The Most Satisfying Horror Movie Endings
Very often Horror Films can leave a bad taste in the mouth. A brilliant spine tingling thrill ride can come to a shuddering halt with a grim, open or just plain stupid ending. Sometimes the hero gets it right between the eyes (why Romero? WHY?!!), or the story ends in medias res, without any kind of closure. Or sometimes Frank Darabont has a really bad idea and ruins an almost perfect Stephen King adaptation (We’re glaring at you ‘The Mist’). But sometimes, just sometimes a horror film has an ending so satisfying and perfect that despite any horrifying images that preceded it, it leaves a smug, happy smile on your face. Let’s check out a few now ;
NOTE : Given the nature of this post, there are endless spoilers ahead for anyone who has not seen the film’s mentioned.
You’re Next (2013)
It’s an open secret that the TheHorroronline wants to have You’re Next’s beautiful little Mumblegore babies. It is a fantastic film that heralded a new edgier era for the Horror genre and challenged all other Horror film’s to up their game. One of the most satisfying elements of You’re Next is it’s wonderful, transcendent heroine Erin. Hers is a journey that is worth rooting for, she ass kicks her way through the film, whooping butt and taking names. By the film’s conclusion we want nothing more then for her to survive and in the final moments after she has dispatched her final foe it’s seems that she will in fact survive and be triumphant. Then BOOM a cop with the wrong end of the stick shoots her. “NOOOOOO”, I inwardly cried ‘It’s Night Of The Living Dead’ all over again’, ‘It’s the cruel fake out ending!’ But then she pulls herself up and we see that she was not fatally wounded. THANK YOU You’re Next, thank you. We’re not worthy!
Poltergeist (1982)
The Iconic Poltergeist gave us a family worth rooting for in the Freeling’s. The film took the time to develop the family dynamic and explore the genuine love that they felt for each other. By the it’s terrifying conclusion we too had travelled to hell and back with the Freeling’s and we just wanted these nefarious entities to leave them alone . So when the film concluded with each member of the Freeling clan exhausted but intact making it to a hotel room (after booting out the T.V) it was a satisfying relief.
Scream (1996)
By the time we had reached the final act of the genre defining Scream, we knew that we were watching a self aware homage to slasher’s of the past. And so it was a clear possibility that we could be about to get the ‘Michael Myers’ ending – where the killer has somehow survived and has now gone POOF, free to torment another day. So it was deeply satisfying to watch Sidney shoot the killer square between the eyes and proclaim “Not in my movie!” declaring that this is one horror film where the killer doesn’t get the last laugh.
The Craft (1996)
After a stellar supernatural showdown between Nancy and Sarah where Sarah defeats her, Sarah is visited by her ex-friends/Coven sisters Bonnie and Rochelle. The girl’s give Sarah an unconvincing apology for the whole ‘trying to kill her’ thing and reveal that they are now powerless. When Sarah dismisses them Rochelle comments bitchily that Sarah probably has no powers anymore. In response Sarah darkens the sky and lops off a tree branch with her mind, that almost crushes the girls. She then utters the fantastic line “Careful, you don’t want to end up like Nancy.” We then see that crazy Queen bitch Nancy has ended up in a mental institution. Yay! Karma’s a bitch, bitches! Comeuppance for all!
28 Days Later (2001)
Danny Boyle’s raw and visceral Zombie offering gave the undead the terrifying revamp they needed. By it’s conclusion our hero Jim and his companions Selena and Hannah had survived endless horror and trauma and their story is book ended by showing them having taken refuge in a remote cabin. With a hand sewn sign they then catch the attention of a helicopter and hurrah, they’re all saved! Yay!
Vacancy (2007)
This was admittedly a sub par Horror-lite film with a fantastic, not very well delivered on concept. Sluggish pacing and much water treading dragged the great central concept (snuff film hotel) down but all was redeemed with a satisfying ending. The killers of the piece never truly emitted terrifying menace and so it was deeply satisfying to discover that they not had managed to kill David after all and to watch Amy knock them all off in quick succession. Because if these lackluster bad guys had prevailed it would have been very hard to swallow, considering how rubbish they were.
