Thrillers. Many people love them. And it's no wonder as to why, as they just have something that gets the blood going and the mind racing. Film is the perfect medium for a good thriller. Many of them are great, some are good, and many of them are not. There are quite a few things that make a good to great thriller, but what almost always sticks to the viewer is how it ends, because let's be honest, a lot of them don't end on a happy note, and they don't necessarily have to. But they do have to end well, with a closing that fits the story, characters, and themes, even if it may not be positive.
Now, it can be said that any movie should have a good ending of course, but in particular, it's quite important for thrillers because everything about them builds to the climax; the tension; the ending; the atmosphere, and the sometimes twisty plot, not just the premise or story. It's like being teased for close to two hours and then smacked in the face. No one would find it pleasant. And there are only so many thrillers that have genuinely great, and even rarer, perfect endings. So let us go through a list of some great thrillers and films that have the thriller element even if they share in another genre, that quite simply could not have ended better or more fittingly!
15 The Babadook (2014)
The Babadook is extremely unique because it's a bleak & powerful horror/thriller that actually ended on a positive and uplifting note. The trajectory of the story and the thematic direction it was heading in for sure convinced the audience that the ending would match the bleak tone of the rest of the film, and that we would be in tears by the time we get to it... but to a pleasant surprise, not only was the ending a hopeful and somewhat victorious one, but it was also justified.
It's uncommon for horror films, especially deep and serious ones like this, to not only have happy endings, but to earn them as well. When they do have them, it's tricky to pull off and usually comes out contrived or cheap. But this film earned its hope. It earns its right to a happy note, and the fact that it pulls it off smoothly and thoughtfully also, makes it a perfect ending.
14 Basic Instinct (1992)
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This cult classic wholeheartedly captures the breathless thriller spirit, and has a knockout ending to boot! It keeps you second-guessing twists, characters, motives, and plot points, nearly everything about the film is very well constructed and works in tandem to lead up to an expert final shot that simultaneously gives you the answer, is stylish in the classic thriller tradition, and is just plain awesome! A perfect shot to end this kind of film!
13 Saw & Saw II (2004 & 2005)
The reason we're including the original Saw film, and its sequel, in one entry, is quite simply because they're both equally awesome, shocking, creative, and disturbing in the best way possible! The legendary twist of the first film is one of the greatest in cinematic history, and its sequel's twist is considered by many to be of nearly equal quality.
Even if the inevitable sequels weren't made and the first two films would exist with their cliffhangers, they would still be the perfect way to end things because of how well they suit the plots. When your film can forever exist on a cliffhanger, you know you came up with a pitch-perfect ending!
12 No Country for Old Men (2007)
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No Country for Old Men's ending was hard to judge after the first watch because of how unconventional, abrupt, strange, and slightly incomplete it seemed. The psychopathic antagonist ended up living and getting away, and the decent, dutiful cop seemingly "gives up" and doesn't pursue him in the name of justice anymore... talk about anti-climactic. But after a while, and some necessary discussion and meditation on it, it really starts to hit you how great the ending was. Precisely because of its unconventionality, unexpectedness, abruptness, quiet, solemnity, meditation, and subtlety.
Because hey... that's life. Sometimes people give up their fight because of the sheer struggle of it. Sometimes people want to go out quietly than die bloody. Sometimes, a man who failed at his mission just wants to come home, sit down, talk, and reflect on things a bit. The way this film ended captured the sometimes pessimistic reality of life in such a bold way, that we can't recall any other film ever has.
11 The Prestige (2006)
The Prestige was quite a unique thriller, as you don't see many films that center on magicians and also veer a bit into sci-fi territory near the third act.
The tension throughout the story is subtle but palpable, the style and atmosphere are captivating; the themes deep and involving; the directing and acting top-notch, and the expected twist keeps you guessing - and they all build wonderfully and consistently to an ending that is thrilling, unique, hopeful, strange, intriguing, cool, dark, sad, thoughtful, meditative, and foreboding, pretty much all at the same time... and it takes a special talent to pull off an ending that invokes all of those things at once.
10 Identity (2003)
This cult classic, along with its ending specifically, has received a polarized response in its wake. Some critics thought the execution of the third act and the twist ending were genius, devious, and sinister. And others found somewhat of the opposite, that by the time the film built to its ending, the twist was already predictable and that when the end comes around, everything is given away and no one cares anymore, and many other opinions in between.
Just the way everything took such a turn after you think the movie will end somewhat positively... the seizure in the car, Timmy's sinister aura, Malcolm's disturbing reaction as he does what he does, and then the car stopping in the distance, with the poem hauntingly being spoken over the final moments. Just the entire execution of the ending was memorable and shocking, and whatever one can say about the rest of the film itself, the ending is what is stitched in our minds after all these years.
9 Phone Booth (2002)
Phone Booth perfectly captured the spirit of being a fast-paced, breathless thriller in the Hitchcock tradition. Sure, it has its flaws, but boy does it grab you by the throat once it gets started! And its ending is an absolute knockout. Cool, stylish, sinister, devious, and keeps you on the edge of your seat, even though you already know it's the end.
The twist of Kiefer Sutherland standing at the ambulance and talking to Stu is quite rare for a thriller if you think about it; to have the antagonist survive and seemingly have no other motive than to just make the main character "honest", and after succeeding in his mission, simply walking away to leave the protagonist alone in peace... talk about morally ambiguous. This guy was John Kramer before John Kramer! Then, him walking through the scene, past the phone booth, with the final shot moving in on the phone in a cool VFX close-up. This was a well-executed and tense end sequence that's still thrilling!
