The Greatest Film Endings Of All Time

[Guest I Got Banned for Sucking]

The idea was brought to me when JMA mentioned a quote from The Usual Suspects in this thread.

 

I'd have to say that the ending of The Usual Suspects is one of the greatest endings of any film ever.

 

When the closing credits began rolling, I was in awe.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

Seven...because I didn't think Brad Pitt would pull the trigger...and the bad guy won.

 

Also...Sleepaway Camp...

[BlackFlagg 0]

Reservoir Dogs

 

The Wild Bunch

 

True Romance

[Guest MikeSC]

The idea was brought to me when JMA mentioned a quote from The Usual Suspects in this thread.

 

I'd have to say that the ending of The Usual Suspects is one of the greatest endings of any film ever.

 

When the closing credits began rolling, I was in awe.

Greatest ending of all time?

 

I've always preferred a slow dissolve into the credits.

 

But that's just me.

-=Mike

[Guest I Got Banned for Sucking]

Se7en did have a great ending... Mills didn't fuck around... He pulled the trigger, plain and simple.

 

The film is also deeper than that - it gives you a lot to think about after you've watched it.

 

The Godfather has a terrific ending.

 

"Don't ask me about my business, Kay."

 

Another film with such a great fucking ending is The Shawshank Redemption - I wept.

 

A ***** film all up.

 

All ***** films.

[Ravenbomb 0]

two recent movies I've watched, Seconds and The Wicker Man, had GREAT endings. The Wicker Man especially so. When they got onto the hill and they finally showed the Wicker Man, and Howie started freaking out, one of the best moments in a movie I've seen in a good while. Also, despite the fact that even people who HAVEN'T seen it know what happens, I'mma go with Casablanca

[Tully316 0]

Identity

Memento

American Beauty

 

 

all future classics!!

[Guest Choken One]

a better question would be

 

"Worst ending to a classic"...

[cabbageboy 0]

Worst ending to a classic is Woman in the Window I think. One of those "guy wakes up and it's all a dream" kind of endings.

 

Another would be Night of the Hunter. I love Mitchum in that movie, love most of the movie, but the ending with Lillian Gish rambling at the camera always struck me really lame.

[razazteca 0]

Runaway Jury had a good swerve ending as you learned why the John Cusak character wanted to be on the jury so badly.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

Casablanca has the best ending ever.

[notJames 0]

Best ending ever: The Last American Virgin.

 

The nice guy never gets the girl. 'Nuff said.

[Vyce 0]

Another film with such a great fucking ending is The Shawshank Redemption - I wept.

 

A ***** film all up.

 

All ***** films.

I've seen that film probably close to two dozen times now, and it never gets old. By now I can actually say Morgan Freeman's lines at the end, using my ever trusty Morgan Freeman impression.

 

Just a great, great movie. It's the one movie where I can set aside my distaste of Tim Robbins. How this didn't win a billion Academy Awards I'll never know.

 

Another good ending - Todd Browning's Freaks. Those carnie folk don't like being fucked with.

[Guest I Got Banned for Sucking]

The Shawshank Redemption was nominated for 7 Academy Awards, I believe.

 

Excuse me while I check my DVD case.

 

...

 

(Also relinquished Tony Hawk's Underground from the clutches of the Sony Playstation 2).

 

Indeed, 7 it was. I also checked the DVD case for Forrest Gump, and it received 6 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

 

It was a great film, but The Shawshank Redemption was more superior, in my opinion.

[Guest Mosaicv2]

I will always love the endin of Evil Dead II... when he kills that flyin monster... & all the knights hail him as the new savior... he just standin in awe screamin "no" over & over again ... favorite stuff ever

[CanadianChris 0]

a better question would be

 

"Worst ending to a classic"...

A.I.

[Guest Askewniverse]

a better question would be

 

"Worst ending to a classic"...

It might not be a classic, but I didn't like the ending to Minority Report. I liked what seemed to be the ending, but then the movie went on for another thirty minutes.

[CanadianChris 0]

a better question would be

 

"Worst ending to a classic"...

It might not be a classic, but I didn't like the ending to Minority Report. I liked what seemed to be the ending, but then the movie went on for another thirty minutes.

Spielberg's directed some great movies, but he needs to figure out how to end them properly.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

It might not be a classic, but I didn't like the ending to Minority Report. I liked what seemed to be the ending, but then the movie went on for another thirty minutes.

 

It is somewhat left in the air whether everything that happens after Anderton is placed in stasis is a dream or not. It is certainly much debated. Much like the ending to Total Recall, except in that case everything after the first 10 minutes would be a dream.

 

As for the topic at hand, three movies immediately come to mind that have not been already mentioned here.

 

Bonnie & Clyde

Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid

Unforgiven

 

All three had extremely powerful endings. I also have a lot of love for the ending to Raiders of the Lost Ark. Everything from the opening of the Ark to the final scene in the military warehouse with thousands of similar boxes is awesome stuff. One of the great things about the Indiana Jones movies is that he never gets what he after at the end.

 

The classic with the worse ending is Psycho. Everything that happens after Bates is caught is completely unnecessary. For those that have not seen it, it goes on for a further five minutes where a psychiatrist explains everything about why Norman did what he did. It is a complete waste of time and the movie ends really flat as a result. Rear Window had a really weak ending too.

[Nevermortal 0]

Scarface.

 

Death, death, and more death. It was the only way the movie could've ended. Tony was a piece of shit, and he got his by another piece of shit.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Heat.

 

One of the best endings to one of the most underrated movies of all time.

[Zack Malibu 0]

Seven...because I didn't think Brad Pitt would pull the trigger...and the bad guy won.

 

Also...Sleepaway Camp...

Amen to Sleepaway Camp. The ending alone makes that movie worth buying.

 

I also second Seven and The Usual Suspects, two other favorites of mine.

[Ravenbomb 0]

I'm surprised nobody's brought up the original Planet of the Apes yet. Also, the ending of the Wild Bunch was powerful stuff

[2GOLD 0]

I personally liked the ending to Event Horizon with the blonde snapping and the ship just basically once again preparing to kill the new morons.

 

Also, the ending of Platoon for the music alone.

[Guest Brian]

Arlington Road.

[BlackFlagg 0]

American History X

 

also like the ending to Phonebooth

[Guest Brian]

And the whole ending sequence to Field of Dreams, with the doctor, his dad, and the people showing up. I always shed a tear.

[Nevermortal 0]

Fight Club's ending.....them holding hands while the buildings explode. What an image.

[Rendclaw 0]

Even though I am going to probably get dogged for this, Return of the King was the proper way that you end an epic trilogy. Everything is tied up in the last 25-30 mins of the movie.

 

The ending to The Breakfast Club was good, too.

[bobobrazil1984 0]