11 Movies That Ended On A High Note And Another 11 With Lackluster Endings

The greatest and most satisfying endings stick with you long after you leave the theater.

Maryjane

• Published in Film & TV
• July 1, 2022

Making a great movie is a difficult task, but even if the production team gets almost everything right, it all comes down to one thing: the ending. Movie endings serve as a standard for viewers when rating films.

How are you going to let your fans in on your story? What do you want viewers to remember as they leave the theater, and what emotions do you want them to feel?

It can be difficult to convey all of this while also wrapping up your story, and in some cases, the ending is lackluster and disappointingly not as captivating as what came before it.

Only a few films, however, are able to elevate the conclusion to new heights, providing a final scene or shot that viewers are unable to shake. This could be a brilliant visual idea that connects to the film's conceptual thread, or it could be an excitingly ambiguous note that leaves a portion of the conclusion to the audience.

With the above contrast established, we have compiled a 22-name list of some popular movies, which range from amazing and delightfully twisted endings to disappointing and dull endings. So keep scrolling down to check them out and make your own comparison or judgment.

1. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

"Here's how it should've ended:

Old Lady: What's your name?

Rey: I'm Rey. Rey Palpatine.

Old Lady: Palpatine? But that was the name of the guy who committed two galaxy-wide genocides! Are you saying you're related to him?!

Rey: Yes, but bloodlines...aren't important.

THE END."

—u/MasterKlaw

2. Ending of the 2016 movie, Rogue One

"That Darth Vader scene was freaking amazing!"

—melissas48470ea8d

3. Ending of the movie, Glass

"Someone spoiled the ending for me before I even had a chance to see it, and I was still disappointed. Still, Unbreakable is one of my favorite movies."

—u/Whodat402

4. The twist that happened in the movie, Us

"This one has a really interesting ending. It makes you really wonder who the real villain is — Red or Adelaide?"

—errajatbhatiaakg

5. The third act of the movie, Wonder Woman

"The first two acts were really good, and then everything fell apart in a terrible final battle sequence."

—u/IndyDude11

6. End of 2008 movie, The Dark Knight

"The swell of the music underneath Jim Gordon's monologue — there's something about that that stays in your head."

—daynam4b6e28fa3

7. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)

"The very last moment of this? Like, hey, let's upheave tons of established lore in the last 30 seconds! The fuck was that?!"

—u/silvermoonchan

8. The ending of Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

"As frustrating and devastating as it was for the entire fandom, that ending scene was incredible."

—[deleted]

9. The end of the 2019 Toy Story 4 film

"Woody turned his back on literally everything he stood for during the entire series. The whole movie, he was fighting to get back to his friends, and then he just decides to leave in the last five minutes?"

—abnroche

10. The final moments of The Lion King released in 1994

"Simba slowly walking up Pride Rock as the majestic 'King of Pride Rock' score plays, and Mufasa appearing one last time to say 'Remember...' before Simba roars as the new king — then the transition to some time later when the land is healthy again, and Simba and Nala’s cub is being presented as a chorus sings a triumphant reprise of 'Circle of Life'? Pure perfection."

—eclipsecat14

11. The finale to the 2016 movie, La La Land

"I was so mad when they were together for a bulk of the movie and then split up in the future sequence. It ruined everything that the movie was building up to, and it broke my heart."

—rosienuttty

12. The positively sublime ending of Moonlight (2016)

"This one had an amazing ending. It left me in such an emotional state of mind. Chiron saying, 'You were the only man that ever touched me. I haven’t really touched anyone since,' brought tears to my eyes. And then baby Chiron on the beach, under the moonlight, looking at the camera, was perfect. I’m emotional just typing it."

—felipeschnurrg

13. The ending to the 2018 movie, Hereditary

"It would have been one of the best horror movies ever had the last 20 minutes been shaved off."

—jeremybell100

14. The iconic ending of the 1996 movie, Scream

"That final shot with Courteney Cox giving her Gale Weathers 'exclusive eyewitness account' newscast, with the police in the background, as the camera cranes upward to face the rising sun and Moby's 'First Cool Hive' plays in the background...biiiiitch, chills. SO ICONIC."

—whitfield89

15. The final moments of Mamma Mia! (2008)

"I hate the ending. The entire movie relates to the impending marriage of the young couple. The setting for the wedding is incredibly beautiful. Then, at the altar, they ditch the vows and decide to just live together? COWARDS!"

—sharonrmay

16. The lovely ending of the 2017 movie, Lady Bird

"When she calls her mother and talks about how emotional she felt when driving around Sacramento? It was so perfect. It gives me chills just thinking about it."

—felipeschnurrg

17. The ending of Passengers (2016)

"It could have been an amazing sci-fi movie where Jennifer Lawrence was forced to make the same decision Chris Pratt did...but instead, they went the 'happily ever after' route."

—u/Lpreddit

18. The last scene of the 2012 movie, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

"This is probably an unpopular opinion, but when I think of great endings — it's this one. Not only was it poetic, romantic, and beautiful, but it also changed how I viewed life and love. It affected me deep down, and I will carry some small piece of that film with me for the rest of my life...so yeah, I think it's an awardworthy ending."

—adamr4ab2ed254

19. The end of the genre, The Other Woman (2014)

"Solid movie until the last five minutes, when they essentially made the man a cartoon villain, crashing through the glass walls, dialogue, etc., instead of leaving it at 'You’re broke and single now!' It’s always ruined the last bit of the movie for my husband and me."

—emtolle

20. The final moments of Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

"This had the best ending of any film I’ve ever seen. It was truly a remarkable way to end the film, and Adèle Haenel’s performance in the scene should have gotten her an Oscar all on its own. I was truly disoriented after I left the theater. That ending sat with me for WEEKS after."

—emilyj4c7fc8177

21. The ending of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

"I was so excited to finally have another Indiana Jones movie, and then...ALIENS? Seriously?"

—saltyspice75

22. The final scene in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

"What about these endings? All 45 of them?! LOL. Seriously, though, it's a perfect film."

—CoCoGrigio

The greatest and most satisfying endings stick with you long after you leave the theater, and in some cases, they inspire you to keep rewatching that part. However, great movies can have terrible endings, causing viewers to rate them poorly despite the hard work the filmmakers must have put in before the dull ending.

Which of the films on our list did you enjoy the most, and which had a dreadful ending? Please leave your thoughts in the section below.

Maryjane