🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 136 (from laksa120)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa136.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/shutter-island-ending-lobotomy-anniversary-1202212647/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/shutter-island-ending-lobotomy-anniversary-1202212647/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/general\/shutter-island-ending-lobotomy-anniversary-1202212647\/","crawl_time":1776206167,"first_indexed_time":1683220967,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,indiewire!www,\/features\/general\/shutter-island-ending-lobotomy-anniversary-1202212647\/ s443","src_root_hash":"2273106598196175136","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Shutter Island Ending: The Question That Haunts 10 Years Later","meta_descriptions":["\"Would you rather live as a monster or die as a hero?\" The meaning behind that question continues to spark debates."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"The last shot of “Inception” is widely regarded as one of the best ambiguous endings in movie history. Christopher Nolan leaves Dominick Cobb’s totem spinning so as not to answer whether or not the character is still dreaming. The “Inception” ending continues to stir up conversations a decade later, but it was not the first DiCaprio movie of 2010 to conclude with such an open-ended jaw-dropper. Cut to February 2010, in which Paramount were gearing up to release\nMartin Scorsese\n‘s psychological thriller “\nShutter Island\n,” based on Dennis Lehane’s 2003 novel of the same name. The movie opened February 19, 2010, making this month its 10th anniversary. “Shutter Island,” the fourth collaboration between Scorsese and DiCaprio, was a box office hit with $295 million worldwide, the highest grossing Scorsese release until it was surpassed by “The Wolf of Wall Street.” While “Shutter Island” did not go on to have the awards success that the director and actor’s other projects did, it has continued to endure over the last 10 years because its blindside of a twist ending that both rivals and predates “Inception.”\nRelated Stories\n“Shutter Island” stars DiCaprio as Edward “Teddy” Daniels, a U.S. Marshal who is investigating a psychiatric facility on the eponymous island after a patient goes missing. Only Teddy is not a real person but a delusion created by inmate Andrew Laeddis. The ending of “Shutter Island” reveals that DiCaprio’s character is a patient himself, committed to the Shutter Island facility after murdering his wife (Michelle Williams) because she went insane and killed their children. Two doctors, Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley) and Chuck (Mark Ruffalo), created a roleplaying game (the film’s central mystery) in an attempt to break Andrew free from his delusions. The bait-and-switch twist forces the viewer to re-contextualize the entire film up until that point, making “Shutter Island” a rich experience on the second and third watches.\nIf the “Shutter Island” ending ranks as one of the best twists of the 21st Century, it’s one of Andrew\/Teddy’s ambiguous final lines that continue to make it such a haunting and satisfying experience. Several months before DiCaprio and Nolan unleashed the spinning top in “Inception,” DiCaprio and Scorsese dropped this line of dialogue in “Shutter Island”: “Which would be worse: To live as a monster, or to die as a good man?” The line is asked by Andrew\/Teddy, and in doing so Scorsese and screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis leave the door somewhat open as to whether or not Andrew\/Teddy is committing himself to a lobotomy in order to wash his mind from the sins of his past. It’s an integral tweak from Lehane’s book, which ends more conclusively as Andrew slips back into his Teddy persona. The question Andrew\/Teddy asks in the film makes it a possibility that the character has become more sane and is making an active choice. If Andrew is sane, then committing himself to a lobotomy because he can’t deal with the monster he’s become turns “Shutter Island” into a haunting tragedy.\nLehane approved the line during the film’s script process and\ntold MTV in an interview\na couple weeks after “Shutter Island” opened in theaters that to him the question is just a “momentary flash” of sanity within Andrew\/Teddy’s delusion.\n‘If he were to say it as a statement [and not a question], then there’s no solution here but to stop the lobotomy,” Lehane said at the time. “Because if he shows any sort of self-awareness, then it’s over, they wouldn’t want to lobotomize him. My feeling was no, he’s not so conscious he says, ‘Oh I’m going to decide to pretend to be Laeddis so they’ll finally give me a lobotomy.’ That would just be far more suicidal than I think this character is. I think that in one moment, for a half a second sitting there in that island he remembered who he was and then he asks that question and he quickly sort of lets it go. That was my feeling on that line.”\nLehane has one perspective on how the question shapes the ending of “Shutter Island,” but fans have been debating for the last decade whether or not Andrew\/Teddy was a willing participant in his demise. Neither Scorsese nor DiCaprio have given interviews fully breaking down the “Shutter Island” ending, which means it’s a conclusion that will stay ambiguous for decades to come.","attrs_markdown":"![an image, when javascript is unavailable](https:\/\/sb.scorecardresearch.com\/p?c1=2&c2=6035310&c4=&cv=3.9&cj=1)\n\n[Got a Tip?](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/tips\/)\n\n[Newsletters](https:\/\/cloud.email.indiewire.com\/signup\/)\n\nOpen Menu\n\nClose\n\nOpen Search\n\nClose\n\n[Read Next: What ‘The Pitt’ Gets Right (and Wrong) About ‘Pittsburghese’](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/interviews\/the-pitt-pittsburghese-accent-katherine-lanasa-1235188754\/)\n\n[Newsletters](https:\/\/cloud.email.indiewire.com\/signup\/)\n\nClose\n\nOpen Menu\n\nClose\n\nOpen Search\n\nClose Menu\n\n[News](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/c\/news\/)\n\n[Criticism](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/c\/criticism\/)\n\n[Features](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/c\/features\/)\n\n[Awards](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/c\/awards\/)\n\n[Future of Filmmaking](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/p\/future-of-filmmaking\/)\n\n[Toolkit](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/p\/toolkit-hub\/)\n\n[Podcasts](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/c\/podcast\/)\n\n[IndieWire