Certain trilogies might well only get kind of heavy for one movie out of three, often the second… see the original Star Wars trilogy as well as The Dark Knight within its trilogy. It’s naturally a downer to have people get invested in three movies’ worth of story, only to have to all end up feeling quite hopeless, so that’s why the second movie being the heaviest is a little more expected, if you’re even going to have a bleak chapter in the first place.

But it’s not the only way to tackle a movie trilogy, because some feel heavy throughout, or have, at a minimum, two out of three movies being intense and/or heavy-going. The following trilogies can all count themselves among the heaviest in cinema history, with the bunch of them being depressing for different reasons, and depressing within different genres, too.

8

‘Pusher’ (1996–2005)

Image via Nordisk Film

Nicholas Winding Refn might be more well-known for his 2010s English-language movies, with Drive especially being something of a modern cult classic, but his Pusher trilogy shouldn’t be overlooked. These films are incredibly gritty and down-and-dirty, with 1996’s Pusher feeling particularly grimy and low-budget. That goes some way to helping things feel more realistic, and then narratively, it’s also intense, since it’s about a drug dealer losing a great deal of money, and needing to find a way to get it in time, as he’s otherwise in rather hot water.

Things kept going with each subsequent movie focusing on a different protagonist, as a side character played by Mads Mikkelsen in the first movie was the central character in the second, and then the drug lord behind much of the first movie’s conflict/drama was the central character in the third film. They’re all brutal and downbeat in their own ways, but also quite engaging if you don’t mind movies that make you feel like you need a shower right after finishing them.

7

‘Three Colours’ (1993–1994)

Image via MK2 Productions

This is a slightly tricky example, since Three Colours is a thematic trilogy, and each one does go for something a bit different tonally, and even different genre-wise. In terms of heaviness, Three Colours: Blue (the first one released) is the most full-on, as it’s an exploration of grief and accompanying feelings of depression, being about a woman navigating life after losing both her husband and daughter very suddenly, in a car accident.

Three Colours: White isn’t as despair-filled, being a bit more comedic, but it’s still something of a psychological drama alongside being a comedy, and not without a dark sense of humor, either. Three Colours: Red is moody again, and maybe a little more mysterious, but ultimately not as heavy-going as Three Colours: Blue. That first film does the heavy-lifting here, though the two movies that follow it (or don’t really follow it, given this trilogy being a thematic one) do still have some darker moments.

6

‘Terrifier’ (2016–2024)

Image via Cinaverse

Terrifier probably won’t be a trilogy for long, but for now, it is made up of three movies, and they’re three immensely gory movies, too. That’s kind of Terrifier’s thing, as a series so far: there’s a pretty much unstoppable villain at the center of things, and his whole thing is that he really likes to inflict maximum pain on his victims before killing them, so that’s where all the blood and gore inevitably come in.

There’s also a good deal of emotional and psychological distress he wants to cause certain victims, toying with them in that way before he actually hurts them, and so Terrifier 2 and Terrifier 3 get kind of heavy in that way, on top of all the violence. They are admittedly tongue-in-cheek at times, and not serious or heavy-going dramas in the way most of these other trilogies here are, but there’s a good bit of distress to be found throughout these three movies if you’re not really on board with what they have to offer.

5

‘X’ (2022–2024)

Image via A24

Okay, sorry, it was hard to find heavy-going drama-focused trilogies, so here’s one more trio of horror movies: those belonging to the X trilogy. X (2022) is the first of them, and beyond being pretty savage as far as the violence is concerned, it’s also an oddly sad movie about how miserable it is to get old… once you do get past the kills. It’s not exactly thought-provoking, but it is something.

Pearl (also a 2022 release) is a bit more of a drama and less of a horror movie, and it’s a prequel, laying out the rather somber backstory of the main villain of X, showing who she was when she was younger. Then MaXXXine… well, MaXXXine sort of goes off the deep end, and calling it heavy beyond having some distressingly violent moments would be too much of a stretch, but two out of three ain’t bad and all that.

