Worst Movie Endings

[Spartan Girl]

You can either love or hate some movie endings, but let's save this thread for the worst.

 

The first that immediately comes to mind is Crazy Stupid Love for the sole reason that Steve Carrell's character is the one that has to make the grand romantic gesture/apology at the end while Julianne Moore -- who I might point out was the one who cheated on him and wanted out of the marriage for no real good reason then proceeded to get hypocritically pissy at him for dating other women -- never apologizes for anything.  And he wanted her back WHY?!

 

And, in tribute of Robin Williams, the ending of Dead Poets Society always made me angry.  Yes, the "O Captain My Captain" bit was awesome, but it doesn't change the fact that Robin Williams' character gets blamed and fired while the parents that drove their son to suicide get off scot free!

[Danny Franks]

The first that immediately comes to mind is Crazy Stupid Love for the sole reason that Steve Carrell's character is the one that has to make the grand romantic gesture/apology at the end while Julianne Moore -- who I might point out was the one who cheated on him and wanted out of the marriage for no real good reason then proceeded to get hypocritically pissy at him for dating other women -- never apologizes for anything.  And he wanted her back WHY?!

 

 

That annoyed me too. Why should he be the one to make apologies after his wife cheated on him and asked for a divorce? In fact, why should he have her back at all, just because she realised that the grass wasn't greener on the other side (and also, I'm sure his makeover helped, which just makes her look worse). 

 

I'm sure this will be mentioned, but Grease is one where the ending is just awful. The message, seemingly, is that you should change everything about yourself to win the heart of your man. And in fact, if the change means dressing and acting like a cheap tart, then fine. Even worse is the message earlier in the movie that Danny trying to change himself for Sandy is silly and something he should be mocked for. Nasty movie.

 

Requiem For a Dream has a horrible ending, and one that has always stayed with me. The whole climax and denouement of that movie leaves you feeling so dirty and seedy (intentionally) that I just didn't want to keep watching. Just a string of awful things happen to the characters, and there's no hope for any of them to get better.

 

This may be controversial, but I've always disliked the ending of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Yes, I know they ran out of money, but it's just such an experience-ruining anti-climax that whenever I watch the movie, I usually turn it off before that final scene. I guess the anti-climax is the joke, but for me it falls flat.

[GreekGeek]

Any ending where the movie just stops is, for me, a bad ending. People will argue that there's often no tidy resolution to a situation in real life, either. There's something to that, but even a "realistic" movie is an artificial thing anyway, so I feel cheated when it seems something important is about to happen, and then...fade to black, roll credits. Examples:

 

Martha Marcy May Marlene...What in the world???

 

Solitary Man...Would it kill you to keep the film rolling for another minute so we can see if Michael Douglas gets in the car with Susan Sarandon?

 

A Separation...So which parent will the daughter choose?

 

The flip side of this is having too many endings. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was notorious for this. 

[BizBuzz]

The Words - the movie was brilliant until the last 15 minutes. Ugh.

[Blergh]

Crocodile Dundee- What was the point of Sue climbing over that crowd in the subway station just to tell Mick she loved him without even the slightest wink or comedic nod? It just ended what had been a breezy comedy about fishes out of water with an abrupt, annoying thud.

[Bruinsfan]

The flip side of this is having too many endings. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was notorious for this.

I think that movie used up so many endings there weren't enough left over for a number of other films.

[Danny Franks]

I think that movie used up so many endings there weren't enough left over for a number of other films.

 

I always laugh at Elijah Wood's story of how Jack Nicholson left the premiere, thinking the movie was over. But it turned out he left when the first fade-to-black occurred, so didn't know whether Frodo or Sam even made it off the mountain.

 

I could say Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, because it was one of the dumbest movie endings I can recall. But I can't say it ruined the movie, because the movie was horrendous anyway. Making it at all is what ruined the movie.

[Bruinsfan]

Yeah, when early on you have someone survive a nuclear blast by hiding inside a refrigerator there's more wrong with the movie than the ending. About the only thing that movie did right was bringing back Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood.