Newsletters](https:\/\/cloud.email.indiewire.com\/signup\/)\n\n[About IndieWire](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/news\/general-news\/indiewire-new-website-letter-from-the-editor-1234851840\/)\n\nFollow Us\n\n- [Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/indiewire\/)\n- [X](https:\/\/twitter.com\/IndieWire)\n- [Instagram](https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/indiewire\/?hl=en)\n- [Pinterest](https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/indiewire\/)\n- [YouTube](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/indiewire)\n\nAlerts & Newsletters\n\nBy providing your information, you agree to our [Terms of Use](https:\/\/pmc.com\/terms-of-use) and our [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/pmc.com\/privacy-policy). We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/policies.google.com\/privacy) and [Terms of Service](https:\/\/policies.google.com\/terms) apply.\n\nIndieWire is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2026 IndieWire Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.\n\n# Months Before ‘Inception,’ ‘Shutter Island’ Delivered an Ambiguous Ending That Haunts 10 Years Later\nThe \"Inception\" ending dominated movie headlines in 2010, but \"Shutter Island\" opened months earlier and had a similar last moment that continues to perplex.\n\nBy [Zack Sharf](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/author\/zack-sharf\/)\n\n![Shutter Island Ending: The Question That Haunts 10 Years Later](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Zack-Sharf.png?w=300&h=300&crop=1)\n\nIndiewire\n\n### Zack Sharf\n[zsharf](https:\/\/twitter.com\/zsharf)\n\nMore stories by Zack\n\n[‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’ Trailer Introduces Mads Mikkelsen Into the Wizarding World](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/general\/fantastic-beasts-the-secrets-of-dumbledore-trailer-mads-mikkelsen-1234684800\/)\n\n[Read more](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/general\/fantastic-beasts-the-secrets-of-dumbledore-trailer-mads-mikkelsen-1234684800\/)\n\n[Olivia Wilde: ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ Will Make Viewers Realize ‘How Rarely They See Female Pleasure’](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/general\/olivia-wilde-dont-worry-darling-female-pleasure-sex-1234684688\/)\n\n[Read more](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/general\/olivia-wilde-dont-worry-darling-female-pleasure-sex-1234684688\/)\n\n[Universal’s New Theatrical Window: Most Films to Stream on Peacock 45 Days After Theaters](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/general\/universal-theatrical-window-films-peacock-45-days-after-theaters-1234684582\/)\n\n[Read more](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/general\/universal-theatrical-window-films-peacock-45-days-after-theaters-1234684582\/)\n\nFebruary 21, 2020 2:00 pm\n\n![Editorial use only. No book cover usage.Mandatory Credit: Photo by Paramount\/Kobal\/Shutterstock (5883624s)Leonardo DicaprioShutter Island - 2010Director: Martin ScorseseParamount PicturesUSAScene StillSuspense\/Thriller](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/shutterstock_editorial_5883624s.jpg?w=3000&h=1687&crop=1)\n\n\"Shutter Island\"\n\nParamount\/Kobal\/Shutterstock\n\nShare\n\n- [Share on Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/general\/shutter-island-ending-lobotomy-anniversary-1202212647\/&title=Months%20Before%20%E2%80%98Inception,%E2%80%99%20%E2%80%98Shutter%20Island%E2%80%99%20Delivered%20an%20Ambiguous%20Ending%20That%20Haunts%2010%20Years%20Later&sdk=joey&display=popup&ref=plugin&src=share_button)\n- [Post](https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/post?url=https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/general\/shutter-island-ending-lobotomy-anniversary-1202212647\/&text=Months%20Before%20%E2%80%98Inception%2C%E2%80%99%20%E2%80%98Shutter%20Island%E2%80%99%20Delivered%20an%20Ambiguous%20Ending%20That%20Haunts%2010%20Years%20Later&via=IndieWire)\n- [Google Preferred](https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiewire.com)\n- [Share on LinkedIn](https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=1&url=https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/general\/shutter-island-ending-lobotomy-anniversary-1202212647\/&title=Months%20Before%20%E2%80%98Inception,%E2%80%99%20%E2%80%98Shutter%20Island%E2%80%99%20Delivered%20an%20Ambiguous%20Ending%20That%20Haunts%2010%20Years%20Later&summary&source=IndieWire)\n- Show more sharing options\n- [Share to Flipboard](https:\/\/share.flipboard.com\/bookmarklet\/popout?v=2&url=https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/general\/shutter-island-ending-lobotomy-anniversary-1202212647\/&title=Months%20Before%20%E2%80%98Inception,%E2%80%99%20%E2%80%98Shutter%20Island%E2%80%99%20Delivered%20an%20Ambiguous%20Ending%20That%20Haunts%2010%20Years%20Later)\n- [Submit to Reddit](https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/general\/shutter-island-ending-lobotomy-anniversary-1202212647\/&title=Months%20Before%20%E2%80%98Inception,%E2%80%99%20%E2%80%98Shutter%20Island%E2%80%99%20Delivered%20an%20Ambiguous%20Ending%20That%20Haunts%2010%20Years%20Later)\n- [Pin it](https:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/link\/?url=https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/general\/shutter-island-ending-lobotomy-anniversary-1202212647\/&description=Months%20Before%20%E2%80%98Inception,%E2%80%99%20%E2%80%98Shutter%20Island%E2%80%99%20Delivered%20an%20Ambiguous%20Ending%20That%20Haunts%2010%20Years%20Later)\n- [Post to Tumblr](https:\/\/www.tumblr.com\/widgets\/share\/tool\/preview?shareSource=legacy&canonicalUrl&url=https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/general\/shutter-island-ending-lobotomy-anniversary-1202212647\/&posttype=link&title=Months%20Before%20%E2%80%98Inception,%E2%80%99%20%E2%80%98Shutter%20Island%E2%80%99%20Delivered%20an%20Ambiguous%20Ending%20That%20Haunts%2010%20Years%20Later)\n- [Email](mailto:?subject=IndieWire%20:%20Months%20Before%20‘Inception,’%20‘Shutter%20Island’%20Delivered%20an%20Ambiguous%20Ending%20That%20Haunts%2010%20Years%20Later&body=https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/general\/shutter-island-ending-lobotomy-anniversary-1202212647\/%20-%20Months%20Before%20‘Inception,’%20‘Shutter%20Island’%20Delivered%20an%20Ambiguous%20Ending%20That%20Haunts%2010%20Years%20Later)\n- [Print