4

‘The Apu Trilogy’ (1955–1959)

Image via Merchant Ivory Productions

Across three movies, The Apu Trilogy does something that might sound a little similar to what Boyhood did in one movie, but that 2014 film was surprisingly light on drama and narrative, really just being a slice-of-life thing across 12 years. The films in this Indian trilogy, though, are incredibly heavy on drama, and also generally heavy-going, all the while mostly centering on a boy named Apu who grows into a young man by the third and final film, and is played by a total of four different actors across the trilogy.

The first movie, Pather Panchali (1955), has Apu as more of a passive character, since he’s so young, and much of that film is a very emotionally intense family drama. Further hardships happen in Aparajito (1956) and The World of Apu (1959), and while it’s not heavy-going or depressing 100% of the time, it is certainly downbeat stuff for a good chunk of the trilogy.

3

‘The Godfather’ (1972–1990)

Essentially, The Godfather is an epic tragedy in three parts, albeit with only two of those movies being essential to get the point across. The Godfather gets the ball rolling on depicting the downfall of the Corleone crime family, while The Godfather Part II showcases the truly messy and despairing stuff, and makes it feel heavier because much of it’s contrasted with a series of flashbacks that depict the rise of the Corleone empire.

It’s a rise and fall kind of thing, but not in a linear fashion, which sets it apart from other gangster movies about a character’s rise and fall. The Godfather Part III doesn’t mine a great deal of new ground thematically or narratively, but it does have further bleak events happen to the characters who are still standing at that point in the series, so for present purposes, it is still able to count itself as a heavy-going part 3.

2

‘Life of Crime’ (1989–2021)

Image via HBO

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While Life of Crime is a documentary trilogy, it’s still worth including here because of how immensely heavy-going it gets, and the fact that it’s all genuinely real does undoubtedly add to that feeling. 1989’s One Year in a Life of Crime began the trilogy, and is what you’d expect, based on that title. It got a follow-up almost a decade later (1998’s Life of Crime 2), and then 2021 saw everything get wrapped up in a distressingly definitive manner.

That final film is called Life of Crime, 1984-2020, and can sort of be watched on its own, given that it summarizes what happened throughout that whole span of time, including the first two documentaries. It’s still worthwhile watching the entire thing, though, as something of an anti-true crime documentary, since there’s nothing flashy or intentionally entertaining here, and it’s just about downtrodden people stuck in a hopeless cycle. The Life of Crime documentaries are also a bit like a much darker spin on the Seven Up documentary series, which also checked in with a group of people over a span of several decades.

1

‘The Human Condition’ (1959–1961)

Image via Shochiku

More than earning masterpiece status, The Human Condition is one huge film separated into three parts, with more coherence than a good many other trilogies, owing to how this three-part movie was made and then released (in an overall short span of time, by trilogy standards). You get a huge story told over all three movies, with the first part mostly being about the lead-up to World War II, the second part involving the main character having to fight in it, and the third part being about surviving the immediate aftermath of the conflict.

The protagonist changes a great deal throughout, since he’s put through so much and is initially a pacifist, yet can’t escape some kind of involvement in the war, at a certain point. The Human Condition might well be the best Japanese-made World War II movie, and is up there as a contender for the best World War II movie made anywhere, really. It’s also absolutely grueling, emotionally intense, and unapologetic with the violence it depicts, with all those things – plus its overall length of approximately 10 hours – making it an inevitably difficult (but worthwhile) watch.

Kathy Griffin is sharing a self-described “TMI” update on her health.

Posting via her Instagram on Thursday, May 21, Griffin, 65, revealed that she had been hospitalized after a medical procedure.

“I spent the night in hospital because I had complications from my colonoscopy,” Griffin wrote.

While Griffin did not elaborate on why she underwent the procedure, the comedian assured her fans that she is now on the mend despite the health setback.

