The 10 most unexpected movie deaths
There are exceptions, but cinema is full of movies exploring death. Whether it be horror movies that revel in pulling apart the human body in increasingly experimental ways to dramas that feature the death of a character at its core, cinema has long dealt with the nitty gritty difficulties of being human, facing the existential concept of death straight on.
Whilst in dramas and other more gentle genres, these death scenes are handled with steady, inevitable tension, horror, and thriller flicks like to surprise the viewer with a sudden snap death, switching the direction of the narrative on a dime whilst we’re still recovering from the chaos. These death scenes are often the most memorable, too, whether they come out of nowhere or are tinged with a truly unexpected tonal shift.
So, we’ve decided to delve into the history books of cinema to find the ten most unexpected movie deaths of all time. Including such filmmakers as the Coen brothers, Alfred Hitchcock, Quentin Tarantino, Ari Aster and Martin Scorsese, we’ve left no stone unturned in our search for the strangest and most surprising movie deaths that left viewers frozen to the spot with no idea what direction the film will take next.
Take a look at our list below and enjoy some of the most unexpected movie deaths of all time, except they are very predictable within the context of this list.
Top 10 most unexpected movie deaths
10. Tyler Hawkins – Remember Me (Allen Coulter, 2010)
Allen Coulter’s 2010 romantic comedy Remember Me would be entirely forgettable if it weren’t for its shocking ending, which is so unexpected that it’s absurd. Starring Robert Pattinson and Emilie de Ravin, the film follows two new lovers, Tyler and Ally, who have recently overcome painful family losses. Whilst most of the film seems pretty by the book, the climactic curveball changes the context of the story entirely.
Sure, you don’t see Tyler’s death, but when we’re told that the date is September 11th, 2001, and we see him on one of the top floors of the world trade centre, we can only presume the worst.
9. Bing Bong – Inside Out (Pete Docter, 2015)
The 2015 release of Inside Out is considered one of Pixar’s greatest contemporary triumphs, with the emotional coming-of-age movie telling the story of a young girl named Riley and the various emotions that live inside her mind. A winding, fantastical animation, the film takes us through the inner workings of Riley’s mind, taking us, at one point, to her dreamworld and long-forgotten imaginary friend, Bing Bong.
Technically, Bing Bong never actually existed, so his ‘death’ isn’t all that surprising, but the emotional baggage that came with the death of Riley’s longest friend hit audiences incredibly hard. Heartbreaking stuff.
8. Leslie Burke – Bridge To Terabithia (Gábor Csupó, 2007)
The death of Leslie Burke in Bridge To Terabithia and the unexpectedly bleak outcome of the 2007 movie is common knowledge at this point, scarring almost every single young viewer when the film was released. Starring Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb, the film follows a young boy whose life is turned upside down when he befriends a new girl at school, and they discover a magical new fantasy world together.
The fun-filled family flick abruptly changes tone when the young girl named Leslie tragically dies. All we’re left with is the young boy’s inconsolable reaction.
7. Terry Chaney – Final Destination (James Wong, 2000)
The Final Destination series is teeming with unexpected deaths, with countless elaborate kills over five celebrated movies. The original movie was new to audiences, however, and had the ability to shock and surprise without viewers foreseeing what was coming. This is typified by Terry Chaney’s death, getting smacked by a speeding bus when she momentarily steps out onto the road.
Whilst this one is the most unexpected of the series, we’d also like to shout out the acrobatic death in Final Destination 5, which is certainly foreseeable but shocking nonetheless.
6. Chad Feldheimer – Burn After Reading (the Coen brothers, 2008)
The Coen brothers are known for creating some of the greatest movies of all time, including No Country for Old Men, The Big Lebowski and Fargo. Their 2008 movie Burn After Reading is too rarely discussed, however, and the comedy crime caper is a true riot, largely thanks to actors Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton and Richard Jenkins.
The unexpected death comes when Pitt’s chirpy character Chad Feldheimer is shot dead by Clooney’s Harry whilst hiding in his house. The Coen’s somewhat shot themselves in the foot, too, with Chad being the film’s driving force up to that point.
5. Russell Franklin – Deep Blue Sea (Renny Harlin, 1999)
The 1999 movie Deep Blue Sea, directed by Renny Harlin, is known for one thing and one thing only, the death of Samuel L. Jackson’s Russell Franklin. The schlocky sci-fi adventure movie tells the story of a group of scientists on an isolated research facility who get attacked by a trio of blood-thirsty sharks, starring Jackson alongside the likes of Stellan Skarsgård, Thomas Jane and LL Cool J.
The unexpected death comes when Russell is giving a rousing speech and is snatched off the screen by a bulging CGI shark. Bad film, great moment.
4. Marion Crane – Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
Alfred Hitchcock’s classic and influential slasher thriller Psycho introduces audiences to a woman, Marion, who is on the run. She lands at a hotel run by a mysterious Norman Bates, and strange incidents follow.
Psycho introduced many of what are now the ultimate slasher tropes, as well as scaring audiences with a new vision of horror and storytelling. One of the unique ways it did this was by introducing its main character Marion, allowing the audience to align with her, only to kill her off in the beginning brutally. This shower kill sequence is one of the film’s most iconic scenes. Its iconography comprises fast-paced visuals of a knife and blood running down the sink, complemented by the sounds of a classic scream queen shriek and complementary violins. Audiences of the time were mindblown by seeing who they thought was the protagonist being killed off so suddenly.
3. Marvin – Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1994)
Quentin Tarantino is an infamous lover of violence and gore, with almost each and every one of his movies featuring at least one crazy fight sequence. One of his most unexpected deaths comes in his Palme d’Or winning classic, Pulp Fiction, when Marvin (Phil LaMarr) is shot dead by the incompetent hitman Vincent Vega (John Travolta), whilst driving down the street alongside his right-hand man, Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson).
A shockingly violent moment, Tarantino also sprinkles a little bit of comedy into the scene, making it an iconic sequence in his beloved critical darling.
2. Charlie Graham – Hereditary (Ari Aster, 2018)
Hereditary is a rare gem in 2010s horror because it’s a unique and terrifying original story. Ari Aster’s chilling tale focuses on a family dealing with the death of the matriarchal grandmother. However, the family have no time to grieve as disturbing mysteries hiding behind the grandmother’s secretive nature follow.
As a supernatural and psychological film, Hereditary keeps the gore minimal and instead scares audiences through tension; however, the film’s biggest shock was visual carnage, as the family’s youngest member, Charlie, meets a brutal end. As she is suffering an allergic reaction and being driven to the hospital by her older brother, Charlie sticks her head out the window for air, only to have half of it torn off in a sudden collision. We then see the sickening aftermath of what’s left. What’s most disturbing are the reactions of her mother and brother; one is an open wound, and the other is an emotional shutdown.
1. Billy Costigan – The Departed (Martin Scorsese, 2006)
Finally earning Martin Scorsese the elusive Best Director prize at the Academy Awards, The Departed is a thrilling crime flick that crafts a truly compelling tale of deceit, honour and violence in the face of pure evil. Scorsese creates several unforgettable set pieces by casting the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg and Alec Baldwin in his cat-and-mouse crime thriller.
One of the most memorable moments comes when DiCaprio’s Billy Costigan is shockingly killed at the film’s climax, meeting his demise when the doors of his elevator quickly wind open, and his body falls back.
