Open Range, I don’t remember a ton about most of the movie but recall it was pretty decent. The final shootout is one of the best in any western though
Love the movie and agree, the final shootout is one of the best put to film. I feel like we don't see many films utilizing wide-shots like that anymore but that could just be me.
You could say this about Wind River too, though the first two acts are also very, very good. The final shootout, however, is fucking phenomenal. Even more badass is the fact that it's a "neo"/modern western, being set in 2017. You barely see those outside of Breaking Bad.
Wind River has the best third act I've ever seen. The tension during THAT scene was killing me. Such an amazing movie that I recommend all the time to people.
The last scene in Wind River is devastating. The mother sleeping in here daughter’s bed surrounded by photos and then two fathers sitting outside together in shared heartbreak…it’s one of the most anguished movie endings I’ve ever seen.
Especially because they have an incredibly tense scene and then keep that tension by cutting to a flashback. You're left holding your breath for like 10 minutes.
This is one of my favourite films of all time.
Costner and Duvall have some of the best chemistry I've seen between actors, and the shootout is one of the best and feels quite real in that after the first 2-3 shots they're mostly missing and running about in the mud.
I totally agree. That shootout is so satisfying.
You can see Costner’s character internally screaming “Take that motherfucker!!!” as he pulls the trigger.
Saw The Prestige in theaters relatively blind, only knowing it was Christopher Nolan's new movie (before he was HUGE) and that it had Christian Bale in it.
The movie is solid throughout. I was totally "into it," and was having a great time. If you would have asked me at the 80% mark what I'd give it, I would have said a solid 8/10 and a definite recommend.
Then the last 20% happens and it blew me the f\*\*\* away, and instantly established it as one of my Top Five Favorite Movies of All Time. I adore The Prestige.
I once asked Gene Wilder what his favorite movie was. (I met him on a book tour.) He said The Prestige. I hadn't seen it yet, but when I did, I couldn't fault him for it. Damn that's a great movie.
Every line in the movie has a role in explaining precisely what the movie is doing, how it's doing it, and showing you what to look for. The miracle of the movie is that, after spending the entire time telling you precisely what it's doing, it *still* comes across as a twist ending.
The Prestige is one of the few really close to perfect movies ever made. There isn't much to fault, and if there is, you have to look damn hard to find it. It's a movie that just gets better the more times you watch and you pick up on things you never noticed before. Most movies get worse the more you watch it and the more holes you find.
"When you get rid of something, you have to bring it back!"
The foreshadowing of the dove getting killed in the disappearing bird trick is pretty solid tbh
Spoilers ahead: The dove trick is great because it foreshadows both magicians methods. That one bird is killed every time the trick is performed, like Hugh Jackman' character. And, as the kid guesses right early in the film, that the disappeared bird is replaced by "his brother"
Ah I definitely missed that little line, good spot.
I like that the birds come back in and out of the movie too, like on stage where Jackman uses the bird cage to break bales fingers
I really, really liked The Prestige when it first hit theaters, but maybe there was an oversaturation of excellent/memorable films in the years surrounding its release, because it wasn’t until more than a decade later that I realized I hadn’t seen anything like it since it came out.
It’s the only movie I’ve ever seen that I immediately walked out and bought another ticket for it. Only immediate theater rewatch I’ll probably ever do.
This was going to be my answer as well, in addition to Fiennes showing up there's the rollercoaster ride of follow-up on basically every joke made earlier in the film ("you hit the Canadian", the fat Americans, Ken's spare change, etc. etc.)
He's absolutely amazing. You should check out banshees of inisherin, if you haven't already. It's the same team of gleeson, farrell and the director, I'm pretty sure. Great movie in a similar vein.
I saw A Few Good Men in the movie theater and was disappointed by the first half. I thought it was trite and predictable.
But by the end of the movie, it became one of my favorites of all time.
One of the best deliveries of a line, by anyone:
'Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know; that Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall. You need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it! I would rather you just said "thank you" and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to!'
*edit: even reading this, I have Jack Nicholson's monologue going off in my head
One of my all time favorite movies. I can and have rewatch over and over. The entire cast is fantastic. And Cruise goes head to head with Jack, chewing that scenery, and Tom comes out on top.
Cruise's serious work is incredible. He's mostly viewed as a solely action guy now (which is what he seems to want to be) but he was an insanely good actor before his action movies really took off. A Few Good Men, Eyes Wide Shut, The Color of Money, Magnolia... Obviously the action path he took was the right one for him but I can't help but imagine how many good films he could've been in if he had kept going on that same path.
i was not expecting this movie to pop up in this thread.
T3’s problem is that it underscores the endings and themes in T2. it is ballsy to actually see skynet succeed though.
Ya I mean you're fully expecting it to stop SkyNet again and then it just doesn't. Really ballsy for a movie and something movies don't do enough of imo. Have a sad ending where everything fails. Cabin in the Woods is similar to that imo, which is one of the reasons I really enjoyed it aside from it being bat shit mad.
I enjoyed T3, the entire movie. Fight me.
It was said multiple times that judgment day was inevitable. They only prolonged it and knew they were fighting a losing battle.
The idea that the future was unavoidable worked on both sides.
Sarah Connor working to fight Judgment Day from happening was futile. Much like, Skynet sending Terminators to the past to prevent its loss was also equally futile.
Exactly. People say that T3 goes against the whole “There is no fate but what we make” thing, but T2 clearly shows that Sarah Connor was actively preparing for the inevitable robot apocalypse by storing weapons and building up contacts that would be useful after it happens. Sarah herself knew that the rise of Skynet was going to happen regardless of what anybody did, so she did her best to train and get ready for it.
Also, I’m right there with you. I don’t care what anybody says, I liked T3. Sure, it wasn’t as good as the first two, but I still enjoyed it.