Related: Kathy Griffin Underwent a Hysterectomy for ‘Precancerous’ Condition

Kathy Griffin has revealed that she recently underwent a hysterectomy. “Happy Monday! I had a hysterectomy on Friday,” the comedian, 64, wrote via Instagram on Monday, April 7. “That’s right they took out the uterus, the fallopian tubes & the ovaries. Pre-cancerous [sic], blah blah blah.” While Griffin didn’t expand on her condition, she announced […]

“I know, I know, very sexy but I am home now with the doggies where I belong,” she added.

According to the Mayo Clinic, a colonoscopy “is an examination of the inside of your large intestine (colon). It’s helpful for diagnosing gastrointestinal diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer. It can also help treat and prevent colon cancer.”

Griffin’s followers flocked to her post’s comments section to send their well wishes after the ordeal.

“Feel better soon ❤️” wrote one, while another added, “Ugh… I’m so sorry this has happened. Bounce back, dear Kathy.”

Another follower wrote, “All that matters is that you are better and home!! Keep resting ❤️!”  One fan also chimed in with, “Wishing you a speedy recovery!”

It’s not the first time Griffin has been candid about undergoing health procedures. In 2010, Griffin received a poolside pap smear on her show, My Life on the D-List, in order to raise awareness for how important the medical procedure is for women’s health issues.

Related: Kathy Griffin’s Ups and Downs: Milestones, Health Scares and More

Kathy Griffin has been open about the highs and lows of her life. Born in November 1960, Griffin grew up in Illinois before moving to Los Angeles in 1978. She joined the famous improv troupe The Groundlings before starting her stand-up career in the 1990s. Of course, most fans have seen her on TV as […]

A pap smear is a medical test that professionals commonly use to help detect cervical cancer early.

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“I started talking to girlfriends of mine, my age and younger, and I just can’t believe how many women are afraid to get a pap smear or they forget or they’ve gone 10 years without doing one,” Griffin explained to E! News in 2010. “The message is, if you see me doing something so outrageous — some may say repulsive — that should make it easier for you to pick up the phone and call your doctor and go get one in the privacy of your own doctor’s office.”

Last week, Amy Schumer, 44, opened up about her own experience with a colonoscopy gone awry.

“I feel happier than I’ve ever been before,” Schumer told Amanda Hirsch during the “Dear Media by Night” event for Hirsch’s “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast event. “I actually had, kind of, a botched colonoscopy, so I’m not feeling very sexual.”

Ariana Grande is preparing to step back onto the stage for the first time in seven years, but behind the excitement surrounding her upcoming Eternal Sunshine Tour is a much darker reality. 

The singer is reportedly still battling emotional scars connected to the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing that killed 22 people during her Dangerous Woman tour. 

As rehearsals intensify ahead of the summer kickoff, insiders claim Grande’s anxiety remains overwhelming enough that boyfriend Ethan Slater has reportedly reshaped his own career plans just to stay by her side.

Ariana Grande may be returning to arenas worldwide, but sources say the trauma from Manchester still heavily shapes every decision surrounding the tour.

The singer reportedly struggled with “nightmares” and “a meltdown” after the terrorist attack that injured more than 1,000 people and forever changed her relationship with touring.

According to insiders, the emotional weight of performing for massive crowds again is something Grande still carries daily.

“Ariana has been prepping for her US and UK concert tour for months, but she’s still haunted by the horrific Manchester Arena bombing,” a source told the Daily Mail, adding, “She had nightmares about it for months. She had a meltdown.”

Grande herself previously opened up about the emotional aftermath while speaking to British Vogue in 2018.

“It’s hard to talk about because so many people have suffered such severe, tremendous loss. But, yeah, it’s a real thing,” she said at the time. The 32-year-old explained that both the victims’ families and her fans experienced lasting anxiety after the attack.

Grande Demands Heavy Security For Upcoming Shows

Because of those lingering fears, Ariana Grande has reportedly insisted on major security changes before agreeing to tour again.

Insiders claim the pop superstar refused to move forward with the Eternal Sunshine Tour unless stricter protections were guaranteed for both herself and fans attending the concerts.

“She has insisted on double security on all the dates. She refused to go ahead with it if that clause wasn’t agreed to,” a source revealed.