[Dandesun]

Yeah, when early on you have someone survive a nuclear blast by hiding inside a refrigerator there's more wrong with the movie than the ending. About the only thing that movie did right was bringing back Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood.

 

Not only that, but the refrigerator goes sailing what appears to be miles and he totally survives that and isn't, you know, broken in a bazillion different places.

 

I recognize that I have to accept a lot with Indy movies but that set a tone very early on that this was going to be even more than that. My love for Indy knows no bounds and I still say that Temple of Doom was the worst of the four. I mean, it's pretty fucking far-fetched, too when it comes down to it. Well, they all are... Raiders had the Ark of the Covenant and melting Nazi faces. Last Crusade had a knight from the Crusades still hanging out in the desert and the Holy Grail which healed bullet wounds... and more melting faces. So... yeah...

[Kel Varnsen]

Yeah, when early on you have someone survive a nuclear blast by hiding inside a refrigerator there's more wrong with the movie than the ending. 

But is that any more ridiculous than surviving a jump out of a plane by riding an inflatable raft down a mountain?

[GaT]

Now You See Me. The whole reveal of who was behind everything & of course the "true love" ending (even though this had no "love" stuff in it) just wasn't good.

[Danny Franks]

 

Not only that, but the refrigerator goes sailing what appears to be miles and he totally survives that and isn't, you know, broken in a bazillion different places.

 

I recognize that I have to accept a lot with Indy movies but that set a tone very early on that this was going to be even more than that. My love for Indy knows no bounds and I still say that Temple of Doom was the worst of the four. I mean, it's pretty fucking far-fetched, too when it comes down to it. Well, they all are... Raiders had the Ark of the Covenant and melting Nazi faces. Last Crusade had a knight from the Crusades still hanging out in the desert and the Holy Grail which healed bullet wounds... and more melting faces. So... yeah...

 

They're all far fetched, but I think the constant with the first three is that they're mired in human mythology. Gods and monsters. And in the world Indy inhabits, I can believe in the Ark of the Covenant and human sacrifices to Kali and the Holy Grail. Those ideas fit the adventure series roots, and they fit the idea of Indy as a heroic archaeologist. But aliens? Even ancient aliens? I just think it was an extremely poor fit for the series.

 

And even if it hadn't been a poor fit, the execution was terrible. Muddled story, boring characters, Shia Labeouf, too much CGI and not enough practical stunts. That last point was a big one for me, because as a kid, I adored the sequence with Indy clambering over the truck and fighting the Nazis. It was amazing. And even today, I think it holds up pretty well as a practical set piece. It looks and feels real. The cartoon chase through the jungle, with vine swinging monkeys (and douchebags), swordfighting and god knows what else? For me it was the opposite of what made the first movies so great. 'Less is more' was summed up perfectly when Indy shot the swordsman in Cairo. It seems like Spielberg forgot that lesson.

[JayKay]

Now You See Me. The whole reveal of who was behind everything & of course the "true love" ending (even though this had no "love" stuff in it) just wasn't good.

I agree, the ending was kind of a let down. It also made watching that movie a second time frustrating and pointless. I do not recommend it.

[Shannon L.]

I guess I didn't see it as a "true love" ending.  She was researching and becoming increasingly interested in magic, which was his passion, and he was interested in her.  I saw it more as a "I'd like to get to know you better" kind of thing.  I don't remember, though, if she discovered who he really was--if not, the whole Interpol agent issue would make for an awkward relationship.  I actually liked the movie more than I thought I would. 

[Kel Varnsen]

They're all far fetched, but I think the constant with the first three is that they're mired in human mythology. Gods and monsters. And in the world Indy inhabits, I can believe in the Ark of the Covenant and human sacrifices to Kali and the Holy Grail. Those ideas fit the adventure series roots, and they fit the idea of Indy as a heroic archaeologist. But aliens? Even ancient aliens? I just think it was an extremely poor fit for the series.

