23 "Anti-Happy Endings" In Movies That Are So Good, You'll Almost Forget How Messed Up They Are
More like happily NEVER after, am I right?!
There are few things that knock the wind out of you quite like an expertly executed movie ending — even if that ending isn't your traditionally "happy" one.
Well, this week Redditor Shinespark7 asked, "What's your favorite anti-happy ending movie?" and, WHEW, did people deliver!
So, with that in mind, here are just a few of the films that don't exactly end with a "Happily Ever After" card:
1. Hereditary (2018)
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"From a horror fan perspective, that one fucked with me a bit. I loved it."
2. There Will Be Blood (2007)
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"It's one of my favorite endings ever! The main characters are both horrible people, who we see interacting in the movie over the course of many years/most of their lives. One becomes a merciless, vindictive oil baron and the other becomes a smarmy, hypocritical radio evangelist. The ending consists of the evangelist going to the baron to beg for money to support his fraudulent lifestyle, where the baron drunkenly mocks and belittles him, then beats him to death with a bowling pin."
3. The Green Mile (1999)
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"I'd say this one for sure."
4. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
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"I love the ending and always will. The perfect way to end a comedy."
5. No Country For Old Men (2007)
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"No good ending, no bad ending. Just an ending, and life goes on."
6. Parasite (2019)
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7. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
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"The movie ends with the whole world being destroyed by nuclear war. The final scene is strangely funny and optimistic, though."
8. Shutter Island (2010)
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"It was a pretty massive, mind-bending experience with that ending. Excellent movie."
9. Atonement (2007)
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10. Gone Girl (2014)
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"The ending was amazing. A full-on, heavy-as-lead, 'Oh shit, these poor saps are deeply and truly fucked' ending. I loved it!"
11. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
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"I continued crying until the end of the credits."
12. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
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"For sure one of the saddest endings."
13. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
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"I mean, sure, it was happy for Thanos..."
14. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)
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"It's one of Steve Carell’s more serious roles, too."
15. The Dark Knight (2008)
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"The Joker pretty much wins."
16. Remember Me (2010)
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"The ending to that one stuck with me for a while."
17. Dark Skies (2013)
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"it has the most disturbing unhappy ending of all time, in my opinion."
18. The Mist (2007)
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"Not the best movie, but the most, 'I can't believe it ended that way' shockingly unhappy ending. My jaw hit the floor as the credits ran and I just sat there."
19. Watchmen (2009)
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"One of the good guys ends up being the bad guy, and all of the other good guys just go along with him because revealing the truth would only make things worse. It's so cynical, but so much more realistic than a happy ending."
20. The Lighthouse (2019)
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"What a strange way to end an already strange movie."
21. The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
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"It was a very special movie with regards to tearing down the borders of genres. The end was also definitely not happy. What a roller coaster!"
22. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
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"I think this one fits into this category since Freddy Krueger traps the protagonists in a Freddy-car and drives away."
23. And finally, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
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"That ending haunted me for years afterward."
Now it's your turn! Can you top these? What's YOUR favorite "anti-happy ending" in a movie? Share yours in the comments below!
Some entries were edited for length and/or clarity. H/T Reddit.