Grande has long admitted that touring after Manchester fundamentally changed how she viewed safety. During an emotional interview with Apple Music’s Ebro Darden, she confessed that even everyday travel became frightening.

“But the truth is that it’s f-cking scary,” the actress said, adding, “It’s scary going anywhere and you look at places differently and traveling.”

She also acknowledged the uncomfortable reality of heightened concert security. “I don’t want to have metal detectors or people taking tiny a** bags into my shows, but you better bring a tiny a** bag and walk through that metal detector,” Grande stated.

Her fears reportedly intensified again after a fan allegedly rushed toward her during a “Wicked: For Good” premiere event in Singapore last November. Sources said the unsettling moment deepened concerns among those close to the star regarding her anxiety levels.

Ariana Grande Scales Back Touring As Pressure Mounts

Unlike her previous world tours, Grande’s newest run of concerts has been intentionally reduced in size. The Eternal Sunshine Tour begins on June 6 in California before moving through North America and later heading to London’s O2 Arena for a 10-show residency.

While previous tours stretched well beyond 70 or even 100 performances, this time the Grammy Award winner is limiting herself to only 30 dates.

Insiders say that decision was directly connected to the emotional pressure touring creates. “The stress of doing around 30 dates is all she can handle,” a source explained.

Grande herself hinted this tour could be her final large-scale concert run for a very long time.

“I do know that I’m very excited to do this small tour, but I think it might not happen again for a long, long, long, long time,” she said during a November appearance on the “Good Hang with Amy Poehler” podcast.

However, Grande promised to give it her all, noting that she believed the tour will be beautiful. The “God is a Woman” singer revealed that she decided to go back on tour because she wanted it to be “one last hurrah.”

Grande And Ethan Slater Face Relationship Strain

As Ariana Grande prepares for her return to the stage, distance and scheduling conflicts have reportedly complicated her relationship with Slater.

The couple has recently spent weeks apart, with Grande rehearsing in Los Angeles while Slater remained in New York following his off-Broadway production “Marcel on the Train.”

According to insiders, their separate schedules have created emotional and physical distance despite claims the relationship is still strong.

“Ariana has been in Los Angeles doing tour rehearsals. Ethan has been in New York City while she’s there,” a source told the Daily Mail, further explaining, “He hasn’t visited her and she’s been too busy to get back east for more than a couple days.”

Fans also noticed the pair attending events separately. Still, insiders insist the lovebirds remain committed, even while acknowledging Grande tends to dominate relationships.

“Ariana definitely has a type and likes things in a relationship to be a certain way – her way. She’s usually the dominant one when it comes to who has the say,” the source explained.

Ariana Grande’s Boyfriend Ethan Slater Makes Huge Sacrifice

Despite his own acting career continuing to grow, Slater is reportedly putting Grande first as she navigates the emotional demands of touring again.

The actor recently appeared in “Gen V,” guest starred on “Elsbeth,” and reprised his role as Boq in “Wicked: For Good.” Yet insiders say he has already begun sacrificing opportunities in order to support his girlfriend during the tour.

“He plans to be there for her during the tour on as many dates as possible,” an insider shared. The source added that Slater is actively rearranging his work schedule to remain close to her.

“He has a couple of potential conflicts, but he’s trying to work around them so he’s her support system. He’s even turned down an acting role that would have meant him hardly being by her side,” they shared. 

Meanwhile, Grande reportedly remains determined not to let fear stop her from reconnecting with fans despite her ongoing struggles.

“She is very excited about returning to the stage to perform for her fans and to release her eighth album this summer,” another insider said.

Even so, those closest to the singer reportedly know Manchester will always remain part of every performance she gives moving forward.

The news about Dutton Ranch losing its showrunner in a surprise shakeup has finally been addressed.

Executive producer Christina Voros broke her silence about Chad Feehan‘s reported firing, telling ScreenRant earlier this month that the screenwriter did “an exceptional job building a world of adversaries for Rip and Beth” in the Yellowstone spinoff.

