Endings in horror films are tricky. When a feature-length film builds up fear and tension, it can be difficult to deliver a compelling conclusion, and, as you might expect, many horror films disappoint with unsatisfying endings—even otherwise excellent ones like It Follows or Insidious.
That's why endings like these next twenty are so satisfying to watch… well, "satisfying" might not be the right word, as most of them are very dark, but you'll still love them because they're absolutely fantastic endings that wrap up their stories just the way they should. That's not always guaranteed in this genre.
While this list is far from exhaustive, the following twenty films boast some of the best endings in the horror genre. They range from thrilling climaxes to heartbreaking plot twists, from terrifying cliffhangers to nerve-wracking outbursts of violence—and all share the commonality of being cinematically explosive and completely avoiding the genre's common problem of unsatisfying anticlimaxes.
Let's start with a trip back in time to one of the earliest works in the horror genre...
All Future PLC brands are supported by the company's audience. When you purchase through links in this article, Future PLC may receive an affiliate commission.