Movies with SURPRISINGLY (not Obviously) Good Character Arcs

kubev · Feb 18, 2020

I re-watched Happy Death Day recently. I know a lot of people were kind of down on the movie for how much it borrows from other movies, but I have to say that - aside from how 'fun' the movie feels - what really keeps me coming back is Tree's character arc. I don't really go into watching a horror movie (even a comedic one) with the expectation that I'm going to witness a really solid character arc, but Jessica Rothe's performance as Tree really sticks out as one of my all-time favorite character arcs. I love how her personality softens as time progresses (even with the start of the second attempt at the day in how she speaks to Carter in his dorm room), as well as how she comes to embrace her situation and have some fun with it. Tree just becomes so much more likable as the movie progresses, and her growth as a character is incredible. Also, I have to say that the scene in which she goes to speak to her father is absolutely heart-wrenching, and I don't think it'd be nearly as impactful without her personal growth up until that point. Great character. Great movie.

So, which movie(s) and character(s) that you didn't have the highest expectations for managed to surprise and hook you with their character arcs, and why?

Slayven · Feb 18, 2020

Nebula in the MCU, it was lowkey and subtle but it was there

jwk94 · Feb 18, 2020

kubev said:
I re-watched Happy Death Day recently. I know a lot of people were kind of down on the movie for how much it borrows from other movies, but I have to say that - aside from how 'fun' the movie feels - what really keeps me coming back is Tree's character arc. I don't really go into watching a horror movie (even a comedic one) with the expectation that I'm going to witness a really solid character arc, but Jessica Rothe's performance as Tree really sticks out as one of my all-time favorite character arcs. I love how her personality softens as time progresses (even with the start of the second attempt at the day in how she speaks to Carter in his dorm room), as well as how she comes to embrace her situation and have some fun with it. Tree just becomes so much more likable as the movie progresses, and her growth as a character is incredible. Also, I have to say that the scene in which she goes to speak to her father is absolutely heart-wrenching, and I don't think it'd be nearly as impactful without her personal growth up until that point. Great character. Great movie.

So, which movie(s) and character(s) that you didn't have the highest expectations for managed to surprise and hook you with their character arcs, and why?

Love this movie. What did you think about the sequel?

Pirateluigi · Feb 18, 2020

Who the fuck was down on Happy Death Day? That movie and its sequel are goddamn treasures.

balgajo · Feb 18, 2020

No country for old men is the first that came to mind.

MrChom · Feb 18, 2020

Life of Pi': Pi. It looks like this whimsical journey with tigers, and a beautiful island, and a riot of colour....and then near the end comments are made by Pi that force you to reassess everything this character has ever said in a new light, and effectively view him as a new and different person....

The Unsent · Feb 18, 2020

Rey in SW being told by Kylo Ren her parents are just filthy junk traders and she has no place in this story, but rejects him, closes the millenium falcon door on him, stops holding on to the idea of her parents having a good reason for abadoning her to slavers, and becomes the hero of her own story. You don't need a special family or destiny to become the hero of Star Wars.

kubev · Feb 18, 2020

Pirateluigi said:
Who the fuck was down on Happy Death Day? That movie and its sequel are goddamn treasures.

A lot of reviewers were down on it, and the threads for the movie on ResetEra didn't seem to get much attention.

jwk94 said:
Love this movie. What did you think about the sequel?

I haven't seen it. Without spoiling anything, do you think it's a worthy sequel?

Deleted member 18944 · Feb 18, 2020

I was not expecting the subtle character development of Kay in 2049.

He is a replicant who acts like one until he convinces himself inadvertently that he is human. He then develops a more human feel by expressing more emotions and feelings and ends up displaying both replicant and human traits after being told he was not "the one".

kai3345 · Feb 18, 2020

kubev said:
I haven't seen it. Without spoiling anything, do you think it's a worthy sequel?

It's very different, but just as fun imo

jwk94 · Feb 18, 2020

kubev said:
A lot of reviewers were down on it, and the threads for the movie on ResetEra didn't seem to get much attention.

I haven't seen it. Without spoiling anything, do you think it's a worthy sequel?

I think the sequel was good, but not as good as the original. They definitely set up a third film, but I think that got canceled.

