Did I imagine the ending I remembered for eXistenZ?
July 3, 2018 5:58 AM Subscribe
I just re-watched David Cronenberg's eXistenZ (1999) and I am having a bit of an existential crisis. The part I remembered most clearly about the movie was the ending, but now I can find no evidence that this ending ever actually existed. Massive spoilers within.
Here's the ending I just saw: Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jude Law emerge from eXistenZ to find they're still in a game. They emerge again and they've just been playing a game called tranCendenZ. They kill the designer of that game. They then aim their guns at the man who played the role of the Chinese waiter. He asks if they're still in the game. Credits roll.
Here's the ending I vividly remember: That all happens and then Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jude Law emerge from the game AGAIN. They are dressed in white and their surroundings are clean, glowing and futuristic in contrast to the grungy atmosphere of everything that happened previously. They congratulate each other on a game well played and walk out of their beautiful house onto a pristine beach. Everything we saw previously was only a game. The end.
In my recent viewing I waited expectantly through the entire credit sequence thinking it must be a cut scene afterward. Nope. I googled frantically "eXistenZ alternate ending" and can't find anyone else talking about it.
So what the fuck. Did I completely imagine this? Is that an ending from another movie and I've conflated the two? Did that ending appear in a very limited release?
Possibly relevant: I first watched the movie on DVD between 2003-2005. Did not see it in theaters. Have not seen it since.
Here's the ending I just saw: Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jude Law emerge from eXistenZ to find they're still in a game. They emerge again and they've just been playing a game called tranCendenZ. They kill the designer of that game. They then aim their guns at the man who played the role of the Chinese waiter. He asks if they're still in the game. Credits roll.
Here's the ending I vividly remember: That all happens and then Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jude Law emerge from the game AGAIN. They are dressed in white and their surroundings are clean, glowing and futuristic in contrast to the grungy atmosphere of everything that happened previously. They congratulate each other on a game well played and walk out of their beautiful house onto a pristine beach. Everything we saw previously was only a game. The end.
In my recent viewing I waited expectantly through the entire credit sequence thinking it must be a cut scene afterward. Nope. I googled frantically "eXistenZ alternate ending" and can't find anyone else talking about it.
So what the fuck. Did I completely imagine this? Is that an ending from another movie and I've conflated the two? Did that ending appear in a very limited release?
Possibly relevant: I first watched the movie on DVD between 2003-2005. Did not see it in theaters. Have not seen it since.
Best answer: I think you are describing the end of the 13th floor. One of the simulated people makes it out to the real future world that's as you described.
posted by TheAdamist at 6:10 AM on July 3, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by TheAdamist at 6:10 AM on July 3, 2018 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Wow, you folks are fast, and absolutely correct. Thank you so much! Memory is weird.
posted by the turtle's teeth at 6:21 AM on July 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by the turtle's teeth at 6:21 AM on July 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
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Here's some pirated YouTube video of it for verification purposes
posted by sacchan at 6:09 AM on July 3, 2018 [4 favorites]