Skip to main content
  • TotalFilm
  • Edge
  • Newsarama
  • Retrogamer
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
Don't miss these
Dune
Movies Movie release dates 2026: Every major film coming to cinemas and streaming
Dune 2
Movies Upcoming movies: The most exciting new movies coming in 2026 and beyond
Cillian Murphy as Tommy in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
Movies The 25 best movies on Netflix to watch right now
(L to R) Steven Yeun as Detective Mike Ro, Matt Damon as Lieutenant Dane Dumars, Ben Affleck as Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne, and Kyle Chandler as DEA Agent Mateo 'Matty' Nix in The Rip.
Action Movies The 25 best Netflix action movies to watch right now
The Lion King is undoubtedly one of the best movies on Disney Plus
Movies The 30 best movies on Disney Plus to watch right now
Pyramid Head stands ominously in the rain in Silent Hill 2 remake
Survival Horror Games All Silent Hill 2 Remake endings
Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in The Godfather.
Streaming Services The 20 best movies on Paramount Plus to watch right now
Billie Roy in Lee Cronin's The Mummy
Horror Movies Upcoming horror movies coming in 2026 and beyond
How to watch the Star Wars movies in order
Star Wars Movies How to watch the Star Wars movies in order (release and chronological)
Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven in Stranger Things season 5 volume 2
Sci-Fi Shows Stranger Things season 5 finale review: “Shows off both the best and the worst of Hawkins”
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles in Sonic 3
Amazon Prime Video The 25 best movies on Prime Video to watch right now
The 30 best sci-fi movies of all time: pictures of Alien, Arrival, Terminator, Brazil and 2001.
Sci-Fi Movies The 30 best sci-fi movies of all time
Matthew Lillard as Stu Macher in Scream 1996
Horror Movies Scream 7 baits fans into thinking an underrated horror icon was finally getting his due – and I'm not happy about it
Jacob Elordi as the Creature in Frankenstein
Horror Movies The 25 best Netflix horror movies to watch right now
Godzilla in Godzilla Minus One
Sci-Fi Movies The 10 best sci-fi movies on Netflix to watch right now
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

50 Most Illogical Movie Endings

Features
By George Wales published 1 February 2013

What just happened?

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

Jacobs Ladder (1990)

The Ending: We are told that the entire film has been Jacob’s dying dream as he lies on a Vietnam battlefield. It comes out of nowhere.

If It Had Made More Sense: We would have been treated to an ending that didn’t feel as though it had been written by a teenager struggling to end a creative writing exam.

Back To The Future pt. 3 (1990)

The Ending: The Doc manages to construct another time machine out of a steam train, but as we know, time travel require plutonium. And back in the Old West, the Doc doesn’t have any.

If It Had Made More Sense:
Somehow, the Doc would have spirited some spare plutonium back to the Old West in case of just such an eventuality. Perhaps that’s what happened, and we just weren’t told…

Django Unchained (2012)

The Ending: Spoilers here obviously, so if you haven’t seen it, don’t read it. Right, for those of you who have, you’ll know that the film is set in 1858. You’ll also know that Django blows up Candieland with a whole heap of dynamite. But what you might not know, is that the explosive wouldn’t be invented until 1867…

If It Had Made More Sense: Django would have settled for just shooting everyone in the house as opposed to destroying the building itself.

You may like
  • Movie fans are debating the otherwise bad films saved by amazing endings, and you bet Terminator 3 is on the list 
  • Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in The Godfather. The 20 best movies on Paramount Plus to watch right now
  • The 30 best sci-fi movies of all time: pictures of Alien, Arrival, Terminator, Brazil and 2001. The 30 best sci-fi movies of all time

Source Code (2011)

The Ending: Having carefully created a complex system of internal logic, the film suddenly moves the goalposts when Jake Gyllenhaal’s character realises he can live on in the alternative timeline created by the source code. Happy ending ahoy!

If It Had Made Sense: We’d do away with the final twist and finish the film with the touching kiss aboard the train carriage.

The Hitcher (2007)

The Ending: The film takes a turn for the ridiculous as Sean Bean’s hitcher manages to slip off a pair of handcuffs and kill his entire police escort. Just like that.

If It Had Made Sense: We’d have liked to have seen Sophia Bush’s character unable to restrain herself from killing the hitcher, and then being taken into custody herself. It’d require less of a leap of faith!

Valentine (2001)

The Ending: David Boreanaz is very clearly the killer, only for another figure to appear wearing the Valentine mask, who Boreanaz then shoots. So it wasn’t him all along! Except it was, because the telltale nosebleed gives him away just moments later.

If It Had Made Sense: Boreanaz would have been revealed as the killer without having to strap a mask onto somebody else for the sake of stringing things out for an extra couple of minutes.

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (2005)

The Ending: Voldemort lures Harry into the graveyard at Little Hangleton by making the Triwizard Cup a portkey. Now, most portkeys are one-way jobs, but this most important of portkeys is two-way, allowing Harry to escape back to Hogwarts. Why?

If It Had Made Sense:
Harry would have been stuck in the cemetery. Although that might have brought things to a premature close…

Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

The Game (1997)

The Ending: All the chaos that has been enveloping Michael Douglas’ character was actually all part of an elaborate birthday party prank. Incredibly, he shakes off a wealth of broken glass and gets on with the fun.