This Page](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/general\/shutter-island-ending-lobotomy-anniversary-1202212647\/)\n- [Share on WhatsApp](whatsapp:\/\/send?text=Months%20Before%20‘Inception,’%20‘Shutter%20Island’%20Delivered%20an%20Ambiguous%20Ending%20That%20Haunts%2010%20Years%20Later%20-%20https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/general\/shutter-island-ending-lobotomy-anniversary-1202212647\/)\n\nThe last shot of “Inception” is widely regarded as one of the best ambiguous endings in movie history. Christopher Nolan leaves Dominick Cobb’s totem spinning so as not to answer whether or not the character is still dreaming. The “Inception” ending continues to stir up conversations a decade later, but it was not the first DiCaprio movie of 2010 to conclude with such an open-ended jaw-dropper. Cut to February 2010, in which Paramount were gearing up to release [Martin Scorsese](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/t\/martin-scorsese\/)‘s psychological thriller “[Shutter Island](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/t\/shutter-island\/),” based on Dennis Lehane’s 2003 novel of the same name. The movie opened February 19, 2010, making this month its 10th anniversary. “Shutter Island,” the fourth collaboration between Scorsese and DiCaprio, was a box office hit with \\$295 million worldwide, the highest grossing Scorsese release until it was surpassed by “The Wolf of Wall Street.” While “Shutter Island” did not go on to have the awards success that the director and actor’s other projects did, it has continued to endure over the last 10 years because its blindside of a twist ending that both rivals and predates “Inception.”\n\nRelated Stories\n\n[![What Happens at Night](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/WhatHappensAtNight_Feature_0053419F.webp?w=300&h=168&crop=1)](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/news\/breaking-news\/what-happens-at-night-first-look-dicaprio-lawrence-scorsese-1235185297\/)\n\n[‘What Happens at Night’ First Look: Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence Descend Into Martin Scorsese’s Frozen Dreamscape](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/news\/breaking-news\/what-happens-at-night-first-look-dicaprio-lawrence-scorsese-1235185297\/)\n\n[![BOXCAR BERTHA, Barbara Hershey, 1972](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/MBDBOBE_EC005-1.jpg?w=300&h=168&crop=1)](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/commentary\/martin-scorsese-boxcar-bertha-pantheon-1235180199\/)\n\n[Cassavetes Was Wrong! Why ‘Boxcar Bertha’ Belongs in the Canon](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/commentary\/martin-scorsese-boxcar-bertha-pantheon-1235180199\/)\n\n“Shutter Island” stars DiCaprio as Edward “Teddy” Daniels, a U.S. Marshal who is investigating a psychiatric facility on the eponymous island after a patient goes missing. Only Teddy is not a real person but a delusion created by inmate Andrew Laeddis. The ending of “Shutter Island” reveals that DiCaprio’s character is a patient himself, committed to the Shutter Island facility after murdering his wife (Michelle Williams) because she went insane and killed their children. Two doctors, Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley) and Chuck (Mark Ruffalo), created a roleplaying game (the film’s central mystery) in an attempt to break Andrew free from his delusions. The bait-and-switch twist forces the viewer to re-contextualize the entire film up until that point, making “Shutter Island” a rich experience on the second and third watches.\n\nIf the “Shutter Island” ending ranks as one of the best twists of the 21st Century, it’s one of Andrew\/Teddy’s ambiguous final lines that continue to make it such a haunting and satisfying experience. Several months before DiCaprio and Nolan unleashed the spinning top in “Inception,” DiCaprio and Scorsese dropped this line of dialogue in “Shutter Island”: “Which would be worse: To live as a monster, or to die as a good man?” The line is asked by Andrew\/Teddy, and in doing so Scorsese and screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis leave the door somewhat open as to whether or not Andrew\/Teddy is committing himself to a lobotomy in order to wash his mind from the sins of his past. It’s an integral tweak from Lehane’s book, which ends more conclusively as Andrew slips back into his Teddy persona. The question Andrew\/Teddy asks in the film makes it a possibility that the character has become more sane and is making an active choice. If Andrew is sane, then committing himself to a lobotomy because he can’t deal with the monster he’s become turns “Shutter Island” into a haunting tragedy.\n\nLehane approved the line during the film’s script process and [told MTV in an interview](http:\/\/www.mtv.com\/news\/2435751\/shutter-island-author-dennis-lehane-gives-his-read-on-the-movies-ending\/) a couple weeks after “Shutter Island” opened in theaters that to him the question is just a “momentary flash” of sanity within Andrew\/Teddy’s delusion.\n\n‘If he were to say it as a statement \\[and not a question\\], then there’s no solution here but to stop the lobotomy,” Lehane said at the time. “Because if he shows any sort of self-awareness, then it’s over, they wouldn’t want to lobotomize him. My feeling was no, he’s not so conscious he says, ‘Oh I’m going to decide to pretend to be Laeddis so they’ll finally give me a lobotomy.’ That would just be far more suicidal than I think this character is. I think that in one moment, for a half a second sitting there in that island he remembered who he was and then he asks that question and he quickly sort of lets it go. That was my feeling on that line.”\n\nLehane has one perspective on how the question shapes the ending of “Shutter Island,” but fans have been debating for the last decade whether or not Andrew\/Teddy was a willing participant in his demise. Neither Scorsese nor DiCaprio have given interviews fully breaking down the “Shutter Island” ending, which means it’s a conclusion that will stay ambiguous for decades to come.\n\nRead More:\n\nDaily Headlines\n\nDaily Headlines covering Film, TV and more.