 

And even if it hadn't been a poor fit, the execution was terrible. Muddled story, boring characters, Shia Labeouf, too much CGI and not enough practical stunts. That last point was a big one for me, because as a kid, I adored the sequence with Indy clambering over the truck and fighting the Nazis. It was amazing. And even today, I think it holds up pretty well as a practical set piece. It looks and feels real. The cartoon chase through the jungle, with vine swinging monkeys (and douchebags), swordfighting and god knows what else? For me it was the opposite of what made the first movies so great. 'Less is more' was summed up perfectly when Indy shot the swordsman in Cairo. It seems like Spielberg forgot that lesson.

Replying in unpopular opinions.

[topanga]

While I like movies that avoid the clichéd ending where the protagonist always has to live, some movies whose heroes died (or we can presume died) are disappointing because I'd just invested 2 hours rooting for a fantasy character in a fantasy world. So when the character dies, it feels like a waste of my time and emotional energy. And I can't continue the story in my mind of what might have happened next to the character. It feels unsatisfying despite being realistic. Some heart-wrenching examples: American Beauty, Gladiator, The Butterfly Effect, and the powerful movie "Holly" with Ron Livingston.

 

Is there a thread for best movie endings?

[BizBuzz]

Is there a thread for best movie endings?

 

Your wish is our command.

[Haleth]

The flip side of this is having too many endings. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was notorious for this.

 

I reaaaally dislike this criticism.  The movie ended as the book did.  To leave out any of those post climactic scenes would have enraged fans.  

[Joe]

 

The movie ended as the book did.  To leave out any of those post climactic scenes would have enraged fans.

They cut out the Scouring of the Shire as it was, anything more would have been outright butchery.

[Kel Varnsen]

I reaaaally dislike this criticism.  The movie ended as the book did.  To leave out any of those post climactic scenes would have enraged fans.  

Except what was the percentage of people who saw the movie had actually read the books and were hardcore enough fans to actually be enraged. Like anything I imagine it would be a small minority.

[LilWharveyGal]

I hesitate to call this a "worst," but the final scenes of Blancanieves definitely entered "WTF!?" territory to me.

[Danny Franks]

They cut out the Scouring of the Shire as it was, anything more would have been outright butchery.

 

The Scouring of the Shire was boring as all hell anyway. Even as a 13 year old, I was done with the books by then, and realised with nothing more than resignation that I had to keep slogging through that section. And I was delighted that it was cut (along with the Tom Bombadil drivel).

 

Could they have cut more out? Probably not. Could they have shot and edited it better, so it flowed more instead of feeling like a series of endings? Sure. And I think that's what they should have done. Dropped the slo-motion reunion nonsense, dropped the 'fade to black' cuts, and kept things going a little more. For people who didn't read the books, the natural place for that movie to end, the way it's edited, is when Frodo wakes up, and Gandalf, Sam, Merry and Pippin are all there.

[Mindymoo]

Danny Franks,

 

I think the whole of Requiem for a Dream was awful. Unrealistic, bullshit, nonsensical, like a modern day "Reefer Madness." I thought the ending was the best part, because the credits were finally rolling!

[vibeology]

I reaaaally dislike this criticism.  The movie ended as the book did.  To leave out any of those post climactic scenes would have enraged fans.  

 

Like someone else said upthread, it wasn't the plot of the ending that bugs, its was the editing. Slow motion and fades to black were bad choices. Jackson, who for the most part did a great job juggling the splintered plots, really struggled giving everyone an ending without it being awkward. 

[Spartan Girl]

I think the ending to The Vow was shit.  Granted, the whole movie was shit, but the ending pissed me off because you never actually see them fall in love and get remarried, it's just, "Oh hi, I know I haven't talked to you in the six months I've moved back in town and I still don't remember, but I've suddenly decided to at least try to you a chance so let's go on another date."  Whatever.

 

And I know that he loved her, but any other guy wouldn't want to have anything to do with her parents after they tried to brainwash her into becoming their perfect daughter/shoehorning him out of her life, etc.  Why she would even want them in her life after they tried to do that to her baffles me, head injury or no.

