"I Sobbed For Two Hours Afterwards" – 16 Film Endings People Think Were Completely And Utterly Perfect

    "An absolutely perfect ending to seriously one of the greatest ensemble films."

    Benjamin Dzialdowski
    by Benjamin Dzialdowski

    BuzzFeed Staff

    The ending to a movie is essential, it's the last thing we remember of course. Well, we've recently been talking about some films that have completely nailed the ending, and people have done the honourable thing and shared some more.

    Fox

    1. The Passion of the Christ

    Side profile of a man with long hair and beard, in contemplative mood
    New Market Films

    "After the movie was over, the entire theatre shuffled out in stunned silence. All heads were bowed, no one spoke a single word."

    —zeeba

    2. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

    E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial character holding up a glowing finger
    Universal Pictures

    "It destroys me every time! Knowing that ET was just a kid who got left behind on a foreign planet and almost died makes me sob every time I see it."

    —janineande

    3. Officer and A Gentleman

    Man in naval uniform embracing woman among onlooking crowd
    Paramount Pictures

    "It's my favourite movie ending ever! I cry every time."

    —beastie1231

    4. Home Alone

    Two characters, a man and woman, embracing in a snowy scene from the film
    20th Century Studios

    "It has one of the best endings ever."

    —amandarsudo

    5. You’ve Got Mail

    Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan standing close, facing each other with a backdrop of flowers
    Warner Bros. Pictures

    "The final scene where they 'meet for the first time' always makes me emotional."

    —autumnb49ac939d8

    6. Arrival

    Person in a raincoat and another figure looking at a circular symbol drawn on a foggy surface
    Paramount Pictures

    "The final 10 minutes of that film not only turns the rest of the movie on its head, but it is filmmaking at its very finest. Every shot, every line, every edit, every note — perfection."

    —fishguynola

    7. Chinatown

    Man in fedora, close-up on tense expression, another man in a hat behind him
    Paramount Pictures

    "It should definitelty be on any list like this."

    —mrsandman29

    8. The Whale

    Man with an emotional expression, wearing a casual t-shirt
    A24

    "I sobbed for two hours afterwards – heart-wrenching,"

    —daisymariemurphy

    9. Identity

    Woman looking up in surprise at a person extending an object towards her
    Sony Pictures Releasing

    "It becomes known that every character has the same birthday but everyone in the audience is just as confused as the characters as to why, until we finally find out..."

    —jonmoody

    10. No Country for Old Men

    Tommy Lee Jones wearing a plaid shirt, seated indoors, with a pensive expression
    Paramount Pictures

    "When he wipes his feet off and you know why."

    —lulupanda57

    11. Women Talking

    Woman in early 20th-century dress standing in a field, looking back over her shoulder
    United Artist Releasing

    "The last minutes when you're not sure if they're going to be able to leave or not. An absolutely perfect ending to seriously one of the greatest ensemble films."

    —kennardaaron95

    12. Oppenheimer

    Character wearing a vintage hat and coat, looking pensive
    Universal Pictures

    "The horror-laced ending sends chills down my spine three viewings later."

    —allierowling

    13. Rogue One

    Two silhouetted individuals embracing by the sea at sunset
    Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

    "When I went to see it on a whim, I was blown away by the ending so perfectly leading up to Episode IV. It was so satisfying and I don’t think I was the only person to feel this way as the theater collectively clapped at the end of the film."

    —allierowling


    14. Big Fish

    Scene from a film with a man carrying a woman in his arms, others cheering in the background
    Sony Pictures Releasing

    "How they tied in the wild half truth stories the father told into the actual stories the son sees at his father's funeral was such a perfect ending, IMO. I read the book and disliked how it portrayed the father son dynamic. 

    I really don't know how it was even a movie possibility with the way the book had been written. When they made the movie with the father's narrative it completely changed the story for me."

    —babycapricorn129

    15. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

    Two men embracing, one comforting the other, in a scene from a film
    United Artists

    "Showing my age, but never forgot walking out of that theatre. DEAD SILENCE. The only sounds were the shuffling of coats and feet."

    —mcevoymom

    16. Empire Strikes Back

    Darth Vader stands facing Luke Skywalker in a tense duel on a narrow platform
    20th Century Studios

    "If you’re old enough to remember when it was released, the revelation that Vader was Luke’s father was shocking! You gotta remember that at that point, nobody knew who or what Vader really was. Was he a machine? An alien? Something else??? And Luke was told that Vader murdered his father. 

    So in that one iconic line, we learned that not only was Vader Luke’s father, but there was actually a human being underneath all that metal and wires. It was powerful."

    —jmacxjr

    What film ending do you think is perfect? Let us know in the comments below!