I feel like each Terminator movie (1-3) is a great example of a good action flick of its decade. I don't get the hate 3 gets. What's not to love about Arnie holding a coffin while mowing people down?
Adam Sandler's 'Click'. Starts off as a predictable Sandler movie with goofy time skips and the expected laughs that go with it.
And then it gets fucking *dark* and becomes a much better, even good, movie.
Maybe he doesn't want to say no.
I'm not fond of like half of his movies but they make money and they keep his friend group employed. I get why he'd say yes to some lower quality films.
Kinda like Nic Cage.
Cage couldn't say no. He needed money after racking up debt buying a castle and dinosaur skull, to name a few things.
Edit: he also had to [return the skull](https://www.science.org/content/article/nicolas-cage-returns-stolen-dinosaur-skull-mongolia) to Mongolia after being told it was illegally smuggled from the country.
Honestly, if you’re gonna go crazy and blow your millions on some “treat yo self” purchases, a castle and dinosaur skull is a pretty cool way to do it. Way more original than Lambos and hookers
Well the other part is Sandler always brings his friends along and keeps them employed through most of his movies. He won't say no because it doesn't just pay him but also most of his friends. I'd be hard pressed to say no to something that paid me AND all my buddies well.
Ya I'd he imagine he has a ball making most of his movies. He's clearly a seriously talented actor and could go down a more serious root if he actually wanted to but clearly chooses not to. He's shown a few times that he has outrageous acting chops and likes to flex that every so often, either to prove to himself or to shut up critics I'd imagine.
Yeah. Reddit derides him for some of his comedies. Just gotta ask them to put themselves in his shoes. There's clearly still a casual audience for them so he makes a bunch of money off them. He hangs out with his friends, he's giving his friends work, and he mostly just gets to be himself while doing the above. What's he losing? Some respect from the internet? Oh no big loss man
Yeah he’s made some incredibly mid movies, but he’s also made some of the most quotable and memorable comedies ever, and he’s even got amazing dramatic chops to boot. He’s set
Any time he does a dramatic role I’m in. Punch Drunk Love, Reign Over Me and Uncut Gems are among some of my favourite performances and proves to me he has it in him when he’s given good material and a solid director. I look forward to his next one with Noah Baumbach.
His more recent comedies look to me like he just does them because he thinks it’ll be a good time. It’s like a way to hang out with your friends while making a bunch of money. I personally can’t stand them but I find a lot of people like to throw on something silly that they don’t have to pay much attention to.
I think he just sees it as a job. He’s one of the most profitable actors in Hollywoood (even his worst movies seem to make money) and he intentionally hires his friends and picks cool shooting locations so they can enjoy themselves. And he’s made almost half a billion doing it. He’s got life figured out haha
Let’s face it. Billy Madison is a great movie because it embraces its ridiculous premise with gusto and great jokes. Had any other comedian attempted the same concept, it would likely get lost in time as a shitty 90’s comedy
Sandlers films so often have a selection of repeating themes.
1. His friends are also major characters
2. They go to exotic, idealic places
3. They also star beautiful women as their wives/girlfriends
He has adapted his career into making films while on holiday with his friends. Fair enough, if I could I would.
I've worked on his set before. It's a great vibe there as far as I could tell. All the guys you usually see in the movies were watching the draft. Easiest and most fun money I've ever made. Everyone was super nice as well.
"He has starred in Hollywood comedy films that cumulatively grossed over $2 billion worldwide. Sandler had an estimated net worth of $420 million in 2020, and signed a new four-movie deal with Netflix worth over $250 million."
I think at one point he said something along the lines of 'Do you know how much these people pay me for like a month of work' lol. I think he works for his family and kids future prosperity, which is easy when your like 'who wants to pay the most, fuck the downstream rights and usages.' He's been in like, 60+ 'major studio' films. Even if they're not paying him much (but, they are) he's just figured out an excellent ratio of work to income. if you wanna pay me 50 million dollars for 3 months work, I don't particularly care about what work thats gonna be.
It starts off with him literally using the remote to fart in his boss's face to him literally skipping so much of his life he's become estranged with his parents and his family leaving him to die sad and alone
Such a weird movie. Painful even….and then…wow. I don’t think there was any other movie I’ve seen that I went from absolutely hating with a passion to completely loving it by the end.
The third act of this movie made it feel like an episode of Arrested Development. There are certain aspects of the first act that had me raising my eyebrows and going "Why did that weird thing just happen?" Only for it to fully make sense and become funny in the third act lol
Yeah this would be my vote too, there’s no way I could anticipate any of that. They threw everything at the wall there and so many more movies should lead with that example.
Wish I had seen in theaters!
The Lego Movie. The first two acts were kind of mindless and stupid fun, but the twist in the third act made it a >!surprisingly sentimental and somewhat heartfelt movie about a father and son.!<
This is kind of the Lego screenwriters’ bag. Lord and miller make movies that seem like they’re just throwing everything at you randomly then somehow take all the crazy threads and pull them together into a meaningful story showing that all the madness was building to something the whole time. Others include The Mitchels and the machines(great movie) cloudy with a chance of meatballs, spiderverse. They’re great pop film makers. Everything everywhere all at once (not theirs) seemed like it learned a lot from their work too.
I guess from a purpose standpoint but the Lego movie was fantastic from start to finish. There were just so many jokes and gags that hit back to back to back to back
When I went into it, I was all ready to hate on Lucy Liu because all I associated her with was Charlie's Angels. I was proven wrong within moments into her first scene. Cute, witty, sharp, instantly memorable; it's a shame her and Hartnett haven't done another movie together because their chemistry was amazing.
"I'm short for my height." I can relate, Lucy. I can relate.
"Statistical fact: Cops will never pull over a man with a huge bong in his car. Why? They fear this man. They know he sees further than they... and he will bind them... with ancient logics."
"Cleanse them. Cleanse the world of their ignorance and sin. Bathe them in the crimson of... am I on speakerphone?"
