One movie with an ending that people still argue about today is Titanic from 1997. In the final scenes, Jack Dawson, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, freezes to death in the icy ocean while Rose, played by Kate Winslet, floats on a piece of door debris. Fans have debated for decades if that door was big enough for both of them to fit and survive. Some say Jack could have climbed on and lived. Others point out the physics of the water and their body heat made it impossible.
This argument got so big that the TV show Mythbusters tested it years later. They built a model of the door and tried different setups in a pool. Their tests showed the door might have held both if they stayed out of the water, but real ocean conditions with waves and cold would have made it tough. Still, no one agrees completely, and clips of the scene pop up online all the time with new theories. For more on this, check out https://www.oreateai.com/blog/the-most-controversial-movies-of-all-time-a-deep-dive-into-cinemas-divisive-endings/3945653bc6ce37feb3cbc164b827b52f.
Titanic is not alone. The Mist from 2007 has another ending that splits viewers. A man named David thinks monsters in the fog will kill everyone, so he shoots his friends and son to save them pain. Right after, army trucks arrive with rescue. Stephen King liked this dark twist, but many fans hated how hopeless it felt. Details on that debate are in https://www.oreateai.com/blog/the-most-controversial-movies-of-all-time-a-deep-dive-into-cinemas-divisive-endings/3945653bc6ce37feb3cbc164b827b52f.
In I Am Legend from 2007, the main character dies in a hopeless sacrifice against monsters. An alternate ending where he lives was tested but changed due to bad feedback. People still argue if his death made sense after all he survived. See https://www.looper.com/2062471/worst-horror-movie-endings/ for why it upset so many.
Even older films like Planet of the Apes and The Thing have sci-fi endings that shocked audiences and started talks that last. Those twists changed how people saw the whole story. More on great sci-fi endings at https://collider.com/best-sci-fi-movie-endings-last-100-years-ranked/.
These movies prove a good ending can keep conversations going forever, whether from romance, horror, or sci-fi.
Sources
https://www.oreateai.com/blog/the-most-controversial-movies-of-all-time-a-deep-dive-into-cinemas-divisive-endings/3945653bc6ce37feb3cbc164b827b52f
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m9t7IUTS1E
https://www.looper.com/2062471/worst-horror-movie-endings/
https://collider.com/best-sci-fi-movie-endings-last-100-years-ranked/
https://talesmoonlitpath.com/horror-movie-endings-some-are-better-than-others-by-paul-lonardo/
