuremakes it work.
Christopher Nolan’s movies usually end with a bang, although not always a cliffhanger.The Dark Knightends with Batman on the run, andMementoshows Leonard with a new mission. Nolan’s best and most enduring cliffhanger, however, is inInception.The spinning top, used by Cobb to understand if he is dreaming or awake in the real world, wobbles almost imperceptibly before Nolan cuts to black.
Inceptionleaves a few clues to fuel the debate, and it’s human nature to want a definitive answer, but the point of this cliffhanger is that there is no resolution.
WhileInception’s ambiguous endingobviously raises the question of whether Cobb is still dreaming, he chooses not to look at the result. Cobb decides that an objective understanding of reality is not as important to him as what he can feel and experience.Inceptionleaves a few clues to fuel the debate, and it’s human nature to want a definitive answer, but the point of this cliffhanger is that there is no resolution.
Romance movies don’t tend to have cliffhangers, but Richard Linklater’sBeforetrilogy has two of them.Before Sunrise,the first in the trilogy, ends with Jesse and Céline agreeing to return to the same spot six months later, but the movie ends before Linklater reveals if the two lovers stick to their vow.Before Sunsetprovided some closure to that particular mystery nine years later, but it ends with a similar cliffhanger.
Before Sunset’s cliffhanger ending is loaded with higher stakes thanBefore Sunrise,because the relationship between the two characters has evolved from a summer fling into a potentially life-altering relationship.
Before Sunsetopens with Jesse reading his novel based on the events ofBefore Sunrise,and three journalists in the audience debate whether the characters will ever meet again. After Jesse and Céline share another day together, just their second in a decade, it becomes clear that Jesse has resigned himself to missing his flight home to his family.Before Sunset’s cliffhanger ending is loaded with higher stakes thanBefore Sunrise,because the relationship between the two characters has evolved from a summer fling into a potentially life-altering relationship.
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrelsis a quintessential Guy Ritchie movie, with a large cast of scheming British gangsters tangled up in a complex criminal plot. Despite Ritchie’s elaborate narrative, similar toSnatchandThe Gentlemenin that regard,Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrelsends with a brilliantly simple cliffhanger. This moment of calmness makes the decision all the more excruciating.
Despite Ritchie’s elaborate narrative, similar toSnatchandThe Gentlemenin that regard,Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrelsends with a brilliantly simple cliffhanger.
Tom leans over a bridge in London, ready to dump the shotguns into the river, but with his phone ringing as his associates try desperately to tell him that the guns are worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. Ritchie cuts to black before he reveals what Tom does next.The gang probably deserve no reward, but it’s hard not to root for them, and hope that Tom places the guns down safely before answering his phone.
John Wicktells a perfectly self-contained story. There is no cliffhanger that necessitates a sequel, but there are just enough unanswered mysteries to makeChapter 2work. However, it’s the second movie in the franchise which sets up a longer arc for John.John Wick: Chapter 2ends with John being declared “excommunicado”. Scores of assassins watch him as he begins to run, setting up a thrilling sequel.
The second movie in the franchise sets up a longer arc for John.
TheJohn Wickfranchise is growing even larger, but it’s hard to imagine this would have been possible without the cliffhanger at the end ofChapter 2.Fans would already want to return for more stylish, groundbreaking action scenes, butChapter 2gave the franchise a much more urgent narrative.Fortunately,Chapter 3 - Parabellumdelivered on the promise of this cliffhanger.
The Thingfollows a group of scientists at an Antarctic research station who gradually turn against one another when they discover a shape-shifting alien in their midst. In the end, only two men survive, but they know that their prospects don’t look good. As they each suspect the other of being the alien, they sit and share one last drink together as the station burns right beside them.
The Thingnever reveals which of the two men is the alien, but it’s also possible that neither of them are.
The Thing’s ending captures the paranoia and mistrust of the movie. If MacReady and Childs believed each other, there’s a chance they could figure out a way to survive long enough for help to arrive. Instead, they choose to keep a distrustful eye on one another as death draws in.The Thingnever reveals which of the two men is the alien, but it’s also possible that neither of them are.
Quentin Tarantino considersKill Billto be one movie split into two volumes. To ensure that his audience can keep up the same pace, he bridges the gap between the two volumes with a remarkable cliffhanger that leads directly into the next. After finally defeating O-Ren Ishii and the Crazy 88, the Bride leaves Sofie alive to send a message to Bill, who reveals that the Bride’s daughter is still alive.
This cliffhanger returns to the reason why the Bride began her revenge crusade in the first place, but the twist makes her mission more important than pure, righteous retribution.
This cliffhanger returns to the reason why the Bride began her revenge crusade in the first place, but the twist makes her mission more important than pure, righteous retribution. Suddenly, the Bride has someone other than herself to fight for, and this raises the stakes forKill Bill: Vol 2.TheKill Billmovies are relatively light on plot, but Tarantino injects just enough emotion to lend tension to his action sequences.
After the happy ending of the firstStar Warsmovie, the franchise’s first sequel shook things up with a cliffhanger that proved Luke and his allies would not have it so easy the second time around. After Luke discovers that Darth Vader is his father, and has his hand cut off in the process, he watches Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian flying off to retrieve Han Solo, who has been frozen in carbonite and delivered to Jabba the Hutt.
By combining this dramatic personal story with the ongoing galactic conflict, the originalStar Warstrilogy sets up a show-stopping final chapter.
This is a moment of defeat for Luke that teaches him the gravity of his situation. The cliffhanger also carries a genuine sense of jeopardy, since the heroes seem more vulnerable than they ever did before. By combining this dramatic personal story with the ongoing galactic conflict, the originalStar Warstrilogy sets up a show-stopping final chapter.Star Warsalso delivers a brilliant cliffhanger inThe Force Awakens,as Luke reappears for the first time in decades as the resistance’s last hope.
One of Michael Caine’s earliest hits,The Italian Jobuses every ounce of his rough cockney charm to tell the story of a group of British louts who pull a daring heist in Turin.The Italian Jobremains one of thebest heist moviesever, and the iconic ending has only added to its enduring appeal, with audiences debating what happens next. Interestingly, this ending comes out of nowhere, but that doesn’t make it any less appealing.
This open ending has sparked plenty of theories and debates over the years, but there will never be a definitive answer.
The Italian Jobends with a literal cliffhanger, as the gang’s getaway bus slides over the edge of a twisting mountain road. With the weight of the gold pulling the back end toward the abyss,Charlie Croker tells the group that he has a"great idea".What this idea is, and whether it works, isn’t shown. This open ending has sparked plenty of theories and debates over the years, but there will never be a definitive answer.
