5 Horror Movies With Amazing Endings!!!
A few months back I wrote a piece that highlighted 5 horror films and the horrible endings that the filmmakers chose for them. But now it’s October and I’m in the mood for love, especially when it comes to my favorite genre, so it’s time to turn the tables and talk about the films that really hit it out of the park with their endings.
When it comes to endings, sometimes you’ve got to take the advice of Jesus (as played by Jerry Cantrell in Jerry Maguire) and hang your balls out there to be great. So while all of these endings are awesome, most of them aren’t exactly happy. It’s not that I’m against happy endings, but often they clash so harshly with the film’s overall tone and theme that you just know they’re tacked on compromises.
Head inside to check it out. And let me know YOUR favorite horror endings in the comments!
AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON
You’ll notice that I talk about this film a lot. It’s one of my all time favorite movies (out of any genre) and I never run out of love for it and its adventurousness. Not only did it break all of the rules at the time, it turned out brilliantly. Entertaining, gory, funny, scary, erotic and tragic. The film ends with Jenny Agutter professing her love to David Naughton, whom is currently in werewolf form. You get a slight glimpse of recognition in the beast’s eyes before he lunges at her and is gunned down by the London police. Dead, his corpse reverts back to his human form. Then the film slams into Bobby Vinton’s “Blue Moon” for the end credits. It’s one of the most satisfyingly jarring tonal shifts in horror’s history, one that immediately cements itself in your brain.
THE THING
By the time The Thing is winding down we’ve been through so much that we’re almost as exhausted as Keith David’s Childs and Kurt Russell’s MacReady when they settle into the impending storm. Ennio Morricone’s relentless score and the film’s preceding events have planted the inevitable so firmly in our heads that there’s not even a kernel of hope left. Childs asks MacReady, “what do we do now?” And MacReady replies, “Why don’t we just wait here for a little while… see what happens.” But they both know they’re done. And so do we. Regardless of whether or not one of them is infected.
SLEEPAWAY CAMP
Let it be known that Sleepaway Camp predates The Crying Game by nine years or so. If it had been released in 1992 instead of 1983, it too might have been nominated for 6 Academy Awards.
THE MIST
You knew this was going to be on here. It deserves it. You can’t have your main protagonist kill his own son mere seconds before salvation arrives and escape placement on lists like these. Some of the film’s less than stellar CGI work (which blends much better in the Black & White version) is the result of director Frank Darabont’s refusal to compromise on this front. He had the chance to make the film at around twice the budget on the condition that he changed the ending. He refused and thus remains a hero to this day.
HALLOWEEN
Another Carpenter. Predictable, I know. But when Dr. Loomis looks down at the lawn below to see that Michael Myers has disappeared, it cements Myers as unstoppable evil incarnate in a simple, elegant and terrifying manner. Even more impressive? It tees up the sequel in a way that’s organic. It doesn’t feel like a cheat, it’s just a chillingly effective promise of “more”. Too bad no subsequent film (or remake) in the franchise came close to matching moments like these.
What are some of your favorite endings?
1 Comments
Yes, Halloween! I love you for that.
I’d have to say one of my favorite horror movie endings is Jeepers Creepers. It’s just so chilling. Great list, by the way.
Night of the living dead ’68 should be on this list.. the ending is still a shocker.
First I gotta say that Halloween 2 actually fits with the first one quite nicely and is pretty much a perfect sequel. The next director even managed to keep the same look and feel of the first film which is impressive.
Second, the ending to the Mist was complete garbage and the cheapest ploy to kick the audience I’ve ever seen. It wasn’t clever or brilliant, it was just pathetic in pretty much every way. If the military had been seconds away pretty sure you’d hear the huge tanks…flamethrowers…anything? Now if they had the same ending and it stopped with him with his hands on the car and something just grabbed him that would be cool. Or even if it cut to black with the sounds of the creatures coming for him that would have been cool too. But to have him go through all of that, shoot his son in the face, just to have the cheapest twist ever ruined that film.
