8 Movie Endings That Hit You Like A Truck

A powerful ending can change the way people feel about an entire movie, especially one that creates a sudden, disarming impact. This is often a moment of heartbreak that subverts people’s expectations of lighthearted entertainment in most movies, but it can also be a cerebral ending that drives home the themes of the narrative.

Often, a great ending is the thing that audiences think about most, long after the credits roll. It can reframe an entire story, urging people to go back and watch the movie again knowing what’s in store for the characters. This can create a deeper appreciation for the stortytelling, but there’s no real way to recreate the shocking impact of a perfect finale.

8

The Prestige (2006)

Christopher Nolan Clearly Knows The Importance Of A Good Ending

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The Prestige

PG-13

Sci-Fi

Mystery

Thriller

Drama

ScreenRant logo

9/10

54

8.6/10

Release Date

October 20, 2006

Runtime

130 minutes

Director

Christopher Nolan

Writers

Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan

Cast

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  • Shot Of Michael Caine In The World premiere of 'The Great Escaper' at BFI Southbank

    Michael Caine

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    Christian Bale

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Many of Christopher Nolan’s best movies leave the audience with a striking image. Oppenheimer‘s instantly iconic final line, Inception‘s spinning top and Commissioner Gordon’s speech in The Dark Knight show that Nolan understands the importance of a good ending.

Nolan also reveals that he has been playing his own trick on the audience from the very beginning.

The Prestige delivers what may be Nolan’s most jaw-dropping finale, as a series of twists pile up on top of one another. As Nolan reveals the mechanisms behind the illusions of Borden and Angier, he also reveals that he has been playing his own trick on the audience from the very beginning.

7

Se7en (1995)

Se7en Ends On A Harrowing Note

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Se7en

R

Thriller

Drama

Crime

Mystery

ScreenRant logo

8/10

36

8.7/10

Release Date

September 22, 1995

Runtime

127 minutes

Director

David Fincher

Writers

andrew kevin walker

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Brad Pitt In The Babylon Premiere

    Brad Pitt

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    Gwyneth Paltrow

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Like Christopher Nolan, many of David Fincher’s best movies are also known for their powerful endings. None are more captivating than Se7en which has the potential to leave audiences speechless long after the credits roll. The famous “what’s in the box?” finale has been spoofed many times, but there’s no denying its effectiveness.

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Se7en sums up Fincher’s obsession with criminal psychology, which can also be seen in other works like Mindhunter, Zodiac and Fight Club. The ending reveals the extent of John Doe’s twisted philosophical game with the detectives, deepening the theme of good and evil that runs throughout the narrative.

6

Portrait Of A Lady On Fire (2019)

Céline Sciamma Uses Music To Deliver A Stunning Finale

Portrait Of A Lady On Fire

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Portrait of a Lady on Fire

R

Release Date

September 18, 2019

Runtime

120 minutes

Director

Céline Sciamma

Cast

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  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Adèle Haenel

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Noemie Merlant

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Valeria Golino

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Portrait of a Lady on Fire is one of the best romance movies of recent years, and its heartbreaking ending is perfectly weighted. The period romance uses a framing device to tell audiences from the beginning that Marianne and Héloïse don’t end up together, but the nature of their story is still immensely powerful.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire‘s ending unfolds through Marianne’s eyes, as she spots Héloïse watching an orchestra. The meaning of this moment carries a lot of weight, especially after Marianne sees from Héloïse’s portrait that she never stopped thinking of her. Each frame of Portrait of a Lady on Fire has the beauty of an oil painting, but Céline Sciamma uses music sparingly, and to devastating effect.

5

Heat (1995)

Heat’s Dual Protagonists Have Their Fateful Shootout

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Heat

R

Action

Crime

Documentary

Drama

Thriller

ScreenRant logo

10/10

16

8.4/10

Release Date

December 15, 1995

Runtime

170 minutes

Director

Michael Mann

Writers

Michael Mann

Cast

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  • Headshot of Al Pacino

    Al Pacino

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    Robert De Niro

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Heat is one of the best heist movies ever, partly because it pays equal attention to the thieves and the detectives. While most crime movies pick one side as their heroes, Heat shows that Neil McCauley and Vincent Hanna have a lot in common, and they are only separated by the arbitrary lines of the law.

Throughout their game of cat-and-mouse, McCauley and Hanna develop a fierce respect for one another. Despite their similarities, they are both committed to coming out on top, no matter what. The final shootout at the airport turns out to be a hollow victory for Hanna, in the same way that it’s a noble defeat for McCauley.

