20 Split-Second Decisions Made in Movies That Completely … – MovieWeb

Movies always have something new to offer. Whether it's a major MCU blockbuster, the newest Scream or Conjuring installment, or the latest The Fast and the Furious sequel, audiences keep going back to theaters for the thrill of the experience. There is nothing more exciting than seeing characters make life-or-death decisions in a split-second, and seeing what unfolds as a result. Here are 20 split-second decisions that completely changed the franchise.

Every hero deserves their redemption arc, which is exactly what Dewey Riley gets in Scream (2022). Dewey is always the bud of fans' jokes when referencing his seeming immortality, receiving countless stab wounds, and somehow managing to survive for the next Scream sequel. Nonetheless, Scream (2022) truly reiterates the idea that Dewey is a tragic character; from losing his younger sister, and divorcing Gale, to the realization that he is destined to live and die in Woodsboro.

In a last-minute decision by the character, Dewey decides to go back and ensure Amber's Ghostface is dead, only to finally meet his fate when briefly distracted from a call by the one person he loves most--Gale Weathers. Arguably the franchise's most devastating moment.

Halloween Resurrection has a terrible reputation that lingers with it throughout the years. For good reason; its characters make terrible decisions in the name of profiting off Michael Myers. This is expected from hollow characters created with the sole purpose of being killed by Michael, but when Laurie plays into senseless choices; it absolutely counters everything previously established for the character throughout the Halloween franchise.

In a moment of uncertainty after her last attempt to kill Michael, Laurie leans in to remove his mask--only for Michael to drag her into a scuffle that results in her death--the most insulting way to kill the franchise's titular final girl, and a decision that doomed this movie from the start.

Nancy Thompson is introduced in A Nightmare on Elm Street as the series' final girl, defeating Freddy Krueger by showing him fearlessness. Though Nancy Thompson isn't present in A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge, she returns in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors as an intern therapist bent on helping the Dream Warriors defeat Freddy. In doing so, Nancy performs self-hypnosis in a ditch effort to save Kristen from Freddy, only for Freddy to finally strike her down with a fatal wound to the stomach.

Marvel movies, despite the seemingly insurmountable obstacles presented by their villains, end on a relatively positive note as the heroes march forward onto brighter days. Avengers: Infinity War changed the rules entirely by introducing Thanos into the mix, an anti-hero rooted in Machiavellian motives; Thanos believes that the end justifies the means and will sacrifice anyone standing in his path for the sake of a better universe.

When Thanos' army can't seem to overpower the Avengers and the Wakanda army, Thanos resorts to his final ace card: the snap. Donning the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos literally snaps half the universe out of existence, closing the film on the bleakest note for Marvel during its time of release.

In retrospective to Thanos, Tony Stark is unwilling to sacrifice humanity for an idealistic universe. If anything, Stark has grown to appreciate humanity through his experiences with The Avengers and his romance with Pepper Potts. At the top of Avengers: Endgame, Tony reunites with the Avengers to locate Thanos, only to realize that he destroyed the Infinity Gauntlet. Dejected, Tony decides to enjoy his time with his family, accepting what's left of the world and vowing to make it a better place.

Nevertheless, Tony makes the ultimate sacrifice when a chance to undo the snap is presented, first by helping the Avengers track down the infinity gems across the Multiverse, and lastly, by sacrificing his life by donning the Infinity Gauntlet to snap Thanos out of existence.

One of the more heavy-handed approaches by Marvel to make a titular superhero achieve their character arc. Nevertheless, it's effective in making audiences truly sympathize with the young Peter Parker when he sacrifices the prospect of a normal life for the sake of those he loves.

In a split-second decision, Peter asks Doctor Strange to erase his memory from anyone he's ever crossed paths with. Friendless, homeless, and unemployed, Peter Parker pays an obscene price for simply wanting to give his friends a second-shot at getting into college.

Captain America: Civil War is a Marvel game-changer in many regards. It introduces Peter Parker into the MCU, which paved the way for one of its most lucrative franchises. It also did something only briefly achieved by previous MCU installments; it effectively turned its heroes against each other.

