Warning: This article contains spoilers for the movies discussed.
Who would argue that creating the perfect horror movie ending is easy? It’s not. There have been countless horror movies released throughout cinematic history, some amazing, others not so much, but the ones that shined were fantastic from start to finish. Not every horror movie ending is so highly regarded or memorable; some are evendownright awful and ruin the film’s reputation. However, some cinematic conclusions truly deserve to be called “perfect.”
FromIt Followsto the black-and-white classicPsycho,the ten horror movies below are praised for having the most remarkable endingsever. These iconic finales are memorable, and some are even terrifying; above all, they’ve given audiences a satisfying end to these incredible stories. These endings are essential to cinematic horror history, and a few continue to influence the genre to this day and will likely stay that way.
10’The Others' (2001)
Directed by Alejandro Amenábar
Proving that the early2000s released some of the greatest horror moviesever,The Othersby directorAlejandro Amenábarwas a fascinating and eerie tale that breathed new life into the haunted house subgenre. Starring Academy Award-winnerNicole Kidman, it’s a tense psychological thriller that follows her character, Grace, a worried mother struggling to protect her two children when she suspects her estate is haunted by sinister spirits, or so it seems.
Ina brilliant and rather heartbreaking twist, the ending reveals that Grace and her children had been the actual ones haunting the house, as they’d been dead for decades, an act committed by Grace out of grief for the loss of her husband during WWII. This shocking finale wasexpertly built up throughout the storyas several clues hinted at a twist without giving too much away. It’s an emotionally devastating conclusion that can make any audience member gasp at its reveal and also leave them teary-eyed.
The Others
9’The Texas Chain Saw Massacre' (1974)
Directed by Tobe Hooper
The late directorTobe Hooper’sThe Texas Chain Saw Massacreis nothing short of a masterpiece. It’s a gritty, violent, and shockingly unpleasant horror classic that continues to stun fans today. It tells of a small group of young friends whose seemingly fun trip through the Texas countryside turns into a bloodbath when they unintentionally cross a disturbed cannibalistic serial killer, Leatherface (Gunner Hanson), and his brood of equally unhinged family members.
An undeniable icon of horror with deft direction, memorable characters, and haunting imagery,The Texas Chain Saw Massacreis perfect from beginning to end. The finale, in particular, isone of the most iconic conclusions in slasher history, showing the enraged Leatherface as he dances wildly with his chainsaw, angered that his final target, Sally (Marilyn Burns), has driven off to safety. It’sa frighteningly memorable endingthat capped off this gory masterpiece on a chilling high note.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
8’It Follows' (2014)
Directed by David Robert Mitchell
For non-stop terror and unending dread, 2014’sIt Followshas that and more. Directed byDavid Robert Mitchell, this eerie, suspenseful monster flick has become the biggest standout of the horror genre in recent years. StarringLonglegs’Maika Monroe, it tells the story of Jay Height, a young woman who, after a bizarre one-night stand, begins seeing a slow-moving, shapeshifting entity that keeps chasing her.
It’s an hour and forty minutes of pure nightmare fuel that ends as terrifyingly as it began. The finale sees Jay, uncertain that she and her friends have defeated the entity, as she reluctantly accepts to pass her curse onto her caring friend Paul (Keir Gilchrist), who then intends to pass it on to other unsuspecting victims to delay the inevitable. But it’s never clear if he went through with it. The last shot of Jay and Paul walking on a sidewalk,uncertain of their future, while someone is approaching behind them, is the perfect ending for this film to go out on. Itcomplements the suspense and paranoiaofIt Follows,and it’ll keep audiences thinking about it long after the credits have finished.
It Follows
Directed by George A. Romero
The king of modern zombie films, the lateGeorge A. Romero, has changed horror forever with his low-budget 1968 cult classicNight of the Living Dead. Considered by many to be one of the most significant horror movies in history, it’s a groundbreaking cinematic achievement that will forever remain timeless. It follows a small group of people as they struggle to work together to survive a night in a lone farmhouse when the dead rise from their graves to eat the living.
There’s no denying how much of a game-changer this was upon release.Night of the Living Deadwas darker, more violent, and far bleaker than anything audiences had ever seen before at the time. Nowhere does it get bleaker than in its finale, which sees the last survivor of the night, Ben (Duane Jones), beingshockingly killed off just moments from rescueby an armed posse member who mistook him for a zombie. It’s one of the mostunexpected deaths in movie historyand perfectly illustrates to the audience that, in a zombie apocalypse, no one is ever truly safe. It’san iconic and depressing ending that still feels poignantall these years later.
Night of the Living Dead
6’Halloween' (1978)
Directed by John Carpenter
From the legendary filmmakerJohn Carpentercomes his 1978 horror masterpiece, which launched slasher movies into the spotlight.Halloweenisa bonafide classic that redefined slashersand gave horror some of its most legendary scenes. Starring the lateDonald Pleasenceand Oscar-winnerJamie Lee Curtis, it tells of disturbed serial killer Michael Myers (Nick Castle) as he escapes his mental hospital to rampage through the streets of his hometown on Halloween night.