You have have a point. But do you recall that as the truck drives by, the original lady that left the store on her own to go get her kids was on board. And she offered for other to see her home. It adds to a nip in the butt that there was also another chance at the start.
If I remember correctly he did hear the military tanks coming but he thought they were more monsters creeping in the mist.
I like your ranting about the ending of The Mist, but disagree with you totally. One of the best endings EVER in a movie. It’s not about being able to hear the military vehicles, it’s just that the fact they all believed that it was the end and when he is waiting to be taken by the creatures that salvation comes. Kicked straight to the balls! Brilliant!
Decent list, but I’ll never understand why anyone actually liked the ending to The Mist. I think maybe people like that crap ending because it felt “different”. They should have stayed loyal to the book’s ending. The Mist was a great movie, until the ending. Killed the movie for me. Repeat viewing is impossible. An ending I liked was Fallen. Seriously a great ending.
I haven’t read the story of “The Mist” but loved the crap out of that movie. I’ve heard a few not like it because it’s horribly depressing. And that’s why I loved it. I did hear of what the ending of the original story was and if it is true, that they drive off into the distance, I’m so damn glad that that wasn’t the actual ending of the movie. I hate those “make up your own ending” movies. I can see some movies have some bits end on a similar note, but for me with this story it would feel unfinished.
Stephen King once said that had he thought of that particular ending for The Mist, it’s what he would have put in his story.
Heard Darabont say that in an interview.
I can totally get how people trash on The Mist’s ending, but I honestly liked it with all my heart. I didn’t see it coming. And I didn’t feel cheated either.
Agree with others, ending in story fit perfectly for The Mist. Movie, not so much.
I love the ending for the Mist! It’s really dark and very sad! It really strikes a raw nerve. One of my favorite endings is Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1978! That ending is real tingler down your spine.
I think my eyebrows hit the ceiling when I first saw that hahahahahaha, real scary
Invasion? Yep. It’s one of the very few endings that actually has an affect on me that makes me still crap my pants..haha..
I actually dug The Mist.. and the ending always fit in with the whole, its hopeless thing. Then just when you think ALL hope is lost, blam. So its a very darkly comic ending.
Someone mentioned Fallen (great call).. I would also suggest Frank Henelotter’s “Basket Case 2″ great final scene.
The ending in SAW fucking kicked ass…When he got up in the middle of the room, I said out loud in the theater —You gotta be fucking kidding me—
I still love this ending. After so many bad sequels though the series is hard to look back on.
after seeing all the sequels, I like to pretend the first one is a stand alone film. haha. The others really find ways to complicate the original movie to such a degree that I have never seen before. Way too many you thought this person was wearing the mask but no it was this person and then this person took over and then that guy got killed by this guy and yadda yadda. It just never ends.
I gotta agree. The ending floored me! Good call K-Dogg.
Totally agree, th first Saw film had a shocking ending, so did 2 and 3 but part 1 took the prize.
Just wrote about how I thought the ending to The Mist was the best EVER, and then you write down Saw. Can’t believe I totally forgot that. Never saw that coming in a million years. My wife, who isn’t much for movies, and horror movies in general, watched it with me after I told her that she had to see it if just for the ending, loved it. Also, the same woman who went to see Cabin in the Woods with me because I wanted to see it bad and couldn’t find anyone to go with, and wound up loving it. In fact, watched it the following week later with a couple of friends on my wife’s request.
I’ve never enjoyed the Saw franchise. Don’t quite understand the appeal. The first film had an intriguing setup but ended up being a mediocre exercise with an unbelievably silly ending. And it only got immensely worse (and even more implausible) from there.
I can suspend my disbelief for a lot of things, but some films and series just ask too much and give back too little.
Saw was terrible! Couldn’t get past the horrible opening to love the ending. Imagine, you wake up in a tub, chained to a pipe, dead body in the middle of the room… how would you react? I would imagine it wouldn’t be as calm as the actor was.. #lame
The film was horrible and the acting sucked.