Voros noted that when it came to “dynamics behind his departure,” she didn’t have much to add. She went on to say that Dutton Ranch had at that point not “come out into the world yet” so a future without Feehan was “beyond” her knowledge on the subject.

The director expressed gratitude to Feehan and his team for “creating a world for these characters to move into.”

Related: Showrunner Changes on Taylor Sheridan Shows: ‘Tulsa King’ to ‘Dutton Ranch’

Taylor Sheridan‘s TV universe has found immense success — but his projects have also come with many showrunner changes. After getting his start as an actor, Sheridan started writing scripts for movies. He began his TV empire with Yellowstone, which aired from 2018 to 2024. Sheridan then created prequels 1883 and 1923, as well as […]

News originally broke in April that Feehan will not return as showrunner after completing work on season 1. Feehan, who created Lawmen: Bass Reeves with Taylor Sheridan, reportedly departed Dutton Ranch after alleged friction with series stars Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly, among others.

Sheridan and his producing partner David Glasser, along with the two leads, were allegedly more unhappy with how Feehan ran the production than with the scripts. None of the cast has yet to publicly address the producer’s exit.

Yellowstone, which premiered in 2018, introduced viewers to the fictional Dutton family, who own the largest ranch in Montana. Rip (Hauser) and Beth (Reilly) quickly became a fan-favorite couple as they navigated major ups and downs together.

Since Yellowstone came to an end in 2024, the TV universe expanded with Luke Grimes‘ CBS show Marshals and more. Dutton Ranch, meanwhile, follows Rip and Beth — as well as Finn Little‘s Carter — adjust to life in Texas after their time in Montana.

Annette Bening and Ed Harris are also featured on the show alongside other newcomers such as Jai Courtney, Natalie Alyn Lind, Marc Menchaca, Juan Pablo Raba and J. R. Villarreal.

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Related: Where Did Every Duttons End Up in ‘Yellowstone’ Finale Before ‘Marshals’?

CBS’ Marshals spinoff picks up after the Yellowstone series finale — but where did every member of the Dutton family end up? The Paramount Network series wrapped up in December 2024 after five seasons with Beth (Kelly Reilly) avenging father John’s (Kevin Costner) death by killing brother Jamie (Wes Bentley). Beth’s husband, Rip (Cole Hauser), […]

“As Beth and Rip fight to build a future together — far from the ghosts of Yellowstone — they collide with brutal new realities and a ruthless rival ranch that will stop at nothing to protect its empire,” read the show’s synopsis. “In South Texas, blood runs deeper, forgiveness is fleeting, and the cost of survival might just be your soul.”

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Sheridan, meanwhile, has been focused on his other shows, including Landman, Mayor of Kingstown, Lioness and Tulsa King. News broke in October 2025 that Sheridan closed a major with NBCUniversal. The five-year overall deal for film, TV and streaming will begin January 1, 2029, after Sheridan’s TV deal with Paramount — which goes through 2028 — officially ends.

Paramount will retain the rights to Yellowstone and the other franchises Sheridan created under his deal with the company, so he is expected to create brand new IP for NBCUniversal. Sheridan’s move came after Paramount’s recent merger with Skydance.

Dutton Ranch airs Fridays on Paramount+.

Robert Zemeckis‘ Back to the Future was not only the biggest movie of 1985, taking in $190 million at the box office, but nearly four decades later, it’s one of the most loved movies ever made. It turned lead Michael J. Fox into one of the biggest stars on the planet in the ’80s and made everyone want their own DeLorean (even if they were known for not running very well). Despite its success, Back to the Future had many issues getting onto the screen. Zemeckis and co-writer Bob Gale had trouble getting anyone to make it, with even Disney turning it down because they were uncomfortable with the storyline of a mother falling in love with her future son.

When it did finally go into production, it was not with Fox as Marty McFly, but actor Eric Stoltz. When the latter was fired, most of the movie had to be re-shot with Fox. Some of Back to the Future‘s issues were found in the script as well. For example, the cool DeLorean time machine we all love was originally going to be some immobile refrigerator-sized box. Imagine how that would’ve gone! Then there’s the exciting finale where Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) sends Marty back to 1985. Originally, it was going to be much different, with Marty McFly driving through a nuclear explosion! So what happened?

