No film is without flaws. From plot holes and poor characterizations, to subpar dialogue, movies are always subject to criticism. Some movies have one specific moment that makes them transcend into something barely digestible for audiences, despite having every other narrative element working in their favor. Here are twenty movies that were ruined by a controversial scene.
20Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - Palpatine’s Return
TheStar Warssequel trilogy tried to redefine the bar in several instances. First, it introduced a new villain, Supreme Leader Snoke. Then, it had Rey, a no-name scavenger, take the mantle from Luke Skywalker, subverting the series trend of having a Skywalker as the galaxy’s savior. Lastly, it killed Snoke off and left Kylo Ren as the trilogy’s main villain. WhenThe Rise of Skywalkerrevealed that themastermind behind the sequel trilogy’s eventswas none other than Emperor Palpatine, it not only ruined the trilogy’s momentum, it undid Darth Vader’s character arc inReturn of the Jediand made the entire franchise fall into unoriginality.
19Scream 2 - Randy’s Death
Six films intotheScreamfranchiseand Randy Meeks remains a fan-favorite. And for good reason; Randy is everything you want in a slasher character. He’s charismatic, he knows horror movies like the palm of his hand, and he is always one step ahead of the killer. Yet,Scream 2has the character killed midway through the film, making for a waste of the series' most lovable character. Fortunately, the newestScreaminstallments pay homage to Randy through his niece, Mindy, the Gen-Z version of the character.
Related:Scream Star Mason Gooding Says Chad Was Supposed to Die in the Original Script
18Halloween: Resurrection - Laurie’s Death
Laurie Strode is the original final girl in the slasher genre, and as such, she has a level of respectability among fans. In the late ’90s,Jamie Lee Curtismade a triumphant return as Laurie Strode inHalloween H20, saving the franchise from going in the direct-to-home-video route.Halloween: H20shows what twenty years of untreated trauma did to Laurie Strode, turning her into a tormented woman always on guard, awaiting Michael’s return on any given Halloween night. Then, it turned her into a fighter who faces Michael Myers head-on, seemingly winning their final battle by killing him.Halloween: Resurrectionerases this ending and adds a preposterous plot twist to allow Michael Myers to return, and proceeds to kill Laurie Strode off less than fifteen minutes into the film. The overall plot is underwhelming moving forward, and truly reiterates howHalloweenneeds Laurie Strode to function as a whole.
17Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Snoke’s Death
Supreme Leader Snoke is introduced into theStar Warssequel trilogy as the new titular villain, replacing Emperor Palpatine in theStar Warssequel trilogy. Voiced by Andy Serkis, the character delivers a sinister mood toThe Force Awakensthat makes audiences want to know more about him and his reasons for trying to lure Rey to the dark side of the force. When Kylo Ren abruptly kills Supreme Leader Snoke inThe Last Jedi, and he is never mentioned again inThe Rise of Skywalker,audiences are left feeling cheated by what could have been an excellent villain.
16Halloween Ends - Corey’s Death
EveryHalloweendirector has had their own vision of the franchise, David Gordon Green included. InHalloween Ends, Corey Cunningham embodies the idea of “Evil never dies, it changes shape”, that Gordon Green conceptualized for the franchise, making Michael Myers a looming fear in Haddonfield that can transfer onto any person as opposed to an unbeatable force. Rohan Campbell portrays Corey excellently, instilling genuine fear into the citizens of Haddonfield as he goes on a killing spree, meanwhile maintaining a semblance of his humanity as he was driven by his ill-fated romance with Allyson. By all accounts, Corey is suited to be Michael’s successor and carry the franchise in a fresh direction, yet he meets a dissatisfying demise at the hands of Michael Myers himself, making his whole character seem like a pointless addition to the franchise.
Related:How the Halloween Franchise Can Properly Continue
15The Dark Knight Rises - Bane’s Death
Heath Ledger’s Joker is hard to beat; he is inarguably one of the most twisted villains introduced in a superhero movie, without ever having to lift a finger himself to hurt Batman. Nevertheless, Tom Hardy manages to hold his own as Bane inThe Dark Knight Rises. Bane encompasses society’s greatest fear; a tyrannical dictator bent on complete anarchy. Unlike Joker, Bane manages to physically overpower Batman, incapacitating him and breaking his spirit for months as Gotham is overtaken by Bane’s army. To suddenly see Bane be easily disposed of by Selina Kyle is simply inconceivable, and one of the film’s weakest moments.
14X-Men: The Last Stand - Xavier’s Death
X-Menhas had many character deaths and revivals throughout its franchise, it’s warranted for the sake of moving the plot forward. That noted, Charles Xavier is the glue that keeps the X-Men together, so when he met his untimely demise midway throughX-Men: The Last Stand, the movie felt disjointed moving into its final act. Nevertheless, it is interesting to see Wolverine and the remaining X-Men navigate through obstacles as they battle Magneto and Phoenix without Xavier to guide them.
13X-Men: Dark Phoenix - Mystique’s Death
A good anti-hero is always compelling to watch.X-Men’sMystique is nuanced through and through, and is one of the bestX-Mencharacters brought to life on the big screen. From her introduction inX-Men: First Class,audiences get a taste of Mystique’s angst as she deals with the oppression from society and her own desire to rebel against Xavier’s pacifist mentality. The next couple of films in the franchise have her paving her way from abandoning Xavier to follow Magneto, nearly perpetuating the rise of the Sentinels, going into solitude for some time, and finally returning to Xavier to become part of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters as an instructor. While the focus ofX-Men: Dark Phoenixis Jean Grey’s transformation into Phoenix, Mystique still holds considerable weight as a mentor for younger X-Men, Jean Grey included. To see Mystique be killed off early in the film is a disservice to both the film and her overall character arc.
12Knock at the Cabin - Changing the Book End
Subverting from original endings and certain plot points is expected when books are adapted into film, but that doesn’t excuse changing a book’s entire meaning. M. Night Shyamalan missed the mark by rewriting the original ending ofKnock at the Cabin,having Andrew kill Eric and sparing humanity, whereas the book ending has both walking together to face the apocalypse after questioning a God who wouldn’t accept their child’s death as a sufficient sacrifice. What is supposed to be a tale of theocratic analysis and the human condition, is turned into something entirely different and borderline distasteful by Shyamalan’s artistic liberties.
11The Whale - Thomas’ Character Arc
Bigoted characters are easy villains to move along a movie; it’s inviting to loathe them in their utter vileness.The Whaletackles this character-type in a very subtle way, to a degree where the bigot in question, Thomas, is sympathetic. Thomas is unbending in his religious beliefs, but nevertheless extends compassion to Charlie during his final days. There’s a certain nuance to Thomas' character that makes him engaging to watch; while he’s gentle towards Charlie, he’s vulnerable around Ellie. Thomas isn’t all good or bad, he’s simply human. Yet, Thomas falls into the clichés of most bigoted fictional characters byThe Whale’sthird act, denouncing Charlie for his sexuality and as a result, losing all credibility as a sympathetic character.
