Movie Endings Explained – Planet of the Apes (1968)

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Movie endings, they're usually pretty straight forward right? Everything pays off, the main characters learn something, and our heroes ride off into the sunset. Sometimes though, we don't get the typical ending from a movie, we get something much more nuanced, complex and open ended. The kind of endings that leave things up in the air for all of us to debate and theorize on until we're blue in the face. With Movie Endings Explained, we aim to delve into some of the more ambiguous and mysterious endings to films that have left audiences scratching their heads for years, and to attempt to explain them. In most cases, a definitive answer isn't really there, so we definitely want to hear from YOU on how you interpret the various endings we'll be discussing with this series.

PLANET OF THE APES, the original 1968 sci-fi classic, boasts one of the most famous and iconic twist endings in movie history. Even if you haven't seen the film it's very likely you've absorbed it's shocking finale by osmosis. While there isn't exactly a whole lot to "explain" about the film's ending, as Charlton Heston gnaws at the luscious beach scenery and slams his fists into the sand, the most interesting aspect of the twist is how it ever worked at all. So let's look at why the reveal is actually signposted from the very beginning, how it compares to the twist ending of the original novel, and more!