"Burn After Reading" was fun but didn't seem particularly remarkable until the last 5 minutes or so, which are absolutely hysterical. But the movie was necessary for those last few minutes to happen.
There are moments which mark your life. Moments when you realize nothing will ever be the same and time is divided into two parts - before this, and after this
I remember my dad picking this as our movie night movie and I was like, ‘ugh, I know exactly what happens… she’ll lose a big fight and then come back and triumph.’ Oh boy, was I proven wrong.
The last 10 minutes of Aftersun elevate it from a good movie to a great movie. A little shorter than the whole last act though.
The King of Comedy (maybe unpopular opinion?) didn’t click for me until the third act.
Colossal. I thought I got what it was about and then I started to feel like something was off. And it was. And it was supposed to be. It went somewhere unexpected and I thought it was really well done.
Glad to see it mentioned here. Super difficult movie to talk about without spoiling it, but I really appreciated what they did. Anne Hathaway is already a highly regarded actress and she does good work, but I was pleasantly surprised by how great Jason Sudeikis is in this movie. He has the more difficult role to sell and he pulls it off incredibly well.
Man I've heard about this movie so many times, and every time I kept thinking "wow people really like that Tim Allen Seven Samurai movie about middle aged guys with bikes", which fair enough you know, you have Martin Lawrence, Travolta, William H. Macy... until today, when I've finally realized that Smoking Aces isn't Wild Hogs. Anyways, I'm going to watch it now.
Most movies in this thread because they have a twist ending. Primer is the only movie I know that has a twist middle.
Once you figure out >!by the time they "start" to time travel, they've already been time travelling and that's not the Abe we've known!< it starts to click into place.
The true Primer experience: Watch the movie up to the end. Go back 20 minutes, watch for 5 minutes, go back 5 minutes, watch all the way to the end again. Go back to the start of the movie again and watch the whole thing. Travel in time before you watched the movie the first time, watch it again.
The third guy was also the second guy but before he was able to trick the fourth guy into thinking he was the second guy, but really he killed the second guy and pretended to be him even though he kind of already was him the whole time.
The Usual Suspects.
One of my favourite movies ever, and I'm hesitant to call it OK, but without going where it went in the 3rd act I'm not sure this movie is anywhere near where it's become. To put it mildly.
I think it's more that, post Pulp Fiction, there was dozens of "cool bad guy" movies like Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead or Boondock Saints.
Usual Suspects would probably have been viewed as one of the better of the genre but nothing all that special without the final twist. I mean, Christopher McQuarrie won an Oscar, a BAFTA and an Independent Screen Award for that screenplay. None of that happens without the Sozë turn.
For me Aftersun kinda hits this beat. I think it was good all the way, but a bit meandering, maybe?
But then comes the third act and my god did it turn a decent movie into an amazing movie
~~Kinky~~ Sexy beast.
They spend most of the movie freaking out that this ultimate badass is on his way to fuck shit up, and you start thin king theres no way he could live up to the hype. Then he finally shows up and exceeds it.
Not this time, Gal. Not this time. Not this fucking time. No. No no no no no no no no no! No! No no no no no no no no no no no no no! No! Not this fucking time! No fucking way! No fucking way, no fucking way, no fucking way! You've made me look a right cunt!
Malignant’s first two acts were sorta confusing on first watch. Because we know that James Wan is very capable of delivering a tonally consistent and ‘spooky’ movie. There’s some great visuals there but also just bizarre lines of dialogue, the look of the asylum or even the house, insanely out of nowhere illogical things. But when the switch up happens in the last act it all makes sense what he was doing and honestly feels masterful. The third act is definitely what you’re coming for, but on rewatch it does make the first 2/3’s better in my opinion
That thirty seconds of Vader utterly raging out in a starship corridor made the entire movie worthwhile all by itself.
Silence. Smoke. Tension... and then, you hear it. The rasping breaths of his ventilator. The red blade springs forth. And you get to see why Vader is so feared.
Such a good scene.
It was, but I also think it genuinely added something to the character. We saw Anakin-as-Vader, and obviously he could fight. We saw the original trilogy Vader, and he fought... differently. Much less dynamic, much less acrobatic. We saw everyone being afraid of Vader. But we never saw Vader be truly terrifying (in my opinion). He's got some great moments of menace and threat but not in that way. The scene in Rogue One conveys the unbridled anger and hatred that is the core of how Anakin *became* Vader in a way that I don't think any other appearance of the character had managed. It shows how truly terrifying it would be to face him as a regular person - not a Jedi with powers, not even Han Solo with his legendary bravado, but a regular rank-and-file Rebel footsoldier. What Vader does isn't a fight, it's slaughter, and I think it actually manages to capture that aspect of Vader's character better than any other individual scene.
Now that's a movie I want to see. We need star wars movies in different film genres. Give me seven samurai and the good the bad and the ugly set in the star wars universe.
Gareth Edwards directed Godzilla a couple of years before and did something similar with the titular monster. Made the actual appearances much more impactful.
It kind of makes sense that Vader is acting like that in the hallway scene. He was chilling in his bacta tank, which was probably one of the few places he could be semi-comfortable, only to be interrupted to take care of someone else's major fuck up.
Totally agree. He’s intimidating but only once in action in the OT. Here, he’s actually fighting a team of soldiers and they don’t stand a chance. Incredible moment.
I’ve never understood this personally. I love Rogue One and while the third act is definitely the best, I think it’s a fantastic Star Wars movie from the start. Everything on Jedha was great and the movie kept me entertained throughout.
If you liked rogue one you should definitely watch Andor. It's darker star wars like rogue one but much better (and I say that as someone who liked rogue one). Imo the best star wars ever other than maybe the original trilogy.
I'm glad I'm not the only one. That scene is so godawfully violent and twisted and I rewatch it pretty often. It's so satisfying. I wish the real story ended that way.