Alien (1979)
Jonesy the cat lived to meow another day and Ripley got to shoot an alien into space! I can’t imagine why I would need to elaborate on why this ending was EPIC! The cat LIVED, YAY!!! I leave you with Jonesy being totally chill and proving that taking on aliens ain’t no thing ;
Agree? Disagree? Let the Horroronline know in the comments!
Hard to say with Alien, since you know there’s going to be a sequel. I’d say The Collection has a pretty good ending with one of his victims getting his revenge.
Its funny you mention The Collection because it was almost on the list because it was a satisfying, resolved ending but I took it off because I disliked the direction of the whole film compared to the first and I find it hard to speak positively of it, as it was so disappointing!
I can’t argue with that, but there was just something pleasing about the ending. The rest almost built up to that point.
You are right, I really never thought that they would give it such a resolved ending and it was the best part of film, it should really be on the list.
Oh man, this is useful. You should do more posts like this! In a lot of ways this is more important in horror than any other genre, except mystery of course, because it’s so much about building suspense.
Glad you found it helpful! Yes I realised that a lot of recent posts were focusing negatively on bad horror films and I am going to try to focus on positive elements of good horror movies for a while, so there will be more like this 😀
Good list. What did you think about the end of ‘The Mist’?
Honestly I didn’t like it, strangely on my first viewing I thought I did but after a second watch I realised that though it was a gut punching twist it just seemed to over shadow and cheapen all that had come before. Also because in breaking it down in terms of character, it just didn’t make sense – this character who had fought so hard to save his son reaches his breaking point when he runs out of gas? It felt tacked on for shock effect and then when you hear Frank Darabont discuss it, you realise that really was the idea behind it, considering it wasn’t in the source novel. What did you think of it?
I liked it, but I’m twisted haha xD
Most people hate it and I totally get that, but I love a crushing end. I’ll never forget it 😀
That was why I liked it initially until I over thought it, I really shouldn’t have over thought it! :p
Using my brain only ruins my movie experiences, especially most horror films haha 😀
Same here lol 😀
I’ve a lot to put here 😀 …The Descent (original ending), [REC], The Fly, Aliens, Let the Right One In, etc.
Great additions! I agree about the UK Descent ending, I didn’t list it though because I can’t forgive them for the US ending..
The US ending destroyed the film in favour of a sequel. Original ending makes possible so many other outcomes …like if the creatures even existed in the first place! It’s hinted at the beginning in the hospital scene that the creatures are Sarah’s imagination! I love this movie… 21st century’s finest horror after [REC], in my opinion.
Exactly! Well said! That is why the UK ending added so much more and made it more then just a horror film, its such a shame that they traded it all in for a disappointing sequel. REC is a fantastic film, shame about the American remake, another bad (money inspired) decision..
I may be of the few fans of the original King novella who actually thought the ending of the film adaptation trumped the original source material.
As for the ending for 28 Days Later I agree with was good, but I think one of the planned ideas to have a bleaker ending probably would’ve made me even more giddy.
One of the bleak endings had the fighter pilot turning to make another pass, but not to confirm survivors. It was to bomb the survivors to make sure quarantine was secure and infection eliminated. It would’ve been very Romero of Boyle if he went that route.
Nice list here again as always!
Thank you! Thanks for reading 😀
I would have added The Mist to this list as an intellectually satisfying ending, not for the characters, but for the viewers that already know how 99.9% of horror films are going to end. It was a shocker.
The Thing (1982), what a cool way to end such a downbeat movie. I mean, how else would something like that really end? In a modern film they would manufacture a positive outcome (like the US cut of The Descent), but really from midway through you just know those poor guys are doomed.
Well said, A good addition to the list! The Thing did have a very fitting ending, bleak but in tone with the film. Thanks for reading.