More_Badass · Feb 18, 2020

Mad Max Fury Road is the modern poster child for this, considering how many people just say it's a back-and-forth chase without anything else going on

kubev · Feb 18, 2020

kai3345 said:
It's very different, but just as fun imo

Good to know that it's different. Between your recommendation and the other one above, I think I'll pick it up. I was considering it a few days ago, anyway.

jwk94 said:
I think the sequel was good, but not as good as the original. They definitely set up a third film, but I think that got canceled.

Honestly, I was kind of hoping for a new cast for the sequel, and I think my decision to not purchase it recently had more to do with that. I can't imagine them topping the original, and I really don't look forward to continuations of stories that feel as though they're wrapped up. That said, I'll check it out. The cancellation of the third one is probably a good thing, but it'll bum me out if the sequel doesn't provide adequate closure.

Acinixys · Feb 18, 2020

♡♪!? said:
Rey in SW being told by Kylo Ren her parents are just filthy junk traders and she has no place in this story, but rejects him, closes the millenium falcon door on him, stops holding on to the idea of her parents having a good reason for abadoning her to slavers, and becomes the hero of her own story. You don't need a special family or destiny to become the hero of Star Wars.

But... she was

the granddaughter of the most powerful sith wizard who ever lived ever, so this doesn't count?

kai3345 · Feb 18, 2020

kubev said:
Good to know that it's different. Between your recommendation and the other one above, I think I'll pick it up. I was considering it a few days ago, anyway.

if you have HBO i think it just got added to streaming on there

ClickyCal' · Feb 18, 2020

♡♪!? said:
Rey in SW being told by Kylo Ren her parents are just filthy junk traders and she has no place in this story, but rejects him, closes the millenium falcon door on him, stops holding on to the idea of her parents having a good reason for abadoning her to slavers, and becomes the hero of her own story. You don't need a special family or destiny to become the hero of Star Wars.

Rey is the most powerul ever sith's grand daughter.

Deleted member 16657 · Feb 18, 2020

Nightcrawler. Though I didn't really know what to expect I was delightfully perturbed with the main character.

The Unsent · Feb 18, 2020

Acinixys said:
But... she was

the granddaughter of the most powerful sith wizard who ever lived ever, so this doesn't count?

I was being sarcastic. :) I really found what ROS did to be so much more boring.

Bronx-Man · Feb 18, 2020

Slayven said:
Nebula in the MCU, it was lowkey and subtle but it was there

Nebula was far and away the MVP of Endgame.

Solo · Feb 18, 2020

Acinixys said:
But... she was

the granddaughter of the most powerful sith wizard who ever lived ever, so this doesn't count?

yuoke said:
Rey is the most powerul ever sith's grand daughter.

Woosh

Y'all got played

SigEpTendo · Feb 18, 2020

♡♪!? said:
Rey in SW being told by Kylo Ren her parents are just filthy junk traders and she has no place in this story, but rejects him, closes the millenium falcon door on him, stops holding on to the idea of her parents having a good reason for abadoning her to slavers, and becomes the hero of her own story. You don't need a special family or destiny to become the hero of Star Wars.

I, too, consider Episode VIII to be the end of the Skywalker Sage :)

ClickyCal' · Feb 18, 2020

Solo said:
Woosh

Y'all got played

I mean some people still say that seriously.

i_am_ben · Feb 18, 2020

I thought the character arcs in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 were surprisingly good.

Wasn't expecting that from a Marvel movie.

More_Badass · Feb 18, 2020

For me at least, some other movies where the arc and payoff kind of sneaks up on you:

- Fresh (Boaz Yakin, 1994) - The final scene is such a huge emotional gutpunch
- Runaway Train (Andrei Konchalovsky, 1985) - An ending where the payoff and message lingers unexpectedly
- Le Trou (Jacques Becker, 1960) - The movie has a very controlled, minimalist focus that makes the impact of the finale hit even harder

krazen · Feb 18, 2020

PogChamp said:
Nightcrawler. Though I didn't really know what to expect I was delightfully perturbed with the main character.

yup. He went from run of the mill creepy/awkward to a whole other level. Fuck Joker, this was a true supervillain origin story, lol

Vincent Alexander · Feb 18, 2020

I'm going to break the rules and choose Simon in Gurren Lagann. Fight me about it.

PogChamp said:
Nightcrawler. Though I didn't really know what to expect I was delightfully perturbed with the main character.