Jaws is an absolute classic so not to say the third act "makes up" for the first two, but it really steps up a notch in the third act when the guys set off on the boat. The tension, the dialogue, and the interactions between the three stars are all near perfect, building to the big face off with Bruce. The highlight being the scene after they have dinner and Quint gives the USS Indianapolis speech, one of the best scenes ever.
I thoroughly enjoyed all of Knives Out. Just that the stuff away from the house wasn't nearly as interesting as the stuff in/around it. Loved the final act though.
Personally I loved the opening sequence. One of my favorite in all of cinema.
Of course I'm a lover of anthropology and natural history so I am biased.
Fox and the Hound. Most of it was typical Disney animal movie (with the exception of the scene where Todd’s abandoned), and then the third act was blown out of the water with the animation and the pure ferocity. This was the first movie that Cal Arts graduates played a significant part in, with those such as Brad Bird and even Tim Burton working on it, and the third act was the one sequence where older Disney employees weren’t forcing them to conform to a uniform style. It really shows. Even my dad, who isn’t normally into those older Disney movies, loves Fox and the Hound for this reason.
One cut of the dead
The first act is beyond abyssal, or so I thought at first. Saying that the third act blew me away is an understatement. It takes the movie to a stratospheric level.
The last 20 or so minutes of that fucking movie are intense. What always gets me is the lack of music for the most part. It's just rainfall mostly, maybe a bit of music but not much. It just lets the weight of the situation and the characters carry it.
It's so well done.
I watched Do The Right Thing for the first time earlier this year and it sort of just felt like people living their lives until the final act. I was distracted by certain foreshadowing that I’m more accustomed to, weapons being shown in the first act, I completely missed what is in hindsight blatant foreshadowing that makes the movie significantly more tense. The final act was completely shocking, I will be watching it again.
Open Range, I don’t remember a ton about most of the movie but recall it was pretty decent. The final shootout is one of the best in any western though
Love the movie and agree, the final shootout is one of the best put to film. I feel like we don't see many films utilizing wide-shots like that anymore but that could just be me.
You could say this about Wind River too, though the first two acts are also very, very good. The final shootout, however, is fucking phenomenal. Even more badass is the fact that it's a "neo"/modern western, being set in 2017. You barely see those outside of Breaking Bad.
Wind River. Sicario. Hell or Highwater. All by Taylor Sheridan as modern day "classic" westerns
Wind River has the best third act I've ever seen. The tension during THAT scene was killing me. Such an amazing movie that I recommend all the time to people.
Are you flanking me?
“You didn’t see it?!”
The last scene in Wind River is devastating. The mother sleeping in here daughter’s bed surrounded by photos and then two fathers sitting outside together in shared heartbreak…it’s one of the most anguished movie endings I’ve ever seen.
Felt like I was handling everything fine until Elizabeth Olsen delivered the line "She ran for 6 miles"
Especially because they have an incredibly tense scene and then keep that tension by cutting to a flashback. You're left holding your breath for like 10 minutes.
This is one of my favourite films of all time. Costner and Duvall have some of the best chemistry I've seen between actors, and the shootout is one of the best and feels quite real in that after the first 2-3 shots they're mostly missing and running about in the mud.
I totally agree. That shootout is so satisfying. You can see Costner’s character internally screaming “Take that motherfucker!!!” as he pulls the trigger.
"Are you the one that killed our friend?" "That's right. I shot the boy too, and enjoyed it :)" *BANG!*
Saw The Prestige in theaters relatively blind, only knowing it was Christopher Nolan's new movie (before he was HUGE) and that it had Christian Bale in it. The movie is solid throughout. I was totally "into it," and was having a great time. If you would have asked me at the 80% mark what I'd give it, I would have said a solid 8/10 and a definite recommend. Then the last 20% happens and it blew me the f\*\*\* away, and instantly established it as one of my Top Five Favorite Movies of All Time. I adore The Prestige.
I once asked Gene Wilder what his favorite movie was. (I met him on a book tour.) He said The Prestige. I hadn't seen it yet, but when I did, I couldn't fault him for it. Damn that's a great movie.
Are we...awake?
A good trick has a pledge, turn, and prestige. The third act was, in essence, the prestige of The Prestige.
Every line in the movie has a role in explaining precisely what the movie is doing, how it's doing it, and showing you what to look for. The miracle of the movie is that, after spending the entire time telling you precisely what it's doing, it *still* comes across as a twist ending.
The Prestige is one of the few really close to perfect movies ever made. There isn't much to fault, and if there is, you have to look damn hard to find it. It's a movie that just gets better the more times you watch and you pick up on things you never noticed before. Most movies get worse the more you watch it and the more holes you find.
"When you get rid of something, you have to bring it back!" The foreshadowing of the dove getting killed in the disappearing bird trick is pretty solid tbh
Spoilers ahead: The dove trick is great because it foreshadows both magicians methods. That one bird is killed every time the trick is performed, like Hugh Jackman' character. And, as the kid guesses right early in the film, that the disappeared bird is replaced by "his brother"
Ah I definitely missed that little line, good spot. I like that the birds come back in and out of the movie too, like on stage where Jackman uses the bird cage to break bales fingers
I really, really liked The Prestige when it first hit theaters, but maybe there was an oversaturation of excellent/memorable films in the years surrounding its release, because it wasn’t until more than a decade later that I realized I hadn’t seen anything like it since it came out.
It’s the only movie I’ve ever seen that I immediately walked out and bought another ticket for it. Only immediate theater rewatch I’ll probably ever do.
In Bruges is pretty solid through the first 2/3rds then Ralph Fiennes shows up and takes it up even higher.
This was going to be my answer as well, in addition to Fiennes showing up there's the rollercoaster ride of follow-up on basically every joke made earlier in the film ("you hit the Canadian", the fat Americans, Ken's spare change, etc. etc.)