Amidst political turmoil and an impending enemy attack, Tony Stark and Steve Rogers have conflicting strategies that ultimately pit them against each other, disbanding the Avengers temporarily. The defining moment for this separation results from Rogers' last-minute alliance with Bucky Barnes as Stark is ready to end his life; Rogers chooses a lifelong friend over his longstanding fighting partner.

Karen Nelson is perhaps the most nuanced character introduced in David Gordon Green's Halloween trilogy. When first introduced in Halloween 2018, Karen is a loving but guarded individual keeping her estranged mother, Laurie Strode, at a distance. As the movie unfolds, audiences learn of Karen's traumatic childhood alongside Laurie, during which Karen was forced to train for the day Michael came back to Haddonfield.

Despite Karen's skepticism, this is exactly what happens on Halloween night in 2018, forcing Karen to utilize all the survival training acquired during her formative years. By Halloween Kills, Karen proves that she isn't afraid of Michael, willing to face him head-on to protect Laurie and Allyson. Audiences never expected that such an astute character would meet her untimely demise when her curiosity leads her into Michael's clutches, dying in the exact same spot as Michael's first victim, Judith Myers.

Mysterio preyed upon Peter's fragile emotional state after losing Tony Stark in Avengers: Endgame, and this makes him one of the most vile MCU villains to date. Mysterio manipulates, steals, and kills all with the intention of personal gain, and when his schemes are thwarted by Peter, he manages to get the last laugh by recording himself revealing Spider-Man's alter ego. Mysterio's final moment of pettiness incites the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Peter's ultimate sacrifice by the end of that film.

Related: Marvel's Move to Add Younger Female Voices to the MCU

Whereas the first Evil Dead relies on its eerie score, excellent camerawork, and twisted plot to terrify audiences, Evil Dead II implements dark humor into its storytelling to deliver something fresh for audiences. The dialogue is campy, the kills are exaggerated, and Ash is bordering on maniacal by the end of the film.

One of this sequel's most ridiculous moments is having Ash cut off his own hand to free himself from the Deadite, and then having him continue on as if losing an entire limb isn't a life-threatening injury. Nonetheless, this one moment serves for one of the franchise's most iconic elements, having Ash don a chainsaw as a prosthetic hand. Moving forward, a chainsaw becomes synonymous with all of Evil Dead's titular characters.

Every superhero is motivated by a goal; in Peter Parker's case, it's Mary Jane's affection. From serving as moral support throughout her tumultuous relationships, saving her from countless dangers, to simply being her best friend; Peter loves Mary Jane unconditionally. Of course, Spider-Man is constantly faced with dangers that would likely threaten Mary Jane if they got into a relationship, forcing Peter to reject Mary Jane's love.

When Mary Jane finally learns of Peter's secret life as Spider-Man, she leaves her fianc at the altar to reunite with Peter, reiterating that it's her choice whom to be with. While it could have been presented in a more savory manner, Mary Jane choosing to be with Peter, despite the dangers involved, is defining of her strong character. Notably, it illustrates that Peter's selflessness is finally rewarded.

2002's Spider-Man didn't just introduce audiences to the first incarnation of the web-slinger, it also presented one of the most disturbing villains in the Spider-Man universe, The Green Goblin. Driven to madness by his own experiments, the super-powered Norman Osborn is out for blood, and will destroy anyone in his path, including Spider-Man.

When Norman and Peter finally unmask themselves during their final battle, Norman pleads for Peter's mercy, only to try to kill him with his glider seconds later. Peter's spidey senses save the day, resulting in Norman getting impaled by his signature weapon. Peter makes the fateful decision of bringing Norman's body to his home, only to be caught in the act by Norman's son, Harry. This puts Harry on his own villainous path that comes full circle in Spiderman-3.

Mary Jane is often criticized for being a damsel in distress who spends the majority of her screen time screaming for help; Gwen Stacy is her polar opposite. A lab genius with an adventurous spirit, Gwen rather take part in the action instead of rooting for Spider-Man to defeat the villain. In The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Gwen decides to help Peter against the Green Goblin when he suddenly strikes. Unfortunately, this turns out to be a deadly decision when she falls to her demise. An unexpected and tear-jerking moment for audiences.

In many ways, the Skywalker family is the binding force for the Star Wars franchise. Every installment either centers on them as the heroes, explores one of their origin stories, or expands on their lineage through new characters; such is the case with Ben Solo. Following in the steps of his grandfather, Anakin Skywalker, Ben Solo is seduced by Emperor Palpatine to do his dirty work against the Jedi, plotting universal domination once again.

