Nowadays horror movies tend to struggle when it comes to granting audiences a satisfying conclusion. Afraid that movie-goers will leave the theatre disappointed if they’re not shocked or surprised up until the very last moment, modern horror flicks tend to force the same ending upon audiences over and over again. You know how it goes: after the terrifying events that took up two hours of your time, the characters have seemingly made it out alive. Oh, wait. Just seconds before the credits roll, the monster or ghost or threat or whatever was plaguing them is back, presumably putting them through the paces all over again or just killing them off for lack of a better idea.
It’s tired, it’s dull, and it compromises the movie that came before it. Why did we watch these characters struggling if they’re just doomed anyway? Sometimes it works, sure, but mostly it’s just a lazy way to tie up a story – audiences think they’re shocked and amused by these sudden moments, but it ultimately just reduces the impact of the film. Especially if said character isn’t given a chance to even react and is cut off by the end credits and an extremely loud heavy metal song.
A truly great horror movie should take time with its ending and consider it as the most important part of the movie – and many horror movies have, of course. Here we’ve assembled 5 horror movies with absolutely brilliant endings, none of which employ that godawful “here we go again” mentality. Some of these endings are brutal, others are actually amusing, and a couple are just plain weird. However they end, these flicks prove that you can give your audience an ending that will stick with them… one that doesn’t just reduce its characters to nothing, but leaves you with something to think about.
Note: Though it probably goes without saying, major spoilers within for all the movies featured.