10 Most Satisfying Movie Endings Of All Time

A good ending can improve how people see an entire movie, and some of the best endings live long in the memory. Conversely, disappointing endings can ruin a movie. It’s important to leave an audience on a high note, whether that means crafting a mysterious movie ending that will keep people thinking about it for a while, or simply giving audiences a happy ending. Sometimes there’s no way to beat an uplifting, satisfying finale.

As much as people enjoy a good puzzle, there are times when an unequivocal happy ending is the best option. These endings can create cathartic releases for audiences who have been empathizing with the protagonists throughout their journey. Even some depressing movies can leave the audience with a completely different feeling if they end on an optimistic note

10

The Untouchables (1987)

Al Capone is found guilty and Prohibition is repealed

Based on the true story of Eliot Ness’ pursuit of Al Capone during the Prohibition era, The Untouchables stars Kevin Costner as the leader of a band of misfits who team up to lay down the law. Each with their own motivations, the men are drawn together by a firm adherence to the law, even if the law that they are trying so desperately to uphold isn’t unanimously respected. Some of the cops sneak a drink on occasion, but they are still committed to stopping Capone’s bootlegging empire.

The ending of The Untouchables reveals the true depth of Ness’ apathy toward the laws of Prohibition. For him, the fight was all about stamping out gang violence. Having seen his own men die in the line of duty, and having pushed one of Capone’s men off of a rooftop in a fit of rage, Ness wins his court case against the gangster. Soon afterward, he is told by a reporter that Prohibition has been officially repealed. The reporter questions what he’ll do next, and he delivers one of the best final lines in movie history, “I think I’ll have a drink.”

9

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

The Basterds kill Hitler and several other high-ranking Nazis at the movie theater

Quentin Tarantino changes history in Inglourious Basterds, which makes the ending feel like a huge twist, even though it’s a fairly straightforward development within the context of the story. After constructing an elaborate plan to assassinate Adolf Hitler at a movie screening in Paris, the shocking twist is that the plan works. As the movie theater goes up in flames, one of the American undercover soldiers tears Hitler apart with incessant fire from his machine gun.

Hitler’s death is a cathartic fantasy, a brief moment that lets the audience believe that the end of the Second World War came a little sooner and with a more picturesque moment of triumph. It may be typical of Tarantino’s love of overblown violence, but the massacre in the movie theater pales in comparison to some of the atrocities carried out by the Nazis on a daily basis during the war. There is just one loose end to tie up. Hans Landa strikes a deal to ensure his safety after the Allied victory, so Aldo Raine etches a swastika into his forehead, marking him forever as a despicable villain.

8

Jaws (1975)

Brody and Hooper defeat the shark

Jaws is ostensibly a monster movie, but it gets most of its narrative thrust from the captivating dynamic between its three main characters. As they go out to sea together to try and catch the shark that has been terrorizing Amity Island, the wait for it to appear lets them slowly reveal more about themselves, and they form a strange bond despite their obvious differences. The dramatic climax sees Brody and Hooper team up to finally kill the shark, although Quint doesn’t make it out alive.

As the action subsides and morning breaks, the two surviving men paddle away from their wrecked boat and back to shore. It’s an optimistic ending after such a violent finale. Both men know that they have ensured the safety of the local people, but they have also conquered their personal demons in the process. Brody comments that he has gotten over his fear of the ocean, and the men enjoy their brief swim, knowing that the waters are peaceful once again.

7

Groundhog Day (1993)

Phil breaks the cycle and starts a new day

Groundhog Day stars Bill Murray as Phil, a misanthropic weather reporter who is forced by some unseen power to live the same day over and over again. Phil essentially grieves his own death throughout the movie, flipping between deep depression and nihilistic hedonism. The main through line of his chaotic non-linear story is his love for his coworker Rita, played by Andie MacDowell.

Groundhog Day‘s ending shows that the mysterious time loop was probably some kind of test for Phil, making the entire story an obscure moralistic fable. Phil only gets to wake up the following day when he spends enough time improving himself and breaking down his arrogant, isolated front. The intense repetition of Groundhog Day makes every little difference in the final scene feel like a miracle, and after Phil has slowly become a character who people might actually want to root for, he finally gets a moment of unfettered happiness.

6

The Incredibles (2004)

The Parr family suits up for another fight

The Incredibles pulls off the difficult trick of making a cliffhanger ending feel completely satisfying. After the Parr family celebrate Dash’s expertly restrained third-place finish at his track meet, a new villain pops up from beneath the ground to once again plunge the city into chaos. The heroes put on their masks, ready to fight together as a family, but the credits roll before showing what happens to the Underminer.

