• 7 months ago
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most memorable films that kill off a main character.
Transcript
00:00 Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're counting down our picks for the most memorable films
00:12 that kill off a main character.
00:15 Just FYI, this spoiler-crammed list will cover movies with human protagonists only.
00:27 Michael Sullivan is an enforcer for the Irish mob, but his life changes forever when his
00:31 son witnesses a killing.
00:42 The resulting fallout leads to the death of his wife and other child.
00:45 Tom Hanks plays the protagonist as a closed-off, subtle man, willing to sell his soul in order
00:50 to avenge his family.
00:55 In the end, he's shot by Jude Law's assassin before he can return fire.
00:59 His final moment prevents his son from becoming a killer, just like him.
01:03 This selfless act makes Sullivan a sympathetic anti-hero, making for a truly underrated character
01:08 and performance from Hanks.
01:20 In Christopher Nolan's intriguing drama, magicians turn their rivalry into a deadly
01:25 game.
01:26 This cat-and-mouse game leads to several deaths, including Robert and one of the Borden twins.
01:30 The former is executed, and one of the latter is hanged in a tragic conclusion that leaves
01:34 the viewers in shock.
01:43 With a few tricks of his own, Nolan turns this narrative into a web of manipulation,
01:47 lies and surprises.
01:48 The illusionists reveal shades of grey as their lives unravel.
01:51 Showing that they've both gone too far for their art, the characters present thought-provoking
01:55 ideas in their last moments.
02:08 After her family is killed, the young Matilda becomes the unlikely protege of assassin Leon.
02:13 This later leads to a violent and suspenseful standoff between the evil Agent Stansfield
02:17 and the skilled hero.
02:22 Fending off lots of armed men, the protagonist escapes only to be shot down by the villain.
02:27 The final moments feature a surprise that allows for the injured character to take his
02:30 nemesis down with him.
02:32 Following the thrilling gunfight and the explosive climax, this action movie comes full circle
02:36 while keeping the audience on its toes.
02:38 It's ultimately a powerful and bittersweet ending for the killer with a heart of gold.
02:47 When Llewellyn Moss finds drug money, he ends up becoming the target of cartel members,
02:56 an assassin and a sheriff.
02:58 His journey involves many exciting and narrow escapes from the relentless Anton Chigurh.
03:03 Moss' death is surprising on its own, but the movie goes one step further by not showing
03:08 it at all.
03:15 Sheriff Bell only stumbles on the hero's body in a startling reveal.
03:19 While some viewers might be mad at this artistic choice, it does underscore the chilling nature
03:23 of the film's violence.
03:25 Rather than creating a typical Hollywood ending, this Cormac McCarthy adaptation refuses to
03:29 satisfy in a brutal way.
03:44 When Frankie Dunn agrees to train Maggie Fitzgerald, he forms an unlikely bond with her that ends
03:49 in, well, tragedy.
03:54 The fighter has a promising boxing run, until she receives a paralysing injury.
03:58 Fitzgerald then asks her trainer for one last thing, making this one of the more heartbreaking
04:02 dramas in recent memory.
04:04 Dunn finally agrees to his student's demands, in a deeply sad conclusion.
04:14 While the protagonist chooses to end her life, she also leaves Clint Eastwood's character
04:18 in a complex state of grief.
04:19 This Oscar-winning film becomes much more than a sports movie, as it explores the meaning
04:23 of life and death.
04:34 For Daniel Craig's last entry as James Bond, the filmmakers decided to let him go out with
04:38 a bang.
04:42 A villain infects a secret agent with nanobots that endanger his partner, Madeline Swan,
04:47 and their daughter, Matilda.
04:48 Staying on an island set for destruction, Bond makes the ultimate sacrifice in order
04:52 to ensure his loved ones are safe.
04:54 It's an unprecedented moment for the series that really sends off Craig's version in
04:59 style.
05:00 Most blockbuster action films tend to play it safe, but this time, the creators decided
05:03 to alter expectations.
05:05 This finale shows both 007's vulnerability and nobility, and demonstrates that the franchise
05:10 is unafraid of inventive changes.
05:20 From Cuban refugee to drug lord, Tony Montana's rise is almost as violent as his fall.
05:32 The epic conclusion follows the man's comeuppance at the hands of another kingpin.
05:36 With his house overrun by gunmen, Montana fends them off and delivers iconic lines in
05:40 his last minutes.
05:41 Some might say it's the best part of the movie, but regardless, it's a huge moment
05:45 that lets Al Pacino run wild.