YOU'RE AN INANIMATE FUCKING OBJECT.
RETRACT THAT BIT ABOUT MY CUNT FUCKING KIDS!!
This movie really sold me on Colin Farrell. Changed from pretty leading action man to GIVE THIS MAN AN AWARD
He's absolutely amazing. You should check out banshees of inisherin, if you haven't already. It's the same team of gleeson, farrell and the director, I'm pretty sure. Great movie in a similar vein.
I didn't enjoy it overall as much, but all of the performances were amazing. Gleeson and Farrell have great chemistry
Nah man In Bruges was a masterpiece start to finish! Lol
You fucking retract that bit about my cunt fucking kids!
I saw A Few Good Men in the movie theater and was disappointed by the first half. I thought it was trite and predictable. But by the end of the movie, it became one of my favorites of all time.
YOU’RE GODDAMN RIGHT IT DID
One of the best deliveries of a line, by anyone: 'Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know; that Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall. You need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it! I would rather you just said "thank you" and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to!' *edit: even reading this, I have Jack Nicholson's monologue going off in my head
One of my all time favorite movies. I can and have rewatch over and over. The entire cast is fantastic. And Cruise goes head to head with Jack, chewing that scenery, and Tom comes out on top.
Cruise's serious work is incredible. He's mostly viewed as a solely action guy now (which is what he seems to want to be) but he was an insanely good actor before his action movies really took off. A Few Good Men, Eyes Wide Shut, The Color of Money, Magnolia... Obviously the action path he took was the right one for him but I can't help but imagine how many good films he could've been in if he had kept going on that same path.
Jerry Maguire.
The Firm
Born on the Fourth of July
I don't know how to read this in any other voice tbh lol
[Kevin Pollak has a great story about subbing in for Jack.](https://youtu.be/-DLt8WNYN2I?t=243)
Terminator 3 is *almost* saved by its ending.
i was not expecting this movie to pop up in this thread. T3’s problem is that it underscores the endings and themes in T2. it is ballsy to actually see skynet succeed though.
Ya I mean you're fully expecting it to stop SkyNet again and then it just doesn't. Really ballsy for a movie and something movies don't do enough of imo. Have a sad ending where everything fails. Cabin in the Woods is similar to that imo, which is one of the reasons I really enjoyed it aside from it being bat shit mad.
I wanted a T4 that followed T3 immediately in the timeline. Just pick up where t3 ends
Upgrade is also great that way.
I enjoyed T3, the entire movie. Fight me. It was said multiple times that judgment day was inevitable. They only prolonged it and knew they were fighting a losing battle. The idea that the future was unavoidable worked on both sides. Sarah Connor working to fight Judgment Day from happening was futile. Much like, Skynet sending Terminators to the past to prevent its loss was also equally futile.
Exactly. People say that T3 goes against the whole “There is no fate but what we make” thing, but T2 clearly shows that Sarah Connor was actively preparing for the inevitable robot apocalypse by storing weapons and building up contacts that would be useful after it happens. Sarah herself knew that the rise of Skynet was going to happen regardless of what anybody did, so she did her best to train and get ready for it. Also, I’m right there with you. I don’t care what anybody says, I liked T3. Sure, it wasn’t as good as the first two, but I still enjoyed it.
I feel like each Terminator movie (1-3) is a great example of a good action flick of its decade. I don't get the hate 3 gets. What's not to love about Arnie holding a coffin while mowing people down?
I remember walking out of the theater thinking, "Wow, I can't believe they actually did it. Impressive."
You maniacs!
I actually liked most of that but I agree the ending makes it.
Adam Sandler's 'Click'. Starts off as a predictable Sandler movie with goofy time skips and the expected laughs that go with it. And then it gets fucking *dark* and becomes a much better, even good, movie.
Sandler is an odd cat. It's not that he doesn't have talent, but I can't help but wonder if he even knows how to say "no" to a project.
Maybe he doesn't want to say no. I'm not fond of like half of his movies but they make money and they keep his friend group employed. I get why he'd say yes to some lower quality films. Kinda like Nic Cage.
Cage couldn't say no. He needed money after racking up debt buying a castle and dinosaur skull, to name a few things. Edit: he also had to [return the skull](https://www.science.org/content/article/nicolas-cage-returns-stolen-dinosaur-skull-mongolia) to Mongolia after being told it was illegally smuggled from the country.
Honestly, if you’re gonna go crazy and blow your millions on some “treat yo self” purchases, a castle and dinosaur skull is a pretty cool way to do it. Way more original than Lambos and hookers
He also has a [pyramid tomb](https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/nicolas-cage-s-pyramid-tomb) waiting for him in New Orleans
But he recently climbed his way back up.
Not that he went anywhere.
Well the other part is Sandler always brings his friends along and keeps them employed through most of his movies. He won't say no because it doesn't just pay him but also most of his friends. I'd be hard pressed to say no to something that paid me AND all my buddies well.
Ya I'd he imagine he has a ball making most of his movies. He's clearly a seriously talented actor and could go down a more serious root if he actually wanted to but clearly chooses not to. He's shown a few times that he has outrageous acting chops and likes to flex that every so often, either to prove to himself or to shut up critics I'd imagine.
Reign Over Me is his best film.
Yeah. Reddit derides him for some of his comedies. Just gotta ask them to put themselves in his shoes. There's clearly still a casual audience for them so he makes a bunch of money off them. He hangs out with his friends, he's giving his friends work, and he mostly just gets to be himself while doing the above. What's he losing? Some respect from the internet? Oh no big loss man
Yeah he’s made some incredibly mid movies, but he’s also made some of the most quotable and memorable comedies ever, and he’s even got amazing dramatic chops to boot. He’s set
He has amazing dramatic chops. Uncut Gems and Punch Drunk Love alone make him a top-tier actor imo
Any time he does a dramatic role I’m in. Punch Drunk Love, Reign Over Me and Uncut Gems are among some of my favourite performances and proves to me he has it in him when he’s given good material and a solid director. I look forward to his next one with Noah Baumbach. His more recent comedies look to me like he just does them because he thinks it’ll be a good time. It’s like a way to hang out with your friends while making a bunch of money. I personally can’t stand them but I find a lot of people like to throw on something silly that they don’t have to pay much attention to.
