Search Movie Plot Summaries & Endings Explained

Biography · Hopeful tone · Happy ending

The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976)

A teenager with a rare immune deficiency is forced to live inside a plastic bubble, separating him from the outside world. Yearning for connection and freedom, his life changes when he meets the girl next door. Their interaction inspires him to take a risk and experience a taste of normalcy, leading to a poignant story about love, identity, and the universal need for human contact.

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Fantasy · Melancholic tone · Bittersweet ending

Stepan’s Remembrance (1976)

The heiress of a gem mage travels to St. Petersburg to fulfill her father’s dream and her destiny.

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Horror · Tense tone · Ambiguous ending

Schizo (1976)

Plagued by schizophrenia, a newly‑wed woman branded as mentally unstable finds herself tangled in a terrifying mystery. As a series of gruesome murders erupts, she becomes convinced that someone she trusts is behind the killings, forcing her to question reality and fight to prove the truth.

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Romance · Melancholic tone · Bittersweet ending

Laila-Majnu (1976)

Kaish Amari comes from a wealthy arab family. At the tender age of six he is sent to school and gets friendly with a young girl named Laila.

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Horror · Dark tone · Bleak ending

Dogs (1976)

On the isolated SouthWestern University campus, something horrific erupts: every dog, once loyal companions, forms ferocious packs that hunt their owners. Students suspect the bizarre mutation stems from secret government experiments hidden in the school’s physics lab. The race to stop the murderous hounds before it’s too late drives the terror.

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Action · Dark tone · Bittersweet ending

Adalat (1976)

Honest farmer Dharamchand, called Dharma, celebrates his son Raju's birth. He rescues three men from a tiger, who later promise him work in Bombay. Drought drives Dharma, his family, to Bombay, where Ajit makes him manager. Falsely arrested, he's sentenced to 18 months plus six for contempt. Returning home, he finds his family destitute; Laxmi, raped by Sujit, killed herself.

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Action · Tense tone · Sad ending

The Next Man (1976)

A resourceful Saudi diplomat attempts to broker peace with Israel, initiating a dangerous and intense pursuit. When a formidable assassin is sent to eliminate him, the diplomat steadfastly pursues his goal of establishing a landmark alliance, even amidst rising threats and escalating violence. The film explores themes of diplomacy, betrayal, and the high stakes involved in international relations.

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Action · Dark tone · Bleak ending

Nightmare in Badham County (1976)

Two UCLA students experience engine trouble in a remote Southern town and, after rejecting the sheriff’s lecherous advances, are falsely arrested on trivial charges. With a judge who is the sheriff’s cousin, they are sent to a women’s prison where they endure brutal abuse at the hands of the administrators and guards.

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Action · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

During a severe winter storm, a transport bus carrying convicts crashes near Detroit’s Precinct 13, forcing them to seek shelter within the station. Cut off from the outside world and with communication lines down, Sergeant Jake (Ethan Hawke) finds himself in a tense situation. He must work together with the very criminals he's supposed to guard to defend the precinct from a relentless and escalating attack by a dangerous gang.

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Drama · Dark tone · Bleak ending

Chess of the Wind (1976)

The first lady of a noble house has died and now there is conflict between the remainders for taking over her heritage.

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Western · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

Pony Express Rider (1976)

A young Texan, scarred by watching his father killed by a gang of bandits, decides years later to enlist with the Pony Express. As he rides the frontier delivering mail, he covertly follows the same trail of the outlaws, turning each ride into a hunt for revenge and confronting the ultimate challenge of justice.

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Drama · Bleak tone · Bleak ending

Yakuza Graveyard (1976)

A police investigator cracks down on yakuza business, but once he realizes the police are in negotiations with certain factions, he sides with his own syndicate of choice.

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Comedy · Light tone · Happy ending

The Wing or the Thigh? (1976)

Charles Duchemin, famed gourmet and publisher of a celebrated restaurant guide, battles fast‑food mogul Tri‑catel to protect the art of French cuisine. Invited to a talk‑show to demonstrate his ability to name food and wine by taste, he faces two crises: his son prefers a clown career to becoming a restaurant tester, and Duchemin mysteriously loses his own sense of taste.

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Drama · Melancholic tone · Sad ending

The Anchorite (1976)

Eleven years ago, Fernando Tobajas—an older man—decided to make his bathroom his home, converting it into a tiny apartment he never leaves. He has given up everything except vanity, and his only contact is visits from friends and messages sent through the toilet in aspirin tubes, hoping someone will find them. When Arabel Lee discovers one of these notes, she becomes drawn into his isolated world.