\n\n[Subscribe](https:\/\/cloud.email.indiewire.com\/signup\/)\n\nMore from IndieWire\n\n[![Steven Soderbergh directing James Spader in a 'Sex, Lies, and Videotape'](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/MSDSELI_EC015.jpg?w=2410&h=1637&crop=1)](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/interviews\/steven-soderbergh-star-wars-positive-1235188954\/)\n\nBack to Basics\n\n[The ‘Ben Solo’ Debacle Forced Steven Soderbergh Into a Pre-‘Sex, Lies, and Videotape’ Mindset](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/interviews\/steven-soderbergh-star-wars-positive-1235188954\/)\n\n[![Dana arrives at work, her and Lena welcome back Langdon & greet Emma. (Warrick Page\/MAX)](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/katherine-lanasa.jpg?w=1920&h=1280&crop=1)](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/interviews\/the-pitt-pittsburghese-accent-katherine-lanasa-1235188754\/)\n\nBaby Jane Doe\n\n[What ‘The Pitt’ Gets Right (and Wrong) About ‘Pittsburghese’](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/interviews\/the-pitt-pittsburghese-accent-katherine-lanasa-1235188754\/)\n\n[![TORONTO, ONTARIO - SEPTEMBER 07: Chandler Levack attends the TIFF Tribute Awards during the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival at The Fairmont Royal York Hotel on September 07, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer\/Getty Images)](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/GettyImages-2234200003.jpg?w=3000&h=3000&crop=1)](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/interviews\/chandler-levack-mile-end-kicks-interview-1235148115\/)\n\nFilmmaker Interview\n\n[We Want Filmmaker Chandler Levack to Be Our New Best Friend — Her ‘Mile End Kicks’ Shows Why](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/interviews\/chandler-levack-mile-end-kicks-interview-1235148115\/)\n\n[![LOCARNO, SWITZERLAND - AUGUST 09: Director Sophy Romvari, Amy Zimmer, guest, Iringo Reti, Eylul Guven and Elif Guven attend the Affeksjonsverdi red carpet during the 78th Locarno Film Festival on August 09, 2025 in Locarno, Switzerland. (Photo by Alessandro Levati\/Getty Images)](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2229285263-e1776094908725.jpg?w=3000&h=2387&crop=1)](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/interviews\/blue-heron-2026-best-sophy-romvari-interview-1235188361\/)\n\nFilmmaker Toolkit\n\n[The Director of ‘Blue Heron’ Tried to Understand Her Late Brother for Years — It Led to an Extraordinary Film](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/interviews\/blue-heron-2026-best-sophy-romvari-interview-1235188361\/)\n\n[![Werner Herzog](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/55540001.jpg?w=2540&h=2048&crop=1)](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/craft\/werner-herzog-3d-imax-cave-of-forgotten-dreams-1235188029\/)\n\nFilmmaker Interview\n\n[Werner Herzog’s 3D Masterpiece Gets an IMAX Comeback](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/craft\/werner-herzog-3d-imax-cave-of-forgotten-dreams-1235188029\/)\n\n[![LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 11: Dwayne Johnson dances onstage at the Walt Disney Studios Presentation during CinemaCon 2024 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/policies.google.com\/privacy) and [Terms of Service](https:\/\/policies.google.com\/terms) apply.\n\nMust Read\n\n[![Shutter Island Ending: The Question That Haunts 10 Years Later](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Brown-Collage-Summer-Vlog-YouTube-Thumbnail-1.png?w=300&h=300&crop=1)](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/gallery\/best-movies-2025\/)\n\n[Features](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/c\/features\/)\n\n[The 25 Best Movies of 2025](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/gallery\/best-movies-2025\/)\n\n[!['The Rehearsal,' 'Pluribus,' and 'The Lowdown' are among the best TV series of 2025](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/best-tv-shows-2025-1.jpg?w=300&h=300&crop=1)](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/gallery\/best-tv-series-2025\/)\n\n[Features](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/c\/features\/)\n\n[The 10 Best TV Series of 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You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.\n\n#### Functional Cookies\nFunctional Cookies\n\nThese cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.\n\n### Cookie List\nClear\n\n- checkbox label\n  \n  label\n\nApply\n\nCancel\n\nConsent Leg.Interest\n\ncheckbox label\n\nlabel\n\ncheckbox label\n\nlabel\n\ncheckbox label\n\nlabel\n\nConfirm My Choices\n\n[![Powered by Onetrust](https:\/\/cdn.cookielaw.org\/logos\/static\/powered_by_logo.svg)](https:\/\/www.onetrust.com\/products\/cookie-consent\/)","attrs_readable_markdown":"The last shot of “Inception” is widely regarded as one of the best ambiguous endings in movie history. Christopher Nolan leaves Dominick Cobb’s totem spinning so as not to answer whether or not the character is still dreaming. The “Inception” ending continues to stir up conversations a decade later, but it was not the first DiCaprio movie of 2010 to conclude with such an open-ended jaw-dropper. Cut to February 2010, in which Paramount were gearing up to release [Martin Scorsese](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/t\/martin-scorsese\/)‘s psychological thriller “[Shutter Island](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/t\/shutter-island\/),” based on Dennis Lehane’s 2003 novel of the same name. The movie opened February 19, 2010, making this month its 10th anniversary. “Shutter Island,” the fourth collaboration between Scorsese and DiCaprio, was a box office hit with \\$295 million worldwide, the highest grossing Scorsese release until it was surpassed by “The Wolf of Wall Street.” While “Shutter Island” did not go on to have the awards success that the director and actor’s other projects did, it has continued to endure over the last 10 years because its blindside of a twist ending that both rivals and predates “Inception.”