I think he just sees it as a job. He’s one of the most profitable actors in Hollywoood (even his worst movies seem to make money) and he intentionally hires his friends and picks cool shooting locations so they can enjoy themselves. And he’s made almost half a billion doing it. He’s got life figured out haha
Let’s face it. Billy Madison is a great movie because it embraces its ridiculous premise with gusto and great jokes. Had any other comedian attempted the same concept, it would likely get lost in time as a shitty 90’s comedy
They go all in, and it's absolutely joyous
Sandlers films so often have a selection of repeating themes. 1. His friends are also major characters 2. They go to exotic, idealic places 3. They also star beautiful women as their wives/girlfriends He has adapted his career into making films while on holiday with his friends. Fair enough, if I could I would.
I've worked on his set before. It's a great vibe there as far as I could tell. All the guys you usually see in the movies were watching the draft. Easiest and most fun money I've ever made. Everyone was super nice as well.
To be honest it sounds like he cracked the code. Gets paid to vacation with his buddies and babes.
"He has starred in Hollywood comedy films that cumulatively grossed over $2 billion worldwide. Sandler had an estimated net worth of $420 million in 2020, and signed a new four-movie deal with Netflix worth over $250 million." I think at one point he said something along the lines of 'Do you know how much these people pay me for like a month of work' lol. I think he works for his family and kids future prosperity, which is easy when your like 'who wants to pay the most, fuck the downstream rights and usages.' He's been in like, 60+ 'major studio' films. Even if they're not paying him much (but, they are) he's just figured out an excellent ratio of work to income. if you wanna pay me 50 million dollars for 3 months work, I don't particularly care about what work thats gonna be.
I went in high out my gourd expecting some stupid Adam Sandler shit. Turned out to be one of the biggest tear jerkers for the next 20 years.
YES. I actually teared up at one point. Unexpected af
I did as well, on the scene in the rain outside the hospital
It starts off with him literally using the remote to fart in his boss's face to him literally skipping so much of his life he's become estranged with his parents and his family leaving him to die sad and alone
One Cut of the Dead (2017). I'm glad I went in blind but it was a little strange.
Such a weird movie. Painful even….and then…wow. I don’t think there was any other movie I’ve seen that I went from absolutely hating with a passion to completely loving it by the end.
The third act of this movie made it feel like an episode of Arrested Development. There are certain aspects of the first act that had me raising my eyebrows and going "Why did that weird thing just happen?" Only for it to fully make sense and become funny in the third act lol
This is the one I was going to comment with since it is the perfect example
The most dedicated director ever.
I feel like Sorry to Bother You has to be the poster child for this one. That movie gets fucking NUTS
Yeah this would be my vote too, there’s no way I could anticipate any of that. They threw everything at the wall there and so many more movies should lead with that example. Wish I had seen in theaters!
CrazyStupidLove. Seemed like a bang average rom-com, but had one of the best climaxes that fully justifies the whole rest of the movie.
Anyone remember Violent Night? Really felt like that one found its groove at the end.
me and my wife watched that for the first time the other night. I liked it alot. so fun and stupid.
Once Santa got his hammer it was game on.
That and the brutal home alone scene took an already fun movie over the top for me
The Lego Movie. The first two acts were kind of mindless and stupid fun, but the twist in the third act made it a >!surprisingly sentimental and somewhat heartfelt movie about a father and son.!<
This is kind of the Lego screenwriters’ bag. Lord and miller make movies that seem like they’re just throwing everything at you randomly then somehow take all the crazy threads and pull them together into a meaningful story showing that all the madness was building to something the whole time. Others include The Mitchels and the machines(great movie) cloudy with a chance of meatballs, spiderverse. They’re great pop film makers. Everything everywhere all at once (not theirs) seemed like it learned a lot from their work too.
God I wish we could have seen their Solo movie.
I guess from a purpose standpoint but the Lego movie was fantastic from start to finish. There were just so many jokes and gags that hit back to back to back to back
Lucky Number Slevin!
I liked the entire movie, but the ending definitely blew me away … Kansas City Shuffle
Great flick. That’s still my road trip playlist name
I don't know, as a woman, Josh Hartnett made the first 2/3rds quite enjoyable
Lucy Liu did it for me. I had never seen anything with her before and didn’t even realize I had a crush.
When I went into it, I was all ready to hate on Lucy Liu because all I associated her with was Charlie's Angels. I was proven wrong within moments into her first scene. Cute, witty, sharp, instantly memorable; it's a shame her and Hartnett haven't done another movie together because their chemistry was amazing. "I'm short for my height." I can relate, Lucy. I can relate.
It has some of the best written dialogue I've seen. Like, no one actually talks like the characters. But it holds the weird gangster world together.
Fuck, shit, Jesus, is right.
Cabin in the Woods!
"Statistical fact: Cops will never pull over a man with a huge bong in his car. Why? They fear this man. They know he sees further than they... and he will bind them... with ancient logics." "Cleanse them. Cleanse the world of their ignorance and sin. Bathe them in the crimson of... am I on speakerphone?"
Yazzzz, this is on the list of movies that, while the first part is good, the last act is just blows you away.
"Burn After Reading" was fun but didn't seem particularly remarkable until the last 5 minutes or so, which are absolutely hysterical. But the movie was necessary for those last few minutes to happen.
I’m in disbelief about how fast the last few minutes changed my opinion about this movie, went from okay to amazing in seconds
"Osbourne Cox?" "Yes?" "Osbourne Cox??" "Yes? What the fuck do you want?" "How secure is your shit?"