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Drama · Bittersweet tone · Sad ending

Amelia Earhart (1976)

Biography follows the life of famed woman pilot Amelia Earhart, including her marriage to a famous publisher and her disappearance during a flight in 1937.

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Mystery · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976)

Although presented as a true story, the facts are fabricated. Worried about Watson’s cocaine habit, Dr. Watson lures Sherlock Holmes to Vienna, where the detective falls under the care of Sigmund Freud. Freud seeks to uncover the secrets of Holmes’s subconscious, while Holmes concentrates on rescuing the kidnapped Lola Deveraux, blending psychological analysis with a classic whodunit.

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Drama · Melancholic tone · Bittersweet ending

The Marquise of O (1976)

A widowed noblewoman's quiet existence is disrupted by an unexpected pregnancy resulting from a brief encounter with a kind Russian officer. Facing a challenging situation, she must grapple with the restrictive social conventions of her time and the potential consequences for herself and her family. The film explores themes of honor, duty, and the complexities of love and reputation.

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Drama · Dark tone · Bittersweet ending

Moondru Mudichu (1976)

Roommates Prasath and Balaji are both in love with Selvi. However, life takes an ugly turn when Balaji dies and Selvi is forced to marry Prasath’s father.

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Drama · Light tone · Bittersweet ending

Car Wash (1976)

A day‑in‑the‑life cult comedy follows a group of friends clocking in at Sully Boyar’s Car Wash in a gritty Los Angeles neighborhood. Throughout the shift they meet oddball customers—a smooth‑talking preacher, a zany cab driver, an ex‑convict—and trade politically incorrect jokes over a nonstop disco‑funk soundtrack. As the hours pass some workers spark romance, but most are simply relieved to survive another shift.

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Sci-Fi · Dark tone · Ambiguous ending

God Told Me To (1976)

A relentless NYPD detective investigates a series of disturbing crimes linked to a mysterious cult. The group is led by a bizarre figure who appears to be a hybrid of human and extraterrestrial origins. As the body count rises, the detective delves deeper into a terrifying conflict between faith, delusion, and a disturbing new reality, struggling to understand the motives behind the escalating violence.

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Thriller · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

Sherlock Holmes in New York (1976)

A loving tribute to Conan Holmes, this richly produced adventure sends the legendary detective to New York after he learns that his old arch‑enemy Moriarty has abducted the son of Holmes’s longtime confidante, actress Irene Adler. Holmes must race through the city’s underworld to rescue the child and outwit his nemesis.

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Mystery · Dark tone · Bleak ending

Burnt Offerings (1976)

Seeking affordable housing, Ben and Marian Rolf accept the caretaker position in a sprawling Victorian mansion. As they settle in with their son, unsettling events begin to unfold. Marian becomes increasingly absorbed in the house's domestic routines, while Ben struggles with his own volatile temper. The mysterious presence of Ben's aunt Elizabeth adds to the growing sense of dread, ultimately leading to tragic consequences within the house's unsettling atmosphere.

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Horror · Tense tone · Ambiguous ending

The Possessed (1976)

Oshima, a wealthy young woman, is married to Shinzo. His cousin Sawa harbors a deep jealousy toward Oshima and places a curse on her, rendering Shinzo unable to touch or be intimate with his wife. Enraged, Shinzo turns his affection toward Sawa, beginning an affair.

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Horror · Dark tone · Bleak ending

The Strange Hostel of Naked Pleasures (1976)

A stormy night forces an eclectic group of strangers to seek refuge, only to discover an isolated guest house that seems to exist outside reality. As odd phenomena intensify, they question whether the unsettling events are the product of their own imaginations or a deeper, unfathomable mystery orchestrated by the enigmatic proprietor.

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Drama · Dark tone · Ambiguous ending

Vanessa (1976)

After her parents die, Vanessa is raised in a convent, only to inherit a lucrative but morally complex empire of bordellos in Hong Kong. Traveling there to claim her fortune, she confronts a world of prostitution and sensual excess, struggling to adapt to the carnal temptations that surround her.

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Action · Tense tone · Ambiguous ending

Shaolin Wooden Men (1976)

Orphaned and mute after his father is killed by a master, Little Mute trains at Shaolin. He befriends a dangerous prisoner who teaches a kung fu style, and other masters add the Gliding Snake and Drunken Master techniques. He must survive the gauntlet of 108 wooden men, testing his skill and endurance, before choosing redemption or revenge.