How Does ‘Back to the Future’ End?

Image via Universal Pictures

The inciting incident of Back to the Future sees Marty McFly accidentally transported back to 1955 after he uses the DeLorean to escape terrorists. Not only is he now stuck in a world he doesn’t exist in (it’s a little hard to come by plutonium in the ’50s… or any time), but he ruins his birth when he messes up the moment his pervy dad-to-be, George (Crispin Glover), meets his mother, Lorraine (Lea Thompson), while spying on her with binoculars. The ultimate nightmare occurs when his mother becomes smitten with Marty, but overcoming all of that awkwardness doesn’t matter if he can’t get back to his time.

The third act of Back to the Future is a triumph, partly due to George standing up for himself and earning Lorraine’s love, and partly due to how 1955’s Doc Brown decides to get Marty back to his future. Knowing the exact time lightning is going to strike the Hill Valley clocktower, he rigs a wire to the clock, with the plan being for Marty in the DeLorean to snag it right as the lightning strikes, giving the time machine enough power to operate. You don’t become one of the greatest movies of all-time without everything going wrong in the most suspenseful fashion (and of course, this plot hole), but it all works out at the end and Marty is sent back to 1985, though an alternate one where his family is now successful and not the people he once knew. How is Back to the Future not considered a tragedy? As thrilling of an ending as this was, Back to the Future almost did something entirely different.

What Was ‘Back to the Future’s Original Ending?

Originally, Back to the Future was going to have an entirely different ending. In 2016, 113 unknown storyboards, drawn by Andrew Probert, the film’s artist, were found which explored an ending never shot. They ended up being sold for $6,000, but were first shown to the public. What is found in them gives this classic movie a finale way more insane than a lightning strike. What’s more wild than that? How about a nuclear bomb?

In the storyboards, the military is preparing for a bomb test in the desert. Several men are standing in the bomb test tower when they look out to see a DeLorean racing toward them. Doc Brown, who is on a radio, has timed it out just right for Marty to race into the test site as the bomb is going off. There are some similarities to the filmed ending, with Doc Brown finding the letter warning of his death in 1985 and the hunk of junk car not wanting to start, but everything else is different, as a timer ticks down to 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and then the bomb explodes right as Marty hits 88 miles per hour.

When it goes off, we watch as the fake city is nuked to nothing inside a mushroom cloud. We then move to 1985, where people are gathered around where the test site once stood for a tour. As a guide speaks to them about rumors of the strange phenomena that occurred there, there is a flash of light and a gust of wind as the DeLorean reappears. Marty McFly is home, and his DeLorean, which could barely even start, somehow survives a nuclear bomb. And why wasn’t such an over-the-top ending used for Back to the Future? Co-writer Bob Gale told The Collider Podcast in 2020 that it all came down to money. The studio wanted to cut $1 million from the budget, and one scene, more than any other, was going to be the most expensive. Gale said:

“And the most expensive thing was going on location and building this town. And we said well, if we can cut that out – if we can cut going on location and building a town and do something on a location that we already have, namely the backlot, that would save us $1 million easy.”

‘Back to the Future’s Original Ending Would’ve Robbed the Film of Its Triumphant Note

Universal Pictures /Courtesy Everett Collection

The ending filmed for Back to the Future isn’t just a cost-cutting measure: it features a triumphant ending for Marty and Doc Brown. There’s a palpable sense of dread hanging over the entire story. Doc is gunned down by the Libyans. Marty gets stuck in a time he’s clearly unfamiliar with. Oh yeah, and there’s the whole “he has to get his parents back together, or he’ll literally fade out of existence.” But Marty winds up changing the future so that George and Lorraine are successful, and Doc Brown even survives — having learned that not every change to the timestream is a cataclysmic one. If the original ending with the nuclear bomb had been kept in, it would have cast a shadow over the ending. Nobody wants to think about nuclear warfare when watching a time travel comedy.

