Search Movie Plot Summaries & Endings Explained

Comedy · Dark tone · Ambiguous ending

Beware of a Holy Whore (1971)

Tensions between members of a film crew build while they wait for the arrival of the director and star to arrive on location.

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Action · Tense tone · Happy ending

Mosagallaku Mosagadu (1971)

During the Bobbili war in South India, the Amarvedu dynasty comes under British attack. Anticipating the assault, the loyal friends Daanaala Dharmayya (Gummadi) and Pagadaala Subbayya hide the kingdom’s treasure in a remote cave that has five doors, far away from the fighting.

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Drama · Tense tone · Ambiguous ending

Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971)

After a stay at a mental institution, Jessica and her husband move to a secluded farmhouse in the countryside to help her recover. There, she encounters a strange young woman who claims to be a vampire. As Jessica tries to rebuild her life, she becomes increasingly disturbed by the unsettling presence and the possibility of a supernatural threat. However, her fragile mental state makes it difficult to discern what is real and what is a delusion, leaving her questioning her sanity and the danger surrounding her.

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Horror · Dark tone · Bleak ending

Web of the Spider (1971)

Based on Edgar Allan Poe’s “Night of the Living Dead,” journalist Alan Foster travels to London to interview the famed author. While in the city he meets the enigmatic Lord Blackwood, who challenges him to spend a night in his ominous castle, thrusting him into a chilling and terrifying ordeal.

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Western · Melancholic tone · Sad ending

A Gunfight (1971)

In the Mexican town of Bajo Rio, spectators who once paid to watch bullfights now finance a deadly showdown. Aging gunslingers Will Tenneray and Abe Cross, both desperate for cash, agree to stage a duel to the death inside a bullfighting arena, with the ticket revenue awarded to the victor.

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Horror · Dark tone · Bleak ending

The Touch of Satan (1971)

A murderous, decrepit old woman lives on a California walnut farm with her family. When traveler Jodie stops by on a whim, he meets Melissa, the farmer’s daughter, and falls for her. As their romance deepens, Melissa discloses the family’s grim, dark history, hinting that loving her may bring a curse.

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Drama · Bittersweet tone · Bittersweet ending

Swedish Fly Girls (1971)

The story follows a charismatic Danish international stewardess who delights in bold flirtation with her male passengers, later inviting them to her Copenhagen apartment where she spends the night with each of them in turn. It plays on the notion that every man should meet a free‑flying stewardess at least once.

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Drama · Dark tone · Bittersweet ending

Fools’ Parade (1971)

In 1935, Glory, West Virginia, becomes a perilous place for three newly freed men. Led by Mattie Appleyard, the trio intends to use the money Mattie saved during his 40‑year sentence to open a general store. Their plan is fiercely opposed by a corrupt prison official and the local banker who issued Mattie's check, turning their fresh start into a fight for survival.

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Horror · Dark tone · Bleak ending

The Return of Count Yorga (1971)

The undead Count Yorga returns, stalking the townspeople from a house adjacent to a local orphanage. He once again hunts the community, seeking a new bride while sustaining a harem of female vampires that feed on the frightened residents. His relentless thirst for blood fuels a series of nocturnal attacks that plunge the village into fear.

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Mystery · Dark tone · Mixed ending

The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave (1971)

A wealthy but mentally unstable man obsessed with recreating his dead wife forces women who resemble her into deadly S&M role‑plays. When he remarries, his twisted games spark a night of bizarre, macabre events that spiral into lethal chaos.

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Thriller · Dark tone · Sad ending

The Fifth Cord (1971)

A journalist finds himself on the trail of a murderer who’s been targeting people around him, while the police are considering him a suspect in their investigation.

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Comedy · Dark tone · Happy ending

Cry Uncle! (1971)

Laugh till you Cry Uncle! Private detective Jack Masters takes on a case and gets mixed up in murder, sex and blackmail.

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Mystery · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail (1971)

After her husband perishes in a bizarre plane crash, a widow travels from London to Athens to claim his sizable life‑insurance payout. She soon learns she isn’t the only one after the money, as ruthless rivals are prepared to kill. A private investigator probing the claim’s anomalies teams up with an attractive reporter to uncover the conspiracy.

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Drama · Tense tone · Ambiguous ending

Brother John (1971)

An enigmatic man arrives back in his small Alabama hometown just as his sister battles terminal cancer. His sudden return stirs unease among the town’s influential officials, and the arrival threatens the fragile peace, forcing long‑standing grudges to surface. Tensions rise as the community teeters on the brink of chaos.

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Drama · Dark tone · Ambiguous ending

The Love Machine (1971)

The Waiting is Over…The Love Machine now on the Screen ! An ambitious TV newscaster has an affair with the wife of a network executive to get a promotion.

