Over the years, there have been movies with endings so shocking, so hard to believe, and so wild, that audiences have been left with their mouths agape and heads filled with all kinds of questions and emotions. We’ve seen Academy Award-winning films do it, some of the best Marvel movies have wrapped up with unforgettable conclusions, as have countless others.
Here are 30+ movies with totally wild endings that we just can’t help but talk about after all this time. There are some massive spoilers throughout this article…
Se7en (1995)
The Se7en ending, with its unforgettable “What’s in the box?” cry from Brad Pitt’s David Mills, is one of those traumatic cinematic experiences no one who’s seen the 1995 David Fincher crime thriller will ever forget. Seeing the hot-headed detective become part of John Doe’s (Kevin Spacey) game while William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) tries to stop the “Seven Deadly Sins” plan from coming to fruition is gutting.
Psycho (1960)
Alfred Hitchcock, a filmmaker known for plot twists and heightened drama, used both of his hallmarks for the Psycho ending. The scene where it’s discovered that Norman Bates’ (Anthony Perkins) mother has been dead (and in the basement) all along is one of those moments that’s just as shocking 60-plus years later.
Parasite (2019)
Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, which went on to win multiple Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director, is a remarkable slowburn thriller with a nervous energy present throughout as you wait for something to happen to the Kim family. And when things do go south during the Parasite ending – Kim Ki-taek (Song Kang-ho) becomes the “parasite” of the Park family home – you’re left with all kinds of questions and immediately want to go back and rewatch the whole movie.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Superhero movies are supposed to end on a happy note, or at least with a sense of closure. But that was not the case for the Avengers: Infinity War ending, which wraps up on an incredibly somber note after Thanos (Josh Brolin) snaps and wipes out half of all living creatures. Watching so many beloved MCU characters disappear was such an unforgettable and unexpected moment, one that could very well never be outmatched in a comic book movie.
The Usual Suspects (1995)
“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled,” the iconic line from Verbal Kent (Kevin Spacey) at the end of The Usual Suspects is one that will never get old. Finding out that the seemingly harmless and uninteresting man with a limp was actually the mysterious crime lord Keyser Söze is a revelation that’s so wild, and so out of left field, that we just can’t stop thinking about it nearly 30 years later.
Night Of The Living Dead (1968)
George A. Romero revolutionized the zombie genre with his all-time great horror movie, Night of the Living Dead. Released in 1968, a time in which racial and social tensions were at an all-time high, Romero ended his thriller in a manner that shocked audiences and opened the door to all kinds of discussions. The Black hero, Ben (Duane Jones), survives the zombie onslaught but is shot and killed by a White deputy the following morning.
The Mist (2007)
Talk about a gut punch, The Mist ending sees David Drayton (Thomas Jane) make the decision to kill his young son to prevent him from being tortured and killed by monsters only for the army to arrive and save him moments later. Upsetting is an understatement in this case.
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Undeniably the best Star Wars movie, as well as one of the greatest sequels of all time, The Empire Strikes Back ends without a lot of closure as it sees our heroes left in perilous and unknown situations. Oh, and we learn that Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker’s father.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
M. Night Shyamalan is known for his twist endings at this point, but audiences didn’t have a big reveal in mind when watching The Sixth Sense back in 1999. The moments leading up to and following Malcolm Crowe’s (Bruce Willis) realization that he’s been dead the whole time are so riveting you almost forget how terrifying and well-crafted the rest of the movie is.
The Shining (1980)
Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of The Shining is a movie that fans and critics are still discussing and debating more than 40 years after its release. One of the topics that comes up the most is The Shining ending, especially the shot of the Overlook Hotel in the 1920s with a man looking like Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) in the middle of the frame.
Planet Of The Apes (1968)
The 1968 sci-fi action film, Planet of the Apes, ends with astronaut George Taylor (Charlton Heston) on his knees yelling into the sky in front of the Statue of Liberty after realizing he’s not in an extraterrestrial land, but on Earth, just thousands of years later.
The Prestige (2006)
The best Christopher Nolan movies are those that wrap up in a way that leaves you thinking about the story long after the credits roll. That’s very much the case with The Prestige ending where it’s revealed that Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) didn’t pull off his teleportation trick with theatrics but with the help of his identical twin, Bernard Fallon (Bale). But the trick is just part of the complicated and miraculous plan.
Gone Girl (2014)
David Fincher and Gillian Flynn made some key changes to the Gone Girl ending when adapting the psychological thriller from book to movie, but one thing that stays the same is Amy (Rosamund Pike) revealing she’s pregnant (as a form of blackmail) with Nick’s (Ben Affleck) baby. There’s no clean escape in this one.
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)
The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ending is wild, not because of Quentin Tarantino’s display of bloody and charred violence, but because it strays from the viewer’s expectations (Margot Robbie’s Sharon Tate isn’t brutally murdered like in real life).
Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2011)
Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 has one of those endings that probably didn’t throw the uninitiated for a loop but causes the heads of those who read the books to explode in disbelief. Basically, there’s a giant battle where numerous characters lose their lives, but it’s all just a vision of what could happen, not what actually does.
