With all of the silence and ambience that preceded the ending, you'd think a nice contrast would be a completely polar opposite ending. Man, I don't think I've seen an ending as anti-climactic as this ever.
shareYeah, I thought it kinda ruined the tone of the movie.
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Not at all. She escaped. That was the end. It's more of a concrete ending than I had expected by the midway point.
Incredible film.
I think they might be referring to the stoners at the campsite. That totally broke the tone of the movie in my opinion.
shareYes, Stoners/campsite were a bit lame, but also - what causes Dr. Nyle's shift to complete insanity. He flashes back to 1966 - but is Cosmatos saying the flashback caused it? If the flashback would cause it, why wouldn't the original experience in '66 cause it?
I loved the movie but the end - SPOILERS (obviously) - his transition to slasher villain at the end i felt was abrupt and out of tone. And I really wish there was a little more development of Arboria/Nyle. But I still loved it.
First off, I love this film.
I think, and this is completly subjective, that his final push (considering he was probably close to the edge to begin with) to insanity is when Margo (ugly nurse with the huge glasses) stumbles in that room and sees that drawer with those forbidden files, after which Nyles gets that creepy disconnected phone call and prompt him to arrange her death at the hands of Elena, after which there was no turning back for him.
As for his transition to slasher vilian, this is supposed to be the 80's and it felt completly in tone with those times, even upscale thrillers like Fatal Attraction had the villian become a standard slasher by the end. I also loved how he looked alot like the Nosferatu version of Dracula at that point.
I was really impressed by this movie, it worked on so many levels and created so many really original images, but yes I too was very disappointed with the ending.
I was kind of expecting on one the non-endings that was quite common in 70's - 80's sci-fi, especially when such ominous forces are at play it's fine with me to let the viewer imagine almost anything could happen after the last frame.
But there were also so many opportunities for a traditionally satisfying ending, she could have used her abilities to transform him into the man all the insane drug-experiments and cult-brainwashing were originally intended for in Arboria's utopian beginnings. Or she could have just made him see what he had become, and he kills himself. At the very least, after all the brilliant use of cool non-cgi effects, she could have killed him in an interesting visually spectacular way (that B&W scene was pure genius). I think the director thought, wouldn't it be cool if I didn't meet any of those expectations. No, no it was not cool.
Anyway, I will definitely be interested in this director.
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I was really digging this film till the ending. I wouldnt call it horrible just a bit disappointing.
For me it was because of two metal guys, you have all this crazy sureal awesomeness then we get a jarring scene thats like something out of an awful 80s slasher flick.
But aside from that I loved it, cant believe the low IMDB rating, I gave it a 9.
I think he snapped when Arboria died.
shareAwesome film. The black n white scene was simply sensational
Ending could have better but still one of most striking filmed you'll ever see
Anti-climatic as it may be, the ending fit perfectly. Since 1966, Barry had been lying to himself; he thought he was on the same level as Elana, but in reality he was a weak, and damaged interloper. As he stood there screaming at Elana like a petulant child to "come", she showed him how meek his abilities were, because without his finger controlling the Energy Sculpting (aka glowing pyramid)he had no advantage over her. His death solidified, and exuded, the weakness that he tried so desperately to hide for at least the last 16 years, but probably his whole life. Ending was fantastic because it stayed true to the themes set forth.
shareWell said, dementia_macabre_237, I couldn't agree more.
shareI hadn't thought of it that way, but I tend to agree. However...
Everything was building to an epic confrontation between the two of them. Nyle had been to the other world and came back changed. Obviously he had some kind of abilities, evidenced by the flash from his hand before he killed the skinny hesher. But for him go get the "special knife" and kill some kids in the forest smacks of "I love 80s slasher movies; how can I throw some of that in there, too?" And what significance did the knife have?
Traditionally speaking, we have been conditioned to expect the big showdown. It didn't happen, and it felt cheap and incongruous—even if it was consistent with the established themes. So I'm conflicted, but I would have been happier with a Scanners-esque mind battle.
Not really at all, she "rent the veil" & saw through the forced illusion she had been living all of those years preceding her escape from his prison.
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Maybe not quite anti-climactic. I'd say it was neatly climactic, understated. I laughed out loud, but it was in a good way. It seems to me that people have a more difficult time with character death being a quick, undramatic, nearly glossed-over thing. It seems so banal! But in many ways it is more true to life, a random accident happens and you are dead. No drama, no fanfare, no anything. Bye. No time to linger over it? To squeeze some more significance out of the event? That's what the whole setup of the movie was. Barry thought he was a dramatic, cosmic badass - but he went out with a wimper rather than a bang. He overextended himself, lost his balance, and quickly died. All Elena needed to do was watch and let him paint himself into a corner. Did she know, on some level, that she was standing in exactly the right spot?
So, in contrast to the exalted aims of the institute and its founder, Barry was utterly banal. Like many a psycho, he allowed himself to be completely defined as a person by the unattainable object of his desire. The creepy sexuality of the infantile narcissist who wants to enslave mamatitty to dote on him for eternity as the special little boy, and succumbs to tantrum when it doesn't happen. Simultaneously, utterly destructive, and completely impotent. But since he was too self-absorbed to see his predicament for what it was, death caught him unawares. Like a true chump.
This was surprisingly good movie but yeah the ending is so very weak.When there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...
You can't really expect a psychic battle like something in Chronicle to happen in the movie like this. Sort of shows how when not under the control of the pyramid, this menacing lunatic is no match for Elena.
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I agree with both the OP and the people who have said the final scene was out of place. It just didn't fit at all. If they wanted to have Nyles die the same way they could've set it up without the two drunk stoner idiots. It did indeed seem like an after thought and very convenient. It also seemed lazy, since the director could've just watched any episode of Six Feet Under for some much more original ways to set up his death. All in all it was a very atmospheric and excellent film, but the ending really lacks the panache of the rest of the film.
sharedementia_macabre_237 nailed it. Very well said, sir. Those were my exact thoughts as to why the ending worked perfectly and was not a disappointment to me at all. Elena was now free of the pyramid and Nyle had no control over her anymore. Plus, the abrupt, non-climactic ending was a middle finger in the face of traditional Hollywood ending expectations. I loved it.
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