Posted on Aug 20, 2020

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?!

Allie Hayes

BuzzFeed Staff

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.

Warner Bros.

Well, this week Redditor Shinespark7 asked, "What's your favorite anti-happy ending movie?" and, WHEW, did people deliver!

Warner Bros.

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)

"From a horror fan perspective, that one fucked with me a bit. I loved it."
—soda_cookie — A24

"From a horror fan perspective, that one fucked with me a bit. I loved it."
—soda_cookie

A24

"From a horror fan perspective, that one fucked with me a bit. I loved it."
—soda_cookie

2. There Will Be Blood (2007)

"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."
—keplar — Paramount Vantage

"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."
—keplar

Paramount Vantage

"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."
—keplar

3. The Green Mile (1999)

"I'd say this one for sure."
—kove45 — Warner Bros.

"I'd say this one for sure."
—kove45

Warner Bros.

"I'd say this one for sure."
—kove45

4. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

"I love the ending and always will. The perfect way to end a comedy."
—CaptDeadeye — Cinema 5

"I love the ending and always will. The perfect way to end a comedy."
—CaptDeadeye

Cinema 5

"I love the ending and always will. The perfect way to end a comedy."
—CaptDeadeye

5. No Country For Old Men (2007)

"No good ending, no bad ending. Just an ending, and life goes on."
—ThecoolDwarf — Miramax Films

"No good ending, no bad ending. Just an ending, and life goes on."
—ThecoolDwarf

Miramax Films

"No good ending, no bad ending. Just an ending, and life goes on."
—ThecoolDwarf

6. Parasite (2019)

—Starr_Yuu — CJ Entertainment

—Starr_Yuu

CJ Entertainment

—Starr_Yuu

7. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

"The movie ends with the whole world being destroyed by nuclear war. The final scene is strangely funny and optimistic, though."
—Lakna_Rokee — Columbia Pictures

"The movie ends with the whole world being destroyed by nuclear war. The final scene is strangely funny and optimistic, though."
—Lakna_Rokee

Columbia Pictures

"The movie ends with the whole world being destroyed by nuclear war. The final scene is strangely funny and optimistic, though."
—Lakna_Rokee

8. Shutter Island (2010)

"It was a pretty massive, mind-bending experience with that ending. Excellent movie."
—Method__Man — Paramount Pictures

"It was a pretty massive, mind-bending experience with that ending. Excellent movie."
—Method__Man

Paramount Pictures

"It was a pretty massive, mind-bending experience with that ending. Excellent movie."
—Method__Man

9. Atonement (2007)

—localmoondog — Focus Features

—localmoondog

Focus Features

—localmoondog

10. Gone Girl (2014)

"The ending was amazing. A full-on, heavy-as-lead, 'Oh shit, these poor saps are deeply and truly fucked' ending. I loved it!"
—SyntheticRatking — 20th Century Fox

"The ending was amazing. A full-on, heavy-as-lead, 'Oh shit, these poor saps are deeply and truly fucked' ending. I loved it!"
—SyntheticRatking

20th Century Fox

"The ending was amazing. A full-on, heavy-as-lead, 'Oh shit, these poor saps are deeply and truly fucked' ending. I loved it!"
—SyntheticRatking

11. Edward Scissorhands (1990)

"I continued crying until the end of the credits."
—DieMauz — 20th Century Fox

"I continued crying until the end of the credits."
—DieMauz

20th Century Fox

"I continued crying until the end of the credits."
—DieMauz

12. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

"For sure one of the saddest endings."
—thisistoomuchman — United Artists

"For sure one of the saddest endings."
—thisistoomuchman

United Artists

"For sure one of the saddest endings."
—thisistoomuchman

13. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

"I mean, sure, it was happy for Thanos..."
—Redjurrac73 — Marvel Studios

"I mean, sure, it was happy for Thanos..."
—Redjurrac73

Marvel Studios

"I mean, sure, it was happy for Thanos..."
—Redjurrac73

14. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)

"It's one of Steve Carell’s more serious roles, too."
—Shlemp — Focus Features

"It's one of Steve Carell’s more serious roles, too."
—Shlemp

Focus Features

"It's one of Steve Carell’s more serious roles, too."
—Shlemp

15. The Dark Knight (2008)

"The Joker pretty much wins."
—SerSleepy — Warner Bros.

"The Joker pretty much wins."
—SerSleepy

Warner Bros.

"The Joker pretty much wins."
—SerSleepy

16. Remember Me (2010)

"The ending to that one stuck with me for a while."
—maskentaenzerin — Summit Entertainment

"The ending to that one stuck with me for a while."
—maskentaenzerin

Summit Entertainment

"The ending to that one stuck with me for a while."
—maskentaenzerin

17. Dark Skies (2013)

"it has the most disturbing unhappy ending of all time, in my opinion."
—GunBullety — Dimension Films

"it has the most disturbing unhappy ending of all time, in my opinion."
—GunBullety

Dimension Films

"it has the most disturbing unhappy ending of all time, in my opinion."
—GunBullety

18. The Mist (2007)

"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."
—Kuli24 — MGM

"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."
—Kuli24

MGM

"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."
—Kuli24

19. Watchmen (2009)

"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."
—jephistopheles — Warner Bros.

"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."
—jephistopheles

Warner Bros.

"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."
—jephistopheles

20. The Lighthouse (2019)

"What a strange way to end an already strange movie."
—swanj2000 — A24

"What a strange way to end an already strange movie."
—swanj2000

A24

"What a strange way to end an already strange movie."
—swanj2000

21. The Cabin in the Woods (2011)

"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!"
—Absyntho — Lionsgate

"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!"
—Absyntho

Lionsgate

"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!"
—Absyntho

22. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

"I think this one fits into this category since Freddy Krueger traps the protagonists in a Freddy-car and drives away."
—ThatBillyGuy17 — New Line Cinema

"I think this one fits into this category since Freddy Krueger traps the protagonists in a Freddy-car and drives away."
—ThatBillyGuy17

New Line Cinema

"I think this one fits into this category since Freddy Krueger traps the protagonists in a Freddy-car and drives away."
—ThatBillyGuy17

23. And finally, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

"That ending haunted me for years afterward."
—lachavela — United Artists

"That ending haunted me for years afterward."
—lachavela

United Artists

"That ending haunted me for years afterward."
—lachavela

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.

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