I would say the ending to Absentia was easily my favorite ending to any horror movie. If you haven’t seen it yet check it out on Netflix.
Silverfish….shudder…
As with a lot of horror movies, but you can always watch that one again and again.
David Cronenberg’s The Fly has one of the greatest endings I have seen. Geena Davis’ anguished reluctance to kill Jeff Goldblum after he transformed is incredibly powerful. He begs her to end his misery by holding the barrel of the shotgun to his head. There is that wonderfully explosive finale, a hallmark of early Cronenberg, and the movie just ends with her sobs. Amazing.
The Fly does have an incredible finale!
I personally like the ending in the Fly 2 better. That schmuck really got what he deserved and it was disgustingly beautiful…haha…It used to give me nightmares as a kid…
In ‘The Thing’ it’s obvious that childs is ‘The Thing’ because he’s wearing a different color jacket than from before. Plus MacReady offers him a drink as victory reward. The same way he did to his Chess Computer at the start.
maybe…
Never noticed that! I’ll have to rewatch it!
wow, you really pulled that one out of your ass me thinks….I have seen The Thing at least 50 to 60 times, never once thinking that.
like in the prequel explained and already confirmed by the original, by showing no further need of glasses at the Doc after transformation, the Thing can’t imitate metal. Childs still wearing an earring when he took the bottle at the end, so he’s still human.
the jacket change is a continuity error.
further explained in the game, which was developed in coop with Carpenter, Childs died freezing and MacReady survives being picked up by a rescue team, still being human.
Unless Childs Thing put in the earring after the transformation. By then it was getting really crafty.
I think they were both human though. If anyone was the Thing then I think Child’s probably more than Mac. He blew up the Blair thing and little pieces probably went everywhere. Who’s to say those little pieces that didn’t get burnt assimilated him?
Oh sheeeeeit, are you kidding? I’ve also seen The Thing at least 50 times, never looked at Childs’ jacket at the end. Probably because he had been missing for so long. Will watch again ASAP. Fuckin’ Childs’ “vodoo bullshit”, haha!
Death to Videodrome… Long live the new flesh.
Enough said.
You sir, are awesome. I’ll buy you lunch some day!
I think The Cabin in the Woods has probably the best ending of any film. Just because when the film first starts so cliched, you’d never predict an ending like that one! I was speechless in the cinema!
Also, I love the ending to Black Swan. It gives me chills every time (actually the whole last 20 minutes gives me chills!)
Cabin went out with a bang!
The most classic would have to be ‘Night of the Living Dead’ because it was the first film that I had seen where all characters die. No Happy ending.
That was great and it wasn’t even that all the character’s die. IT was the whole time how Ben and Cooper were arguing on Basement safety for most of the movie only for Cooper (who you hated through out the movie) to be right in the case of Ben who survived the night down there only to be shot after surviving! Ouch! That was painful.
You just can’t knock “The Mist”, it’s ballsy, it’s real genius. Out of all the right decisions Thomas whats his face makes, the one mistake he does make is perhaps the worst mistake anyone would make ever, oh the irony. But the evidence is right there as to why he makes such a monumental cockup. Pure pressure, trying to save lives, up against religious nutjobs, the fear of the unknown (big bugs!!), viewing his wifes corpse and plus the anxiety attack earlier on with the squid like creature, it all amounts to brain stress overload, going from optimistic hopeful to all out stress and despair. Dealing with such a range of raw human emotions is why “The Mist” ending is probably one of the very best.
Respectfully, but HIGHLY disagree.
Lot of great picks on here and by the BD community. One of my faves is The Night Flyer…where the guy thinks he’s chopping vampires, but actually slaughtering all of the humans with an axe! Brutal!
The Exorcist. The Father Karras ending was brill but one of my favorite moments in the history of cinema is when Regan is back to normal and she hesitates for a moment and then kisses Father Dyer on the cheek. AHHHH! I love that part so much idk why.
I loved the ending of Eden Lake. It was so sad and it filled me with dread. Def an amazingly effective ending
Nice choice. That was a wild,little movie.
