Jacob’s Ladder
When Vietnam War veteran Jacob Singer returns home, he’s plagued by strange visions. Throughout the course of the movie, we learn that the military gave their soldiers psychedelic drugs, which made each man particularly violent and aggressive.
As the movie comes to a close, however, Jacob’s visions switch to calmer, more peaceful hallucinations. The shift is explained by Jacob’s chiropractor, who states that you must come to terms with death and realize that it’s a freedom from the earth, rather than a punishment. Although it’s a bleak explanation, it makes sense within the narrative of the movie.
12 Monkeys
Another time travel movie, 12 Monkeys, focuses on the idea that time travel can’t change the past. At the end of the film, Cole goes back in time and ends up getting shot when he attacks Dr. Peters, fulfilling the scene from the beginning when young Cole watches an unknown man die.
Although Cole didn’t change anything for himself, he was able to get some information to the future that helped create a vaccine. The movie focuses on changing the future, not the past. Hence the “insurance agent” follows Peters at the end of the movie.
Edge of Tomorrow
Edge of Tomorrow’s conclusion doesn’t really make much sense. The movie follows William Cage, who is sent back to the same moment in time every time he dies. In the end, he dies in the process of defeating the aliens, which should send him back to the beginning of the timeline and undo all his hard work.
Instead, Cage wakes up where he started, but his victory over the aliens still stands. The big Hollywood ending results in a happily ever after, but it’s missing some crucial logic.
The Wrestler
The Wrestler stars Mickey Rourke as Randy Robinson, a pro wrestler who’s warned that he’ll kill himself if he continues fighting. Robinson, however, cares very little for his life, especially since he’s ruined every relationship he has had outside of the ring.
He continues to fight, ending with one last jump from the ropes where the breath finally leaves his body. Before we reach a full conclusion, however, the film cuts to black. While fans like to debate whether or not Robinson survived, the director confirmed that Robinson did indeed pass away in the arena, where he felt most alive.
Annihilation
Annihilation offers plenty of confusion throughout the film, and it might have you scratching your head when you reach the end. While the explorers look into the Shimmer, Lena (Natalie Portman) engages in a fight with her doppelganger. When the winner emerges, we can’t be sure it’s the real Lena. She later reunites with her husband, and their eyes change to match the Shimmer.
While the ending left viewers wondering whether the characters were real or alien, it doesn’t really matter. The Shimmer only represents the self-destructive nature that lives inside all of us, so it will never truly be gone.