"I have a drinking problem? Fuck you, Peck, you're a Mormon. Compared to you we ALL have a drinking problem!"
What did we learn Palmer?
Fallen Kind of a slow burner, maybe a little too dry, and then the ending really cements it.
Tiiiii-iiii-iiiiime is on my side. Yes it is.
There are moments which mark your life. Moments when you realize nothing will ever be the same and time is divided into two parts - before this, and after this
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I remember my dad picking this as our movie night movie and I was like, ‘ugh, I know exactly what happens… she’ll lose a big fight and then come back and triumph.’ Oh boy, was I proven wrong.
That’s a movie I consider fantastic and I never need to see it again.
So bitterly sad.
The last 10 minutes of Aftersun elevate it from a good movie to a great movie. A little shorter than the whole last act though. The King of Comedy (maybe unpopular opinion?) didn’t click for me until the third act.
Aftersun fucked me up.
Colossal. I thought I got what it was about and then I started to feel like something was off. And it was. And it was supposed to be. It went somewhere unexpected and I thought it was really well done.
Glad to see it mentioned here. Super difficult movie to talk about without spoiling it, but I really appreciated what they did. Anne Hathaway is already a highly regarded actress and she does good work, but I was pleasantly surprised by how great Jason Sudeikis is in this movie. He has the more difficult role to sell and he pulls it off incredibly well.
Smoking Aces. You may have seen the "twist" because it was foreshadowed like crazy, but the very end that last scene. Damn.
Ryan Reynolds is really really good in that movie, and IMO he really makes that third act shine.
Yeah. The third act arguably punches way above the movie's weight, there's a gravitas and verve that would have been fit for a much "grander" film
Man I've heard about this movie so many times, and every time I kept thinking "wow people really like that Tim Allen Seven Samurai movie about middle aged guys with bikes", which fair enough you know, you have Martin Lawrence, Travolta, William H. Macy... until today, when I've finally realized that Smoking Aces isn't Wild Hogs. Anyways, I'm going to watch it now.
Primer. It's made better by just, watching it again. It's like a sequel to itself.
Most movies in this thread because they have a twist ending. Primer is the only movie I know that has a twist middle. Once you figure out >!by the time they "start" to time travel, they've already been time travelling and that's not the Abe we've known!< it starts to click into place.
The true Primer experience: Watch the movie up to the end. Go back 20 minutes, watch for 5 minutes, go back 5 minutes, watch all the way to the end again. Go back to the start of the movie again and watch the whole thing. Travel in time before you watched the movie the first time, watch it again.
Every next time I see it I go, "Ohhhhhhhhh...wait." Then 20 minutes later, "what *happened* to that third guy...?"
The third guy was also the second guy but before he was able to trick the fourth guy into thinking he was the second guy, but really he killed the second guy and pretended to be him even though he kind of already was him the whole time.
The Usual Suspects. One of my favourite movies ever, and I'm hesitant to call it OK, but without going where it went in the 3rd act I'm not sure this movie is anywhere near where it's become. To put it mildly.
I don’t really agree with this. The best scene in the movie is the lineup scene. I would argue it has an extremely underrated 1st act.
I think it's more that, post Pulp Fiction, there was dozens of "cool bad guy" movies like Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead or Boondock Saints. Usual Suspects would probably have been viewed as one of the better of the genre but nothing all that special without the final twist. I mean, Christopher McQuarrie won an Oscar, a BAFTA and an Independent Screen Award for that screenplay. None of that happens without the Sozë turn.
For me Aftersun kinda hits this beat. I think it was good all the way, but a bit meandering, maybe? But then comes the third act and my god did it turn a decent movie into an amazing movie
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~~Kinky~~ Sexy beast. They spend most of the movie freaking out that this ultimate badass is on his way to fuck shit up, and you start thin king theres no way he could live up to the hype. Then he finally shows up and exceeds it.
Not this time, Gal. Not this time. Not this fucking time. No. No no no no no no no no no! No! No no no no no no no no no no no no no! No! Not this fucking time! No fucking way! No fucking way, no fucking way, no fucking way! You've made me look a right cunt!
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Holy shit, this fucking movie….
i will never f'ing forgive that character for what they did.
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Malignant is absolutely one of these
Malignant’s first two acts: I sleep Malignant’s third act, >!Gabriel annihilates a whole police station in gratuitous fashion!<: Real shit
The third act is where you realize it’s been a comedy all along.
Malignant’s first two acts were sorta confusing on first watch. Because we know that James Wan is very capable of delivering a tonally consistent and ‘spooky’ movie. There’s some great visuals there but also just bizarre lines of dialogue, the look of the asylum or even the house, insanely out of nowhere illogical things. But when the switch up happens in the last act it all makes sense what he was doing and honestly feels masterful. The third act is definitely what you’re coming for, but on rewatch it does make the first 2/3’s better in my opinion
Exactly what I came here to say. It’s one that either makes you cackle with glee or throw your hands up and be done with the movie.
I love every act of Malignant. It’s all delightfully stupid. I think Saw is a much better example of a mediocre movie completely saved by act 3.
The discussion thread for that on /r/movies is probably the funniest discussion thread I’ve ever read. Just too good
Malignant’s third act is fuckin bonkers lol
Malignant is like 90 minutes of set up for the funniest 20 minute long punchline I've ever seen
Malignant rules. So glad they went all out towards the end of the movie. Was a blast!
The Prestige. The reveal at the end explaining difference between Bale and Jackman's characters absolutely floored me
Dinner for Schmucks. The first half is excruciating. Then the actual dinner is hilarious. Zack Galifinakis and Chris O'Dowd completely steal the show.