Indeed
The Fly, Session 9, Saw, The Mist, Night Of The Living Dead. Those would probably be my five. Love ALL of those endings!
Session 9 was chilling
When I first saw the title of this article I was like “better have sleep away camp in there somewhere.”
The ending for Sleepaway Camp III is HILARIOUS.
The ending for Halloween 4 is also awesome, because it’s the perfect cliffhanger.
Definetly the best ending after the first Halloween.
‘Evil Dead 2′ – Ash fulfils the prophecy.
‘Return of the Living Dead’ – The U.S. government implements its containment process.
‘Let the Right One In’ – Eli saves the day and teams up with Oskar.
‘Cabin Fever’ – Because that was the hardest I laughed in a long time.
Cabin Fever was hilarious.
the movie was not a hit, but the ending was indeed very funny!
all these were good, but what about at the end of seven….whats in the box? whats in the box!?
Good call on Se7en. It was a heartwrenching ending. I was torn cause I wanted him to kill the dude, but then the dude won. Grrrrr
Great list except for The Mist. It ruined the movie and I’ll never watch it again. It’s sad because up until the last 5 minutes it’s at least a 9/10. It’s my least favorite ending ever because the rest of the movie is so damn good. It doesn’t fit with the rest of the movie and is clearly a “shock” ploy. Had Darabont stayed true to the original ending it would have become an instant classic.
If I had to pick a top 5 it would be: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), The Thing (1982), Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982), Night Of The Living Dead (1968), and Halloween (1978).
I would have liked the ending to The Mist better if the screen would have went to black as they realized there was no hope, then you just hear the shots. Did he shoot everyone? Did he just shoot randomly in anger? Was he shooting at the approaching monsters? That would have worked extremely well. Hell, I would have preferred a Thelma and Louise ending over what they did. It was memorable,,,, just for the wrong reason, in my opinion.
Season of the Witch is classic and it’s sad that it’s so underrated. The joke is on the children!
The ending to the original 1974 Texas Chain Saw Massacre is by far one of my favorites. Leatherface in the “pretty lady” mask doing the chainsaw dance at dawn is an amazing visual. It also leaves you thinking… “What the FUCK did I just watch? Are there people like this out there?” Brilliant.
Love how the chainsaw gets a piece of Sally’s hair as she gets in the truck. Heart pounding.
Ok list Evan, I also love the hellout of An american Werewolf in London! Also one of my all time favorite films of any genre! But I do understand and dislike the ending at the same time. Ive seen all these films except sleepaway camp for some strange reason. I concur about the mist, it was an ok film and it needs a better ending.
Lots of great endings out there…and I am a fan of how The Mist ended. It was jarring and shocking and unlike any ending I’d seen before, so I applaud it for that.
Growing up I was obsessed with the Nightmare on Elm St. series, and I always really liked the endings to Dream Warriors and Dream Master. The way they are giving the body a burial while the kids are battling in the dream world was very cool. Loved how all the souls ripped Freddy apart in Dream Master too…the highlight of the movie.
Dream warriors definetly.
Prince of Darkness. Lisa Blunt in the mirror world, the truth of the dreams, a rocking mustache,and one of my favorite carpenter scores
@EvanDickson
and what of the movie Fallen? I feel like a broken record mentioning it on your lists time and time again, but it deserves to be mentioned among all the greats.
Also, how about The Descent (original ending of course) or The Ring? Both unhappy, and both incredibly memorable.
Fallen has one of the all time BEST endings. The ending comes full circle with the beginning. Loved it. I wont spoil it for anyone, but if you haven’t seen it yet YOU SHOULD WATCH IT.
@Evan3 I’ll include FALLEN in something I’m sure! Disagree about DESCENT ending, even though I LOVE the DESCENT!
List is on point. Surprised that “Scream 2″ made your worst of list but “Scream” didn’t make this list. Also”Psycho” has an amazing ending, cliche but true. To name a few more, “Inside” “Audition” final line “From Dusk till Dawn”. Best on the list is “Sleepaway Camp” maybe the most shocking ending ever.
