Another Top 10 Darkest Movie Theories

Turns out that there are a lot of twisted ideas out there. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for "Another Top 10 Darkest Movie Theories."

For this list, we’ll be looking at 10 more movie theories that are incredibly dark, scary, or gloomy. If you don’t see a theory you think should be on this list, be sure to check out our original video of the top 10 darkest movie theories. Also, spoiler alert!

It’s made very clear by Egon that crossing the proton pack streams is catastrophic. Yet at the end of the movie, the Ghostbusters intentionally cross their streams to destroy the dimensional gate. Some fans posit that the Ghostbusters died, and that Ghostbusters II takes place in purgatory. This would explain the repetition of the first movie’s plot, the Ghostbusters’ bad reputation, and why no one believes in the supernatural, despite the events of the first movie. Finally, Ghostbusters II ends with a chorus of Auld Lang Syne, a song often sung at funerals, and a painting of heavenly Ghostbusters. Both could signify that the Ghostbusters are finally moving on, having completed their mission in purgatory.

One of the most popular aspects of The Big Lebowski is the friendly-yet-hateful relationship between Walter and Donny. However, some fans believe that Donny doesn’t actually exist. You see, Donny is actually an old friend of Walter’s who died fighting alongside him in Vietnam. The reason Walter is always telling Donny to shut up is because he knows Donny isn’t real and he’s trying to get a grip on reality. This also explains why people barely address Donny. When the nihilists attack Walter, he is reminded of his time in Vietnam and confronts the memory of Donny’s death, allowing him to release both his guilt and the memory of Donny, signified by Donny’s heart attack.

Some Disney fans seemingly have a thing for the post-apocalypse. According to them, Cars takes place in a distant future where humans have gone extinct, and Aladdin takes place thousands of years from now in a dystopian social reality. Why? Well, the Genie states that Aladdin’s outfit is so third century, and he does various impressions of modern celebrities like Jack Nicholson, indicating that he was around between the third and twentieth centuries. But he also states that he has been imprisoned for 10,000 years, which means Aladdin could take place around the year 12,000, when humanity has been ruined by a catastrophe that decimated modern technology and lifestyles.

James Bond meets a worthy (and old) adversary in Spectre. After being directed to Blofeld’s base, Blofeld tortures Bond with a brain drill. Bond then escapes with the help of a too-perfectly-timed Madeleine, defeats Blofeld, and destroys his base in a video game-y fashion. Or does he? Perhaps the ridiculous escape and subsequent third act are simply visions Bond has while he dies from Blofeld’s brain drill. This theory borrows heavily from Terry Gilliam’s brilliant Brazil, where the tortured character envisions his rescue and subsequent heroics. So... does that mean that the rest of the series will be James Bond’s adventures in the afterlife?

Robert De Niro played two of the most iconic movie characters of the 70—Mike Vronsky, a Pennsylvania veteran dealing with the fallout of his (and his friends’) tour in the Vietnam War; and the unhinged taxi driver Travis Bickle, another ‘Nam vet. While ‘Nam was obviously a topical subject for films back in the 70s, the relationship between these two characters could be much deeper. The Deer Hunter ends in 1975 when Mike buries his friend Nick. Taxi Driver takes place the following year, with the troubled Travis unable to sleep. Perhaps Mike changed his name and moved to New York City in a futile attempt to shed his old life and inner demons?

Many fans had issues with The Dark Knight Rises, including the overly-dramatic ending which sees Batman hauling a nuclear bomb out of Gotham. While many rightfully assume that Batman is dead, having sacrificed himself for Gotham, Alfred later spots the very-much-alive Bruce and Selina while vacationing in Italy. Now what are the odds of that? Some people believe it was simply a figment of Alfred’s imagination. Bruce really did die in the nuclear explosion, and the grieving Alfred traveled to Florence to alleviate his sorrow. He then wills himself to imagine the happy couple and finally lets go of his grief, happy at the thought of Bruce’s contentment.

Speaking of imagination, there’s a widely held belief that the events of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off take place entirely inside the head of the bedridden Cameron. This is also known as the Fight Club Theory due to its similarities with that movie’s plot. It posits that Ferris is a symbolic representation of Cameron’s wish to be more confident and daring. While laying in bed, he imagines his confident alter-ego joyriding in a fancy car, cozying up to his sexy girlfriend, and just generally enjoying a carefree existence. It could also be a meditative method Cameron uses to assert more control over his life, symbolized by the destruction of his controlling father’s car.

Was Edna scheming all along? She makes it painfully clear that she does not give superheroes capes, as previous superheroes have struggled and died due to them. Yet Syndrome’s superhero outfit comes equipped with one. Yes, it’s entirely possible that Syndrome designed and created the suit himself; but did he go to Edna for help knowing that she was the go-to creator of top-of-the-line superhero suits, and could therefore make a better suit than he ever could? And did Edna outfit his suit with a cape, knowing that it would hinder his plans? Perhaps she even hoped for it to get caught in a jet turbine, just as Stratogale’s was.

This Miyazaki masterpiece is about two girls who move into an old house after their mother becomes ill, and then befriend a forest entity they name Totoro. But who, or what, is this creature? Could it be... the God of Death? According to legend, only people who have died or are close to death can see the God of Death. And near the movie’s beginning, the girls see soot sprites, rumored to represent impending death in Japanese folklore. As the theory goes, Mei actually drowns in the pond and Satsuki commits suicide out of grief. They then posthumously visit their dying mother with the help of Totoro, and she feels their presence. Shudder.

After blowing up the station and defeating The Thing, MacReady and Childs share a bottle of scotch as they freeze to death. It’s most definitely a depressing ending, but it could be made even worse if Childs actually is The Thing. Fans of this one-of-many dark The Thing theories point to numerous supposed pieces of evidence, like the fact that Childs is wearing a different coat. Others point to Childs’ lack of visible breath. Finally, and perhaps most popular, is the concept that the bottle is actually filled with gasoline and MacReady was testing Childs, who inadvertently proved that he wasn’t human, resulting in MacReady’s demoralized chuckle after Childs takes a drink.