There is nothing better than a good horror film. They bring so much to the table, including great performances, chilling special effects, and thrilling stories of dread. Horror films have become even more popular in recent years, and everybody is waiting for the next great movie to haunt their dreams. One of the greatest aspects of horror movies is that there are so many topics to explore. Demons, ghosts, and sadistic killers have been common subjects in horror films. When The Blair Witch Project came along, the world was introduced to the found-footage genre. Although the horror genre may not be for everyone, a good scary movie will certainly fill in the seats at the theater.
The final scene of a horror film is very important. It has to conclude the film in a satisfying way, but there is also more to it: the ending scene of a good horror flick should leave the audience shook. One of the most intriguing aspects of ending a horror film is that it does not always have to be a happy ending. In most films, it is the protagonist that comes out on top. In a horror film, the tables are turned, and sometimes the villain wins. Movies like Saw showed us that the final scene could be a twist ending, which is always a great way to end a story. Throughout the years, there have been several iconic final scenes to our favorite horror films. After some tough cuts, let's look at the best ones.
9 Drag Me To Hell
Sam Raimi's Drag Me To Hell tells the story of a loan officer named Christine (Alison Lohman) whose life is consumed by a supernatural curse. The ending of the film is extremely disturbing and features some great special effects. After Christine believes that her curse has finally ended, her boyfriend, Clay (Justin Long), hands her a button, which is symbolic of the curse. Christine then falls onto train tracks, and we watch as hands appear from a fire pit and drag her to the depths of Hell. Clay watches through a speeding train as his girlfriend screams and burns, giving us an epic ending.
8 Hereditary
Ari Aster's Hereditary terrified audiences and proved that he is a master of horror. The story follows a family whose lives are disrupted by a supernatural force while they are mourning the loss of their youngest daughter. After a terrifying climax when the son, Peter (Alex Wolff) is chased by his possessed mother (Toni Collette), he finds himself in a tree house surrounded by members of an evil coven, including his decapitated mother. Peter learns that he is now the king of the coven, and the scene is filled with a piercing score. It is a terrifying, yet strangely optimistic, ending.
7 Saw
As previously stated, Saw is a great example of a horror movie wrapping up with a twist ending. The story follows two men chained in an unknown location, having to figure out a series of gruesome puzzles to escape. At the same time, there is a dead corpse in the middle of the floor. After Dr. Gordon (Cary Elwes) saws his own leg off to go get help, Adam (Leigh Whannell) is left in the room to find out that the "corpse" is actually Jigsaw (Tobin Bell), the man who had imprisoned them in the first place. We listen to Adam scream as Jigsaw closes the door, leaving him to die, giving us a great twist and a terrifying ending.
6 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Although it is a story of a sadistic killer murdering a group of youths with a chainsaw, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre does end with a victory for the protagonist. After Sally (Marylin Burns) escapes Letherface's house of horror and hops in the back of a pickup truck, we watch as Leatherface swings his chainsaw around like the maniac that he is. Sally escapes the nightmare and is on her way to safety, leaving Leatherface behind. The final shots of Leatherface swinging around are extremely chilling, but the lighting of the scene also makes the shots quite beautiful.
5 Paranormal Activity
Paranormal Activity is a slow-burn of a horror film, but it absolutely pays off. We watch as a couple is tormented by a paranormal presence in their house. In the final scene, Katie is finally completely possessed by the supernatural force, and she throws her husband, Micah, at the camera. She then slowly walks towards the camera covered in blood, and roars as she comes face to face with the camera, giving us one final jump scare. The scariest part of the ending, and the entire film, is that the found-footage approach makes it seem extremely real.
4 The Sixth Sense
The Sixth Sense is another great example of a horror film ending with a twist ending; and this is also one of the greatest twist endings in film history. After a psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) helps Cole (Haley Joel Osment) learn to live with the ability of seeing ghosts, he returns home to his wife only to make a chilling discovery. Crowe, himself, is actually a ghost. We watch as Crowe slowly discovers his truth, and through a series of flashbacks, we learn that he had been a ghost the entire time.
3 The Blair Witch Project
The Blair Witch Project is possibly the greatest found-footage film of all time. What makes its legacy even better is that many audience members thought that it was actual footage. The film follows three filmmakers who go into the deep woods to find the legendary Blair Witch. The final scene consists of one of the filmmakers, Heather, slowly walking through an abandoned house. As we hear screams in the background, she turns the corner to see her fellow filmmaker, Mike, standing in the corner, seemingly possessed by an unknown force. The camera falls to the ground, giving us a chilling, unresolved ending.
2 Rosemary's Baby
The ending of Rosemary's Baby is terrifying for a few reasons. One is that Rosemary (Mia Farrow) discovers that she had given birth to the son of Satan, and eventually accepts her fate. Farrow's performance is brilliant, and she totally conveys the feelings of shock and horror. Another terrifying aspect of the ending is that Rosemary discovers that her husband, as well as her neighbors, were all in on it, being that they are members of a Satanic cult. The ending will certainly leave a bad feeling in your stomach.
1 Halloween
John Carpenter's Halloween is an iconic horror film that introduced the world to the sadistic Michael Myers. After a terrifying climax where Myer's sister, Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis), is stalked by the killer, Myers is finally thrown out a window where he is presumed to be dead. The only thing is that one of the final shots shows that Myers is no longer there, inferring that he has run away alive. As Laurie cries, and the eerie soundtrack kicks in, we are left with the fact that Myers is still out there. It is a perfect example of a film ending on a chilling last breath.