3 Movies Endings That Really Stick!

Some movie endings fade from memory once the credits roll, while others stay lodged in your mind, not because of the answers that were offered, but because of the ones that weren’t. Sometimes, the best endings aren’t the sweet ones or the ones that restore the equilibrium, but the ones that linger and leave you thinking until you inevitably watch the film to experience them again. So, I’ve compiled a list of 3 movie endings that really stick, and not just for a few days, I mean ones that really make you think. Whether it’s a spinning top, a faint whistle or a camera falling to the floor, the best endings don’t give us closure; they leave you questioning. That’s what makes them truly unforgettable. Let’s get into it!

1. Inception

Everyone is familiar with the final shot of Christopher Nolan’s Inception. The spinning top that holds reality in its palm. Is Cobb dreaming, or is he awake? It’s a question that has never been answered, and one that never will be. The ending is left up to the audience to decipher, and for them to create the reality they want to believe is real. The whole film is a trip, a blur between fiction and truth, and it’s hard to keep up. That’s what makes the ending so perfect; it fits the film's themes perfectly and proves that some questions are better left unanswered. 

 2. Prisoners

There’s no denying that this is one of the most brutally dark and horrifying films. While it fits perfectly within the crime genre, it serves a greater purpose in the horror category. As an older sibling, this film is terrifying, so I can only imagine what it must be like for parents. The entire narrative is drenched in grit and dread, but the ending truly cements its cruelty. The pain and suffering that Hugh Jackman’s character goes through, only to wind up stuck forever, is unbearably devastating. It’s a harsh truth, but this conclusion fits the film a little too well.

 3.  The Blair Witch Project

If you consider yourself a movie buff, then you’re familiar with the 1999 horror classic, The Blair Witch Project, a pioneer for the found-footage genre. Undeniably one of the most chilling horrors, despite there being no physical monster. However, even though this movie breaks away from traditional horror conventions, there’s no doubt that it’s just as terrifying. I mean, being lost in the woods is an unsettling thought for most people, but with the addition of twigs snapping, tents shaking, and only a camera to guide you, it’s essentially a camping trip from hell. The whole narrative is wrapped in a haunted atmosphere, and it’s all perfectly concluded with the camera falling to the ground and one of our protagonists staring blankly at a wall. It’s this reason why this ending is so fitting; there are no jump scares or visible reasons to be terrified, just the reinforcement of the horrific history that has been subtly threaded throughout the beginning of the film, the horrors that occurred in this basement, that are all happening again. It’s left to the audience's imagination, the same audience whose minds have been cultivated to believe that monsters lurk in the dark and prey on those who are vulnerable.