Top 10 Most Controversial Film Endings

Christopher Nolan's spinning top finale left millions debating whether Cobb was still dreaming. The deliberately ambiguous final shot became one of the most discussed movie endings of the century.

Frank Darabont's gut-wrenching deviation from Stephen King's novella features a father mercy-killing his own son moments before rescue arrives. Even King said he wished he had thought of the ending himself.

Steven Spielberg's extended coda where aliens reunite David with a clone of his mother divided audiences sharply. Critics argued Kubrick would have ended the film at the underwater Pinocchio scene.

David Fincher's adaptation of Gillian Flynn's novel ends with a psychopathic wife and her trapped husband choosing to stay together. The nihilistic conclusion about modern marriage shocked audiences expecting justice.

David Chase's abrupt cut to black mid-scene during the final dinner remains the most debated ending in television history. The ambiguity of Tony's fate has fueled over a decade of analysis and argument.

The Monty Python troupe ended their Arthurian comedy with the police arriving to arrest everyone, abruptly cutting the film short. First-time viewers are invariably bewildered by this deliberate anticlimax.

Denis Villeneuve's psychological thriller ends with Jake Gyllenhaal discovering a giant spider in his bedroom. The surreal final image sent audiences scrambling for explanations of the film's doppelganger allegory.

Sandy transforms into a leather-clad bad girl to win Danny, and their car literally flies into the sky. The message that women should change themselves for men, capped with magical realism, has aged controversially.

Damien Chazelle's bittersweet montage showing the life Mia and Sebastian could have had together before they part with a smile devastated romantic audiences. The ending sparked fierce debate about whether ambition should triumph over love.

Christopher Nolan's spinning top finale left millions debating whether Cobb was still dreaming. The deliberately ambiguous final shot became one of the most discussed movie endings of the century.

Frank Darabont's gut-wrenching deviation from Stephen King's novella features a father mercy-killing his own son moments before rescue arrives. Even King said he wished he had thought of the ending himself.

Steven Spielberg's extended coda where aliens reunite David with a clone of his mother divided audiences sharply. Critics argued Kubrick would have ended the film at the underwater Pinocchio scene.

David Fincher's adaptation of Gillian Flynn's novel ends with a psychopathic wife and her trapped husband choosing to stay together. The nihilistic conclusion about modern marriage shocked audiences expecting justice.

David Chase's abrupt cut to black mid-scene during the final dinner remains the most debated ending in television history. The ambiguity of Tony's fate has fueled over a decade of analysis and argument.

The Monty Python troupe ended their Arthurian comedy with the police arriving to arrest everyone, abruptly cutting the film short. First-time viewers are invariably bewildered by this deliberate anticlimax.

Denis Villeneuve's psychological thriller ends with Jake Gyllenhaal discovering a giant spider in his bedroom. The surreal final image sent audiences scrambling for explanations of the film's doppelganger allegory.

Sandy transforms into a leather-clad bad girl to win Danny, and their car literally flies into the sky. The message that women should change themselves for men, capped with magical realism, has aged controversially.

Damien Chazelle's bittersweet montage showing the life Mia and Sebastian could have had together before they part with a smile devastated romantic audiences. The ending sparked fierce debate about whether ambition should triumph over love.