\n\nRelated Stories\n\n[![What Happens at Night](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/WhatHappensAtNight_Feature_0053419F.webp?w=300&h=168&crop=1)](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/news\/breaking-news\/what-happens-at-night-first-look-dicaprio-lawrence-scorsese-1235185297\/)\n\n[![BOXCAR BERTHA, Barbara Hershey, 1972](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/MBDBOBE_EC005-1.jpg?w=300&h=168&crop=1)](https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/features\/commentary\/martin-scorsese-boxcar-bertha-pantheon-1235180199\/)\n\n“Shutter Island” stars DiCaprio as Edward “Teddy” Daniels, a U.S. Marshal who is investigating a psychiatric facility on the eponymous island after a patient goes missing. Only Teddy is not a real person but a delusion created by inmate Andrew Laeddis. The ending of “Shutter Island” reveals that DiCaprio’s character is a patient himself, committed to the Shutter Island facility after murdering his wife (Michelle Williams) because she went insane and killed their children. Two doctors, Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley) and Chuck (Mark Ruffalo), created a roleplaying game (the film’s central mystery) in an attempt to break Andrew free from his delusions. The bait-and-switch twist forces the viewer to re-contextualize the entire film up until that point, making “Shutter Island” a rich experience on the second and third watches.\n\nIf the “Shutter Island” ending ranks as one of the best twists of the 21st Century, it’s one of Andrew\/Teddy’s ambiguous final lines that continue to make it such a haunting and satisfying experience. Several months before DiCaprio and Nolan unleashed the spinning top in “Inception,” DiCaprio and Scorsese dropped this line of dialogue in “Shutter Island”: “Which would be worse: To live as a monster, or to die as a good man?” The line is asked by Andrew\/Teddy, and in doing so Scorsese and screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis leave the door somewhat open as to whether or not Andrew\/Teddy is committing himself to a lobotomy in order to wash his mind from the sins of his past. It’s an integral tweak from Lehane’s book, which ends more conclusively as Andrew slips back into his Teddy persona. The question Andrew\/Teddy asks in the film makes it a possibility that the character has become more sane and is making an active choice. If Andrew is sane, then committing himself to a lobotomy because he can’t deal with the monster he’s become turns “Shutter Island” into a haunting tragedy.\n\nLehane approved the line during the film’s script process and [told MTV in an interview](http:\/\/www.mtv.com\/news\/2435751\/shutter-island-author-dennis-lehane-gives-his-read-on-the-movies-ending\/) a couple weeks after “Shutter Island” opened in theaters that to him the question is just a “momentary flash” of sanity within Andrew\/Teddy’s delusion.\n\n‘If he were to say it as a statement \\[and not a question\\], then there’s no solution here but to stop the lobotomy,” Lehane said at the time. “Because if he shows any sort of self-awareness, then it’s over, they wouldn’t want to lobotomize him. My feeling was no, he’s not so conscious he says, ‘Oh I’m going to decide to pretend to be Laeddis so they’ll finally give me a lobotomy.’ That would just be far more suicidal than I think this character is. I think that in one moment, for a half a second sitting there in that island he remembered who he was and then he asks that question and he quickly sort of lets it go. That was my feeling on that line.”\n\nLehane has one perspective on how the question shapes the ending of “Shutter Island,” but fans have been debating for the last decade whether or not Andrew\/Teddy was a willing participant in his demise. Neither Scorsese nor DiCaprio have given interviews fully breaking down the “Shutter Island” ending, which means it’s a conclusion that will stay ambiguous for decades to come.","meta_canonical":null}

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Boilerpipe Text	The last shot of “Inception” is widely regarded as one of the best ambiguous endings in movie history. Christopher Nolan leaves Dominick Cobb’s totem spinning so as not to answer whether or not the character is still dreaming. The “Inception” ending continues to stir up conversations a decade later, but it was not the first DiCaprio movie of 2010 to conclude with such an open-ended jaw-dropper. Cut to February 2010, in which Paramount were gearing up to release Martin Scorsese ‘s psychological thriller “ Shutter Island ,” based on Dennis Lehane’s 2003 novel of the same name. The movie opened February 19, 2010, making this month its 10th anniversary. “Shutter Island,” the fourth collaboration between Scorsese and DiCaprio, was a box office hit with $295 million worldwide, the highest grossing Scorsese release until it was surpassed by “The Wolf of Wall Street.” While “Shutter Island” did not go on to have the awards success that the director and actor’s other projects did, it has continued to endure over the last 10 years because its blindside of a twist ending that both rivals and predates “Inception.” Related Stories “Shutter Island” stars DiCaprio as Edward “Teddy” Daniels, a U.S. Marshal who is investigating a psychiatric facility on the eponymous island after a patient goes missing. Only Teddy is not a real person but a delusion created by inmate Andrew Laeddis. The ending of “Shutter Island” reveals that DiCaprio’s character is a patient himself, committed to the Shutter Island facility after murdering his wife (Michelle Williams) because she went insane and killed their children. Two doctors, Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley) and Chuck (Mark Ruffalo), created a roleplaying game (the film’s central mystery) in an attempt to break Andrew free from his delusions. The bait-and-switch twist forces the viewer to re-contextualize the entire film up until that point, making “Shutter Island” a rich experience on the second and third watches. If the “Shutter Island” ending ranks as one of the best twists of the 21st Century, it’s one of Andrew/Teddy’s ambiguous final lines that continue to make it such a haunting and satisfying experience. Several months before DiCaprio and Nolan unleashed the spinning top in “Inception,” DiCaprio and Scorsese dropped this line of dialogue in “Shutter Island”: “Which would be worse: To live as a monster, or to die as a good man?” The line is asked by Andrew/Teddy, and in doing so Scorsese and screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis leave the door somewhat open as to whether or not Andrew/Teddy is committing himself to a lobotomy in order to wash his mind from the sins of his past. It’s an integral tweak from Lehane’s book, which ends more conclusively as Andrew slips back into his Teddy persona. The question Andrew/Teddy asks in the film makes it a possibility that the character has become more sane and is making an active choice. If Andrew is sane, then committing himself to a lobotomy because he can’t deal with the monster he’s become turns “Shutter Island” into a haunting tragedy. Lehane approved the line during the film’s script process and told MTV in an interview a couple weeks after “Shutter Island” opened in theaters that to him the question is just a “momentary flash” of sanity within Andrew/Teddy’s delusion. ‘If he were to say it as a statement [and not a question], then there’s no solution here but to stop the lobotomy,” Lehane said at the time. “Because if he shows any sort of self-awareness, then it’s over, they wouldn’t want to lobotomize him. My feeling was no, he’s not so conscious he says, ‘Oh I’m going to decide to pretend to be Laeddis so they’ll finally give me a lobotomy.’ That would just be far more suicidal than I think this character is. I think that in one moment, for a half a second sitting there in that island he remembered who he was and then he asks that question and he quickly sort of lets it go. That was my feeling on that line.” Lehane has one perspective on how the question shapes the ending of “Shutter Island,” but fans have been debating for the last decade whether or not Andrew/Teddy was a willing participant in his demise. Neither Scorsese nor DiCaprio have given interviews fully breaking down the “Shutter Island” ending, which means it’s a conclusion that will stay ambiguous for decades to come.
Markdown	![an image, when javascript is unavailable](https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&c2=6035310&c4=&cv=3.9&cj=1) [Got a Tip?](https://www.indiewire.com/tips/) [Newsletters](https://cloud.email.indiewire.com/signup/) Open Menu Close Open Search Close [Read Next: What ‘The Pitt’ Gets Right (and Wrong) About ‘Pittsburghese’](https://www.indiewire.com/features/interviews/the-pitt-pittsburghese-accent-katherine-lanasa-1235188754/) [Newsletters](https://cloud.email.indiewire.com/signup/) Close Open Menu Close Open Search Close Menu [News](https://www.indiewire.com/c/news/) [Criticism](https://www.indiewire.com/c/criticism/) [Features](https://www.indiewire.com/c/features/) [Awards](https://www.indiewire.com/c/awards/) [Future of Filmmaking](https://www.indiewire.com/p/future-of-filmmaking/) [Toolkit](https://www.indiewire.com/p/toolkit-hub/) [Podcasts](https://www.indiewire.com/c/podcast/) [IndieWire Newsletters](https://cloud.email.indiewire.com/signup/) [About IndieWire](https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/indiewire-new-website-letter-from-the-editor-1234851840/) Follow Us - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/indiewire/) - [X](https://twitter.com/IndieWire) - [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/indiewire/?hl=en) - [Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.com/indiewire/) - [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/indiewire) Alerts & Newsletters By providing your information, you agree to our [Terms of Use](https://pmc.com/terms-of-use) and our [Privacy Policy](https://pmc.com/privacy-policy). We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google [Privacy Policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy) and [Terms of Service](https://policies.google.com/terms) apply. IndieWire is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2026 IndieWire Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. # Months Before ‘Inception,’ ‘Shutter Island’ Delivered an Ambiguous Ending That Haunts 10 Years Later The "Inception" ending dominated movie headlines in 2010, but "Shutter Island" opened months earlier and had a similar last moment that continues to perplex. By [Zack Sharf](https://www.indiewire.com/author/zack-sharf/) ![Shutter Island Ending: The Question That Haunts 10 Years Later](https://www.indiewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Zack-Sharf.png?w=300&h=300&crop=1) Indiewire ### Zack Sharf [zsharf](https://twitter.com/zsharf) More stories by Zack [‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’ Trailer Introduces Mads Mikkelsen Into the Wizarding World](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/fantastic-beasts-the-secrets-of-dumbledore-trailer-mads-mikkelsen-1234684800/) [Read more](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/fantastic-beasts-the-secrets-of-dumbledore-trailer-mads-mikkelsen-1234684800/) [Olivia Wilde: ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ Will Make Viewers Realize ‘How Rarely They See Female Pleasure’](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/olivia-wilde-dont-worry-darling-female-pleasure-sex-1234684688/) [Read more](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/olivia-wilde-dont-worry-darling-female-pleasure-sex-1234684688/) [Universal’s New Theatrical Window: Most Films to Stream on Peacock 45 Days After Theaters](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/universal-theatrical-window-films-peacock-45-days-after-theaters-1234684582/) [Read more](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/universal-theatrical-window-films-peacock-45-days-after-theaters-1234684582/) February 21, 2020 2:00 pm ![Editorial use only. No book cover usage.Mandatory Credit: Photo by Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock (5883624s)Leonardo DicaprioShutter Island - 2010Director: Martin ScorseseParamount PicturesUSAScene StillSuspense/Thriller](https://www.indiewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/shutterstock_editorial_5883624s.jpg?w=3000&h=1687&crop=1) "Shutter Island" Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock Share - [Share on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/shutter-island-ending-lobotomy-anniversary-1202212647/&title=Months%20Before%20%E2%80%98Inception,%E2%80%99%20%E2%80%98Shutter%20Island%E2%80%99%20Delivered%20an%20Ambiguous%20Ending%20That%20Haunts%2010%20Years%20Later&sdk=joey&display=popup&ref=plugin&src=share_button) - [Post](https://twitter.com/intent/post?url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/shutter-island-ending-lobotomy-anniversary-1202212647/&text=Months%20Before%20%E2%80%98Inception%2C%E2%80%99%20%E2%80%98Shutter%20Island%E2%80%99%20Delivered%20an%20Ambiguous%20Ending%20That%20Haunts%2010%20Years%20Later&via=IndieWire) - [Google Preferred](https://google.com/preferences/source?