Movies have the powerful ability to control the emotions of the audience members and destroy them in one fell swoop. Film history provides viewers with numerous occasions where even the toughest exteriors are lulled into a false sense of security before being crushed in an instant. Here is a list of 10 movies where people didn't know what they were getting themselves into, even when they thought they did -- movies that went in a completely different direction after a few scenes.
Notable mention to several movies that are also unexpectedly heartbreaking but didn't make the list are The Grey (2011) for the action-packed incredibly emotional deaths, The Mist (2007) for its cruel ending, The Lion King (1994) because Mufasa deserved better, and Up (2009), a Disney movie that dreamed and was broken by reality.
Never Let Me Go (2010)
This film is beautiful and full of anguish. Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, and Keira Knightley hold together this slow-burning drama, carrying the story with their chemistry and bringing life to the ill-fated characters.
The ending that could have been given, doused in hope and redemption, was bluntly cast aside. This dystopian world is nothing but a dead-end, a fate already written, a love already broken. Through it all, it still manages to be unexpectedly heartbreaking, giving the audience false hope and taking it away in an instant.
One Day (2011)
Whoever watches this romance drama, beware. Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess star in One Day (2011), a gorgeous film about two strangers who went to college together and find themselves in each other's lives for the foreseeable future.
The film only shows their lives through the perspective of one day every year, the date they met and actually acknowledged the other's presence. July 15th. But here's the kicker. This will they, won't they romance gives a happy ending but ruins it from the very first scene -- because the first scene is the beginning of the end.
Bridge To Terabithia (2007)
Josh Hutcherson might have become well known because of his role as Peeta in The Hunger Games series, but before that, he starred in the English dubbed version of Howl's Moving Castle (2004), Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005), and Bridge To Terabithia (2007).
Bridge To Terabithia (2007) looks like an innocent family fantasy film at first, giving the audience the safe assumption that all will end happily. And it does, just not conventionally. To get to the happy ending, a character dies in the most unexpected way, creating a whole lot of regret for one of the main characters. Get ready for a tearjerker.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
This thriller drama has been the subject of memes for years, quoted on the daily for its incredible line, and is still heartbreaking on the rewatch. M. Night Shyamalan has outdone himself in this ending for all endings, a shock that is so well written that even if it is guessed, the audience can't help but be blown away anyway.
Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment's brilliant chemistry bring the characters to a level of life that is unbelievable, making it all the more tragic to watch. As for the rest of the film, horror has never been so depressing.
Dead Poets Society (1989)
Robin Williams. A Nanu Nanu salute must be given to the captain of comedy and emotional dramas. Dead Poets Society (1989) is an influential film that slowly changes the lives of the characters within and impacts the viewers just as much on the other side of the screen.
These words by Walt Whitman lay heavy on the heart and guide the film. "O me! O life! Of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless ... of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life? Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse."
The movie that teaches the lesson that to live one must seize the day, gives the audience a heartbreaking finale. And the characters that came to life, died one moment more than they had to.
The Green Mile (1999)
Innocent until proven guilty. But for gentle John Coffey, that's not the case. Starring Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan in this thoughtful and illuminating tale based on Stephen King's novel of the same name, The Green Mile (1999) is a display of injustice like no other.
John Coffey is innocent, a man with unexplainable heightened empathy and healing abilities. For one glowing moment, his innocence is revealed. But the Green Mile, that green-tiled floor of death row is a trap no innocent man can escape. The ending is heartbreaking for many reasons and not just one can be given.
My Girl (1991)
Death is a subject of intrigue, so it's natural that Vada, a little girl whose father owns a funeral parlor, becomes curious about it. Except, poor curious Vada whose mother is already gone from her life, having passed away, will have to experience death again. Death in the cruelest of ways. Death too soon.
My Girl (1991) is a movie that takes Vada and the audience on a journey that answers the questions of the past and just how much they can weigh on the present mind. The film doesn't have an obvious antagonist but surrounds the audience with dark themes in a light context.
The Boy In The Striped Pajamas (2008)
It's obvious that this movie isn't going to be cheerful, at least not holistically. But it is revolutionarily eye-opening. Like all movies, there are moments of joy and beauty found in sweet interactions.
The Boy In The Striped Pajamas (2008) has an ending that shows just how noble children are, how innocent and loving they are, and how their perspective of the world is pure. It shows that there are no differences among humanity except the ones placed by human beings in moments of ignorance. This film does the great service of bringing World War II to the doorstep of morality.
Interstellar (2014)
There are many fan theories about what really happens in Interstellar (2014), including how it all ends and the reason for its beginning. The film, starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, and Michael Caine is a Christopher Nolan directorial masterpiece.
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, the presence of time couldn't be more revolutionary and stunning. Science and soul come together to create heartbreaking results. How much is humanity willing to sacrifice for discovery in the stars? This film is definitely sadness wrapped in intrigue.
Pay It Forward (2000)
Yes. Haley Joel Osment has done it again. He's gone and acted in another movie that knows exactly how to turn on the waterworks. Pay It Foward (2000) is a film about one boy and his assignment. An assignment that he chose to use to change his life.
Trevor decides to change society and create a lasting impact on the people that surround him by being directly involved in their lives. It takes just one person to change the world, to act. Trevor is a boy full of optimism and love. But just when everything changes for the better, the storyline stabs the audience where it hurts. Literally.