Fight Club (1999)
The big reveal that Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) is the Narrator’s (Edward Norton) split personality in Fight Club, is one of the biggest “Wow” moments of the past quarter-century. However, that’s not even the ending of David Fincher’s book-to-screen adaptation. That comes later on when Project Mayhem carries out its plan of destroying multiple skyscrapers while the Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind?” blasts through the speakers.
The Others (2001)
For the majority of The Others, we’re led to believe that Grace Stewart (Nicole Kidman) is being tormented by spirits who won’t leave her and her young children alone. However, in the film’s final moments, it’s revealed that Grace and her kids are the ghosts tied to the tortured home.
Arrival (2016)
Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival throws a major twist at the audience in the film’s final moments when it is revealed that Louise Banks’ (Amy Adams) memories of her deceased daughter aren’t flashbacks but premonitions of her child who hasn't been born yet.
Promising Young Woman (2020)
Emerald Fennell was more than deserving of her Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the way she crafted the Promising Young Woman ending. This whirlwind of scenes sees Cassie (Carey Mulligan) get her revenge against the men who raped her best friend in the most unlikely of ways.
No Country For Old Men (2007)
The No Country for Old Men ending is cryptic, to say the least, and wraps up with Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) describing a series of dreams he had. This follows a wild turn of events that saw Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) getting killed by a random cartel member, not the man pursuing him, Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem). We don’t even see Moss meet his maker.
Black Swan (2010)
Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan is a drama about the price of perfection and the obsessive behavior of those seeking it. In the final moments, it’s revealed that Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) didn’t stab her rival, Lily (Mila Kunis) with a broken mirror, she stabbed herself, putting into question the entire conflict between the two dancers.
Us (2019)
Jordan Peele’s sophomore effort, Us, is a wild thrill ride from start to finish, with the big reveal at the conclusion of the film being the icing on the cake. In the final moments of Us, Adelaide "Addy" Wilson (Lupita Nyong'o) reveals that she was the clone the whole time after switching places with the original version of herself.
Oldboy (2003)
Near the end of Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy, it is revealed that the woman who helped Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) in his quest for revenge, and later became his lover, was actually his daughter. He later goes to a hypnotist to have those memories erased, but the film ends in a way where you never know if it actually worked.
Uncut Gems (2019)
The Uncut Gems ending is one of those that hits you like a brick to the face, or in the case of Adam Sandler’s Howard Ratner, a bullet to the cheek. This comes after the gambling addict wins a $1.2 million bet. In the span of a few seconds, he goes from having the best day of his life to his last.
Primal Fear (1998)
The Primal Fear ending is dark, twisted, and one of the most legitimately shocking reveals of the 1990s. The movie plays out like a standard courtroom drama until the final scene when Edward Norton’s Aaron Stampler reveals to defense attorney Martin Vail (Richard Gere) that he pulled off a pair of murders with no remorse. The way his voice and demeanor change mid-scene is the stuff of legend.
Saw (2004)
The Saw movies are full of devilish tricks, twists, turns, and even more terrifying traps. The first movie in the saga also has an incredibly wild ending when the apparent suicide victim in the room the whole time rises up and reveals himself to be John Kramer (Tobin Bell), aka, Jigsaw, the mastermind behind it all.
The Departed (2006)
Near the end of The Departed, it seems like Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is going to get away with being Frank Costello’s (Jack Nicholson) mole in the Boston Police Department. However, when the embattled detective goes home, Sean Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) is waiting for him with a little surprise: cold steel revenge.
Frailty (2001)
At the end of Bill Paxton’s 2001 psychological thriller, Frailty, it is revealed that the FBI haven’t been interviewing Fenton Meiks (Matthew McConaughey) for the “God’s Hand Killer” case the whole time, they’ve actually been speaking with his brother, Adam, who killed the real Fenton and is now targeting his next victim.
Cabin In The Woods (2012)
The Cabin in the Woods was one wild ride from start to finish, but it’s over-the-top ending seriously is something else. After the surviving college students survive all the various monsters and traps throughout the property, they learn they are part of a sacrifice to appease the gods so they don’t destroy the planet.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
The final stretch of 2001: A Space Odyssey is a wild, technicolor, and complex series of events that see David Bowman (Keir Dullea) transform from an astronaut to an old man to a star child floating above Earth.
Wild Things (1998)
The 1998 thriller, Wild Things, has an ending so wild and so convoluted, that you need to keep notes to keep track of everything. When it seems like Suzie Toller (Neve Campbell), Kelly Lanier Van Ryan (Denise Richards), and Sam Lombardo (Matt Dillon) were all behind one plot, it’s revealed that Suzie was orchestrating it all. The deaths (even her own faked murder), the scandal, and the massive court settlement were all hers.
The Menu (2022)
The Menu ending could best be described as an explosive dessert, quite literally in this case. At the end of the twisted dark comedy, Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) makes a strange yet simple request for an order of cheeseburger and fries to go, and she escapes the island on a boat. For everyone else? Well, they are treated to s'mores and a massive fiery explosion.
These are just 32 great movies with wonderful and wild endings, as including every single film with plot twists in the final act would take a very long time. However, it wouldn’t be shocking for this list to go through some changes in the coming months, especially with all the upcoming releases on the 2023 movie schedule.
