There are those who say nothing in life is perfect. However, I’d like to think that those people have never seen a perfect movie.
Back to the Future. Groundhog Day. The Lord of the Rings. These are movies without flaws and always find a way to put a smile on my face.
The reality is that perfect movies aren’t a dime a dozen. Every now and then, a truly perfect movie comes along without a single imperfection. These films could have joined them, too, but instead, they’re held back by one small but noticeable flaw.
The Dark Knight
Every now and then, it feels like we’ve entered an era of criticism where we look back at a movie like The Dark Knight and ask ourselves if it was overrated. Then we watch it and tell ourselves, “No, this movie still rocks.”
Christopher Nolan’s groundbreaking film elevated the comic book movie to new heights, with it comparing favorably to all-time classics like Heat, which ironically served as an inspiration for the film.
All that being said, there’s one noticeable section of the movie that feels out of place, and it’s when Bruce Wayne takes his Hong Kong sabbatical. Did we really need to see Batman hunt down Lau? Most certainly not.
The Social Network
Never in a million years did I ever expect a movie about Facebook to be one of my favorite films, yet here we are.
From the moment I saw it at a midnight showing on release day, I was entranced. David Fincher’s direction, Aaron Sorkin’s script, and Jesse Eisenberg’s performance as Mark Zuckerberg all come together to deliver one of the best movies of the modern era.
Yet for all that I love about the film, the ending continues to feel out of place and a little too Hollywood. I get that we’re trying to make Zuckerberg sympathetic, but it lays it on a little too thick.
Thelma & Louise
In his review, Roger Ebert explained why he rated the movie three and a half stars instead of four: the ending.
Thelma & Louise ends with the titular characters driving off the cliff, before the scene stops and fades to white, transitioning into flashbacks during the end credits.
An alternate ending exists that follows the characters falling off the cliff, the police taking in what just happened, and then we see a shot of the car driving off into the distance, with the camera staying on the car as it slowly drives out of view. It’s a far better ending that lets the gravity of the scene speak for itself.
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Hereditary
Another example of where a movie should have ended a few moments before the actual ending.
Having Hereditary end when Charlie is crowned as King Paimon would have been perfect. We didn’t need any of the extra dialogue of exposition. The moment already landed!
Logan
What was supposed to be Hugh Jackman’s send-off to the iconic superhero is still an incredible film, even if Jackman (and Patrick Stewart) have returned to the characters they previously said goodbye to.
It’s not just your stereotypical comic book movie; instead, it elevates the medium in the same way The Dark Knight did.
For all the things it does great, there’s one issue I’ve always had with it: the villain. It feels underbaked and lazy, even if it’s what enables one of the most heartbreaking deaths I’ve ever seen in a movie.
Kingsman: The Secret Service
There are so many things that Kingsman does so well compared to similar movies.
It’s smart, it’s stylish, it’s self-referencing, and it has an incredible fight sequence taking place during “Free Bird.”
Now, I’m fully aware that this is just as much a comedy as it is an action movie, but the joke during the climactic scene will always feel out of place. You know the one I’m talking about. It’s also incredibly dated by today’s standards.
Donnie Darko
Yes, like every other millennial teenager in the early 2000s, I was obsessed with Donnie Darko.
Over time, as I’ve grown older, I’ve come to realize that there are indeed better movies out there, but I was surprised at how well the original cut holds up.
There is, however, one thing I’ve always disliked, and that’s how little the film says about what’s going on. It asks viewers to do too much homework. Ironically, the movie’s Director’s Cut explains things too much; the film needs a better balance between the two.
The Departed
We get it. The rat symbolizes that Detective Sullivan was a rat for Frank Costello.
Still one heck of a film, though, and 100% the right choice to finally give Scorsese that long overdue Oscar.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Call me crazy, but this is one of the better Tarantino movies in my mind.
It’s a brilliant love letter to Old Hollywood combined with an excellent dosage of alternate reality, complete with one over-the-top and incredibly satisfying ending.
Having said that, the fight between Bruce Lee and Cliff Booth has always rubbed me the wrong way. There was no need to even include it in the movie; it only takes away from what’s otherwise a fantastic and underrated film.
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