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Thriller · Dark tone · Bittersweet ending

Marathon Man (1976)

A brilliant but insecure classics professor, Thomas "Babe" Levy, finds his life turned upside down when his brother, a secret government agent, is murdered. Drawn into a dangerous conspiracy, Babe must use his quick wit and knowledge of ancient languages to evade a relentless and ruthless Nazi criminal searching for stolen diamonds. He becomes entangled in a desperate race against time, facing perilous situations and uncovering a complex plot with far-reaching consequences.

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War · Tense tone · Bleak ending

The Fifth Seal (1976)

In wartime Budapest, 1944, a group of four friends confront a chilling moral dilemma when one of them proposes a hypothetical question about guilt and innocence. Their discussion forces each to consider the cost of fear and responsibility, setting events in motion that will irrevocably change their lives.

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Fantasy · Melancholic tone · Bittersweet ending

A Matter of Time (1976)

During a press conference, international star Nina drifts back to her early days as a maid in a rundown Italian hotel. There she befriends the elderly Contessa Sanziani, who shares vivid memories of a lavish life with Count Sanziani. Inspired, Nina yearns for the same excitement and adventure she once imagined.

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Drama · Dark tone · Ambiguous ending

Satan’s Brew (1976)

A celebrated poet, stuck in a two‑year creative drought, begins to unwittingly reproduce the verses of Stefan George. As his tangled personal life unravels—filled with multiple mistresses, a clueless brother, and a looming murder investigation—he is forced to confront the origins of his work and the chaos surrounding him.

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Crime · Tense tone · Mixed ending

Blind Rage (1976)

Five master thieves and kung‑fu experts unite to pull off a daring bank robbery, but their crew shares a singular handicap—all five men are blind. Their unique skills and blindness shape a high‑octane, unconventional heist full of humor and action, with unpredictable twists.

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Comedy · Dark tone · Mixed ending

Up! (1976)

Adolf Hitler has assumed the alias Adolf Schwartz and is living hidden in California when he is abruptly killed by an unidentified shooter. At the same time a mysterious woman arrives in a nearby town, drawing the attention of many residents. While the murder goes largely ignored, curiosity surrounding the newcomer intensifies.

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Crime · Light tone · Mixed ending

The Olsen Gang Sees Red (1976)

Egon and his crew are hired by a baron to fake theft of an antique Chinese vase. When the baron double‑crosses them, Egon swaps the priceless vase for a cheap Hong Kong copy. Their plan unfolds at the baron’s hunting party, where Egon is bricked in the catacombs, and at Copenhagen’s Royal Theatre, where they breach walls to the “Elverhøj” overture.

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Comedy · Light tone · Happy ending

Carry On England (1976)

When Captain S. Melly assumes command of an experimental mixed‑sex air‑defence station in 1940, England is enduring relentless bombing. Rather than focusing on enemy aircraft, the squadron’s personnel are preoccupied with romantic entanglements. Determined to restore discipline, Melly confronts the chaos, only to become the target of a concerted campaign aimed at overturning his progressive, co‑ed command.

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Drama · Dark tone · Sad ending

Bittersweet Love (1976)

When a hidden family secret emerges, a pregnant woman and her husband learn that they share the same parents—he is the son of her mother’s former lover, making them half‑brother and half‑sister. The revelation forces them to confront forbidden feelings and decide how to protect their unborn child.

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Romance · Tense tone · Ambiguous ending

A Slave of Love (1976)

During the Russian Civil War, the production of a silent melodrama runs into numerous complications.

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War · Dark tone · Sad ending

And Agnes Chose to Die (1976)

After the Nazis take her husband away, an illiterate old washerwoman joins the Resistance as a bike courier in the Central Italian countryside.

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Romance · Light tone · Happy ending

Pardon Mon Affaire (1976)

On an ordinary afternoon, Étienne, a devoted husband and father, is stunned by a beautiful woman in a flowing red dress. Though she quickly disappears, the image haunts him and he becomes obsessed with meeting her. He enlists three well‑meaning but clumsy friends—each secretly cheating on his own marriage—to help capture the elusive lady in red.

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Drama · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

The Front (1976)

America’s most unlikely hero. A cashier poses as a writer for blacklisted talents to submit their work through, but the injustice around him pushes him to take a stand.

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Comedy · Whimsical tone · Happy ending

Bugsy Malone (1976)

A whimsical and energetic story unfolds in 1920s New York, where rival childhood gangs Fat Sam’s and Bugsy’s engage in a playful but intense power struggle. Using water pistols and custard pies instead of bullets, young Fat Sam and Bugsy, along with the captivating Tallulah, find themselves caught up in a world of ambition, rivalry, and unexpected twists within their imaginative play.

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