Always thought the ending of “American Werewolf in London felt a little rushed but the film is brilliant and the ending of “Final Destination 5″ is the best ending of the series.
Don’t know why people shit on “The Mist”. Horror films should have endings like this.
To me (and I’m guessing many others) the ending to The Mist seemed like it was done just for shock value. It felt untrue to the story. Shock value is all fine and dandy in horror, but it MUST fit with the story and characters. Just my take on it anyway. I blame “the troubles” for the events that occurred in The Mist (forgive the Haven reference).
I think “The Mist” needed that hard ending. He would rather had killed those people instead of letting a ferocious monster eat them alive. Someone said he would have heard the military coming and what I rememeber, he did hear them and thought they were more monsters in the mist.Everybody’s got their opinion!
Forgot “The Brood” had a bold,raw ending.
Almost any Cronenberg should be on this one, but The Brood hits hard. Good choice!
I think The Silence of the Lambs deserves some recognition. Great movie and ending.
“I’m going to have an old friend for dinner.”
For me in no chronological order;
Saw
Martyrs
Audition
The Midnight Meat Train
Lo
And one extra, Oldboy
I can confirm Saw, Midnight Meat Train and Oldboy
But, Martyrs is one of the most overly hyped films
It’s story is original (even though I personally find it not entertaining) but the transfer into film is really boring and not even scary.
Lo was most definitely a strange ending. I can honestly say I never saw that coming…
Love all choices! Besides your choices, I include:
Favorite crazy horror endings:
- Saw
- [rec]
- Sleep Tight (same director as rec)
- I spit on your grave
- Home Movie (my favorite found footage movie)
- Frozen
- The Brood
- The Blair witch Project
- Buried
- Friday the 13th (original)
- Pet Sematary
Great lists from everyone. Ill try not to repeat what already been listed and this is gonna be tough because alot of my faves have already been mentioned. So, in no particular order heres a few more for consideration. Grandpa’s final line from The Lost Boys, showing some italian love with Deep Red, The Beyond and Tenebrae and the last line of Canibal Holocaust, regardless of your opinion of the film, does sum it up nicely. Also like Versus and Psycho 2′s ending. I think Psycho 2 is very underated.
Good call on Psycho 2.
Versus’ ending was great. I loved the role reversal. It, also, brought about a lot of discussion with friends about the balance of good and evil in the universe. There always has to be that balance, the two always have to exist.
Bump J.C. Deep Red, the Beyond, and Cannibal are all very good endings. I liked the ending and the whole movie Opera. The House with Laughing Windows was also a fantastic ending as well as NY Ripper. I love Castle of Death/Devil’s nightmare ending! Italians have some amazing films were they can really give you the WTF ending..
Bobby Vintons version of blue moon played over the beginning credits. The Marcels do the one at the end credits in AMERICAN WEREWOLF! My fav film ever.
Saw – Adam’s scream is still stuck in my head.
The Ring – When the little boy’s like “You let her out?!?”
Carpenter’s The Fog
Oh and Dead Silence! That one I didn’t see coming!
Yup, Dead Silence… total surprise for me as well.
In The Mouth Of Madness & Pet Sematary! As for the Mist ending, I see why Darabont chose to end it that way, but I still would’ve preferred the ending from the novella.
+1 for “In the mouth of madness”!
Indeed, I remember watching it when it first came out. I have been reading Lovecraft since I was a little kid, and a movie using elements from his work immediately grabbed my attention. I really like the movie, even if some of my friends don’t.
In the Mouth of Madness was a truly mind f*** movie. The ending was beyond brilliant. It also contains one of my favorite lines in movies “Reality is only what the majority says it is. Sane and insane could easily switch places and you would find yourself locked up in a padded cell wondering what happened to the world.”
All are good examples but my favorites are The Blair Witch Project and The Sixth Sense!
Sixth Sense Whoop Whoop!
