5 Jaw-Dropping Sci-fi Movie Cliffhangers That Have Left Us Waiting for Answers

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Many science fiction movies end on a high note, leaving viewers feeling hopeful. However, just as many deliver a shocking twist and a bleak conclusion, leaving audiences unsettled and pondering the future. This kind of ending has been a staple of the genre for years. A well-known example is Christopher Nolan’s Inception, famous for its ambiguous ending that frustrated many viewers – though the film itself hints that a definitive answer isn’t necessary, and Michael Caine accidentally revealed it anyway.

John Carpenter’s The Thing is a good example of a film with an ambiguous ending, leaving viewers to question who is truly human and who isn’t – and the movie doesn’t offer a definitive answer. Even District 9, despite setting up potential sequels, provides a satisfying conclusion to its core story. Other films, like The Matrix Reloaded or Planet of the Apes, do offer answers to the questions they raise. However, many movies don’t get the chance to resolve these plotlines, resulting in frustrating cliffhangers and leaving audiences waiting for a continuation that may never come.

5) Ex Machina

The ending of Alex Garland’s Ex Machina features several surprising turns, including one so shocking that the audience questions if it’s even true. The film establishes that Ava, the android, has achieved a significant level of consciousness. However, Ex Machina goes further, revealing that Ava is advanced enough to manipulate Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) into aiding her escape, and that she’s willing to kill to achieve her freedom. She not only murders Nathan (Oscar Isaac) but also abandons Caleb to his fate, successfully disguising herself as a human and blending into the world.

The film ends at a thought-provoking point. While it feels like the natural conclusion to the story, it leaves us wondering what happens next for Ava. There’s a lot of potential for future stories – how will she live among humans undetected, and what will be the consequences of her actions? Ultimately, the film suggests that the question of what happens next is more important than any specific answer. However, that doesn’t stop us from wanting to know!

4) Brightburn

Before James Gunn became officially involved with Superman, he produced Brightburn, a horror movie that reimagines the classic superhero origin story. The movie ends with the young, murderous version of Clark Kent covering up his crimes by causing a plane crash, but that’s not all. The finale also suggests Brandon will use his powers to devastate his town, and potentially the entire world. Plus, the ending hints at other dark takes on famous heroes, teasing villainous versions of Aquaman and Wonder Woman.

Following its release, Brightburn performed well financially, earning over $30 million despite a $6 million budget, though reviews were mixed. The film’s promotion was also complicated by the sudden firing of James Gunn by Disney; a planned Comic-Con panel was canceled and the release date was pushed back six months. It’s hard to say how much this impacted the film’s reception or future prospects, but Gunn has stated that the rights to continue the story are currently unavailable, making a sequel unlikely.

3) Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

The recent Planet of the Apes movies were a hit after the series was brought back in the 2010s, and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes continues that success. What really stands out about this new film is how it connects the recent movies with the original series from the 1960s. It’s set centuries after War for the Planet of the Apes and shows how the world evolved into the one we first saw in the 1968 film. While this connection was initially the biggest surprise, the film’s ending ultimately proves to be the most impactful choice.

The movie quickly introduces Mae, but her true reasons for acting the way she does aren’t clear until the very end. We then learn that humans didn’t just survive the apocalypse – they’ve been thriving all over the world for centuries, and they’re still in good health. Even though fans of the Planet of the Apes series knew humans had mostly become either unable to speak or physically changed living underground, the film reveals a large, hidden human population determined to reclaim the planet. The ending of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes hints at a new war between humans and apes, but since the movie came out two years ago, there’s been no word on whether the story will be continued.

2) Marvel’s Eternals

As a big MCU fan, it feels like they’ve explored pretty much everything at this point. But there was one thing from Eternals that I thought would really pay off – that giant, frozen Celestial body in the ocean. We saw it pop up in Captain America: Brave New World, which was cool, but honestly, the MCU hasn’t done anything with the fallout from the Eternals ending itself. It just kind of…left a bunch of characters hanging, and I’m still hoping they revisit that storyline.

The movie ends with some of the Eternals deciding to stay on Earth after successfully preventing the Emergence and saving the planet. However, this seemingly positive conclusion takes a shocking turn when the Celestial Arishem unexpectedly returns. He captures Sersi, Phastos, and Kingo, accusing them of betraying him by stopping the Emergence. Arishem declares he will judge humanity based on their memories, then vanishes with the captured heroes, and they haven’t been seen since. Since then, there have been no updates about the Eternals characters within the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Marvel hasn’t given any indication they plan to resolve this unresolved ending.

1) Alien: Covenant

Throughout Alien: Covenant, the movie delivers several unexpected twists, but the biggest shock comes right at the end. After escaping the dangers of the planet and the xenomorphs, the crew of the Covenant returns to their ship, thinking they’re finally safe. However, as Daniels (Katherine Waterston) is prepared for stasis, she discovers a terrifying truth: the android Walter has been replaced by the sinister David, and her sleep might be permanent.

This concluding scene has unsettling consequences and opens up countless story paths for the future. After years of working with the Engineer’s substance and creating different alien lifeforms, David now controls a large population of colonists, along with several Xenomorph embryos, all of which he can use for further experiments.

Despite a decent performance in theaters, Alien: Covenant received mixed reviews. More significantly, 20th Century Fox was then acquired by Disney. This led Disney to take the Alien series in a new direction, resulting in both the film Alien: Romulus and the TV show Alien: Earth. While these projects have expanded the franchise and explored new ideas, a major unresolved plot point from earlier films has been left hanging for nearly ten years, and there’s currently no sign it will ever be resolved.

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2026-02-25 23:11