WARNING: There are spoilers to the endings for every film we talk about in this article.
So if you dont want to know an ending for a film, then dont read that entry.
Its probably best to start by talking about what this article isnt.
The endings that provoke in an interesting way, and haunt you for days afterwards.
He thought he was battling to fend off Skynets attack.
He just needs to get them safe before all hell breaks loose.
Its a pity thatTerminator: Salvationwouldnt pick up on this, as its melancholy ending invited further exploration.
The core idea feels very real for a start.
Because we must chase him, Gordon solemnly replies.
He didnt do anything wrong, protests his son.
Because hes the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now.
So, well hunt him, because he can take it.
Because hes not our hero.
Hes a silent guardian.
In a film not short of exploring moral darkness, its arguably the darkest passage of all.
Its tense, interesting, and hinged around a question: is Tim Robbins Oliver actually a terrorist?
Oliver, meanwhile, is the happy, warm neighbour.
Its an ending that lifts the film perfectly.
There have been suggestions in recent years that a remake of David CronenbergsVideodromemight be in the offing.
Cronenberg movies seldom end cheerily, andVideodromes no exception.
Long live the new flesh indeed.
By now, just about everyone must know what happens inSevens once shocking final reel.
I agree with the second part.
John CarpentersThe Thingis the very definition of chilling.
As Kurt Russells MacReady dryly puts it, Trusts a tough thing to come by these days… Their exchange of glances and terse dialogue in this final scene could be interpreted several ways.
Are they both still human?
Could they both have been assimilated by the Thing?
Either way, its certainly what wed call a haunting conclusion.
Although ostensibly a drama, Lynne RamsaysWe Need To Talk About Kevinis a nightmare from start to finish.
What did she do wrong as a parent?
The lack of a cosy resolution makes the films final scene all the more chilling.
To a degree, this is a happier ending than the one the film could have had.
The hope in his eyes would have been surrounded by doom.
Instead, in spite of the years that have passed, hes still sat there, hoping.
Yet thats arguably even more tragic.
Of course, theres another interpretation, that hes been found and things will get better.
But its the suddenness of the finale thats the killer here.
So we go up and down the stairs on the search for Josh, getting ever more panicked.
Just a brutal end to a creepy film.
Theories about said conclusion have abounded online ever since.
In fact, it less ends, more stops.
Its important to contextualise this though.
Das Bootexists in three different forms.
The original miniseries, the original movie cut, and the directors cut.
We dont buy that, though.
History tells that three quarters of German U-boat crews failed to survive.
What Petersens film demonstrates vividly through its ending, however, is the unfairness and sheer randomness of war.
It feels like a massive slug to the guts, and repeated viewings make it all the more haunting.
Its stuck with us ever since.
The usualspoiler warningsstill apply.
But its the ending thats proven to be utterly haunting.
One series of24ended with Kiefer Sutherlands Jack Bauer, the hard man hero throughout, breaking down in tears.
It cant hold a torch for the moments that Greengrass allows us at the end of his film though.
This wasnt the original ending of the film in fact, a different one was shot.
But even now,Night Of The Livingdeads abrupt ending still has the power to shock.
Had he hung on just a little longer, they could have all survived.
As Stephen King once said, Its frightening.
But people who go to see a horror movie dont necessarily want to be sent out with aPollyannaending.
Hes right.Pollyannathis is not.
We talked about this film just the other week when we looked at the underappreciated movies of 2008.
What the film does is frame loss, devastation and tragedy incredibly well.
When its, say, 100 people, theres a lump in the throat.
Thats when the power of loss, for outsiders at least, hits the hardest.
The final shot, as the film pulls back, practically etches itself onto your eyelids.
Several films telling stories of wartime atrocities Schindlers Listbeing a prime example have similar power.
Hermans film remains absolutely devastating, however.
And that ending is a significant reason why.
Even after multiple viewings, it still has a raw, disturbing impact.
An ending so powerful, its marketing department couldnt resist putting it on the poster.
Distraught, Taylor drops to his knees and delivers a now famous closing rant: You maniacs!
You blew it up!
Ah, damn you!
God damn you all to hell!
The ending was the idea of co-screenwriter Rod Serling, and differs substantially from Boulles book.
Guillermo del Toros fantasy masterpiece is about the fragility of the innocent in the face of war.
As much a jet-black comedy as a horror film,The Wicker Manbuilds irresistibly to a grim conclusion.
Director Robin Hardys concluding scene proves that you dont need gore or explicit violence to curdle an audiences blood.
Sadness permeates every frame of the movie, but theres a melancholy sense of beauty, too.
Its a haunting film from beginning to end.
Saskia is abducted, and Rex begins a years-long quest to find out what happened.
But how far would Rex go?
Thats the question he faces when the man responsible for Saskias disappearance decides to get in touch.
In fact, itd be little surprise if the ending toThe Vanishingresulted in bona fide nightmares.
Thats just what happens here.