My favorite endings so far are:
-Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)(i was screaming along with Sally, i felt this big gush of relief)
-[REC] and [REC]2 (them shockers yo)
-Blair Witch Project (that witch story told by one of the townspeople near the beginning of the film stuck to me till the end)
-Paranormal Activity (haters gonna hate, but i remember those sleepless nights)
I find it hard to think of horror movies where the ending wasn’t already spoiled for me before I went in. Halloween is one of my favourite though (movies and endings). Reading it further up on the list I remember how good the ending From Dusk Till Dawn has. So good!
I liked the ending to Eden Lake, horrifying when the Kelly Reilly realises whats about to happen at the end.
First off, I enjoyed reading this list and all of the comments. I apologize if this has already been mentioned but all this talk about the mist is precisely why the ending was so great. Love it or hate it, It’s one of those movies that lingers around in your brain for long after you watch it.
I was a big fan of the ending to Pans Labyrinth and imo The Lost Boys, although not the most original ending, had one of the best closing lines. “One thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach, all the damn vampires.” Lol
Ok, this is not a movie of the same caliber as most of those listed, but I dug the ending of Trick or Treat, when the Halloween creature lets the old man live, then he opens the door to find the undead children and it hit me, “HE’S THE FRIGGIN’ BUS DRIVER!” Loved it!
I have to weigh in on The Mist debate. It was one of the King stories that I don’t recall reading, so the movie is what I know. The movie ending was heartwrenching and upsetting, but awesome. It is thought provoking and intense. I can’t imagine the book being better. I am so glad that it was on this list.
my top 5 in no particular order are
the mist
the thing (john carpenter version)
evil dead 2
switchblade romance
candyman
Good choices. heres mine in nor order
Devils Rejects
Saw
Ginger Snaps 2
Secret Window
May
Interview With The Vampire
The Shining
I totally agree with sleepaway camp!!! i was totally schocked when i saw the ending! the 6th sence also and i also liked how epps sees ferryman entering another cruise ship in ghost ship!(i know many hate the movie but its one of my favorite) the original terror train had a nice teisting ending as well!
Great call on Sleepaway Camp, but I would’ve definitely had the first SAW, OldBoy, Audition, Silence of the Lambs (would’ve LOVED to have seen Dr. Lector slowly eat Dr.Chilton at the end of the credits, but seeing him casually stroll down a crowded Caribbean road in pursuit of him is equally chilling) and 28 Days Later.
No particular order.
So has everyone forgotten HENRY:Portrait of a Serial Killer’s ending? My jaw hit the floor and stayed there through the end credits.
Damn straight!
All of these movies have powerful endings, but there is one movie that HAS to be on this list.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Yes, it’s an old film, but it’s the creator of the twist ending. Without it, we may not have ANY of these movies with surprise endings. When I watched it, the ending caught me totally by surprise. It’s still a great movie to this day. Anyone who hasn’t seen it, see it! It’s on netflix streaming, so you don’t even need to track a copy down.
Oh yeah I forgot about Martyrs!!! I quite like comedy endings – Like Drag me to hell hahahahahahaha, Piranha ’10 ahahahahaha, oh there’s probably a load more
The ending of Martin. Blew my mind the first time I saw it.
My personal list
1. High tension
2. midnight meat train
3. saw (the first one)
4. Cabin in the woods
5. Jason Goes to hell (will be crucified but seeing Freddy’s glove grab the mask was awesome)
I forgot to mention Lost Highway! What an ending that had that was very unexpected and simply not forgettable!
Um . . .
“BOOOOOYYYYY!”
Yeah.
In the vein of Psycho: Carrie.
Saw is definitely one of my fave endings, just because I shoulda seen it coming, and was totally distracted with everything else that was going on.
The mist ending really did you read the story?Utter trash
Can’t believe I read this entire thread and didn’t see a Phantasm reference until Coughin-Joe^^^. Gotta be on this list. Tall Man in the mirror…thank u sir.