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Action · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

Shoot the Living and Pray for the Dead (1971)

Dan Hogan and his gang rob a bank of $100,000 in gold bars and meet at Jackal’s Ranch, a stage‑coach weigh station, to await the loot. Stranger John Webb demands half the gold in exchange for guiding them across the desert to Mexico. Dan agrees; the outlaws race toward the border, with Rangers, in pursuit, and doubts linger about Webb’s true motives.

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Drama · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

Die Screaming Marianne (1971)

On the eve of her 21st birthday, a woman confronts death. After their parents' divorce, one sister lives with her mother in England and the other with the judge father in Portugal. When the mother dies, English sister inherits a fortune while Portuguese sister holds incriminating documents. Will resort to murder and deceit to get what they want.

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Western · Melancholic tone · Bittersweet ending

The Hired Hand (1971)

Peter Fonda returns as Harry Collings, who drifts back to his family farm with his friend Arch after years away. His estranged wife, initially resigned, lets him stay, hoping for reconciliation. As old wounds resurface, Harry faces a painful choice between vengeance for a lost love and his responsibilities at home, forcing him to weigh loyalty against personal desire.

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Action · Dark tone · Ambiguous ending

Werewolves on Wheels (1971)

A biker gang storms a remote monastery, only to clash with black‑robed monks worshipping Satan. When the monks try to sacrifice the female rider Helen, the bikers wreck the sanctuary. The monks retreat, but their dark ritual leaves Helen cursed: at night she transforms into a feral werewolf, bringing deadly vengeance upon the gang.

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Horror · Dark tone · Bleak ending

The Brotherhood of Satan (1971)

In a remote California desert town, a malevolent demon spirit of madness and murder spreads terror, gripping the community. A family becomes trapped as a secretive cult of senior citizens recruits the town’s children to worship Satan, forcing them to confront the occult horror threatening their lives.

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Melancholic tone · Sad ending

Anubhavangal Palichakal (1971)

Feeling remorse for his abusive behavior toward his family, Chellappan resolves to change and make amends. Just as he begins to set things right, he is stunned to discover that his wife has been involved with another man, shattering his hopes and plunging him into a painful personal crisis.

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Thriller · Dark tone · Bleak ending

Night of Dark Shadows (1971)

Newlyweds Quentin and Tracy Collins settle into Collinwood, the ancestral New England estate Quentin has just inherited. Their first night quickly turns into a nightmare as the house awakens, and malevolent spirits of former occupants begin to torment them, turning the once‑proud manor into a realm of terror.

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Drama · Bleak tone · Bleak ending

Johnny Got His Gun (1971)

Following a devastating war, a young American soldier suffers horrific injuries, leaving him completely paralyzed and unable to communicate. Though his body is trapped, his mind remains alert and filled with a desperate longing for connection. He struggles to find a way to convey his thoughts and feelings to the outside world and to reclaim a sense of self after such profound loss, grappling with the physical and emotional trauma of his situation.

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Western · Bittersweet tone · Mixed ending

Doc (1971)

Doc Holliday, weakened by tuberculosis, rides to Tombstone, Arizona, accompanied by prostitute Katie Elder. His journey ends when he reunites with friend Marshal Wyatt Earp, who is locked in a bitter conflict with the Clanton gang. As the feud escalates, the two lawmen prepare for the showdown that will define the town’s fate.

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Action · Bleak tone · Bittersweet ending

The Omega Man (1971)

Following a devastating global pandemic, a scientist (Charlton Heston) finds himself seemingly the only person left alive in Los Angeles. He soon discovers he’s not alone, facing a growing threat from a group of mutated humans known as the "Darkseeds." Led by a former news reporter (Anthony Zerbe), these creatures relentlessly hunt the last vestiges of humanity, forcing the scientist to fight for survival against an overwhelming and dangerous enemy.

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Drama · Dark tone · Sad ending

The Night Digger (1971)

A chance encounter with tragedy plunges an innocent bystander into the dark reality of urban despair. Investigating the lives of expectant mothers struggling in the city's underbelly, they confront the harshness of their circumstances and the fragility of life. The experience blurs the lines between hope and sorrow, revealing a haunting perspective on mortality and leaving a lasting impact on their understanding of the world.

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Sci-Fi · Dark tone · Sad ending

Willard (1971)

Consumed by grief after the tragic loss of his pet rat, Willard embarks on a vengeful campaign against those who wronged him. Isolated and driven by rage, he trains an army of rodents to exact retribution. With the loyal rat Ben by his side, Willard orchestrates a terrifying and unexpected assault on his tormentors, seeking justice in a most unusual way.

