The movies that left us hanging

MANILA, Philippines - Every movie has got to have a conclusion, but is this always the case? Not really. There are just some movies that leave its viewers hanging — wondering until the next day or so about the film. Some people would even watch the movie again, just so their minds could finally be at peace. It could be entertaining and disappointing at the same time, but this is one of the experiences viewers can have when watching a movie — nothing personal, purely for entertainment.

Here are some of the films that have left viewers searching for answers:

The Happening. An airborne virus that makes people kill themselves spreads in a city. A scientist, together with some survivors, tries to protect themselves. After all the deaths in the movie, it’s just surprising how simple the explanation was. Where does this virus come from? Why does it come and go so fast? How does it make people kill themselves?

Somewhere in Time. A young playwright falls in love with a beautiful lady in an old portrait. Determined to meet this woman, he travels back in time using self-hypnosis. They meet; they fall in love and then they separate when the guy awakes from hypnotism. Was it really self-hypnosis and everything was just the guy’s imagination? If it was, why was his name in the hotel’s old registry book? Also, why is it that the he was in another room when he woke up?

Planet of the Apes. An astronaut, who’s lost in time, lands in a strange planet where humans are slaves and apes rule. After winning over the tyrant ape leader, the astronaut travels back home but finds out that he is even in bigger trouble. How was it that even the Earth was over ruled by the apes? The movie never explained it. Guess the viewers would just need to think of answers for themselves.

The Strangers. A couple stays at a vacation house not knowing that they are to be victims of three masked murderers. While this film was successful in bringing horror, it left its viewers wondering — what is the motive of the murderers? What’s the reason behind their behavior?

Blair Witch Project. A group of young people sets off to find out about a witch. Using their video camera, they record everything. By the end of the movie, they are all dead. Last to die was the one holding the camera. Was there really a witch? Was it the witch attacking them or other entities or maybe just another human?

The Last Exorcism. A girl from a remote farm is said to be possessed by a powerful evil spirit. A preacher exorcises her but failed to do so. As the girl’s condition worsens, the preacher continues to help her and soon finds out that there may be another reason for the girl’s behavior. Upon witnessing a ritual being done to the girl by her father and other followers, the preacher and his team were killed. Whatever caused the girl to have such a behavior? Was she possessed or not?

Inception. The movie is about a spy who can go in to people’s dreams and get useful information. He accepts a mission to input information to dreams. The movie seems complicated as much as the ending. After watching the movie, viewers are left with one ultimate question: Was the ending a reality or a dream?

Zodiac. Authorities are in search of a mysterious murderer who leaves symbols and letters as clues to his next killings. After several victims, a suspect is caught but there is not enough evidence to prove the charges. By the end of the film, a victim identified the same suspect but before the suspect could be further questioned, he died. So is this suspect the real murderer? If so, then why is it that at the end of the film it still says otherwise?

12 Monkeys. In the future time, a convicted man agrees to go back to the past to find out about a virus that spreads all over the world. His mission is to take a sample of the virus in order for the government of the future to find a cure. Was the earth saved from the virus? Or was it still spread? What is the meaning of the last line in the movie, “Jones is my name, I’m an insurance”?

Memento. A man suffering from amnesia tries to solve the murder of his wife. With all the little flash backs and clues, will he ever solve the case? The movie requires a great deal of concentration from the audience. It moves in two time lines that might cause confusion, hence the questions.