Great comments leaving me searching my brain for something other than 1974 TCM & The Fly…
As dangerzone79 so eloquently put it, Leatherface’s “dance at dawn” would have looked marvelous in the top 5 screenshots.
don’t forget the crazy ending from mullholland drive
a l’interieur was great too
Whenever someone claims the end of The Mist was great and dark and depressing, I feel like they’ve missed the big picture and the reason why that ending fails: it is only dark and upsetting on a personal level. The more ambiguous end of the book is far more troubling. In the movie, you see that the military is still kicking ass. They have people there whom they’ve saved. It insinuates that this whole mist thing would’ve just blown over if they’d headed on down to the Winchester for a pint. Order will be restored, the good guys win. It sucks to be Thom Jane, but for everyone else, it’s a blessing. In the book, however, you never see those military trucks. No one is saved. They head off into the mist and you’re not sure if the mist ever ends. The implication is that it just goes on and on, that that’s it for us. There are no good guys coming to the rescue, civilization is gone. All that’s left is the endless mist where no one will be safe ever again. It’s far darker and more nihilistic than the gotcha ending of the movie, which is really only sucky on a personal level for Thom Jane.
-The orphanage!! really great movie, really great end
-Dream Home, kind of a funny ending for a cruel film
-Dead silence had a great end but was an awful movie
-the ending of the first saw, i was speechless
-A serbian film, really disturbing end, triple suicide, the movie is a great shocker but not that great in overall.
-Absentia was the most boring movie i saw, it dont even make sens
Agree on “In the Mouth of Madness”, “The Orphanage”, and “Mulholland Dr.”. God that was a terrifying ending. I would add “Pan’s Labyrinth”. Glorious and tragic, just perfect. What about “Carrie”? Don’t see that one being mentioned. That was a very effective ending. Still gives me the chills.
Just remembered this one, “Satans Little Helper”. Just, w0_ow… I don’t drink the fruit punch at any parties anymore, lol…
If Frank Darabont could have doubled the budget for The Mist by doing so, he should have ditched the ending. It really wasn’t that great.
Halloween, on the other hand, I wholeheartedly agree with. Like everything else about the film, the ending is perfect. It sets up the menace that is The Shape to continue forever. From the moment those credits rolled, Michael Meyers was permanently etched into the public consciousness. Even though he wasn’t the first masked killer around, he is the most iconic and singular horror villain in my mind. And that ending had a lot to do with it.
Halloween, Scream, (rec) and (rec) 2, Silent Hill (i love the barbwire massacre of the church congregation, then when they can’t get out of Silent Hill, i’m left with a melancholy feeling)
Ooooh, I have to chime in, just cause my avatar is from sleepaway camp! I also give props to Friday part uno, which messed my 12 year old brain for life. Uhm, the Sixth Sense probably is outside the horror boundaries, but the ending gave me a big giant mind fuck.
Great list, but I’d like to include a couple of my favorites:
I think “Se7en” has one of the most disturbing and gut-punching endings in film history, one that left me sitting with my mouth just…hanging there. I also really liked the ending of “Killer Joe,” which was another, “what the fuck did I just witness?” response. I don’t know if that one would really qualify with horror, but a bunch of low life’s involved in a murder plot, Kentucky Fellatio Chicken, and not being shy about pedophilia qualify as “horror” to this viewer. I would also include “Psycho,” Hooper’s original “TCM,” “The Decent” (c’mon, she’s finally found freedom…oh, wait, nevermind), “Funny Games” (rewind button, anyone?) and the microbudget indie flick, “Entrance.”
“Angel Heart” – I know who I am!
I think my favorite horror movie ending would have to be that of Candyman, hands down. It was scary and it made you want to just jump up and say “HELL YEAH FUCKER!!!”
“henry: portrait of a serial killer” and “night of the living dead” are my personal favorites. they leave you with a sense of dread, sticking to your mind like gorilla glue. some other endings that come to mind: “rosemary’s baby”, “spoorloos (the vanishing)”, “the descent”, and “the omen”. the ending of a good horror flick should be the flip side of the coin to a blooper/gag reel at the end of a comedy.
Great ending was the F13th original, the mom! WIN!