4

American Fiction (2023)

American Fiction Pulls Back To Reveal Another Layer

American Fiction Poster

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American Fiction

Not Yet Rated

Drama

ScreenRant logo

8/10

9.0/10

Release Date

September 8, 2023

Runtime

117 Minutes

Director

Cord Jefferson

Writers

Cord Jefferson

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Jeffrey Wright

    Jeffrey Wright

  • Headshot Of Tracee Ellis Ross

    Tracee Ellis Ross

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American Fiction received five Oscar nominations, but it still deserves more love from audiences. Cord Jefferson’s directorial debut adapts the Percival Everett novel Erasure, with Jeffrey Wright delivering an outstanding performance as a writer who only finds success when he starts pandering to Black stereotypes for a white audience.

The ending of American Fiction reveals that the whole story has been a movie pitch from Monk, but the producer dislikes his ambiguous, challenging finale. Instead, he suggests a schmaltzy rom-com angle or an exploitative burst of violence. Monk’s acceptance to work within the system, rather than tearing it all down, inevitably urges the audience to think more deeply about Jefferson, Everett, Wright and the other Black creatives behind American Fiction.

3

Whiplash (2014)

Whiplash Is Over In A Short, Frantic Burst

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Whiplash

R

Drama

Music

ScreenRant logo

7/10

11

9.5/10

Release Date

October 10, 2014

Runtime

107 Minutes

Director

Damien Chazelle

Writers

Damien Chazelle

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Miles Teller

    Miles Teller

    Andrew

  • Headshot Of J.K. Simmons

    J.K. Simmons

    Fletcher

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Damien Chazelle packs a lot of chaos into Whiplash‘s relatively slender runtime, and it all builds to a finale with plenty of payoff. Andrew’s drive to be the best drummer he can be leads him into Fletcher’s grasp, and he finds himself in an abusive student-mentor relationship that threatens to destroy him.

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By risking embarrassment on stage, Fletcher proves in the ending of Whiplash that he’s willing to burn his immaculate public reputation to humiliate Andrew. In the end, Andrew’s decision to continue drumming shows that he can achieve greatness, but at the cost of his physical and mental wellbeing. He’s chosen his passion over his health and sanity.

2

Roman Holiday (1953)

William Wyler’s Classic Rom-Com Ends In Heartbreak

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Roman Holiday

G

Romance

Comedy

Drama

Release Date

August 26, 1953

Runtime

119 minutes

Director

William Wyler

Writers

Ian McLellan Hunter

Cast

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  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Audrey Hepburn

    Princess Ann

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Gregory Peck

    Joe Bradley

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Eddie Albert

    Irving Radovich

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Hartley Power

    Mr. Hennessy

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Roman Holiday launched Audrey Hepburn to stardom, and it’s still one of her best movies. She strikes up a sizzling chemistry with Gregory Peck, which helps turn Roman Holiday into a classic. The romance between a European princess and an American reporter always seems doomed, but their enjoyable dynamic is enough to make audiences wish for an uplifting ending.

Ultimately, Roman Holiday‘s ending is an abrupt return to reality. After her whirlwind adventure in Italy, Princess Anne returns to her duties, leaving Joe Bradley behind. They meet one last time, as the Princess addresses the Italian press, and they are restricted to stolen glances. The final image of Joe walking through the empty atrium is enough to move anyone to tears.

1

Kes (1969)

Kes Ends On A Grim Note

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Kes

PG-13

Drama

Release Date

November 18, 1969

Runtime

111 minutes

Writers

Barry Hines, Ken Loach

Cast

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  • Cast Placeholder Image

    David Bradley

    Billy Casper

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Freddie Fletcher

    Jud

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Lynne Perrie

    Mrs. Casper

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Colin Welland

    Mr. Farthing

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Kes tells the story of a boy who finds some solace from the harsh conditions of his life when he learns to train a kestrel. Billy is bullied both at school and at home, and he faces an uncertain future in an economically deprived area of Yorkshire. Kes gives him a focus, but even this minor oasis is snatched away from him.

Kes is loaded with powerful symbolic imagery.

Kes is loaded with powerful symbolic imagery. Billy enjoys watching Kes exercise the freedom that he knows he will never have, and the bird’s natural beauty creates a striking contrast against the dreary urban landscape that Billy finds himself trapped in. It seems like there should be a triumphant denouement at the end of Kes, but Ken Loach refuses to sugarcoat Billy’s bleak circumstances, or the depth of his heartbreak.