superior Los Angeles Times As early as the 2010s on culture stations, reporters would have a simple description of readers’ oversensitivity to spoilers. “Rosebud was a sled,” one reporter might say after reading aloud such subscriber feedback, which might prompt another to counter, “And Bruce Willis was dead all along.”
These two references, of course, the surprising ending Citizen Kane and sixth sense (Sorry if this ruined it for you), which means a tired eye-roll at the tired complaint. When a movie’s ending is so well-known, the journalist’s sense is that there’s a limit to how much restraint you need. Asking reporters to avoid twisty endings not only undermines their reporting, it’s also disrespectful of the job. If you care so much about what happens in the movie, why don’t you take 90 minutes of your life to see it?
Yet, as tired as people are of ancient revelations, wait to hear what happened to the Egyptians in the Red Sea! ——This column is intended to be a spoiler-proof case.
Not suitable for a movie that came out a few years ago. For a movie based on story It came out a few years ago.
In this day and age of intellectual property rights, that’s pretty much everything.
The most obvious example of this Oscar season is eviland finally there is that artificial suspense Part one Causing some people to cover their ears anxiously when hearing this topic part two appeared. (This is a topic of daily debate on TikTok.) All I can say to these people is: keep cupping. To everyone else: stop yelling. Stop talking casually about the ending of the story. Don’t let next November be ruined for anyone within earshot.
Yes, it’s true, it’s been 20 years since the show was published and almost 30 years ago for the book. But a film is its own creation—as every director and writer constantly reminds us—and that creation shouldn’t be swayed by chattering Galindas. Oh, and you can blame Universal for dragging this out longer than the Cowardly Lion’s tail. But moviegoers still deserve the novelty.
But you say it would be nice if it was limited to the Emerald City. Doesn’t so much jewelry sparkle with such a familiar light this season?
secret meetingThe 2016 novel reveals a huge ending. That same year, we learned Rhodes’ fate at the end of “The Last Days.” wild robot Book. Completely unknown Anyone with even a passing knowledge of music history knows exactly that – the Bob Dylan concert in question took place in 1965. dunewhose content prophetically leaks what will happen in 2024 Dune: Part 2.
And then there are September 5whose stunning climax was first shown at the 1972 Olympics.
Spoilers? In such a stale story?
Yes.
One of the great joys of going to the movies these days is the shock of something new. We live in an era where no detail is kept secret, no news report is not exposed, all cultural creation is simplified, and every current event is recorded. Even time-shifting movements—which were possible just a few years ago—have gone the way of single-wing attacks. Good luck not finding out about the Chargers-Chiefs game an hour after it happened. Or five minutes. We must now know how everything ends before it begins.
But there is one exception. Without breaking a sweat, we can still walk into a dark room with a giant screen and be completely blown away by something we didn’t see coming. This is why newly released movies are different from almost all cultural products, including streaming, where people watch on their own schedules.
So if you feel free to throw away the plot details of these movie endings — “But they’ve been around for years!” you exclaim — the point of this column is: don’t.
Don’t laugh at your cousin who tries to avoid knowing the second half evil.
Don’t torture your partner, he will definitely catch up with you secret meeting this weekend.
Heck, don’t even make fun of your friend who’s unsure of the hostage’s ultimate fate September 5 (Feel free to laugh at their education). Instead, let them enjoy the last bit of surprise this world has to offer.
So, when it comes to old movies, go ahead and exhaust yourself. Shout out to your friends that Kevin Spacey is really Keyser Soz, Tyler Durden is fictional, and Billy is and Stu is grimacing. Post it on your social feeds; write it in the sky. If these friends don’t make it a blockbuster night, it’s not your fault. You can even reveal the family history of Luke, Leia, and Darth. But don’t talk to them about the ending of the current movie. They will be happier now. You can’t hurt a film career forever.
This story appears in the Dec. 13 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