The Incredibles is all about the tension of whether superheroes will ever be allowed to exercise their powers again, and it’s especially focused on how the Parr family can function in a world where they have to conceal the most remarkable parts of themselves. The fact that they can fight the Underminer is a huge triumph, no matter how the fight actually goes. The sudden appearance of another outlandish villain also mimics the Saturday morning cartoons which inspired so much of the visual style of The Incredibles.

5

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Andy and Red reunite on a beach in Mexico

The Shawshank Redemption is extremely downbeat at times, but it has an unequivocally happy ending. After serving 20 years in prison for a crime he insists he did not commit, Andy finally breaks out by tunneling from his cell to the outside. Later, Red is released from prison having served his time, and he follows Andy’s carefully laid breadcrumbs to a small town in Mexico, where the two reunite as free men for the first time.

The Shawshank Redemption‘s ending is key to the movie’s enduring appeal. It’s a hopeful message that good people can still triumph in a corrupt system designed to keep them down. The different ways Andy and Red reach Mexico are also important. Red does his time and comes out the other side, which is more than can be said for some other characters. Andy rejects the system entirely and lives life by his own rules. Both men get to enjoy the warm sunshine on the beach in the end, despite all the horrific injustices they have been forced to endure.

4

The Life Of Brian (1979)

Brian is crucified and has to endure a singalong in his final moments

After trying to convince everyone that he isn’t the messiah, Brian only manages to do the exact opposite. He becomes the center of a frenzy, with his followers begging him for pieces of wisdom and the Romans seeking to suppress the rising tide of religious fervor. Ultimately, he is sentenced to death by crucifixion, and he becomes a reluctant martyr for a cause he doesn’t believe in or even understand.

The Life of Brian is the most popular of Monty Python’s movies, and the ending is a big reason for this. Brian’s death is the ultimate punch line to his ridiculous ordeal, just as death is the ultimate punch line to anyone’s life. The Life of Brian constructs an uplifting finale about a man who is being unjustly executed by the state. The song, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” is the cherry on top, with a whistling section that just seems custom-made for audience participation.

3

Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade (1989)

Indy and his friends ride off into the sunset after defeating the Nazis

The original trilogy for the Indiana Jones franchise ends in style, with Indy and his friends riding off into the sunset after cheating death and foiling another Nazi plot. This is a brilliant ending to the movie, but it’s also a fitting end to the trilogy. It enshrines Indy as one of the great cinematic action heroes, and it completes his arc as a pulp adventurer who gradually reveals more emotional depth with the introduction of his father.

Very few franchises, trilogies or eras have ended so perfectly. The Harry Potter franchise, the Star Wars original trilogy and Phase Three of the MCU are three notable exceptions, but there are far more franchises which fizzle out with a whimper. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull faced a tough challenge trying to continue the story after such a perfect ending.

2

When Harry Met Sally (1989)

Harry and Sally realize they are meant to be together

When Harry Met Sally is a perfect rebuttal to anyone who carries a cynical view of love. Over the course of 12 years, Harry and Sally go from polar opposites to friends, and eventually to lovers when they recognize their deep connection. Harry, originally a cold-hearted cynic with sex constantly on his mind, has an epiphany on New Year’s Eve and rushes to see Sally. He delivers one of the most emotional speeches in romcom history, and they kiss at midnight.

When Harry Met Sally almost had a different ending, which would have been much less satisfying than the final version. In Rob Reiner’s original vision, Harry and Sally remain friends. This anticlimactic ending was inspired by the director’s personal life. At the time he wrote the original draft, he had been single for a decade and didn’t believe that he would find love again, but he met his next wife while filming When Harry Met Sally.

1

The Truman Show (1998)

Truman takes his final bow and escapes Seahaven

The Truman Show is a masterclass in dramatic irony, with the entire plot revolving around the fact that Truman is the only person who doesn’t know that his entire world is the set of an elaborate TV show. This makes him very easy to root for, as the audience wants to see him break free from his strange imprisonment and live an authentic life. Nobody in Truman’s world is free from blame for his perverse circumstances, so his eventual escape is an extremely satisfying moment of victory.

As Truman takes his final bow and leaves Seahaven, his future is uncertain, but he has managed to break free from the picture-perfect artifice of his own reality show. This constitutes a triumph, no matter what happens next. The Truman Show‘s ending suggests that life may be messy, but it’s a ride worth taking. As for Truman’s viewers, they simply wonder what else is on TV, showing that they haven’t been deeply affected by anything they’ve just witnessed.