05:52 The main character endures so much damage that it's incredible he lasts as long as
05:55 he does.
05:56 As a cautionary tale and an entertaining film, "Scarface" would be incomplete without
06:00 this over-the-top death.
06:12 Soon after taking over as a hotel caretaker, Jack Torrance's life spirals out of control.
06:18 He ends up going insane and attacking his family.
06:20 Chasing his son through a snowy hedge maze, Torrance loses track of his prey and freezes
06:24 to death.
06:32 The entire scenario couldn't be more dramatic, frightening or suspenseful.
06:36 With Stanley Kubrick's skilled direction, the anti-hero's every choice seems to slowly
06:40 build to his exit.
06:41 Jack Nicholson personifies unbridled rage and evil as his character loses all sense
06:46 of self-control.
06:47 Helping to make this a horror classic, the protagonist's death hammers home the story's
06:52 powerful and supernatural hook.
07:01 These titular outlaws finally get to Bolivia as planned, but they find it to be far from
07:06 a dreamy paradise.
07:07 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid's criminal activities catch up with them as the army
07:11 corners the men.
07:18 Realising that they're caught, the duo decide to go out in a blaze of glory.
07:22 This prompts one of the most famous freeze-frames in cinematic history.
07:26 Without showing the gory details, the director chooses to show them in their last moments
07:29 with an undisputed swagger.
07:31 The mythical stories of the Old West are summed up in this exciting, complicated and deadly
07:37 end.
07:50 To combat a totalitarian state, the rebel V fights back with a personal campaign to end
07:55 corruption.
07:56 He's able to survive a hail of gunfire long enough to exact his revenge and inspire a
08:00 nation to rise up.
08:08 While the masked vigilante doesn't survive his wounds, his symbolic actions ensure that
08:12 the evil leaders can't get away with their crimes any longer.
08:21 The film also asserts that his philosophy is much more important than his own life,
08:25 with the ending scene, "V for Vendetta", shows that the hero was just the beginning
08:29 of a larger movement.
08:41 When Randall McMurphy brings his free spirit to a mental institution, he comes up against
08:46 the tyrannical Nurse Ratched.
08:48 This culminates in the protagonist attacking her after the death of fellow patient Billy
08:51 Bivet.
08:55 Discovering that McMurphy has been given a lobotomy as punishment, Chief Brondon ends
08:59 the hero's life before breaking out of the facility.
09:02 It's an emotional rollercoaster of an ending, that produces tears and then a shred of hope.
09:07 While it's sad to see Jack Nicholson's character in such a state, we know that he
09:11 wouldn't have wanted to live like that.
09:12 And you could argue that his spirit never dies, inspiring Brondon to make a triumphant
09:17 escape.
09:20 Over the course of this film, the central duo become modern-day outlaws.
09:34 They also bond and learn to stick up for themselves before the authorities catch up with them.
09:38 Deciding to avoid jail time, the main characters drive off a cliff.
09:42 Selma and Louise take charge of their lives in a profound and complex statement about
09:46 independence.
09:52 It might be a drastic measure, but it also allows the women to fly into legend with their
09:56 last seconds.
09:57 Both heroes spend the entire movie defying norms, until they find another way to stick
10:01 it to the man.
10:02 We might not condone their final act, but the power of this death scene still lingers
10:06 to this day.
10:11 By the end of this X-Men tale, the protagonist battles his clone, X-24.
10:16 Hugh Jackman gives the sequence an added gravitas in one of his most beloved roles.
10:20 His hero barely survives the brutal match-up with some help, but he's also mortally wounded.
10:27 Logan's final breaths are spent with his daughter Laura in a moving conversation.
10:33 Both actors sell the scene with their chemistry, giving the characters passing the weight of
10:36 an acclaimed drama.
10:38 The tearful moment is even more memorable as Wolverine's mortality finally comes into
10:42 question.
10:43 It might not be the last time we see Jackman play the part, but it's still an amazing
10:46 send-off and tribute to his performance.
11:00 Following the exploits of the real criminal duo, "Bonnie and Clyde" comes to a close
11:04 in spectacular fashion.
11:06 The most significant part involves a police ambush against the robbers.
11:10 Stopping their car to help someone, both protagonists fail to realise they've fallen into a trap.
11:22 Director Arthur Penn stages the scene in operatic fashion as the cops unload their guns into
11:27 the thieves.
