Are Climaxes Tricking Us Into Loving Mediocre Films?

 

Have you ever walked out of a movie feeling moved by the ending, only to later realize the rest of the movie was mediocre? Directors often craft these powerful climaxes that stays in our minds leaving us feeling like we just watched a cinematic masterpiece. But was the whole film actually worth it or did the final scene just trick us into thinking it was?

Interestingly there is a scientific basis for this effect. Our brains tend to prioritize emotionally intense moments and endings, a concept known as the "peak-end rule". When we feel a strong emotion like joy, sadness or excitement our brains release chemicals like dopamine, which heightens memory retention and intensifies our experience. So when a director delivers a powerful scene at the end we are more likely to hold onto that feeling, that makes us forget weak plots, dragging scenes or shallow characters of a film. This emotional manipulation works because our minds are wired to remember how things made us feel at their highest and final points, rather than the full journey.

This tactic plays on the way our minds work. Take recent Tamil hits like "Vikram" and "Love Today". "Vikram" leaves audiences thrilled with introduction of a character called Rolex in climax, an electrifying cameo that creates immense hype drawing attention away from issues in pacing or a weaker second half. "Love Today" on the other hand uses an emotional climax to wrap up its themes of relationships and trust resonating deeply with viewers, despite the film's mediocrity and flawed ideas. 

This is not to say that every impactful ending is a trick, some films genuinely build up to a meaningful climax that feels deserved. But when an entire movie irrespective of how average the film is, seems to rest on a strong finish, it can feel manipulative like the ending is there to distract us from everything that went wrong earlier. It is a way of making us remember a highlight rather than the whole story.

The next time a movie leaves you buzzing with its final scene, take a step back and ask yourself Was it the film itself or just that one last moment?, Because a great storytelling is more than a single powerful scene.

Try revisiting the films you have celebrated in the past. You might find that some of those once admired movies now feel average when viewed in their entirety.