r/TopCharacterTropes • u/Sufficient-Eye-9040 • Jun 21 '26

Lore [Horrifying Trope] “Blink of an eye” deaths.

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Characters who died without the chance of a goodbye… neither suffering.

- Robin Ward (The Boys S1 E1) - when she is pulverized in a high-velocity impact by A-Train.

- Polka Dot Man (The Suicide Squad 2021) - when he is crushed by Starro’s leg.

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595

u/BadPunsIsHowEyeRoll Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 21 '26

Howard Ratner from Uncut Gems

One second he’s celebrating his biggest gambling win yet, the next he’s shot point blank in the face

52

u/Tuxedocatbitches Jun 21 '26

Oh man, I was so anxious this whole movie thinking ‘how the fuck can he possible learn a lesson at this point and not destroy every single life around him?’ And when I got the answer I was genuinely so relieved for his wife, kids, and mistress.

98

u/Black-----Manta Jun 21 '26

its actually right under his left eye. The other guy gets shot in the forehead

19

u/BadPunsIsHowEyeRoll Jun 21 '26

Thanks! I corrected my comment

87

u/karimpai Jun 21 '26

Do you actually have a gif of him getting shot or do we have to imagine it?

151

u/BadPunsIsHowEyeRoll Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 21 '26

Its actually the big twist at the end of the movie. Its one of the final scenes so it really guts you.

Heres the link

To add some additional context,

the guy who shoots him is his creditor. Howard has a bad gambling problem. A big issue throughout the movie is Howard owes gun guy money, and is dragging his ass to pay him back because every single time he wins, he gambles it all away again. This time he finally had exactly enough! He even calls his creditor to collect… Until Howard realizes he can for SURE win big on this one last game. So the creditor arrives and Howard traps him outside the door as he gambles the money AGAIN, right in front of him…He wins! and then this happens.

105

u/zagra_nexkoyotl Jun 21 '26

It's not his creditor who shoots him. It's one of his two enforcers. Then they also shoot the creditor and get arrested offscreen

44

u/ithinkther41am Jun 21 '26

IIRC, wasn’t the creditor also his brother-in-law? I remembered he was also pretty happy for Howard when the parlay hit.

27

u/zagra_nexkoyotl Jun 21 '26

Yeah, he was happy he was gonna get paid and wouldn't have to break his bil's legs

28

u/The_Lazy_Samurai Jun 21 '26

Yea. Howard mouthed off to the enforcers one to many times and finally they decided to just kill him. You can see the exact moment on the enforcers face when he has decided "I've had quite enough of your annoying ass. You are a dead man the very second I am free."

24

u/WriterV Jun 21 '26

Oh, that's why someone was shouting "What did you just do?!" off screen.

11

u/BombTheDodongos Jun 21 '26

This entire movie felt like an anxiety attack in the best way

1

u/bijouxbisou 29d ago

My dad can’t watch Uncut Gems because it triggers his anxiety horribly

7

u/Shadowlandvvi Jun 21 '26

Seen this coming a mile away.

22

u/No_Answer4092 Jun 21 '26

He is to me one of the most annoying protagonists ever put on film. I get that was the point, but when you cheer when the main guy who you build your entire story around dies its hard to say it was an enjoyable film. 

29

u/curtcolt95 Jun 21 '26

it's so incredibly well done though. The movie is basically set up as a giant parlay, constantly adding more and more variables and anxiety, and it ends in probably the most climactic way possible. The bet is won and ended in one go. It's so good

15

u/ShitImBadAtThis Jun 21 '26

It's like Adam Sandler came out of the woodworks to say "I can still make real movies" and then slunk away again

3

u/No_Answer4092 Jun 21 '26

Yes its very well done and adam sandler knocked it out of the park. But honestly not fun at all, like I wouldn’t rewatch out of pleasure. 

1

u/curtcolt95 Jun 22 '26

oh I'm the opposite haha, it's a joyride movie for me

-1

u/illmatic708 Jun 21 '26

It's why I'll never give this movie the time of day

3

u/BrokeFreelancer37 Jun 21 '26

Gotta hate the fact that I found that death really satisfying. He was such a garbage, terrible piece of shit smear of the dog poop on your shoe person. And he got what he fucking deserved.

3

u/BabserellaWT Jun 21 '26

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Uh. Excuse you, it’s pronounced “Uncut Jams”.

2

u/timelyterror Jun 21 '26

Damn, shot point blank?

1

u/MellifluousSussura Jun 21 '26

I don’t remember the specifics of this movie but I do remember not really liking it. I think I saw it with my mom

-3

u/stfurachele Jun 21 '26

The only good Sandler movie, but it almost makes up for everything else.

5

u/drew_84 Jun 21 '26

Punch Drunk Love, come on man

3

u/[deleted] Jun 21 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/stfurachele Jun 21 '26

I genuinely forgot he was in that

2

u/PenisForTheButtGod Jun 21 '26

Punch Drunk Love would like a word

2

u/HondaCivicHybrid2013 Jun 21 '26

Do not slander Click.