10 Movie Mysteries I'm Glad Will Never Be Solved

This article contains mentions of suicide, rape, and domestic abuse.

Summary

• Some movie mysteries are best left unsolved, adding depth and intrigue to the story.
• The ambiguity surrounding unresolved movie mysteries can enhance the overall viewing experience.
• Iconic films like Pulp Fiction and The Shining use unresolved mysteries to engage and captivate audiences.
  

Whenever a movie involves a mystery, I immediately start paying more attention, and I’m sure the same can be said for audiences all around the world. Sometimes, the filmmakers will solve the mystery for us. Other times, we have to solve the mystery ourselves. If a movie has a strong cult following (such as Pulp Fiction), there will often be strong fan-led speculation about the answer.

However, in many cases, the movie mystery goes unsolved forever, and I’m often very happy about that. Some of the greatest movie mysteries are amazing simply because we will never know the true answer behind them. What’s more, these films can span a wide range of genres and locations, proving that any movie is capable of a good mystery.

A Suicidal Command Or A Self-Esteem Hit?

I loved it when the excellent performances of Ralph Fiennes and Nicholas Hoult came to a climax in one of The Menu‘s most iconic scenes. After being commanded to cook by Chef Slowik (Fiennes), Tyler (Hoult) produces a meal that disgusts Slowik to such an extent that he publicly humiliates Tyler before whispering something in his ear that causes him to walk out of the kitchen. Later, the movie reveals that whatever Slowik whispered caused Tyler to die by suicide.

I was initially annoyed that The Menu never reveals what Slowik actually whispered to Tyler. However, I soon came to appreciate the ambiguity. Was it a command to end his life that Tyler felt obligated to follow since it came from his idol? Or was it just such a damaging blow to his self-esteem that Tyler felt he could no longer live with himself? The mystery surrounding the whisper is one of the most climactic and impressive parts of The Menu, as it demonstrates how easily even the most vain and confident person can crumble in the face of pressure and embarrassment.

9 Who Murdered Angela Hayes In Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Crimes Aren’t Always Solved

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri may have earned Frances McDormand an Academy Award, but it never provides the answer to the crux of the film’s plotline. Mildred Hayes’ (McDormand) daughter, Angela (Kathryn Newton), was raped and murdered, with the movie centering around her mother’s desperate attempts to find her killer. In the third act of the movie, both Mildred and ex-police officer Jason Dixon (Sam Rockwell) appear very close to solving the mystery, before it is revealed that their prime suspect was abroad at the time of the murder.

This unsolved movie mystery works so well for a number of reasons. It subverts the traditional audience expectations of crime movies, as many (myself included) would have expected Three Billboards to reveal Angela’s murderer. By the film flipping the script this way, I found Three Billboards a compelling narrative about the frequent inadequacies of murder investigations and the vigilantism of a mother seeking justice for her murdered daughter.

8 Sophie Sheridan’s Real Dad In Mamma Mia!

Is It Sam, Bill, or Harry?

I love Mamma Mia! as a movie full of heart, soul, and most importantly, ABBA songs. However, one of the central mysteries of the plot is never answered – who is Sophie’s real dad? After reading her mom’s teenage diary, Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) realizes that her estranged dad could be one of three men: Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan), Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgård), or Harry Bright (Colin Firth). Without telling her mom, Donna (Meryl Streep), Sophie invites all three men to her wedding, leading to some of the funniest scenes in the movie.

By the end of Mamma Mia!, Sam, Bill, and Harry all agree that the paternity mystery is best left unsolved and become one-third of a dad as a result. This unsolved movie mystery ends up providing one of the most heartwarming endings in recent rom-com history which wouldn’t have been possible if Mamma Mia! had chosen to reveal Sophie’s “real” dad. Personally, though, I’ve always believed that it’s Bill.

7 Which Parts Of American Psycho Were Real

Was It Just All In Patrick Bateman’s Head?

American Psycho provided one of the most iconic villains in movie history with Christian Bale’s excellent performance of Wall Street employee by day, serial killer by night, Patrick Bateman. To this day, I still don’t know whether to laugh or run in fear of his performance. During the movie, we witness Bateman’s killing of an unhoused man, his co-worker, and multiple sex workers. In a state of hysteria, Bateman confesses these crimes to his lawyer, Harold Carnes (Stephen Bogaert). Carnes laughs this confession off, stating that he recently met with Bateman’s murdered co-worker in London.

To me, Carnes’ reaction implies that Bateman never killed his co-worker, and as a result, it may be assumed that he never killed anybody. American Psycho‘s unsolved mystery about which crimes were real is nevertheless an excellent satirical criticism of the self-involved culture of Wall Street. It is possible that Carnes, like many other characters in the film, cannot differentiate his colleagues from one another because he is so intensely focused on himself. American Psycho’s ending has stood the test of time quite unlike any other, and I often find myself rewatching it for a new interpretation of what it means.

6 The Identity Of The Man With No Name In The Dollars Trilogy

Gunslinger, Criminal, Or Nobody?

Clint Eastwood’s performance of The Man With No Name in the Dollars Trilogy was a staple of my childhood. From his first appearance in A Fistful of Dollars, the iconic cowboy stole the spotlight whenever he was on-screen. Although he is colloquially known by various names throughout the Trilogy (Joe in A Fistful of Dollars, Manco in For a Few Dollars More, and Blondie in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly), The Man With No Name resonates with me the strongest.