Ben Solo eventually comes to his senses and helps Rey take down Palpatine, but not before Rey sustains a significant injury during the battle. Drained, Rey succumbs to her wounds and dies in Ben's arms. As a last resort to save Rey, Ben gives up his remaining life force to revive her. Ben succeeds, but in the process ends the Skywalker lineage as the last remaining member to perish.

Even before Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace released, audiences knew the prequel trilogy would culminate with Anakin turning into the tyrannical Darth Vader, but the big question was, how? In Star Wars Episode Three: Revenge of the Sith, Anakin Skywalker is dealing with his quest to become a Jedi Master while leading a secret life with his wife, Padm. Just like with his mother, Anakin starts having nightmares of Padm dying, believing them to be a premonition.

Anakin's stress load reaches its breaking point when he discovers Palpatine is the rogue Sith Master the Jedi have been hunting for. When tempted by Palpatine with the promise of teaching him how to save Padm, Anakin turns on Mace Windu, allowing Palpatine the time to murder him. From this point forward, Anakin descends into complete darkness as Darth Vader.

For fans of the X-Men comics, they are all too familiar with Phoenix, Jean Grey's alter ego that unleashes when Jean taps into all her powers. X2: X-Men United alludes to Jean's transformation early on, as her powers are elevating unexpectedly. In a final effort to save her fellow X-Men, Jean sacrifices herself to allow them to escape. Come the events of X-Men: The Last Stand, Jean resurfaces as Phoenix, relentless in her attacks against friends or foes.

For die-hard fans of the Harry Potter book series, they were expecting to see Voldemort resurface in the film adaption of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It was of no surprise when during the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Peter Pettigrew kills Cedric Diggory and brings Harry Potter to Voldemort, using his blood to finish the spell to finally revive the Dark Lord. Such a monumental event in the series is recreated excellently by both Ralph Fiennes and Daniel Radcliffe.

Related: 10 Actors That Should Play Harry Potter In the Reboot

Batman Begins ends on a bittersweet note; while Bruce and Rachel Dawes cannot be together due to their different take on the law, Bruce finally assumes the role of the Caped Crusader. In The Dark Knight, Bruce rekindles his friendship with Rachel only to discover she is engaged to Gotham's District Attorney, Harvey Dent. Feeling his chance to be with Rachel slipping away, Bruce contemplates retiring to be with Rachel.

Things take a turn for the worse, though, when Joker uses Rachel as a means to destroy Batman's spirit; and succeeds when he tricks Batman into saving Dent over Rachel in an explosion orchestrated by Joker, pushing Bruce into seclusion by the end of the film.

Bella Swan's transformation into a vampire was inevitable: it was impossible to attempt a married life with an immortal vampire while remaining a human herself. In the style of million-dollar franchises, Breaking Dawn's adaptation is divided into two-parts that explore Bella's transformation. In Breaking Dawn: Part 1, Bella becomes pregnant, and the advanced pregnancy rapidly consumes her physical strength, with the Cullen family suspecting she'll die during childbirth.

After what is one of the most gruesome moments in the Twilight franchise, Bella gives birth to Renesmee, and slips into a coma due to the grueling process. Desperate to save her, Edward bites Bella repeatedly to transform her. By the opening of Breaking Dawn: Part 2, Bella reawakens an agile, sparkling vampire ready to embrace her immortality and any powers that come with it.

Mystique is one of the most complex mutants among the X-Men. While she's turned her back on them numerous times in favor of self-discovery, she's also helped them more than once when faced with major adversaries. In X-Men: Days of Future Past, Mystique is forced to come to terms with her contempt towards humans, especially when she witnesses the depths of their cruelty.

Upon discovering weapons designer, Bolivar Trask, has been experimenting on mutants to perfect his Sentinel design, Mystique plans to kill him. In a climactic moment with the fate of the present and future on the line, Xavier convinces Mystique to spare Trask and the president. As a result, the president views mutants as heroes for the first time ever, halting the Sentinel program and its domino effect on the world.

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20 Split-Second Decisions Made in Movies That Completely ... - MovieWeb