Summary
Thriller movies are, by definition, compelling and intense, but when they pull off the perfect ending, that takes it to another level.Thrillers are designed to stir up emotions in the audience. Whether that is excitement, anxiety, or exuberance, their purpose is to connect with the audience, and make people care about what’s happening on screen.
Often, thrillermovies rely on the subgenresthat they include to effectively do this.From crime, to horror, and everything in between, the result of the combo is usually more compelling than any of the individual parts. But it could all fall down if the ending doesn’t live up to the rest of the story. When a movie gets the ending just right, it can stick with the audience for life.
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Prisoners
Cast
After getting tired of waiting for the police to find the person responsible for taking two young girls, Keller Rover takes the law into his own hands to get the answers he wants. This crime drama was directed by Denis Villeneuve and stars Hugh Jackman (Keller Rover), Jake Gyllenhaal (Detective Loki), and Terrence Howard (Franklin Birch).
In 2013, Denis Villeneuve released his biggest film to date, and the one that would put him on the map,Prisoners.Starring Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal play two men who are determined to find a kidnapper, although their methods differ drastically.
The film ramps up the tension as it races to the conclusion, but just as it feels like the dust has settled, the last scene with Loki (Gyllenhaal) hearing the whistle opens up a world of possibilities that leaves the audiences' heads spinning.
Se7en
David Fincher’s crime thriller Se7en follows the seasoned Detective William Somerset after he is assigned a new partner, the young and idealistic David Mills (Brad Pitt). The two find themselves investigating a deranged killer staging murders inspired by each of the seven deadly sins. On the hunt for the twisted John Doe (Kevin Spacey) before he can kill again, the two detectives soon discover that they’re much deeper into the case than they realized.
David Fincher is another master of thriller movies and in 1995, he delivered what is arguably one of his best.Se7enis the only movie that stars both Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman together, two Hollywood legends, and it’s a spectacle.
With Pitt and Freeman playing two detectives tracking down a murdererwho is working their way through the seven deadly sins. While the ending is dark and bleak, it’s also incredibly satisfying in terms of the narrative, with Mills (Pitt) becoming Wrath.
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Black Swan
In Darren Aronofsky’s 2010 psychological thriller Black Swan, talented ballet dancer Nina Sayers struggles with her mental health while preparing for her performance in a production of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. Natalie Portman earned a Best Actress Oscar in the lead role, and the cast made up of Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, and Winona Ryder received high praise from critics and audiences.
Darren Aronofsky did a tremendous job creatingBlack Swanas a study of the pressures of pursuing artistic excellence, and the many struggles that can come with it.Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis play rival ballet dancers set to appear in a production ofSwan Lake.
While Nina (Portman) secures the leading role of a character who has two distinct and opposite sides, Nina finds her own life reflecting the play. The visuals and th symbolism are beautiful, and the final scenes are incredibly tense, but the final resolution feels like a satisfying twist to everything that came before.
Memento
Christopher Nolan’s Memento is a psychological thriller that tells the story of Leonard, a former insurance investigator who suffers from a disease that prevents his brain from storing short-term memories. The one thing he can remember is murder of his wife, for which he wishes to exact revenge. Starring Guy Pearce and Carrie-Anne Moss, the movie was released in 2000 to widespread acclaim, launching the director’s successful Hollywood career.
In the early days ofChristopher Nolan’s career, many of the trademark elements which appear in all of his work were already present. In 2000’sMemento,starring Guy Pearce, the film follows a complex set of events from the ending backwards to the beginning.
However, with the framing of the lead characters own memories being hidden behind his memory loss, both the audience and protagonist uncover events simultaneously. The final scenes which expose the reality of what happened, and see the hero choose to forget anyway, create a perfect ending that launched Nolan’s career.
No Country for Old Men
No Country for Old Men is a western crime-thriller based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy and directed by the Cohen Brothers. Following three protagonists, the film centers around a large $2,000,000+ cache of dirty money lost near the Rio Grande. With a veteran who finds it, a hitman who will stop at nothing to get it, and a sheriff trying to investigate the crimes connected to it, all roads lead to death and mayhem as they find themselves in each other’s crosshairs.
