There’s nothing quite like a perfect ending to an incredible movie. You’ve been captivated throughout the film, only to be left speechless by the time the credits roll. The best endings stay with you as long as the movie ends. You can’t stop thinking about it.
It’s not often movies stick the landing, but these most certainly did. Here are some of our favorite movie endings we’ve ever witnessed.
Be careful; there are spoilers below!
Planet of the Apes
“You blew it up!”
Before becoming a modern sci-fi action franchise, the original 1968 Planet of the Apes, starring Charlton Heston, impressed audiences by combining social commentary with impressive action.
It’s the film’s ending, though, that left the biggest impression.
For nearly two hours, we’re led to believe that Astronaut George Taylor (Heston) crashed on an unknown planet, only to realize they’ve been on Earth the entire time.
Se7en
“What’s in the box??”
David Fincher’s thriller masterpiece kept us guessing throughout. We assume the movie will end happily when Kevin Spacey’s John Doe is captured.
However, one last twist shows that’s not the case, as Doe gets the last laugh on Detective David Mills (Brad Pitt).
When we learn Doe murdered Mills’ wife and delivered her head in a box, it’s then that we discover the final murder based on the seven deadly sins: Rage, when Mills murders John Doe.
Field of Dreams
“Hey, Dad, you want to have a catch?”
After following Ray Kinsella presumably ease the pain of disgraced baseball player “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, we learn why Kinsella built a baseball field in the middle of an Iowa cornfield: a chance to reconnect with his father.
No matter how often we watch Field of Dreams, the second Ray and his Dad share a catch and the music crescendos, we reach for the closest box of tissues.
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Shawshank Redemption
“You remember the town, don’t you?”
Watching Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) break out of prison is an incredibly cathartic scene and one of the greatest in cinematic history. Yet, nothing beats Red’s (Morgan Freeman) final narration if you ask me.
Hearing Red talk about being a freeman and meeting his friend on the beach in Zihuatanejo is the perfect ending to the perfect movie.
It’s fitting that the film’s final line is “I hope.” The entire movie is about two men hoping for freedom, and in its final moments, we see them achieve just that: freedom.
Gone Girl
“What have we done to each other? What will we do?”
Another Fincher film, this one based on the novel by Gillian Flynn.
Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike) frames her husband Nick (Ben Affleck) for her murder but returns out of the blue. However, right before Nick has the chance to expose her lies, Amy traps Nick by revealing she’s pregnant through self-insemination.
Throughout the film, we see Amy Dunne with the upper hand. When it seems like she’s getting what’s coming to her, she reveals one more trick up her sleeve, proving that she can always come out on top.
Casablanca
“I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
Rick Blaine’s (Humphrey Bogart) decision to choose duty over love showcases the development of Blaine’s character throughout the film.
He overcomes his apathy and disillusion, instead choosing to do the right thing, coming out of the movie’s events as a far better man and one that continues to mature as time goes on after the credits roll.
The Sixth Sense
Malcolm Crowe’s (Bruce Willis) realization that he’s been dead the entire film is one of the biggest twist endings in cinematic history. It gives the film’s final moments more emotional depth.
We thought he was stuck in this world trying to help Cole (Haley Joel Osment), but his real purpose was to comfort his still grieving wife.
In his final moments in the mortal realm, his farewell speech to his wife is incredibly emotional. Once she finally has peace after his passing, Crowe’s unfulfilled duty is completed, and his spirit finally departs.
The Usual Suspects
“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.”
Who is Keyser Soze? It turns out that Keyser Soze was Roger “Verbal” Kint (Kevin Spacey) the entire time, and he just walked away from Agent Kujam (Chazz Palminteri).
The moment Kujam realizes Verbal is Soze is an incredible scene, but it’s one-upped the second Verbal ditches his limp, enters the car waiting for him, and drives away.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
“We named the dog Indiana.”
Given how the two modern Indiana Jones movies fared, this one should have been the actual last crusade.
There’s something so satisfying about watching Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Denholm Elliott, and John Rhys-Davies ride off into the sunset as the iconic theme play—absolute perfection to a perfect trilogy.
Inception
There is no need for a clever quote here. Christopher Nolan’s film has its characters constantly questioning what is and isn’t real, so it makes sense that he poses that question to viewers in its final moments.
When we see Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) finally return home after being a fugitive due to illegal activities through dream manipulation. After one last job, he returns home to finally see his kids.
He then spins a top, a totem the character uses to determine whether they’re dreaming or awake. If the top stops spinning, he’s awake. However, once he sees his kids, he rushes towards them, ignoring the top.
The camera then pans back to a still spinning top, only for it to briefly stumble as the film cuts to black.
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