Top 5 Most Powerful Movie Endings
There's simply nothing like a good ending to a movie. The perfect end brings closure and feeling of complete satisfaction to the movie-watching experience. In fact, movies are often made (and un-made) based solely upon the final sequence. This list celebrates those flicks with tremendous endings-endings of drama, joy, courage, and surprise. This list is by no means exhaustive for there are too many great endings that deserved mention but were arbitrarily left off due to the top five parameters.
- The Last of the Mohicans
The final sequence is full of action and bravery in the midst of some of the most powerful movie music. The young lady's slow-motion suicide jump as tribute to her Indian love is unbearably courageous and romantic.
- The Shawshank Redemption
Some may be surprised by this one, but the final sequence of Red and Andy embracing on the beach as the camera fades away brings awesome closure to the movie and the theme of hope realized.
- The Karate Kid, Part I
My personal favorite; Daniel landing the winning kick doing the "Crane Technique" is a movie memory for all of us underdogs.
- Braveheart
"Freedom!!" Principled courage under extreme torture is a definite winner.
- Vertigo
The movie doesn't even begin until the end. Hitchcock shocks as the fates twist over and over until the final fall.Honorable Mentions:The Usual Suspects, Primal Fear, Basic Instinct (all for shock value).
Staff Responses
How can you leave out the original "Planet of the Apes"? The all time best ending... A true miscarriage of justice...
"Heat" deserves some mention for the final scene where Pacino comforts DeNiro as he's dying. Truly epic stuff.
Ryan, In response to your response, Heat deserves to be placed on the worst ending list. Everyone knows that the right ending would have been DeNiro taking Pacino down.