Halloweenis terrifying throughout, and it’s greatly suspenseful and noticeably atmospheric. Its ending is especially memorable as it chillingly concludes with Michael still on the loose after surviving six gunshots from his psychiatrist, Dr. Loomis (Pleasence). The final moments, as the camera cuts to several locations that were shown throughout the film, with Michael breathing heavily in the background, isa monumentally creepy finale that instills fearwithin the audience. This nail-biting ending lets them knowMichael can be everywhere and can pop up without warning. It’s one of the most anxiety-inducing endings in horror history and a perfectly suspenseful note to go out on.
5’The Shining' (1980)
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrickwas one of the most fascinating filmmakers of the 20th century, responsible for making remarkable films across multiple genres. His great contribution to horror,The Shining, though initially mixed by critics, has since become one of the genre’s most iconic pictures. StarringJack Nicholsonas struggling writer Jack Torrance, it follows him as he takes his wife and son to be caretakers of an isolated mountain resort for the winter. But, as he realizes the place is haunted, sinister spirits that lurk within the hotel slowly corrupt him to kill his family.
A deeply unsettling psychological classicwith thought-provoking themes and bizarre imagery,The Shininghas been debated for years since its release, especially for its ending. The finale sees Jack, having failed to kill his family, as he succumbs to the cold outside. The last shot is of him in an old photograph from the 1920s in a frame in the hotel lobby. Was he a reincarnation all along? Does it mean his soul is now trapped in the hotel like the spirits? Does it mean something more? Thankfully,these questions are left unanswered, making ita truly fascinating ending that keeps audiences coming backto figure out more.
The Shining
4’Psycho' (1960)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
The legendarySir Alfred Hitchcock’sPsychocan turn anyone into a horror fan. It’s about the disappearance of a Phoenix desk secretary, Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), who went missing after stealing from her employer and running off into the desert. As an investigation ensues, Marion is led to an isolated motel owned by a strange-acting man, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), who lives with his mysterious, overbearing mother, Norma.
Wildly seen asone of the most significant horror films in history,Psychois a magnificent landmark of cinema and continues to have a lasting impact on pop culture. Everything is simply perfect about it. Most incredibly, it has a twist ending which reveals that Norman is a deeply disturbed individual, having killed Marion while dressed up as his deceased mother, the result of an identity disorder. It’s a trulyshocking and memorable conclusion that was groundbreaking at the timeand continues to be influential today.
3’The Sixth Sense' (1999)
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
From one of the most polarizing filmmakers of the 21st century,M. Night Shyamalan, comes undeniably his greatest achievement,The Sixth Sense, a 1999 supernatural horror drama starringBruce WillisandHaley Joel Osment. It’s about famed child psychiatrist Malcolm Crowe, desperate to redeem himself after failing a patient, as he takes on the case of Cole Sear, a young boy with the eerie ability to see and communicate with lost spirits.
Though it’s a near-perfect thriller with great direction and powerful acting, admittedly,The Sixth Senseis most remembered today for having one of themost unexpected twist endings in history. The conclusion sees Malcolm finally come to the realization thathe’s been dead for a long time, killed by a disgruntled former patient. Shocked but now coming to terms with this revelation, he learns to expect his demise and finally moves to the afterlife. It’sa bittersweet and shocking conclusionthat has never lost its ability to amaze viewers.
The Sixth Sense
2’Rosemary’s Baby' (1968)
Directed by Roman Polanski
A masterclass in tension and building suspense,Roman Polanski’sRosemary’s Babyis one of themost unsettling and atmospheric classic horror moviesever made. StarringMia Farrowin her breakthrough role, the film follows her character, Rosemary Woodhouse, as she suspects that her husband and strange-acting neighbors intend to use her unborn baby for sinister means.
Rosemary’s Babyis a flawless horror masterpiece that keeps audiences drawn into its chilling story from beginning to end, and its finale is surely one to remember. In one of the scariest plot twists ever, the ending reveals that Rosemary has been used by devil worshipers and her ambitious, ruthless husband tobring the anti-Christ into the worldand nurture him. It’sa startling reveal that hasn’t lost its effectivenessall these years.
Rosemary’s Baby
1’The Thing' (1982)
If there’s one film to prove that John Carpenter isthe greatest horror director of all time, it would be his 1982 masterpiece,The Thing. StarringKurt Russell, the lateWilford Brimley, andKeith David, it’s a fascinating and terrifyingly memorable monster flick that follows a team of researchers at an isolated Antarctic outpost as they battle a ferocious alien beast that’s able to morph itself into any living thing it comes in contact with.
The Thingis undeniablyone of the most suspenseful horror films ever made, and itshair-raising, ambiguous endinghas become vital to its rewatchable status after all these years. The conclusion sees the last two survivors, having finally wiped out the last trace of the alien in an explosion, as they sit and wait to freeze in the cold, unable to trust each other as they don’t know if one of them may secretly be infected. It’s perhapsthe most famous and terrifying ending in cinema, and it remains endlessly debated among fans whether one of the survivors is an alien or not.The Thingendures today as one of horror’s all-time greats, thanks to its perfect finale.
NEXT:15 Horror Movies That Will Entertain You From Start to Finish
