Movies with Great Endings
The ending can make a good movie great, and a great movie unforgettable. Here are a few examples.
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- DirectorMervyn LeRoyStarsPaul MuniGlenda FarrellHelen VinsonWrongly convicted James Allen serves in the intolerable conditions of a Southern chain gang, which later comes back to haunt him.Here's a film that ends unexpectedly, but very effectively! The ending line and visual neatly summarize the point the film was trying to make. Is it any wonder that it spawned reforms in the penal system?
- DirectorLeo McCareyStarsVictor MooreBeulah BondiFay BainterAn elderly couple are forced to live hundreds of miles apart when they lose their house and none of their five children will take both parents in.A largely forgotten film, the ending here puts the cap on a truly great movie. This one should be seen by all ages. Powerful.
- DirectorPreston SturgesStarsClaudette ColbertJoel McCreaMary AstorA New York inventor needs cash to develop his big idea, so his adoring wife decides to raise it by divorcing him and marrying an eccentric Florida millionaire with a capricious high-society sister.A true "bookend" ending to a very fun film! It's zany, goofy, surprising, and really makes you think (with a smile on your face). Everything a screwball comedy should be.
- DirectorFrank CapraStarsJames StewartJean ArthurClaude RainsA naive youth leader is appointed to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate. His idealistic plans promptly collide with corruption at home and subterfuge from his hero in Washington, but he tries to forge ahead despite attacks on his character.Who could forget the climactic scene played out on the floor of Congress? Never mind the gavel, Harry.
- DirectorFritz LangStarsEdward G. RobinsonJoan BennettRaymond MasseyWhen a conservative middle aged professor engages in a relationship with a femme fatale, he's plunged into a nightmarish world of blackmail and murder.One of the first and best uses of this plot device, this ending will surprise you. What some see as annoying inconsistencies or mistakes by E.G.R.'s character, I see as a brilliant setup for the final reel. Not everyone loves it, but I do!
- DirectorWilliam A. WellmanStarsJames CagneyJean HarlowEdward WoodsAn Irish-American street punk tries to make it big in the world of organized crime.One of the 3 films that popularized gangster movies in the early 30's, this one has two unforgettable scenes at the end with Cagney:
1) The scene in the rain where he "ain't so tough" and,
2) The final shot. - DirectorJohn HustonStarsHumphrey BogartWalter HustonTim HoltTwo down-on-their-luck Americans searching for work in 1920s Mexico convince an old prospector to help them mine for gold in the Sierra Madre Mountains.Classic ending to a classic movie. Memorable endings are made by scenes such as Bogart at the water hole and Huston in the windstorm.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsJohn WayneJeffrey HunterVera MilesAn American Civil War veteran embarks on a years-long journey to rescue his niece from the Comanches after the rest of his brother's family is massacred in a raid on their Texas farm.One of the most iconic endings of all time. It's hard to overstate how good the final scene is here.
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsTyrone PowerMarlene DietrichCharles LaughtonA veteran British barrister must defend his client in a murder trial that has surprise after surprise.The final 5 minutes of this courtroom drama/mystery may give you more than one surprise! Complete with a cast of colorful characters, this is one you should not miss.
- DirectorTerence YoungStarsAudrey HepburnAlan ArkinRichard CrennaA recently blinded woman is terrorized by a trio of thugs while they search for a heroin-stuffed doll they believe is in her apartment.This thriller was unparalleled for its time with its intense ending. Despite the distinct 60s era flavor and the slightly annoying post-climactic scene, it is still thrilling today -- even on repeated viewings.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartKim NovakBarbara Bel GeddesA former San Francisco police detective juggles wrestling with his personal demons and becoming obsessed with the hauntingly beautiful woman he has been hired to trail, who may be deeply disturbed.A suspenseful and ultimately ironic ending only sweetens the deal for this classic Hitchcock!
- DirectorGeorge Roy HillStarsPaul NewmanRobert RedfordRobert ShawTwo grifters team up to pull off the ultimate con.Probably the best classic con film. This complex movie never fails to entertain -- all the way through to the final seconds.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsAnthony PerkinsJanet LeighVera MilesA Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.Set the bar of thriller endings with this one. Remembered for the shower scene twist, the ending is just as surprising and shocking. Only the flies are safe!
- DirectorJohn HughesStarsSteve MartinJohn CandyLaila RobinsA Chicago advertising man must struggle to travel home from New York for Thanksgiving, with a lovable oaf of a shower-curtain-ring salesman as his only companion.The final reel really embellishes this extremely funny comedy. Not only is it funny, but it has a heart.
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsGregory PeckAudrey HepburnEddie AlbertA bored and sheltered princess escapes her guardians and falls in love with an American newsman in Rome.A classic romance with a great finale. The ending scene subtly has us waiting, hoping, expecting... but when the fade out comes, we're somehow still satisfied.