If It Had Made Sense: He’d have been furious and probably would have stormed out. Probably while losing a lot of blood after that crash through the skylight.

Superman 2 (1980)

The Ending: Supes is revealed to be able to wipe Lois’ memory simply by kissing her. Nothing wrong with that, in that its Superman, and he can do pretty much anything. But if he possesses the power of mind control, why have we never seen it before? And why is he bothering to conceal his identity from people if he can just kiss it away again?

If It Had Made Sense:
Maybe he could have knocked her over the head? Not quite as romantic, we suppose.

Batman Begins (2005)

The Ending: Ra’s Al Gul attacks Gotham by vaporising its water supply. Apparently however, his vaporising machine has no effect on the water that makes up 75% of the human body.

If It Had Made Sense:
His evil plan would have been achieved without the aid of such an implausible WMD. Maybe a good old fashioned bomb would suffice.

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Current page: Page 2

Prev Page Page 1 Next Page Page 3
George Wales
George Wales
Social Links Navigation

George was once GamesRadar's resident movie news person, based out of London. He understands that all men must die, but he'd rather not think about it. But now he's working at Stylist Magazine.

Read more
Movie fans are debating the otherwise bad films saved by amazing endings, and you bet Terminator 3 is on the list 
 
 
Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in The Godfather.
The 20 best movies on Paramount Plus to watch right now
 
 
The 30 best sci-fi movies of all time: pictures of Alien, Arrival, Terminator, Brazil and 2001.
The 30 best sci-fi movies of all time
 
 
Year in Review: The Best of 2025 main listing image for Best Movies of 2025 featuring images from Weapons, Superman, Sinners, and The Long Walk
The 25 Best Movies of 2025
 
 
Matilda Lawler, Clara Stack, Blake Cameron James, and Amanda Christine as Marge, Lilly, Will, and Ronnie in the It: Welcome to Derry finale
IT: Welcome to Derry episode 8 ends with a clever twist that sets up season 2 and fixes my biggest prequel frustration
 
 
Keanu Reeves as FBI Agent Johnny Utah and Patrick Swayze as Bodhi "Bodhisattva" in the movie Point Break.
The best movies on Hulu to watch right now
 
 
Latest in Movies
Dafne Keen brandishing her claws as Laura/X-23 in Deadpool and Wolverine
Marvel fans are debating whether Dafne Keen should become Wolverine or stay as X-23, and I've already chosen a side
 
 
Five Nights at Freddy's 2
After the first two movies were written by Scott Cawthon, Five Nights at Freddy's 3 reportedly has new screenwriters
 
 
Mortal Kombat movie
Mortal Kombat 2 star joins in with Street Fighter movie beef after Game Awards dig because he "loves a good rivalry"
 
 
Fujino and Kyomoto eating in Look Back
Live-action adaptation of Chainsaw Man creator's Look Back will escape Japanese cinemas and come to the west
 
 
Aang, Sokka and Katara standing on a stone wall during the series Avatar: The Last Airbender
Aang director confirms the next Avatar movie has wrapped, but seems to be still fighting for a theatrical release
 
 
Princess Rosalina in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie trailer
Certified Nintendo fangirl and Rosalina actor Brie Larson says Super Mario Galaxy is one of her favorite games
 
 
Latest in Features
BG3
The future of RPGs is isometric
 
 
Photo of a Mario nendoroid figure holding a microSD Express card with a Turtle Beach Switch 2 case in the background.
These Mario Day-inspired Switch 2 accessories will power up your console more than a super star
 
 
Underside of Alienware 16 Area-51 gaming laptop with glass viewing window and RGB fans
We could get a shock when 2026 gaming laptop prices are unveiled, here's what you need to know about buying this year
 
 
Emily Rudd as Nami and Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy in Netflix's One Piece
One Piece season 2 ending explained: Who is Mr. Zero? Who dies? Will there be a season 3?
 
 
In Hitman World of Assassination, Agent 47 sits at the departure gate in an airport during the loading screen
After weeks spent locked into Hitman's Freelancer mode, I realize there's one vital thing 007 First Light needs to learn
 
 
Mario gadgets, accessories, and games on a blue background
The ultimate Mario Day starter pack, kit up for the plumber's big day
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Elsa Bloodshot in Marvel Rivals
    1
    Marvel Rivals devs couldn't help but "panic" at the thought of going into the live-service graveyard that just claimed Highguard: "It's not guaranteed"
  2. 2
    "It's going to be really f***ing hard": Diablo 4 is getting 8 new difficulty tiers in Lord of Hatred because Blizzard wants OP builds to actually have to try
  3. 3
    Marvel fans are debating whether Dafne Keen should become Wolverine or stay as X-23, and I've already chosen a side
  4. 4
    "I wouldn't rule out a Palworld 2.0," says Pocketpair publishing head, but don't expect a "No Man's Sky situation" with a "decade of continuous, massive updates"
  5. 5
    "Whoever sells more copies pays for the other's therapy": Peak came about after a bet between Content Warning and Another Crab's Treasure leads, and ironically the friendslop collab that followed sold more than both games combined

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...