I thought the character arc in that was that the psycho had no character arc?

Pedrito · Feb 18, 2020

The first that comes to mind is Bridesmaids. For a movie that features shitting in the street and a drunk airline freakout, Kirsten Wiig's character's reactions, actions and arc are surprisingly realistic and well done.

Deleted member 31817 · Feb 18, 2020

Vincent Alexander said:
I thought the character arc in that was that the psycho had no character arc?

More that he goes from an unsettling creepy dude to a full on maniac.

pokeystaples · Feb 18, 2020

Max and Amanda in Final Girls. Didn't expect to be so emotionally invested in a mother daughter horror movie, but damn if it didn't make me cry.

Vincent Alexander · Feb 18, 2020

What I get stuck on with these kinds of discussions is how a character arc is defined. For example, Gary King in The World's End:

Did he go through an arc? Is the reveal of a character's true heart and nature considered an arc if they are the same person at the beginning as the end, but we as the audience know more about them?

RROCKMAN · Feb 18, 2020

Vincent Alexander said:
I'm going to break the rules and choose Simon in Gurren Lagann. Fight me about it.

I thought the character arc in that was that the psycho had no character arc?

why is this surprising? Gainax still has better writers than Trigger EASY

Simon's is a worthy Successor to Gunbuster's Noriko in my book.

i Think the last time I was surprised by a characters depth in a movie was Shawn of the Dead

I wasnt expecting to feel emotions in that movie at all

Graven · Feb 18, 2020

I thought Fury Road would be just an over the top action movie, however the characters are easily the best part for me, all the protagonists evolve from beginning to end in a satisfying way.

Doober · Feb 18, 2020

The asshole guy in the 2004 Dawn Of The Dead remake has a great, natural-feeling arc where he goes from an unlikable heel to a hero by the end.

Deleted member 16657 · Feb 18, 2020

Vincent Alexander said:
I'm going to break the rules and choose Simon in Gurren Lagann. Fight me about it.

I thought the character arc in that was that the psycho had no character arc?

He went from seeming like a down on his luck guy in a tough spot to slowly revealing what a psycho he was. Each time you think "no way, he's not really gonna do that is he? Damn he did"

King Kingo · Feb 18, 2020

Hector from Coco. You think he's just another Pixar co-star, but when you learn about his origins...
It's heartbreaking. 💔

Ambient80 · Feb 18, 2020

Slayven said:
Nebula in the MCU, it was lowkey and subtle but it was there

Agreed. Her and Tony playing paper football on the ship was so great for her. Her face when she won was perfect, and she seemed legit shook at the end of Endgame because of that interaction, plus her scene where she killed someone after the invasion started (trying to be light on spoilers here, but you probably know what I mean).

I think it was helped a lot by Gillen's (sp?) acting for the character, too. Lots of subtle movements and tics that she pulls off really well with her portrayal. Nebula is definitely one of my top favorite characters in the MCU now and I hope she continues to stick around.

Garlador · Feb 18, 2020

As someone who absolutely HATES the Michael Bay Transformers movies for being such low-brow, brainless, inept, noisy affairs of juvenile toilet humor, blatant sexism, overt racism, cringy jingoism, mindless style over substance, intrusive product placement, insufferable side-characters, painful movie lengths, and insane plots...

... I'm still shocked to high hell that Bumblebee was one of my favorite movies, with Charlie being a standout human companion.

Coping with her father's death, losing her joy at life, losing friends... only by film's end to have rediscovered herself and found the strength to move on in a healthy way.

Yeah, it helps Bay didn't direct this one (thanks Travis Knight), but it's such a night and day difference (or should we say... Knight & Bay difference? Eh? EH?).

Burt · Feb 18, 2020

People sleep on how carefully plotted Arnold's terminator is in T2.

kubev · Feb 18, 2020

Vincent Alexander said:
What I get stuck on with these kinds of discussions is how a character arc is defined. For example, Gary King in The World's End:

Did he go through an arc? Is the reveal of a character's true heart and nature considered an arc if they are the same person at the beginning as the end, but we as the audience know more about them?

