Inception finished with the cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers when Cobb (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) moved to use Mal’s totem, a spinning top, to determine whether he was back in reality or still stuck levels down in a dream.
Leaving the ending open to interpretation, Director Christopher Nolan had the main character walk away before it was clear whether or not the totem would topple, then cutting to black just after it began to wobble.
Now, a Reddit user has come up with a huge clue which looks to confirm the last scene was, in fact, reality.
“The debate between people regarding the ending of Inception, was it real or not can be ended by looking at the wedding ring Cobb’s wearing,” EndlessEdvoid posted.
“In the real world he has no ring whereas the ring is present in the dreams. In the final scene he has no ring so the ‘happy ending’ is reality.”
The Reddit user also attached a series of screengrabs from Inception, some of which, taken from scenes which are known to be dream sequences, showed him wearing a gold wedding band.
The others, from the scenes set in reality, showed his finger bare.
In addition, Michael Caine previously let slip that Nolan had told him categorically that the end of Inception was reality.
READ MORE: INCEPTION ENDING EXPLAINED – MICHAEL CAINE REVEALS BIG SECRET
Speaking at a screening last year, according to The Independent, he told the crowd: “When I got the script of Inception, I was a bit puzzled by it and I said to him ‘I don’t understand where the dream is’.
“I said, ‘When is it the dream and when is it reality?’ He said, ‘Well when you’re in the scene it’s reality,’” the actor continued.
“So get that – if I’m in it, it’s reality. If I’m not in it, it’s a dream.”
By that logic, the final scene of Inception, when Cobb finds himself reunited with his children, is real and he has returned from the depths of the dream.
Speaking about the end to Wired, Nolan previously revealed the prop department ensured they made a top which would spin for a long time.
“The important thing is that Cobb’s not looking at the top,” he explained. “He doesn’t care.”
In 2015, during Princeton University’s graduation, Nolan said “all levels of reality are valid” and, according to People, told the crowd the last scene was open to personal interpretation.
Nolan made Inception nearly a decade ago with an impressive cast of A-listers.
While DiCaprio starred as the lead character, his co-conspirators included Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Cillian Murphy, Ken Watanabe and Marion Cotillard as Cobb’s wife Mal.
The movie won four Oscars: Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects.
It also earned Nolan nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.
In addition, Inception won big at the BAFTAs that year, taking home three awards from the nine nominations it received.