Why cliffhangers are so irresistible

It is the first week of the new year, and I have been hibernating in front of the television, binge watching yet another suspense thriller with intertwined plots, tracing the hidden connections, creating bridges across the gaps between episodes, while unintentionally consuming unhealthy snacks.

I had managed to tune out the stress and pressures from my day-to-day grind, setting up a boundary between everyday living and the soon-to-be-disrupted suburban lifestyle depicted in Netflix’s Stay Close, a past-comes-back-to-haunt-you tale, in which the main character is dragged back into her shady old life.

As an individual who enjoys binge watching viewing (especially when one wants to avoid a spoiler alert posted on social media), I experience a pseudo-addiction to the show, engrossed by a seeming reality, and often reacting as though what was being portrayed was reality.

When cliffhangers are involved, my heart rate increases, giving me a more effective and longer-term experience of fun and excitement. Whether a loaded pistol in a crowded room, lights falling seconds before gunshots ring out, a car pulling into the driveway of a house while inside a trail of clothes leads to the bedroom where a cheating spouse lies entwined with his or her lover, or, in the case of Stay Close, the main character has a secret to hide that could destroy her happily married life, an instantly gratifying alternative to the show whets my appetite, draws out the suspense, and often sparks debate.

Cliffhanger endings first became popular in serials in the 1920s and 1930s and were often followed by the line ‘To be continued.’ As great conversation starters, audiences have their own interpretation or reasoning behind the movie’s ending.

In the 1980s, the most famous cliffhanger had 350 million people around the world, including Queen Elizabeth II and Ronald Reagan, tuning in to find out who shot ruthless, manipulative, and powerful oil tycoon JR Ewing in television’s popular primetime drama Dallas. The plot twist drew considerable media attention and left America, and the rest of the world, wondering for the next eight months, who shot JR?

There are numerous factors that contribute to a film’s lasting appeal. For example, a stellar cast, compelling plot, or memorable narrative. Nothing, on the other hand, gets people talking like a perplexing or surprising finale. However, as Hollywood places greater emphasis on franchise development and sequels, many films have basically become serialised storylines, and the use of cliffhanger endings has increased with this trend.

When used correctly, cliffhangers are an effective marketing strategy that makes people become so invested that feeding their hunger for movies they love becomes less of a financial risk. This was certainly true for Game of Thrones. The episodes frequently concluded with stunning disclosures, game-changing circumstances, and fans brutally losing some of their favourite characters in a matter of moments – all of which piqued the interest of viewers and made them anxious for the next instalment.

Entertainment industry aside, there are many notable events of last year that will continue into 2022 and beyond. The pandemic has reclaimed the spotlight as cases continue to surge, the Taliban returned to power, countries failed the climate change challenge, the Olympics lost their appeal, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been warned they may not receive a warm welcome back to the United Kingdom, Prince Andrew was hit with a US lawsuit for sexual abuse of a minor, and talks fail to resolve the ongoing Cyprus conflict.

According to astrologers, the year 2022 will bring “enlightenment, glow-ups, and some significant rebirths,” with “secrets to be disclosed, marginalised people to rise up, and prospects for a phoenix to emerge from the ashes.”

On the home front, 2021 had its own fair share of highs and lows. However, I am determined to embrace a fresh start and rewrite the next chapter that will hopefully end the year with a positive cliffhanger, one that complements and fulfils the purpose of my story.