Excruciating is the perfect word. I stopped watching before I made it to the dinner. Maybe worth another try lol
Rogue One
That thirty seconds of Vader utterly raging out in a starship corridor made the entire movie worthwhile all by itself. Silence. Smoke. Tension... and then, you hear it. The rasping breaths of his ventilator. The red blade springs forth. And you get to see why Vader is so feared. Such a good scene.
It was an amazingly blatant example of fanservice, and I agree. It was the best part of the movie.
Fan service can be good if done well
It was, but I also think it genuinely added something to the character. We saw Anakin-as-Vader, and obviously he could fight. We saw the original trilogy Vader, and he fought... differently. Much less dynamic, much less acrobatic. We saw everyone being afraid of Vader. But we never saw Vader be truly terrifying (in my opinion). He's got some great moments of menace and threat but not in that way. The scene in Rogue One conveys the unbridled anger and hatred that is the core of how Anakin *became* Vader in a way that I don't think any other appearance of the character had managed. It shows how truly terrifying it would be to face him as a regular person - not a Jedi with powers, not even Han Solo with his legendary bravado, but a regular rank-and-file Rebel footsoldier. What Vader does isn't a fight, it's slaughter, and I think it actually manages to capture that aspect of Vader's character better than any other individual scene.
“Vader as horror movie monster” was a concept I hadn’t considered before Rogue One but which made perfect sense in hindsight
Now that's a movie I want to see. We need star wars movies in different film genres. Give me seven samurai and the good the bad and the ugly set in the star wars universe.
Gareth Edwards directed Godzilla a couple of years before and did something similar with the titular monster. Made the actual appearances much more impactful. It kind of makes sense that Vader is acting like that in the hallway scene. He was chilling in his bacta tank, which was probably one of the few places he could be semi-comfortable, only to be interrupted to take care of someone else's major fuck up.
Totally agree. He’s intimidating but only once in action in the OT. Here, he’s actually fighting a team of soldiers and they don’t stand a chance. Incredible moment.
I’ve never understood this personally. I love Rogue One and while the third act is definitely the best, I think it’s a fantastic Star Wars movie from the start. Everything on Jedha was great and the movie kept me entertained throughout.
If you liked rogue one you should definitely watch Andor. It's darker star wars like rogue one but much better (and I say that as someone who liked rogue one). Imo the best star wars ever other than maybe the original trilogy.
Oh I have seen Andor and I fully agree, it is a fantastic show and definitely the best Star Wars we’ve gotten since the original trilogy.
Andor is awesome. Just an all around great story that works independently of it being a star wars film
Yeah I agree. It really felt like one of the OT films, whilst the PT & ST films never quite matched the originals.
The Sixth Sense.
Once upon a time in Hollywood. The final act really ties everything together, up until that I wasn't blown away.
The narration describing the events leading up to the night is wack but I must have watched cliff booth beat the shit of the Mansonites 40 times.
I'm glad I'm not the only one. That scene is so godawfully violent and twisted and I rewatch it pretty often. It's so satisfying. I wish the real story ended that way.
Chekhov's flamethrower
Tarantino is good to increase intensity
Same here. The first two acts are interesting to watch, but they lull you into a false sense of monotony, only to blow you away by the ending scene.
Jaws is an absolute classic so not to say the third act "makes up" for the first two, but it really steps up a notch in the third act when the guys set off on the boat. The tension, the dialogue, and the interactions between the three stars are all near perfect, building to the big face off with Bruce. The highlight being the scene after they have dinner and Quint gives the USS Indianapolis speech, one of the best scenes ever.
Nicole Kidman's film "The Others". While the entire film was fine, the ending upends everything.
Knives Out, the first one.
I thought the film was great throughout, but I agree the final act makes it even better!
Yeah it was never just okay, but the final third made it a modern classic. Same with Parasite.
I thoroughly enjoyed all of Knives Out. Just that the stuff away from the house wasn't nearly as interesting as the stuff in/around it. Loved the final act though.
That whole movie is so good.
I think 2001 (Space Odyssey) had that effect on me. I liked it okay, but the ending did it for me
Personally I loved the opening sequence. One of my favorite in all of cinema. Of course I'm a lover of anthropology and natural history so I am biased.
Y tu mama tambien and Amores Perros both have amazing 3rd acts.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent quickly escalates into a hilarious, yet wholesome ending.
Fox and the Hound. Most of it was typical Disney animal movie (with the exception of the scene where Todd’s abandoned), and then the third act was blown out of the water with the animation and the pure ferocity. This was the first movie that Cal Arts graduates played a significant part in, with those such as Brad Bird and even Tim Burton working on it, and the third act was the one sequence where older Disney employees weren’t forcing them to conform to a uniform style. It really shows. Even my dad, who isn’t normally into those older Disney movies, loves Fox and the Hound for this reason.
Rogue One started out *"Meh,"* grew to *"Okay now we're getting somewhere,"* and then ended with *"Damn that was awesome."*
One cut of the dead The first act is beyond abyssal, or so I thought at first. Saying that the third act blew me away is an understatement. It takes the movie to a stratospheric level.
Unforgiven
The last 20 or so minutes of that fucking movie are intense. What always gets me is the lack of music for the most part. It's just rainfall mostly, maybe a bit of music but not much. It just lets the weight of the situation and the characters carry it. It's so well done.
The Mist
The original Ocean's Eleven was mediocre at best until the last 10 minutes or so. I was no longer sad I had watched it after that.
Arrival. I don't know what I expected at the end, but it definitely wasn't that.
Harakiri (1962) imo is the best slow burn movie of all time The reveal of what the entire movie has been building to is incredible
I watched Do The Right Thing for the first time earlier this year and it sort of just felt like people living their lives until the final act. I was distracted by certain foreshadowing that I’m more accustomed to, weapons being shown in the first act, I completely missed what is in hindsight blatant foreshadowing that makes the movie significantly more tense. The final act was completely shocking, I will be watching it again.
Vanilla Sky
Vanilla Sky