Yeah, that's a tricky one. There does need to be some development that pushes the character into the opposite direction from which he/she started on some level, but I don't really know whether someone who's been feigning certain qualities at the start counts. I suppose it depends on what they're hiding and what motivates them to reveal their true selves, as it's not as though "bad" characters don't sometimes change in stories for the better. It's possible for such a character to reveal himself/herself at some point in the movie and have a change of heart that completes an arc.

xyla · Feb 18, 2020

Vincent Alexander said:
What I get stuck on with these kinds of discussions is how a character arc is defined. For example, Gary King in The World's End:

Did he go through an arc? Is the reveal of a character's true heart and nature considered an arc if they are the same person at the beginning as the end, but we as the audience know more about them?

He had an arc. At the end ordered milk instead of alcohol, accepted his friends moved on, fought for what he thought was right, found new friends, and most importantly moved on with his live instead of trying to re-live his youth.

It's not that easy to see, since it's framed similarly to his usual stuff, but the devil is in the details with this one. He basically went through therapy in the last third of the movie.

Bladelaw · Feb 18, 2020

Burt said:
People sleep on how carefully plotted Arnold's terminator is in T2.

Yeah, I'm curious how the perception would be if Cameron left in the scene where they turn on the "learning computer" in the Terminator. With that scene you can really see how an emotionless killing machine can go from "He'll live." to "I know now why you cry..."

Mr. Poolman · Feb 18, 2020

;_;

never-thought-id-die-fighting-side-by-side-with-an-elf-what-about-side-by-side-with-a-friend-aye-i-quote-1.jpg

More_Badass · Feb 18, 2020

Psychoward said:
More that he goes from an unsettling creepy dude to a full on maniac.

Who goes from being ostracized to being rewarded by the end

1000 Needles · Feb 18, 2020

kubev said:
Honestly, I was kind of hoping for a new cast for the sequel, and I think my decision to not purchase it recently had more to do with that. I can't imagine them topping the original, and I really don't look forward to continuations of stories that feel as though they're wrapped up. That said, I'll check it out. The cancellation of the third one is probably a good thing, but it'll bum me out if the sequel doesn't provide adequate closure.

I was actually pleasantly surprised they didn't just reuse the premise with a new cast for it. It doesn't quite reach the highs of the first one, but it's still a lot of goofy fun. Worth watching

Vincent Alexander · Feb 18, 2020

xyla said:
He had an arc. At the end ordered milk instead of alcohol, accepted his friends moved on, fought for what he thought was right, found new friends, and most importantly moved on with his live instead of trying to re-live his youth.

It's not that easy to see, since it's framed similarly to his usual stuff, but the devil is in the details with this one. He basically went through therapy in the last third of the movie.

That's a good point. I've watched the movie quite a lot, but I somehow always forget the detail of him ordering milk, simply because he's in a bar and my brain thinks of alcohol when looking back at it.

MadLaughter · Feb 18, 2020

Put me down for Nebula also. They really make the most out of every second of her screentime.

kubev · Feb 20, 2020

jwk94 said:
Love this movie. What did you think about the sequel?

Pirateluigi said:
Who the fuck was down on Happy Death Day? That movie and its sequel are goddamn treasures.

kai3345 said:
It's very different, but just as fun imo

jwk94 said:
I think the sequel was good, but not as good as the original. They definitely set up a third film, but I think that got canceled.

1000 Needles said:
I was actually pleasantly surprised they didn't just reuse the premise with a new cast for it. It doesn't quite reach the highs of the first one, but it's still a lot of goofy fun. Worth watching

I just finished watching Happy Death Day 2U. I have to say, as someone who's really into movies like

Terminator Genisys and Tomb Raider (2018)

, I really enjoyed Happy Death Day 2U. I love it when movies mess with your head like that. Honestly, I enjoyed it every bit as much as the first, though I do think both movies have their own highs that the other doesn't quite match. Thanks again for the recommendation!

Hokey · Feb 20, 2020

Good Time (2017)

jwk94 · Feb 20, 2020

kubev said:
I just finished watching Happy Death Day 2U. I have to say, as someone who's really into movies like

Terminator Genisys and Tomb Raider (2018)

, I really enjoyed Happy Death Day 2U. I love it when movies mess with your head like that. Honestly, I enjoyed it every bit as much as the first, though I do think both movies have their own highs that the other doesn't quite match. Thanks again for the recommendation!

Glad you enjoyed it!

Movies with SURPRISINGLY (not Obviously) Good Character Arcs

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