10 terrible movies with great endings
Getting a movie right from start to finish is no easy task. Just ask the likes of Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese and Christopher Nolan, even if they don’t always succeed. Sure, such films as Pulp Fiction, Taxi Driver and Inception are quality from start to finish, but others like Death Proof, Shutter Island and The Dark Knight Rises don’t really end with the same killer blow.
Indeed, there are countless great movies with terrible endings, with David Fincher failing to end 1997’s The Game with aplomb and Danny Boyle concluding 2007’s Sunshine with a dull fade to black. But what about the opposite topic and the thousands of terrible movies that somehow find a way to end with a hint of originality and a flourish of creativity?
Many such movies are horror flicks, with filmmakers having one decent concept and a way to conclude that idea without having thought of the necessary story-building to make a cohesive film. The list we have compiled includes horrors, comedies, sci-fi films, action flicks and many more, with each one sharing the regrettable similarity of being largely terrible before bowing out with glory.
Take a look at our list below, which includes movies from directors such as George Lucas, Cary Joji Fukunaga, James Wan and Marc Webb.
10 terrible movies with great endings:
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Marc Webb, 2014)
The Spider-Man movies have gone through a turbulent existence, with Sam Raimi transforming the character in the early 21st century before Marc Webb went about destroying him in the 2010s. Whilst Raimi’s movies, starring Tobey Maguire, were revered, Webb’s, which featured Andrew Garfield in the title role, didn’t get anywhere near as much love.
The second movie, released in 2014, featured countless goofy moments and about three too many villains, but its ending was surprisingly impactful, depicting the death of Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy. So emotionally resonant was the moment that it was later recreated in the adored 2021 MCU flick Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Click (Frank Coraci, 2006)
On the surface, Frank Coraci’s 2006 comedy Click looks like yet another silly Adam Sandler film, and whilst this is the case for most of the movie, the ending hits you with a serious dose of tears. The story follows a workaholic who discovers a remote control, handed to him by Christopher Walken’s eccentric Morty, that lets him control every aspect of his life from the touch of a button.
Sander’s Michael uses and abuses his newfound fantasy powers but later pays the price when he fast-forwards a little too far and misses out on all the high points of his life yet to come. It all leads to a devastating conclusion that has no right to be as good as it is.
Doom (Andrzej Bartkowiak, 2005)
Video game adaptations get a notoriously terrible rep, with countless movies of the kind being undoubtedly terrible. Yes, we’re looking at you, 2005’s Alone in the Dark. Unfortunately, the 2005 sci-fi Doom was no different, telling the story of a group of Space Marines who are sent to a research facility on Mars to help quell a horrific disturbance whilst being largely rubbish in the process.
The video game, however, is known as one of the most revolutionary of all time, changing the first-person shooter genre forever. Director Andrzej Bartkowiak took this into account in the final act, too, replicating the first-person action of the game with a thrilling final sequence that actually does a good job of reflecting its tone, pace and style.
Final Destination 5 (Steven Quale, 2011)
So, we’re meeting in the middle on this one. We’re actually quite fond of the Final Destination horror franchise, but realise that it might not be for everyone, which is why we’ve included 2011’s Final Destination 5 on the list. Continuing in the familiar vein of the series, following a group of lucky survivors who cheat death only to succumb to bizarre ill fate, the fifth film sees a nice twist to the formula upon its conclusion.
Whilst all the other movies finish with a flurry of death, the ending of Final Destination 5 saw the lucky pack of survivors board an aeroplane that just so happened to be the same fateful flight that perished in the first movie, bringing the whole series delightfully full circle.
Malignant (James Wan, 2021)
There’s no doubt that the Australian filmmaker James Wan has changed horror filmmaking in the 21st century, releasing such movies as Saw, Insidious and The Conjuring that magnetised thousands of fans across the globe. His 2021 flick Malignant wasn’t quite loved to the same extent, however, telling a more niche tale inspired by Italian Giallo horror that told the story of a woman who experiences shocking visions, only for them to come true shortly.
Although everything seems pretty by-the-horror-book throughout the first two-thirds of the movie, the final act goes insane with a twist ending that literally nobody expected. The twist indeed saved things, turning the film from a forgettable genre flick to a highly memorable thrill.
Martyrs (Pascal Laugier, 2008)
This might be a bit of a controversial pick, as there was definitely a time when we loved this gory little French horror flick. Released in 2008 as part of the New Extremity horror movement, Martyrs tells the story of a young woman who seeks revenge against the people who tortured her in her youth, only to fall back into their grip and head into a world of pain and hellish emotional torment.
It’s by no means an easy watch, with much of the film being an endurance test as we watch a woman being battered and bruised, yet the film’s conclusion actually gives the film some impactful weight. It’s so eerie and unpredictable that we don’t even want to spoil the ending. Just know that it’s worth the endless torture scenes.
The Mist (Frank Darabont, 2007)
From one controversial pick to another, we’ve got Frank Darabont’s adaptation of the Stephen King novel The Mist as our seventh choice. Starring the likes of Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Andre Braugher and Toby Jones, the movie tells the story of a fog that descends on a town, carrying with it a pack of Lovecraftian beasts that forces a group of people to seek shelter in a service station.
Whilst most of the film is pretty standard sci-fi fun, it is made all the more memorable by its final scene, which stands out in most people’s minds when they go back to think of the 2007 film. When it seems like the protagonist has gotten away with a group of friends, they become stuck in the fog and choose to kill themselves rather than be brutally ripped apart by the monsters. Yet, there aren’t enough bullets, and when the final character steps out to be killed by the misty monsters, he is met with army troops and safety. It’s brilliantly tragic.
No Time to Die (Cary Joji Fukunaga, 2021)
We’re sticking with the controversial theme for our eighth pick, going for the 2021 James Bond flick No Time to Die, the final film that starred Daniel Craig in the lead role. Helmed by the mind behind HBO’s True Detective, Cary Joji Fukunaga and with a theme tune by Billie Eilish, the film was set to be Craig’s swansong but ended up being something of a total tonal and narrative mess.
But, we have to give No Time to Die for just how ballsy its ending was, killing off the James Bond character for the very first time in the franchise’s history. This is undoubtedly a game changer, giving the character a much-needed fresh start whilst also giving a level of fallibility to Bond that forever changes the cinematic icon.
Sleepaway Camp (Robert Hiltzik, 1983)
When we think about the greatest horror movies of the 1980s, we often turn to the slasher flicks Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Child’s Play, yet dedicated genre fans might bring up Robert Hiltzik’s 1983 film Sleepaway Camp. A niche horror flick, the film tells the story of a shy young girl who is sent to a summer camp, only for violent events to follow her every move.
Although it follows a pretty normal slasher narrative throughout, the ending is truly eerie (and somewhat problematic in today’s world), with the girl revealing herself to actually be a man, letting out a disconcerting hissing sound before the film suddenly ends. Strange and unexpected, it brings things to a truly disturbing close.
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (George Lucas, 1999)
We finish our list with one of the most disappointing movies of all time, the first of George Lucas’ Star Wars prequel trilogy, 1999’s The Phantom Menace. Supposed to kick off the tale of Anakin Skywalker’s rise to villainous rein, the film was something of a bore that put trade disputes front and centre, seeming more interested in building the character of Jar Jar Binks rather than putting together a strong narrative.
Yet, things really come together at the end, when the villain Darth Maul comes to blows with the two lead Jedi, Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi and Liam Neeson’s Qui-Gon Jinn. An epic battle sequence put to the tune of John Williams’ iconic ‘Duel of the Fates’, filmmakers are still trying to match the majesty that is The Phantom Menace finale.