[Wiendish Fitch]

The only reason I don't like the end of Do the Right Thing is that Buggin' Out didn't get the horrible, bloody death he so richly deserved. God, but I hated that miserable shit-stirrer.

[proserpina65]

I reaaaally dislike this criticism.  The movie ended as the book did.  To leave out any of those post climactic scenes would have enraged fans.  

This was Peter Jackson's chance to improve on the book, because the multiple ending thing in the book is bad writing.  If Jackson had kept the scouring of the Shire, I might've been okay with keeping the never-ending endings, but the way he handled it just felt endless.  And I adore the books.

[Joe]

I completely agree. While It's been some time since I last saw the movie, I remember some kind of plot happening, and being interested, and then never getting the payoff.

[VCRTracking]

IDK, I think the multiple ending things worked in the book. Even after they destroyed the ring, I was still invested in the chapter about Eowyn and Faramir's romance.

 

As for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, yeah, Last Crusade was a better ending with them riding off into the sunset. But if you extrapolated from that, then Indy's dad and Marcus were always going to die eventually, leaving Indy alone. I'm glad he married Marion. As for practical stunts:

 

The problem was Spielberg didn't try top the action in the old movies. Seeing Fury Road, the fourth Mad Max movie, the reason that movie blew people(like myself away) was that it took what the previous movies did and took it to an INSANE level(while still being plausible).

[Bruinsfan]

Honestly, that wouldn't have been plausible if they hadn't stated before the movie's release that most of the war convoy stuff was practical stunts. As it is I had to override the part of my brain that pointed out these people wouldn't have lasted a week if this was typical behavior for them.

[Princess Sparkle]

I fully recognize this one will only be a pain point for a small number of people, but the ending of the movie adaptation of The Chocolate War pissed me off.  The entire plot and message of the novel hinges on the ending, which carries the message that sometimes, try as you might, the "bad guys" win and it's best not to "disturb the universe" (a TS Elliot quote that runs throughout the novel).  However, when making it into a movie adaptation, there must have been some pressure to turn it into a Hollywood ending, because the ending is entirely changed, the "good guy" triumphs, and the villain of the story gets his punishment.  Which ruins the entire freaking point of the story.  

[Ubiquitous]

I'm sure this will be mentioned, but Grease is one where the ending is just awful. The message, seemingly, is that you should change everything about yourself to win the heart of your man. And in fact, if the change means dressing and acting like a cheap tart, then fine. Even worse is the message earlier in the movie that Danny trying to change himself for Sandy is silly and something he should be mocked for. Nasty movie.

Ditto. I never understood why people liked the way this movie ended.

[caracas1914]

OMG, the worst movie ending ever was the 2001 french film "The Fat Girl" by director Catherine Breillat, which is like a coming of age story of a young insecure overweight girl with an attrative older sister and mom while on vacation, including sexual encounters.

then in the last few minutes

a random ax murderer guy follows the women to a rest stop while traveling home and graphically strangles the mother and ax murders! the sister and rapes the young lead character who then denies to authorities she was raped.

It's not so much that it's a dark and violent ending, as in that it makes NO SENSE to what transpired beforehand. I guess the director said she wanted to show the randomness of life and the inhererent clinical state of rape itself, but geeze louise, it was an interesting character study movie that leapfrogs into a b budget slasher movie.

Edited August 22, 2015 by caracas1914

[caracas1914]

I'm sure this will be mentioned, but Grease is one where the ending is just awful. The message, seemingly, is that you should change everything about yourself to win the heart of your man. And in fact, if the change means dressing and acting like a cheap tart, then fine. Even worse is the message earlier in the movie that Danny trying to change himself for Sandy is silly and something he should be mocked for. Nasty movie.

 

 

The orginal musical as mounted in 1972 on Broadway, WAS a nasty, fairly grim and dark themed production which stripped off the nostalgia hazed look at the 50's and teenage relationships .  The problem was that the 70's movie "cleaned up" the content of the musical (no more "pussy wagon" in Greased lightning)  and so what was an ironic, sort of sordid ending came off as this happy ever after conclusion in the movie and such a WTF thing.