Admittedly, fans have always been used to stories where the villain bites the dust and the main character lives happily ever after. It can be quite hard to watch the lead die, especially at the start of the film. Luckily, that’s not where the story ends for movies of this genre.
Whether it is a comedy, fantasy or drama, this genre is most known to be packed with all of them. Some of the most well-known examples can be Jack Frost from Rise of the Guardians or Superman from Justice League. Although they may not be completely dead, this plot twist works greatly in captivating the audience to the screen. Here are some of the films that begin with the death of the main character.
11 Beetlejuice (1988)
Tim Burton is mostly known for his weird and unique films. One of them includes Beetlejuice, which depicts a strange, dark theme. The movie follows the journey that the characters of Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin take after passing away. They had previously perished due to a car accident and are now stuck in their home, without escape. The ending is a bit bizarre, as the characters end up accepting their fate of being chained to their house for all eternity.
10 The Crow (1994)
For a peculiar and dark R-rated film, The Crow faced great success in 1994. Especially since superhero franchises like the MCU or DC universe weren't that hyped back then. The film depicts the life of Brandon Lee, a popular rock musician, who comes back to life with one goal: to avenge the death of his wife and him. While this may sound like a classic revenge plot, the real twist comes when Lee takes the form of a dark superhero. The ending is quite satisfying as the bad guys get owned.
9 The Sixth Sense (1999)
This one can be tricky, as the main character (Dr. Malcolm) only finds out about his death at the end of the movie, even though he perished at the start. This twist in the story earned it the rank of being the second-highest viewed film of 1999. The Sixth Sense depicts the journey of Bruce Willis’ character, as he wanders around without realizing that he has been shot. Without knowing, he continues to work as a psychologist for a boy named Cole; who is troubled because of his ability to see supernatural beings. To help him, Dr. Crowe investigates this ability and accidentally lands on a truth that changes both of their lives.
8 What Dreams May Come (1998)
1998’s blockbuster, What Dreams May Come, depicts a story that evolved Robin William’s career to a new height. Based on Richard Matheson’s book, it starts with Dr. Chris Nielsen, who dies in a tragic car accident and is guided to the afterlife by an old friend. He follows him, until he finds out how his wife committed suicide after his death and was sent to hell. To rescue her from the clutches of fire, Chris risks everything to find her. Unlike most stories that are rescue-based, this film offers a wholesome and aesthetic view of both the afterlife and the strength of love between two people. There are multiple shots and camera angles that make this a must-watch.
7 Soul (2020)
Disney+
Pixar Studio, known for its willingness to take risks with the concept of the afterlife and bending it softly into kid-friendly media, has come up with another view of death and what happens hereafter to the departed souls. Soul focuses on a mature script that follows Joe, a middle school music teacher, who one day falls into a coma unexpectedly. His soul separates from his body, and he spends the entire time figuring out how to merge the body with his soul again. Throughout this journey, he learns important lessons on the importance of life.
On the way, he meets another soul called 22, who has a strong desire and curiosity about life on Earth. To help him, Joe sacrifices his body to 22. However, unlike normal happy endings in children's movies, he doesn’t get a second chance to return to his body after giving it away. The end message beautifully describes how life is precious and should be appreciated.
6 Ghost (1990)
Known as the film that knocked out Home Alone and Pretty Woman to rank first as the highest-grossing film of 1990, Ghost is remembered best for its ‘’sensual pottery’’ scene. The movie won two Academy Awards and was nominated for five, total. Ghost depicts the story of Sam Wheat (played by Patrick Swayze), a banker by profession, and Molly Jensen (played by Molly Jensen), an artist. The two are in love. However, things turn for the worst when Sam is brutally murdered by his friend and business partner, Carl Bruner (Tony Goldwyn) for a suspicious business deal. Instead of going to the afterlife, Sam is forced to roam around the living. When he finds the cause of his death, he seeks the help of a well-known psychic (Whoopi Goldberg) Oda Mae Brown, to avenge his death and protect his lover from Carl.
5 The Lovely Bones (2009)
Known for his filmmaking successes such as The Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones took his career to a new height. This film focuses on 14-year-old Susie Salmon, who was slain at the start of the story and decides to watch over her family from the ‘in-between’. Not only that, but she also spends time searching for her murderer and taking revenge on him. However, things don’t work out as planned, and she has to get closure with her attacker getting into an unexpected accident instead. In the end, her family comes to terms with her passing, and she begins her journey to move to heaven.
4 Heaven Can Wait (1978)
Warren Beatty is a pro football player in his prime, who gets taken to heaven before his time by mistake. By the time his guardian angel discovers the mistake, his body on Earth is already cremated and Warren is unable to return to the world of the living. Shown as more of a comedy than drama, Heaven Can Wait offers a slow and mellow screening where everything works out in the end for the main character. Despite the tragic loss of his body, he ends up in the body of another professional player, Rams, and leads him to win the Super Bowl. He even gets to reunite with his love.
3 Just Like Heaven (2005)
Based on the 1999 French novel, If Only It Were True by Marc Levy, Just Like Heaven depicts the story of an engaging romance between David Abbott (Mark Ruffalo) and Elizabeth Masterson (Reese Witherspoon). David is a newly widowed man who moves into a new apartment for his architecture work in San Francisco. Elizabeth is a ghost that haunts the same apartment.
The film takes a new turn when she meets David and confesses that although she doesn’t remember her past life, she isn’t actually dead. To help her, he hires a psychic named Darryl (Jon Heder) to investigate her life. Turns out, Elizabeth indeed isn’t dead, but is in a coma and is slowly approaching her death. To save her, David must risk it all.
2 R.I.P.D. (2013)
Starring Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges, R.I.P.D. is a diverse film that talks about the supernatural and the afterlife. Nick Walker (Ryan Reynolds) passes away at the beginning and is selected for a program designed to find drifting souls on Earth, known as R.I.P.D. He now has to work as an operative for years to come. However, during his mission, he finds a way to end all life in the universe. To stop this from happening, he must discover a solution to balance the cosmic energy.
1 Rise of the Guardians (2012)
For those looking for something wholesome, sweet, and filled with adventure, Rise of the Guardians is a blockbuster that won hearts of millions worldwide. The story follows Jack Frost (Nimit Manatpon), the spirit of winter that teams up with immortal giants such as Santa Claus (Peter Ramsey), the Tooth Fairy (Christina Steinberg), the Easter Bunny (Nancy Bernstein) and Sandman to defeat an evil spirit of Nightmare, Pitch Black (David Lindsay-Abaire). Black’s scheme of obliterating children’s belief in the spirit of holidays and turning their dreams into nightmares leads the team to fight him before they disappear. Through this adventure, Jack also discovers his past life and the cause of his death.
Comments
Post a Comment