The Man With No Name’s anonymity is what allows him to be such a commanding presence. Everything we know about Eastwood’s character is learned from what he does on screen. I found that the lack of exposition given to The Man With No Name made it impossible to predict his next move or estimate his abilities, making this character, and the mystery that surrounds him, one of the most iconic in movie history.

5 The Meaning Of The Photo In The Shining

Jack Could Be A Ghost Or A Re-Incarnation

Even though I found The Shining underwhelming at first, I must admit that it not only redefined horror movies and book-to-film adaptations but produced one of the greatest twist endings the genre has ever seen. After Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) has frozen to death and his wife and child have escaped his murderous rampage, the camera zooms in on a photo taken at the Overlook Hotel’s July 4, 1921 Ball. In the center of the photo is a man who looks exactly like Jack, and just as we have a chance to process what we are seeing, the movie cuts to black, and the credits roll.

I was dumbfounded when I first saw this. The appearance of Jack in a photo taken sixty years before the events of The Shining asks far more questions than it answers. I think that Jack may be a reincarnation of one of the hotel’s earlier employees who was also afflicted by murderous thoughts; after all, Jack learns in the film’s opening scene that a previous winter caretaker killed his wife and daughters in the hotel. I have since come to terms with the fact that this mystery will remain unsolved, especially since The Shining‘s ending differs so greatly from the original Stephen King novel.

4 Who Is The Zodiac Killer

A Mystery Rooted in Real Events

David Fincher’s 2007 movie Zodiac tells the tale of the Zodiac Killer, a serial killer who murders at least five people in San Francisco in the 1960s and ’70s, and the detectives who are desperate to catch them. Like Three Billboards, Zodiac subverts the norm of solving the crime and never reveals who the true Zodiac Killer is. However, unlike Three Billboards, Zodiac was based upon real events.

Crime films based on real events have always terrified me, and the fact that the real Zodiac Killer was never caught or officially identified makes this movie mystery all the more chilling. While Zodiac does focus on Arthur Leigh Allen (John Carroll Lynch) as a prime suspect, it never states that he was the true killer. The reality of this mystery is what makes it truly terrifying to me, and it is bolstered further by some excellent pieces of film-making, such as Zodiac‘s iconic basement scene and standout performances from Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr.

3 How The Dark Knight’s Joker Got His Scars

Abusive Father, Loving Gesture, Or Something Else?

I don’t need to say that Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight is one of the finest pieces of acting of the last twenty years. However, I believe the life Ledger brought to the Clown Prince of Crime would have been far less impactful had it not been for one of the biggest mysteries surrounding the character – how did he get those scars? The Joker initially explains that the scars are a result of his drunken father wanting to “put a smile on [his] face” but later says they were self-inflicted to help his wife feel better after her face was cut by criminals.

I am always impressed by how the mystery surrounding the Joker’s scars compliments Ledger’s portrayal. The Dark Knight’s Joker is fully focused on being an “agent of chaos” looking to tear apart the very fabric of Gotham City itself, meaning that the ambiguity of the Joker’s scars is a manifestation of this chaos and represents the fact that we can’t trust a single word coming out of his mouth. The Joker is, at his core, an unpredictable and maniacal character, and the ever-changing story and mystery of his scars is the truest reflection of this chaotic nature.

2 What Was In Pulp Fiction’s Briefcase

And Why Is Everybody In Awe Of It?

I love a MacGuffin in movies, and Pulp Fiction‘s mysterious briefcase is one of my favorites. When Vincent (John Travolta) opens the briefcase for the first time, he is mesmerized by its contents and the glowing gold light that can be seen. A similar situation happens when Pumpkin (Tim Roth) looks inside, and yet, the mystery of the briefcase is never explained.

Is that what I think it is? It’s beautiful.

The mysterious briefcase and its equally mysterious contents are one of the best parts of Pulp Fiction. For me, every rewatch prompts a new theory as to what is inside, from the soul of Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames), the diamonds from Reservoir Dogs, to my very first, rather bland theory – gold bars. As Pulp Fiction is defined by how differently the briefcase’s contents can be interpreted, I believe the mystery is essential to the film’s success.

1 Whether Cobb Was Still Dreaming At The End Of Inception

Does It Really Matter?

I think the best unsolved mystery ending in history came from Christopher Nolan’s 2010 movie Inception. Inception ends with Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) leaving his totem on a table as he finally reunites with his children. Cobb does not wait to see if it will stop spinning, meaning the audience is left wondering whether he is still in a dream. Personally, I think Cobb is no longer dreaming. It would be a pretty sadistic way to end the film if he wasn’t.

Inception‘s mystery works so well because of how it misguides the audience, myself included. There may be evidence in the scene, such as the presence of Professor Stephen Miles (Michael Caine) to suggest that Cobb is no longer dreaming, but, as Nolan himself has said, it doesn’t matter – Cobb is back with his children, so he doesn’t care. By providing such an ambiguous ending, Inception allows us to make our own assumptions before we realize that the true meaning of the ending has nothing to do with our, in Nolan’s words, “nihilistic” debates.