- DirectorCharles VidorStarsDoris DayJames CagneyCameron MitchellA fictionalized account of the career of jazz singer Ruth Etting and her tempestuous marriage to gangster Marty Snyder, who helped propel her to stardom.Two powerhouse performances make this a great movie. The nature of the relationships in the film does not necessitate or even imply a happy ending. The way the story concludes still manages to give sufficient dignity to all.
- DirectorJack ArnoldStarsGrant WilliamsRandy StuartApril KentAfter Scott Carey begins to shrink because of exposure to a combination of radiation and insecticide, medical science is powerless to help him.The Day the Earth Stood Still, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Forbidden Planet are all good classic sci-fi films. They are all more well known than this one. This one is better. Great visuals, great story, and great ending!
- DirectorSamuel FullerStarsKristy McNicholChrista LangVernon WeddleA trainer attempts to retrain a vicious dog that's been raised to attack black people.Aborted by the studio for being "racist", this largely unseen film is one of the most powerful race films in existence. The ending is haunting and deserves to be remembered!
- DirectorGeorge StevensStarsJean ArthurJoel McCreaCharles CoburnDuring the World War II housing shortage in Washington, two men and a woman share a single apartment and the older man plays Cupid to the other two.A very satisfying, sweet final scene incorporating clever visuals. A great romantic screwball film.
- DirectorRussell RouseStarsGlenn FordJeanne CrainBroderick CrawfordIn the western frontier town of Cross Creek, storekeeper George Temple is a polite and soft spoken man with a secret past. When 3 bank robbers on the lam stop in town to change horses, George's past comes back to haunt him.This very entertaining and suspenseful western is garnished by the slick, smart ending. See it if you get the chance.
- DirectorWilliam CastleStarsGlenn CorbettPatricia BreslinEugenie LeontovichThe brutal stabbing murder of a justice-of-the-peace sparks an investigation of dark family secrets in a sleepy small town in Southern California.A Psycho-spawn film which begins a little slow and strange, but really builds towards the end. Complete with a "fright break" and a great reveal!
- DirectorJohn BrahmStarsLaird CregarLinda DarnellGeorge SandersA promising classical musician finds his life poisoned by a music hall dancer -- and by the strange gaps in his memory.You may or may not be able to readily accept the premise of this film, but one thing you cannot ignore is the ending. Great visuals and very powerful.
- DirectorFielder CookStarsHenry FondaJoanne WoodwardJason RobardsComedy western in which a traveler bets more money than he can afford in a poker game, and unusual events follow.This already-entertaining western comedy with a great cast is only helped along further by the memorable finale.
- DirectorM. Night ShyamalanStarsBruce WillisHaley Joel OsmentToni ColletteMalcolm Crowe, a child psychologist, starts treating a young boy, Cole, who encounters dead people and convinces him to help them. In turn, Cole helps Malcolm reconcile with his estranged wife.An immediate classic upon release, this movie is well deserving. Fascinating and freaky throughout, but absolutely mesmerizing in the final minutes. Besides, how many other movies can you name that are this freaky and still pull at your heartstrings?
- DirectorJames B. HarrisStarsRichard WidmarkSidney PoitierJames MacArthurAn American destroyer Captain is determined to confront a Soviet submarine caught violating territorial waters. Perhaps too determined.Absorbing, if somewhat unrealistic character study of a Captain of a cold war destroyer. Widmark's performance is riveting, and the ending will blow you away!
- DirectorWilliam CastleStarsJoan CrawfordDiane BakerLeif EricksonAfter a twenty-year stay at an asylum for a double murder, a mother returns to her estranged daughter where suspicions arise about her behavior.Joan Crawford as Norman Bates. But with an axe. Need I say more?
- DirectorVincent ShermanStarsErrol FlynnViveca LindforsRobert DouglasThe great lover Don Juan comes to the assistance of his queen.Entertaining, if otherwise forgettable film. This one makes the list solely for the ending line and its delivery. It really cracked me up and was befitting of the lighthearted nature of the picture.
- DirectorMervyn LeRoyStarsRonald ColmanGreer GarsonPhilip DornAn amnesiac World War I veteran falls in love with a music hall star, only to suffer an accident which restores his original memories but erases his post-war life.A true classic romance movie. You'll be pulling for this ending really hard -- and don't worry, it delivers!
- DirectorFranklin J. SchaffnerStarsCharlton HestonRoddy McDowallKim HunterAn astronaut crew crash-lands on a planet where highly intelligent non-human ape species are dominant and humans are enslaved.Another iconic ending. So much so, that it is almost impossible to view the film (or even the packaging!) without already being aware of the twist. It has to be a good ending if you can actually enjoy a picture with an entire cast in bad monkey costumes!