Far Out Magazine ranks ten films from the 1990s whose endings failed to match the promise of what came before, arguing that a disappointing finale is only possible when a film has first built up genuine goodwill. The list contrasts these missteps with iconic ‘90s endings (from The Sixth Sense, The Matrix and The Shawshank Redemption among others) to illustrate how rare a strong third act can be, while noting that films already considered poor throughout, such as Batman & Robin and Rocky V, don't really count as "disappointing" since expectations were already low.

Among the examples cited are The Lost World: Jurassic Park, which abandons its island setting for a Godzilla-style rampage through San Diego; Star Trek: Generations, criticised for killing off Captain Kirk in a brief, underwhelming fistfight and denying him a proper send-off; and The Devil's Advocate, which undercuts its bold, fiery climax with a tacked-on twist revealing the hero's apparent triumph was illusory. The full piece continues through further entries to complete its top ten, highlighting a recurring theme of studios softening or overcomplicating strong setups in the final act.