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Elissa Suh's avatar

"Lead characters were far more likely to die in the 1960s and 1970s than they are today. Across the 1970s, almost one in three protagonists died by the end of the film. That rate has steadily declined since."

Similarly fascinated by this. audiences and studios have grown weak. thank you for this.

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Data Tinkerer's avatar

What do you reckon happens to Tom Cruise in mission impossible?

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Michael Epifani's avatar

It's interesting that Thelma and Louise would be considered a definitive death ending. I know that even saying it's "implied" is an understatement, but then would you consider Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid a protag death ending? Just curious if there's a notable number of movies where it's strongly implied or even outright said that they die immediately after we cut, and if those were counted as protag deaths.

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Shawn Cremer's avatar

This is exactly the type of research I’m looking for!!!

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GATTACA's avatar

Who dies in The Theory of Everything? I don't remember it.

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Stephen Follows's avatar

Ah whoops, that was a conflation of another section I removed. Sorry about that - I've fixed it

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