There’s even one more change to the ending — Doc was originally supposed to rip up Marty’s note and toss it into the DeLorean. Editor Andrew Probert convinced Gale to have Doc stuff the scraps into his jacket instead, feeling it would make his survival in the present a genuine surprise. “If you’re not ready for it, you overlook the fact that he skips past the point of the letter … because it’s no longer important,” Probert told Syfy WIRE. “So Bob says, ‘Okay storyboard that and we’ll see how it works.’ So I did and it worked.” Indeed, this adds to the more triumphant vibe surrounding the ending.

‘Back to the Future’s Ending Proves That Bigger Isn’t Always Better

What big Hollywood blockbuster would even have their character survive a nuclear blast anyway? That’s absurd. Oh, wait, that’s right, our old pal Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) made it through a nuclear blast by hiding in a fridge for an infamous scene in 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Ironically though, that moment may have been taken from Back to the Future. According to actor Jon Cryer, who auditioned for Marty McFly, the script he read was different from the finished film. In it was a scene where Marty is on the nuclear test site and has to hide when a bomb goes off, so he hides inside a fridge. “Does this sequence sound familiar to anyone?” Cryer asked in a 2020 tweet.

Steven Spielberg took a lot of grief for that scene. Indiana Jones is a hero, but a realistic one. Sure, he can go through a lot and live, but having him be able to withstand a nuclear bomb was so far-fetched and silly that it took viewers out of the movie and also made the hero invincible. If he can live through that, why should we ever worry about him? The same can’t exactly be said with Back to the Future since this scene happens right at the end of the film, but it still would have been a bad idea. Yes, Back to the Future centers around time travel and a dude who must make out with his mom, but it’s still set in a world that has limitations and feels like a version of a believable reality. Doc Brown is not J. Robert Oppenheimer, but rather, he is just an eccentric local scientist. A sportscar can’t handle a nuclear bomb, and he knows that. We as the viewer know that as well.

Bigger isn’t always better, and Back to the Future proved that with their alternate idea. Marty and Doc have nothing to do with a nuclear bomb other than driving into it, but instead we get scenes of Doc Brown building an extensive miniature version of Hill Valley just to show Marty how his clocktower theory will work, which gives us the great line of, “Please excuse the crudity of this model. I didn’t have time to build it to scale or to paint it.” With the nuclear bomb ending, we also didn’t get everything going wrong on the clocktower, as the line came unplugged, and Doc had to rush to get it refastened, even sliding down it and getting electrocuted by the lightning strike. The ending we get is of two people trying their best with something they made themselves, which is a lot more fun than what was originally planned.

The Back to the Future Franchise Had a History of Removing Darker Moments

Image Via Universal Pictures

Thankfully, the original nuclear blast ending to Back to the Future was never filmed, but there are darker scenes from the franchise that were actually put on camera and can be seen today, although Robert Zemeckis wisely chose not to add them to the final cut. In Back to the Future Part II, Marty ends up in an alternate reality where Biff (Thomas F. Wilson) is now rich, having been given the sports almanac from the future. Rather than using that money for good, he has instead built a giant casino and tower for himself while a crime-ridden Hill Valley rots around him. In a deleted moment, when Marty goes to confront this alternate Biff, he runs into his brother Dave (Marc McClure), who is now a haggard-looking alcoholic. Before Marty can help him, his brother runs off.

In a deleted scene for Back to the Future Part III, the darkness went even further, when the 1855 Hill Valley Sheriff (James Tolkan) is shot dead by Buford Tannen right in front of his young son. It’s done to make Buford more of a threat, but wisely it was removed from the final film.

There’s a reason why the Back to the Future trilogy endures four decades later. That’s because these movies are meant to be fun, and serve as an adventurous escape from reality where we know everything’s going to be okay in the end. We lose that joy if we’re meeting alcoholic siblings, seeing lawmen shot, or using a nuclear bomb to save the day. Back to the Future didn’t need that. All it ever needed was Marty McFly and Doc Brown.

Back to the Future is available to watch on MGM+ in the U.S.