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiewire.com) - [Share on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=1&url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/shutter-island-ending-lobotomy-anniversary-1202212647/&title=Months%20Before%20%E2%80%98Inception,%E2%80%99%20%E2%80%98Shutter%20Island%E2%80%99%20Delivered%20an%20Ambiguous%20Ending%20That%20Haunts%2010%20Years%20Later&summary&source=IndieWire) - Show more sharing options - [Share to Flipboard](https://share.flipboard.com/bookmarklet/popout?v=2&url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/shutter-island-ending-lobotomy-anniversary-1202212647/&title=Months%20Before%20%E2%80%98Inception,%E2%80%99%20%E2%80%98Shutter%20Island%E2%80%99%20Delivered%20an%20Ambiguous%20Ending%20That%20Haunts%2010%20Years%20Later) - [Submit to Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/shutter-island-ending-lobotomy-anniversary-1202212647/&title=Months%20Before%20%E2%80%98Inception,%E2%80%99%20%E2%80%98Shutter%20Island%E2%80%99%20Delivered%20an%20Ambiguous%20Ending%20That%20Haunts%2010%20Years%20Later) - [Pin it](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/shutter-island-ending-lobotomy-anniversary-1202212647/&description=Months%20Before%20%E2%80%98Inception,%E2%80%99%20%E2%80%98Shutter%20Island%E2%80%99%20Delivered%20an%20Ambiguous%20Ending%20That%20Haunts%2010%20Years%20Later) - [Post to Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/widgets/share/tool/preview?shareSource=legacy&canonicalUrl&url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/shutter-island-ending-lobotomy-anniversary-1202212647/&posttype=link&title=Months%20Before%20%E2%80%98Inception,%E2%80%99%20%E2%80%98Shutter%20Island%E2%80%99%20Delivered%20an%20Ambiguous%20Ending%20That%20Haunts%2010%20Years%20Later) - [Email](mailto:?subject=IndieWire%20:%20Months%20Before%20‘Inception,’%20‘Shutter%20Island’%20Delivered%20an%20Ambiguous%20Ending%20That%20Haunts%2010%20Years%20Later&body=https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/shutter-island-ending-lobotomy-anniversary-1202212647/%20-%20Months%20Before%20‘Inception,’%20‘Shutter%20Island’%20Delivered%20an%20Ambiguous%20Ending%20That%20Haunts%2010%20Years%20Later) - [Print This Page](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/shutter-island-ending-lobotomy-anniversary-1202212647/) - [Share on WhatsApp](whatsapp://send?text=Months%20Before%20‘Inception,’%20‘Shutter%20Island’%20Delivered%20an%20Ambiguous%20Ending%20That%20Haunts%2010%20Years%20Later%20-%20https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/shutter-island-ending-lobotomy-anniversary-1202212647/) The last shot of “Inception” is widely regarded as one of the best ambiguous endings in movie history. Christopher Nolan leaves Dominick Cobb’s totem spinning so as not to answer whether or not the character is still dreaming. The “Inception” ending continues to stir up conversations a decade later, but it was not the first DiCaprio movie of 2010 to conclude with such an open-ended jaw-dropper. Cut to February 2010, in which Paramount were gearing up to release [Martin Scorsese](https://www.indiewire.com/t/martin-scorsese/)‘s psychological thriller “[Shutter Island](https://www.indiewire.com/t/shutter-island/),” based on Dennis Lehane’s 2003 novel of the same name. The movie opened February 19, 2010, making this month its 10th anniversary. “Shutter Island,” the fourth collaboration between Scorsese and DiCaprio, was a box office hit with \$295 million worldwide, the highest grossing Scorsese release until it was surpassed by “The Wolf of Wall Street.” While “Shutter Island” did not go on to have the awards success that the director and actor’s other projects did, it has continued to endure over the last 10 years because its blindside of a twist ending that both rivals and predates “Inception.” Related Stories [![What Happens at Night](https://www.indiewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WhatHappensAtNight_Feature_0053419F.webp?w=300&h=168&crop=1)](https://www.indiewire.com/news/breaking-news/what-happens-at-night-first-look-dicaprio-lawrence-scorsese-1235185297/) [‘What Happens at Night’ First Look: Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence Descend Into Martin Scorsese’s Frozen Dreamscape](https://www.indiewire.com/news/breaking-news/what-happens-at-night-first-look-dicaprio-lawrence-scorsese-1235185297/) [![BOXCAR BERTHA, Barbara Hershey, 1972](https://www.indiewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MBDBOBE_EC005-1.jpg?w=300&h=168&crop=1)](https://www.indiewire.com/features/commentary/martin-scorsese-boxcar-bertha-pantheon-1235180199/) [Cassavetes Was Wrong! Why ‘Boxcar Bertha’ Belongs in the Canon](https://www.indiewire.com/features/commentary/martin-scorsese-boxcar-bertha-pantheon-1235180199/) “Shutter Island” stars DiCaprio as Edward “Teddy” Daniels, a U.S. Marshal who is investigating a psychiatric facility on the eponymous island after a patient goes missing. Only Teddy is not a real person but a delusion created by inmate Andrew Laeddis. The ending of “Shutter Island” reveals that DiCaprio’s character is a patient himself, committed to the Shutter Island facility after murdering his wife (Michelle Williams) because she went insane and killed their children. Two doctors, Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley) and Chuck (Mark Ruffalo), created a roleplaying game (the film’s central mystery) in an attempt to break Andrew free from his delusions. The bait-and-switch twist forces the viewer to re-contextualize the entire film up until that point, making “Shutter Island” a rich experience on the second and third watches. If the “Shutter Island” ending ranks as one of the best twists of the 21st Century, it’s one of Andrew/Teddy’s ambiguous final lines that continue to make it such a haunting and satisfying experience. Several months before DiCaprio and Nolan unleashed the spinning top in “Inception,” DiCaprio and Scorsese dropped this line of dialogue in “Shutter Island”: “Which would be worse: To live as a monster, or to die as a good man?” The line is asked by Andrew/Teddy, and in doing so Scorsese and screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis leave the door somewhat open as to whether or not Andrew/Teddy is committing himself to a lobotomy in order to wash his mind from the sins of his past. It’s an integral tweak from Lehane’s book, which ends more conclusively as Andrew slips back into his Teddy persona. The question Andrew/Teddy asks in the film makes it a possibility that the character has become more sane and is making an active choice. If Andrew is sane, then committing himself to a lobotomy because he can’t deal with the monster he’s become turns “Shutter Island” into a haunting tragedy. Lehane approved the line during the film’s script process and [told MTV in an interview](http://www.mtv.com/news/2435751/shutter-island-author-dennis-lehane-gives-his-read-on-the-movies-ending/) a couple weeks after “Shutter Island” opened in theaters that to him the question is just a “momentary flash” of sanity within Andrew/Teddy’s delusion. ‘If he were to say it as a statement \[and not a question\], then there’s no solution here but to stop the lobotomy,” Lehane said at the time. “Because if he shows any sort of self-awareness, then it’s over, they wouldn’t want to lobotomize him. My feeling was no, he’s not so conscious he says, ‘Oh I’m going to decide to pretend to be Laeddis so they’ll finally give me a lobotomy.’ That would just be far more suicidal than I think this character is. I think that in one moment, for a half a second sitting there in that island he remembered who he was and then he asks that question and he quickly sort of lets it go. That was my feeling on that line.” Lehane has one perspective on how the question shapes the ending of “Shutter Island,” but fans have been debating for the last decade whether or not Andrew/Teddy was a willing participant in his demise. Neither Scorsese nor DiCaprio have given interviews fully breaking down the “Shutter Island” ending, which means it’s a conclusion that will stay ambiguous for decades to come. Read More: Daily Headlines Daily Headlines covering Film, TV and more. 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Readable Markdown	The last shot of “Inception” is widely regarded as one of the best ambiguous endings in movie history. Christopher Nolan leaves Dominick Cobb’s totem spinning so as not to answer whether or not the character is still dreaming. The “Inception” ending continues to stir up conversations a decade later, but it was not the first DiCaprio movie of 2010 to conclude with such an open-ended jaw-dropper. Cut to February 2010, in which Paramount were gearing up to release [Martin Scorsese](https://www.indiewire.com/t/martin-scorsese/)‘s psychological thriller “[Shutter Island](https://www.indiewire.com/t/shutter-island/),” based on Dennis Lehane’s 2003 novel of the same name. The movie opened February 19, 2010, making this month its 10th anniversary. “Shutter Island,” the fourth collaboration between Scorsese and DiCaprio, was a box office hit with \$295 million worldwide, the highest grossing Scorsese release until it was surpassed by “The Wolf of Wall Street.” While “Shutter Island” did not go on to have the awards success that the director and actor’s other projects did, it has continued to endure over the last 10 years because its blindside of a twist ending that both rivals and predates “Inception.” Related Stories [![What Happens at Night](https://www.indiewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WhatHappensAtNight_Feature_0053419F.webp?w=300&h=168&crop=1)](https://www.indiewire.com/news/breaking-news/what-happens-at-night-first-look-dicaprio-lawrence-scorsese-1235185297/) [![BOXCAR BERTHA, Barbara Hershey, 1972](https://www.indiewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MBDBOBE_EC005-1.jpg?w=300&h=168&crop=1)](https://www.indiewire.com/features/commentary/martin-scorsese-boxcar-bertha-pantheon-1235180199/) “Shutter Island” stars DiCaprio as Edward “Teddy” Daniels, a U.S. Marshal who is investigating a psychiatric facility on the eponymous island after a patient goes missing. Only Teddy is not a real person but a delusion created by inmate Andrew Laeddis. The ending of “Shutter Island” reveals that DiCaprio’s character is a patient himself, committed to the Shutter Island facility after murdering his wife (Michelle Williams) because she went insane and killed their children. Two doctors, Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley) and Chuck (Mark Ruffalo), created a roleplaying game (the film’s central mystery) in an attempt to break Andrew free from his delusions. The bait-and-switch twist forces the viewer to re-contextualize the entire film up until that point, making “Shutter Island” a rich experience on the second and third watches. If the “Shutter Island” ending ranks as one of the best twists of the 21st Century, it’s one of Andrew/Teddy’s ambiguous final lines that continue to make it such a haunting and satisfying experience. Several months before DiCaprio and Nolan unleashed the spinning top in “Inception,” DiCaprio and Scorsese dropped this line of dialogue in “Shutter Island”: “Which would be worse: To live as a monster, or to die as a good man?” The line is asked by Andrew/Teddy, and in doing so Scorsese and screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis leave the door somewhat open as to whether or not Andrew/Teddy is committing himself to a lobotomy in order to wash his mind from the sins of his past. It’s an integral tweak from Lehane’s book, which ends more conclusively as Andrew slips back into his Teddy persona. The question Andrew/Teddy asks in the film makes it a possibility that the character has become more sane and is making an active choice. If Andrew is sane, then committing himself to a lobotomy because he can’t deal with the monster he’s become turns “Shutter Island” into a haunting tragedy. Lehane approved the line during the film’s script process and [told MTV in an interview](http://www.mtv.com/news/2435751/shutter-island-author-dennis-lehane-gives-his-read-on-the-movies-ending/) a couple weeks after “Shutter Island” opened in theaters that to him the question is just a “momentary flash” of sanity within Andrew/Teddy’s delusion. ‘If he were to say it as a statement \[and not a question\], then there’s no solution here but to stop the lobotomy,” Lehane said at the time. “Because if he shows any sort of self-awareness, then it’s over, they wouldn’t want to lobotomize him. My feeling was no, he’s not so conscious he says, ‘Oh I’m going to decide to pretend to be Laeddis so they’ll finally give me a lobotomy.’ That would just be far more suicidal than I think this character is. I think that in one moment, for a half a second sitting there in that island he remembered who he was and then he asks that question and he quickly sort of lets it go. That was my feeling on that line.” Lehane has one perspective on how the question shapes the ending of “Shutter Island,” but fans have been debating for the last decade whether or not Andrew/Teddy was a willing participant in his demise. Neither Scorsese nor DiCaprio have given interviews fully breaking down the “Shutter Island” ending, which means it’s a conclusion that will stay ambiguous for decades to come.
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