8 Children of Men (2006)
This is a film that's so amazing, breathtaking, deep, potent, intense, wonderful, captivating, and just so incredibly made that on a first watch, you truly develop an anxiety about the ending at some point. You have no idea how the filmmaker will end such a movie like Children of Men, on a desired hopeful note or a bleak one in keeping with its Dystopian nature... but as expected from one of the greatest filmmakers of our time, it ends up being a bit of both.
It is rather hopeful as we see the characters escape into seemingly safe waters, and a heartfelt scene on the boat where Theo helps the new mother comfort her baby before succumbing to his wounds, and then the arrival of the boat they've been waiting for to save humanity's last hope. The only thing is that we don't actually see if they make it on and if that hope ends up rewarding humankind.
So, it does end on a slightly ambiguous note with a hint of dystopian foreboding, but also ends with seeming hope, if the audience member chooses to believe so. If the person watching is an optimistic and hopeful person, they'll see the story ending that way. Open endings may not be everyone's cup of tea, but for a movie like this, where the world has lost so much hope and seemingly can only go further into a dark, unwinding abyss onto a bleak, chaotic, destruction, it kind of fits with the grim reality of the movie's nature. A peachy, in-your-face rainbow ending might cheapen a film with such complexity and substance. And to make the ending even hopeful at all, for a film with so much darkness, is rather a gift in itself.
7 The Butterfly Effect (2004)
The Butterfly Effect is one uniquely strange, wonderfully weird (or awfully weird movie, depending on the viewer) and no doubt, gritty, disturbing film and can require more than one viewing to fully grasp the plot... but no one can take away its surprisingly powerful, emotional, and bittersweet ending.
It's also interesting to think of when you're watching it for the first time because the whole story has a sense of "Where is this going?" and is very non-linear and again, with films bizarre and twisty like this, it can be very tricky to pull off a great ending. Once it comes around, it hits you (again, depending on the viewer) like a ton of bricks with its sweetness, sadness, melancholy, tenderness, and quiet emotional weight. This is one of those endings I don't think anyone can ever forget, regardless of whether they liked the rest of the film.
6 The Tall Man (2012)
This can be perceived as one of the most controversial additions to this list, as the ending (and the film for that matter) was highly polarizing. Some will be totally shocked (in a good way) that the film ended the way it did, adoring the suspenseful twist. Others will be appalled at the ending, shocked still, but totally off-put by the twist's message.
The ending is morally murky yes, but powerful, thought-provoking, somber, bittersweet, deep, conflicting, and heavy. And it can be all of these things in both good and bad ways, at the same time even... and that's how you know a film has an ending that, while not "perfect" in a traditional sense, but is truly special... and sometimes that's even better.
5 Hard Candy (2005)
Let us start by saying we find Hard Candy to be one of the most underrated films ever. The suspense, tension, acting, and directing, are all near masterful. And that's what makes the ending incredibly impactful! Throughout the film, the ambiguity of whether Jeff was truly innocent and Hayley was a disturbed teen or whether she was pursuing justice, and he was actually guilty, was a culmination of top-notch acting and writing.
Because the acting was so good, I genuinely didn't know who or what to believe, up until the final act. And then it all culminates in an ending that is shocking, tense, disturbing, cathartic, and a rather genius display of role reversal that is, again, brought home in style by Oscar-worthy acting. Vastly underrated.
4 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
This is one of the best American remakes ever, by one of cinema's most celebrated directors. So, no one would expect a bad ending, and not only did it not disappoint, but the ending was absolutely perfect for the movie, even if it was a bit sad. The character of Lisbeth had hope for a deeper connection, but it was ultimately pulled away from her in her final moments, even though no one even knew she was there.
She was, once again, left out in the cold, lonely and rejected, getting back on her motorcycle and riding off into the cold night as the lone, unloved wolf she is. Such is her character, and giving her a warm, romantic ending would feel out of place. It was sad, but fitting. And the final shot was cinematic gold. The perfect ending for this movie.
3 The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Phew! We don't think anyone can deny the doozy of an ending this movie had. It was not only the ending to the film, but to the trilogy as a whole, and it arguably couldn't end in a more perfect way. Loose ends tied, check. Incredible emotion and catharsis, check. Peaceful send off and wonderful passing of the torch, check! The Dark Knight Rises' ending is one of the best in cinema and simply unforgettable.
2 Heat (1995)
You'd be hard-pressed to find any fan of cinema who hasn't praised this film, particularly its ending, and with good reason. Heatended exactly the way a film like this, with two legendary actors playing well-developed characters that the viewer can root for simultaneously, should! With a standoff, but one with respect, camaraderie, inevitability, solace, and peace. Simply, one of the greatest endings ever filmed.
1 Gone Baby Gone (2007)
Gone Baby Gone has one of the most impactful, tense, memorable, conflicting, and downright masterful endings ever. Not too shabby for first-time director Ben Affleck. The crescendo of acting, emotion, moral questioning, thought-provoking complexity, and tension all build wonderfully, slowly, subtly and doesn't let up. Years later, and it still haunts. It still provokes. It still makes you think and feel. And it's still perfect.
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