The Coen brothers have established their reputation for outstanding filmmaking over many decades, and in 2007, they delivered another incredible project withNo Country for Old Men.The film is a neo-Western thriller about three men, who are all on separate paths, but linked together through a crime and some stolen money.The film takes time to build up its concepts and explore each character and their motives, but the ending neatly ties everything together in a way that is a huge payoff.
Gone Girl
Based on Gillian Flynn’s 2012 novel, Gone Girl stars Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike as Nick and Amy Dunne, a couple whose disintegrating marriage is rocked by Amy’s sudden disappearance and Nick’s suspected hand in it. As evidence begins to pile up against Nick, it eventually becomes clear with a shocking twist that all is not what it seems. Flynn also wrote the screenplay for the film, with David Fincher directing.
Gone Girlis one of the wildest movies of the 2010s. Again, by David Fincher,the story revolves around Nick (Ben Affleck), who is the prime suspect in the disappearance and potential murder of his wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike).
However, the film employs not just a twist ending, but also a huge revelation in the middle of the film when Amy is revealed to be alive, having framed the disappearance on her husband. The movie only continues to build tension throughout that second half, and when it finally reaches a stopping point, Fincher pulls out another trick that forces the couple together.
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Buried
Buried is a thriller film starring Ryan Reynolds by director Rodrigo Cortes. The film follows Reynolds as Paul Conroy, an Iraq-based American trucker who is attacked by a group of Iraqi insurgents, only to wake up and find he is now buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter, a pen, and his cell phone, Paul must find a way to reach the outside world and stay alive long enough for the government to rescue him.
Buried may not be the most widely popular film, but it is an incredible feature film that primarilyrevolves around one man (Ryan Reynolds), surviving in a coffin deep underground, while he tries to coordinate his own rescue with no access to clear information.
While the movie tantalizingly builds towards his rescue, and even features the authorities digging up a fresh grave where they suspect he has been buried, the shocking conclusion is a much more realistic and enduring representation of such a story, rather than simply ending on a high.
Parasite
Parasite is a 2019 South Korean film directed by Bong Joon-ho. The film follows the destitute Kim family as they infiltrate the affluent Park household by manipulating their way into various household roles, leading to unforeseen consequences.
Bong Joon-ho’sParasitewas a stepping stonetowards bringing international films into vogue. Despite several production studios existing outside of Hollywood and the continental US, few English speakers gave any time to foreign films.
However,whenParasitestruck gold at the Academy Awards, the film pushed many people to go out of their comfort zone.And the thriller’s shocking third act and ending do not disappoint as the film builds toward one story, and quickly devolves into something darker.
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Oldboy
Oldboy follows the story of a man mysteriously imprisoned for 15 years without explanation. Upon his release, he embarks on a quest to uncover the identity of his captors and understand the motivations behind their actions. This gripping tale navigates through themes of vengeance and discovery.
The originalOldboyfilm from 2003 isa South Korean thriller that crossed borders thanks to an incredible twist, and an adaptation of that original story directed by Spike Lee in 2013. However, the original has the upper hand in concealing and revealing the incredible twist that made it so memorable.
Beyond the twist,the ending is also a stroke of genius that pushes this movie to another leveland leaves the audience shocked, for the fact that it leaned so heavily into an idea and completely committed.
Rear Window
Rear Window: Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, this suspense film follows a wheelchair-bound photographer, played by James Stewart, who becomes convinced of a murder while observing his neighbors from his apartment window. Set in a New York City neighborhood, the narrative explores themes of voyeurism and suspicion.
The original Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, debuted one of his most enduring thrillers in 1954,Rear Window.The film and its themes have since been parodied dozens of times due to the films plot lingering long after the screen fades to black.
In the final confrontation between the vigilant Jeff, and his nasty neighbor Thorwald, the film offers a satisfying conclusion to a story that held the audience on the edge of their seats for nearly two hours.
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