Since the early 1900s, humankind has produced about half a million movies. Throughout approximately ten main genres, if someone can think of a narrative, it’s out there somewhere. And if not, it will be soon. Some of these movies have made their marks and became immortal classics, likeCasablanca,Fantasia, or12 Angry Men.
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Some are era defying classics that fizzle out after a generation of fans, and others are just movies one can watch only once. This list consists of movies of all genres and ages, and have one thing in common: They’re otherwise forgettable movies saved by their incredible endings.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
10Deep Impact
There was a moment in history when filmmakers everywhere were obsessed with the end of the world. Maybe it was brought on by rumors of the world ending in 2012, or maybe they were just experimenting with CGI. Whatever the case,Deep Impactwas one of the most well-known disaster movies of its time.
But despite the high stakes, the movie was forgettable and felt uninspired to many. Quite surprisingly though, the movie manages a heartwarming and not at all disappointing ending that makes viewer rethink their opinions. However, it’s too bad the entire movie didn’t have the same energy as the ending.
9The One I Love
The One I Lovewas missed by many, and those who’ve watched it probably won’t be revisiting the movie every week. It’s a slow-burning drama with a great ending, but an overall mediocre film next to the giants. The plot follows a couple traveling to a resort in an attempt to save their relationship.
On their vacation, they realize that their doppelgängers are everywhere, trying to break them up and cause havoc. By the end, Ethan (Mark Duplass) runs off with Sophie (Elisabeth Moss), returning home. However, at the end of the movie, he’s unsure about “which Sophie” he escaped with, and decides not to even pull on that thread. It’s a thrilling journey witha great ambiguous ending, despite it being a forgettable movie.
8Avengers: Infinity War
Next to otherAvengersmovies,Infinity Warwasthe most forgettable of the bunch. Yet, it has arguably the best ending in superhero movie history. With half of all living things destroyed, the audience sees a huge chunk of the Avengers disintegrating.
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In the final minutes of the movie, Thanos is seen sitting down on another planet, looking at the sunset and smiling. With the combination of such a defining cliffhanger and the cinematic masterpiece that is the last scene, this ending will stay with fans forever, regardless of the rest of the movie’s rating.
7The Prestige
The Prestigeis a love-it-or-hate-it movie, which is always a little weird. Die-hard fans can’t get enough, and others have never even heard of it. And while it is a decent movie, most people can make do without ever seeing it again.
The reason it’s on this list is that those who remember it, and all those die-hard fans, are all remembering one great thing about the movie: the ending. Some even say it’sthe best twist ending by Christopher Nolan. It’s a truly mind-bending movie that will make people think, but fans of the genre know there are giants that this movie just shrinks next to.
6The Thing
This movie classic from the 80s is a typical alien-abduction story. Most young people today don’t even know about, but older siblings and parents in every household will remember. The most memorable part was the ending, making it another mediocre film saved by the bell.
While the actors were sublime, and the plot was interesting and exciting (in the 80s), the true twist was at the end. When the only two survivors weren’t sure about whether the other was contaminated by the aliens or not, rather than acting upon the suspicion, they both drink from the same bottle, and the rest is history.
5The Last Samurai
Arguably the most beautiful Tom Cruise movie,The Last Samuraiis a cinematic buffet of Japan and theSamurai culture within it. Army Captain Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) travels to Japan to train the newly created Imperial Japanese Army. Here, finds himself in the middle of a kind of love story, and an internal battle against alcoholism and the culture he’s in.
This rather long movie takes the viewers on an emotional roller-coaster and after long hours of tension building up, viewers never truly know what happens to the protagonist. Instead, they can only hear the rumors of his fate circulating.
4The World’s Fastest Indian
Anthony Hopkins starred in the true story of Burt Munro, a speed bike racer in New Zealand, and his highly modified motorcycle with which he set various speed records that stand to this day. His story is mind-blowing, and the movie is fantastic, as anything starring Anthony Hopkins is bound to be.
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Sadly, most audiences aren’t familiar with the movie despite the outstanding filmmaking. Yet, viewers will always remember the emotional impact and the heartbreaking ending when the protagonist can barely get back home after burning his entire leg by the exhaust.
3The Bodyguard
The Bodyguardwas a favorites of romance lovers everywhere. With the eye candy that is Kevin Costner and the legend that is Whitney Houston, this film and its soundtrack could make the screen melt off the television. It’s romance on top of romance on top of cliches: jumping into a cold lake to save a little boy, forbidden love, and looking through each other’s windows.
Filmmakers attempted to fill the movie with action scenes to make it guy-friendly, but it’s a chick-flick nonetheless. The build-up before the ending, the ups and downs of the movie, all reach the final conclusion: an ending scene filled with the best cliches, and the most well-known Whitney song of all time. If that’s not iconic, nothing is.
2The Sixth Sense
In every household, there will be at least one person who loved this movie some time ago. Sadly, it’s becoming buried under the latest technologies and ideas, and mostly lives in the memories of the generation who witnessed it the first time.
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The Sixth Senseis actually a great movie, filled with amazing ideas andgreat actors. Parents pass it on to the next generation are doing something right, but sadly that doesn’t occur often. The ending was everything in this movie, with an impact almost as great as the ending ofInception. Trying to avoid huge spoilers, it has one of the most shocking twists in the genre and was executed perfectly.
1Psycho
Not as forgettable as the others, this is a classic most people today haven’t watched. But even people who haven’t seenPsychoknow the ending. A staple of filmmaking history, modern movies and shows still reference it plenty. Though many have forgotten the exact plot, the ending lives on.
After the huge, mind-blowing twist, Hitchcock doesn’t leave it at that – he simply has to go one step further. This is what makes him one of the best filmmakers in history. It’s not enough to reveal that the murders were committed by Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) dressed as his mother. In the last scenes, it’s also revealed that the mother was dead all along. It’s one of the best endings in cinematic history.
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