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Comedy · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

The Anonymous Heroes (1971)

Two wandering brothers, Meng Kang and Tieh, desperate for fame and fortune, are drawn into a revolt against a provincial general. After extorting vendors and gambling away their meager funds, they are recruited by a local rebel leader promising adventure. Their scheme—to steal a massive shipment of new rifles bound for the army’s barracks—gains momentum with the help of an officer’s daughter, but ultimately spirals into a heroic yet tragic climax.

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Action · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971)

A massive alien creature known as Hedorah, the Smog Monster, crashes to Earth on a comet from the Dark Gaseous Nebula. The ever‑evolving life‑form feeds on pollution, exhaling clouds of sulfuric acid and corrosive sludge. As the toxic menace spreads, both humanity and Godzilla must confront an enemy that threatens to overwhelm them.

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Drama · Tense tone · Happy ending

The Seven Minutes (1971)

Amid a heated political climate, a modest bookstore clerk is charged with distributing obscene material, a bestseller that authorities have condemned and banned. As the case threatens to sway an upcoming election, a team of defense attorneys races to uncover the truth behind the book’s original publication and prove its legitimacy.

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Comedy · Melancholic tone · Ambiguous ending

Mon oncle Antoine (1971)

Set against a snow‑blanketed rural Quebec village at Christmas, the film follows a young boy’s coming‑of‑age as he observes his family’s daily life. They run the town’s general store and its undertaking service, intertwining the warmth of holiday traditions with the sober responsibilities of funeral work, revealing a tightly knit community.

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Family · Tense tone · Happy ending

Gamera vs. Zigra (1971)

When the deep‑sea monster Zigra launches a spacecraft that destroys a moon base, it reveals a plan to conquer Earth and flood its oceans for its own aquatic inhabitants. As Japan rallies behind the ancient turtle, Gamera returns to defend humanity and thwart Zigra’s invasion.

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Western · Bleak tone · Bleak ending

The Hunting Party (1971)

A ruthless rancher assembles his gang and invites a chilling party where they hunt twenty‑six men and a woman with ultra‑long‑range rifles, turning the gathering into a deadly game. Their brutal mission is to exact revenge on the men who kidnapped his wife, making the hunt a lethal showdown.

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Biography · Dark tone · Bleak ending

The Devils (1971)

A young couple's housewarming party takes a dark turn when a malevolent force invades, unleashing terror and chaos. As the entity’s influence spreads, appearances become deceptive and paranoia grips the guests. Trust erodes as people disappear, leaving behind an atmosphere of dread and suspicion. The remaining partygoers must confront the horrifying reality of the supernatural presence and fight for survival.

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Horror · Dark tone · Ambiguous ending

Vampyros Lesbos (1971)

A Psycho-Sexadelic Horror Freakout! An erotic horror tale about a vixen vampiress seducing and killing women to appease her insatiable thirst for female blood.

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Romance · Melancholic tone · Ambiguous ending

The Touch (1971)

A Swedish housewife embarks on an illicit affair with a foreign archaeologist who is haunted by his past as a Jewish survivor of a concentration camp. Their bond is strained by deep emotional wounds, cultural distance and guilt, making the relationship painfully fragile and complex.

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Crime · Dark tone · Bleak ending

Young and Healthy as a Rose (1971)

Set in contemporary Belgrade, the film follows Stevan “Stiv” Nikolic, a small‑time crook who climbs the criminal ladder by exploiting drug trade, sexual liaisons, and a corrupt partnership with local police, revealing his ruthless ambition and the gritty underworld that fuels his rise.

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Drama · Dark tone · Bittersweet ending

The Panic in Needle Park (1971)

Amidst the bleak and desperate environment of Needle Park, Bobby, a struggling heroin addict, finds himself drawn to Helen, a young and vulnerable homeless girl. Their fragile relationship quickly becomes entangled with their shared addiction, leading them deeper into a cycle of crime and despair. As they navigate the harsh realities of their circumstances, they face betrayal and heartbreaking consequences, struggling to find solace in each other’s company within a world consumed by addiction.

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Comedy · Light tone · Happy ending

On the Buses (1971)

Stan is irritated by his mother and sister’s habit of splurging on hire‑purchase items, but his overtime shifts as a bus driver just about cover the costs. Bus drivers are scarce, so his job seems safe and the extra hours are lucrative—until the company scraps an old rule and starts hiring female drivers, a change that leaves him bewildered.

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Thriller · Bleak tone · Bleak ending

The Last Run (1971)

Evoking Hemingway and Bogart, the story follows a former Chicago mob getaway driver who has retired to a quiet Portuguese fishing village. He is drawn back for one last job: escort a dangerous crook and his girlfriend on a perilous drive to France, forcing him to confront his violent past.

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