11:28 Shocking and violent, the sequence hasn't lost any of its impact all these decades later.
11:33 It's both an unforgettable send-off and a moment that helped change Hollywood filmmaking.
11:38 The anti-heroes don't even get another line to explain themselves, instead dying in one
11:42 of the most famous endings of the 1960s.
11:49 M. Night Shyamalan's breakthrough movie, "The Sixth Sense", still features one
11:52 of the best twists ever.
11:54 While it looks like Bruce Willis' Malcolm Crow is alive, the end reveals that he's
11:58 been dead the whole time.
12:03 It turns out that he didn't survive the shooting at the start of the movie.
12:06 Turning the plot on its head, Shyamalan forces Crow to confront his status as a ghost.
12:11 Willis helps to hammer home this devastating moment in some of the best acting of his career.
12:15 Rather than hurting the film's rewatchability, the surprise enriches every subsequent viewing
12:20 and deepens the lead character's journey.
12:36 Undercover cop William Costigan finally finds and confronts the mole, Colin Sullivan, on
12:41 a rooftop.
12:42 Before preparing to bring him in, the heroic officer suffers a sudden and cold end.
12:50 This gunshot and the violence that follows only underscores the unexpected nature of
12:54 this story.
12:55 Given that Costigan is played by Leonardo DiCaprio, you'd expect him to save the day
12:59 and survive, right?
13:01 Director Martin Scorsese lulls the audience into a false sense of security before pulling
13:05 the rug out from under them.
13:06 This startling death cannot be overstated, casting a shadow over this crazy plot that
13:11 ends with one more surprise.
13:31 Captain Miller and his men finally find Private Ryan, but they must defend a bridge before
13:35 bringing the latter home.
13:37 The ensuing battle leads to massive casualties, and the shooting of Miller before reinforcements
13:42 come.
13:50 In his dying moments, the officer gives Ryan an inspirational phrase to carry with him
13:54 forever.
13:55 Tom Hanks and Matt Damon bring this beautiful moment home with their subtle performances.
13:59 It might be sad to see Hanks' character go, but he does get a perfect ending to his
14:03 incredible journey.
14:04 Steven Spielberg's expert direction also makes this feel like a statement about every
14:08 fallen soldier in World War II.
14:24 Betrayed and turned into a gladiator, Maximus Decimus Meridius finally gets a chance to
14:28 avenge the death of his wife and son in a public match against the evil Emperor Commodus.
14:33 The villain then wounds his opponent before the fight in the Coliseum.
14:37 So, even though Maximus defeats the Emperor, he succumbs to his wounds in a dramatic finish.
14:45 The moving scene features the protagonist's last words, and the heavenly visuals of his
14:49 spiritual transition.
14:51 In a quiet and beautiful moment, director Ridley Scott ends the movie by exploring the
14:55 main character's deepest thoughts.
14:57 The Oscar-winning film then makes sure that viewers come away mourning the loss, and happy
15:01 that the fighter finds peace.
15:11 Having stolen money from her employer, Marion Crane runs away but stops at the Bates Motel.
15:16 While there, she takes a shower, and has a run-in with hotel owner Norman Bates.
15:20 Alfred Hitchcock arguably topped himself with this sequence, showcasing some of the most
15:24 famous directing and editing of its era.
15:31 The sequence itself is iconic, but its impact on the film is nothing short of monumental.
15:36 Crane dies, just when her story begins, and the movie shifts perspectives and priorities.
15:40 Now, some may argue that Crane is not the film's actual protagonist, but few cinematic
15:46 deaths have ever been so surprising, inspiring generations of filmmakers to rethink their
15:50 stories.
16:16 Featuring one of the most talked-about deaths ever, "Titanic" tells a fictional love
16:20 story alongside a real tragedy.
16:22 Jack and Rose fall for each other and attempt to survive the ocean liner's sinking.
16:35 Leonardo DiCaprio's hero lets his partner float to safety, sacrificing himself and freezing
16:40 to death in the sea.
16:41 The much-debated scene still tugs at the heartstrings, preventing the two from ever continuing their
16:46 romance.
16:47 It's incredibly tragic, and yet it also makes the movie that much more interesting.
16:50 There's a reason that this film remains an all-time favourite, daring to kill off
16:54 a lovable character and creating a dramatic choice for the ages.
17:00 And that's the end of our list!
17:06 Did we forget another main character movie death?
17:21 Let us know in the comments below.
17:22 Thanks for watching!
17:33 (upbeat music)