A movie is only as good as its ending. As the last impression that audiences walk away with by the time the credits roll, the ending is arguably the most important part of any film. The last scene of a movie, in particular, is of tremendous importance, and over the years, many great films have offered final scenes so memorable that they go on to become absolutely legendary.
One thing is a great ending scene, and a different thing is a legendary ending scene. These are moments that aren’t just great; they have stood the test of time and aged as transcendental moments of cinema history. They’re the kind of closing scene that’s not just hard-hitting in the moment, but rather so strong that it goes down as one of the most iconic moments in all of film. These are the most legendary movie endings in cinema, ranked by how big an impact they made and what their legacy is today.
10
‘Inception’ (2010)
Once a modest up-and-coming indie filmmaker with a head full of wild ideas, Christopher Nolan nowadays may very well be the King of Hollywood. He’s made some exceptional films throughout his career, particularly in the action genre, and one of his most iconic is undoubtedly the sci-fi heist flick Inception. With a perfect balance between intelligent world-building and purely adrenaline-pumping action, it’s one of the most acclaimed action movies of the 21st century. According to IMDb users, it goes so far as being one of the best thrillers of all time.
The 21st century has had some utterly flawless movie ending scenes, many of them arguably better than Inception‘s from a strict point of view—but legendary? Inception‘s final scene, where Cobb returns home and spins his totem (a top that spins permanently when in a dream), only for Nolan to cut to black before the audience finds out whether the totem stopped spinning or not, is arguably the most legendary final scene in all of 21st-century cinema. Ambiguous endings don’t get much more popular with mainstream audiences than this.
9
‘Psycho’ (1960)
The master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock is one of the most groundbreaking and influential filmmakers in history. His most groundbreaking film is undoubtedly Psycho, the first horror movie he ever directed, which remains one of the genre’s most iconic outings over 60 years later. Released at the tail end of Hollywood’s Golden Age, this unprecedentedly dark and structurally revolutionary masterpiece proved that things were changing in terms of what stories directors in the U.S. were willing to tell.
One of the best slasher movies of all time, Psycho has what’s perhaps one of the most divisive endings of any cinematic masterpiece, wherein a psychiatrist goes on a long, dated, exposition-heavy tirade explaining Dissociative Identity Disorder. Alas, the ending scene of the film is undeniably legendary. In it, Norman Bates sits in a jail cell and hears his mother’s voice delivering a terrifying monologue about the murders that he just committed. Supported by Anthony Perkins‘ powerhouse performance, it’s one of the most memorable scenes from any ’60s film.
8
‘The Great Dictator’ (1940)
For the longest time, Charles Chaplin was silent cinema’s biggest lover and defender. By the time the ’30s were coming to a close, however, even he had to face the music: Talkies were the future of movies. And so, he decided to use his voice to deliver one of the loudest, most prescient anti-fascism films that were made during World War II: The Great Dictator, Chaplin’s first-ever talkie.
This is one of Chaplin’s biggest masterpieces, proof that he was just as funny with sound as he was without it, and balanced with some really effective melodramatic elements. The most legendary of these comes at the very end of the film, where Chaplin delivers a resounding speech against authoritarianism and in favor of liberty and humanity. It’s one of the best-written and best-delivered speeches in the history of movies, and as such, easily one of the most legendary ending scenes ever.
7
‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ (1946)
Frank Capra always proved himself to be one of Classical Hollywood’s most ahead-of-the-curve filmmakers, and as such, it’s no surprise that he made a movie as ahead of its time as It’s a Wonderful Life. This post-war drama, a surprisingly profound exploration of themes of suicide and men’s mental health, is far more than just a Christmas classic — it’s one of the most moving feel-good films of all time.
Not coincidentally, It’s a Wonderful Life also has one of the best feel-good endings of any movie, where George runs back home after having been shown what the world would have looked like without him. With a newfound appreciation for his life and family, he’s surprised to see the townsfolk arrive at his doorstep to spend Christmas together and donate more than enough money to replace the Building and Loan’s missing cash. The moment is beautifully moving, but doesn’t feel emotionally cheap in the slightest. It’s sincere, it’s cute, and it’s as Christmas-y as you could ever want.
6
‘The Godfather Part II’ (1974)
People tend to agree that The Godfather is the greatest Hollywood film ever made, and a decent portion of those who disagree would instead grant that title to its sequel/prequel, The Godfather Part II. This Best Picture Oscar winner made the Godfather series one of the best franchises with more than one Best Picture nod, and to this day, it’s still seen as the gold standard for epic character studies.
It was a genius creative choice to end a movie largely reliant on establishing juxtapositions between Michael’s present scenes and Vito’s flashbacks with yet another instance of temporal contrast. The Corleones’ flashback dinner scene is loaded with subtext, and after his family leaves Michael alone at the table to go welcome Vito at the door, Francis Ford Coppola cuts to present-day Michael sitting alone by the lake after having had Fredo killed. An emperor sitting at the top, alone and soulless.
5
‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994)
Quentin Tarantino, one of the most popular auteurs of modern times, is a master of hard-hitting endings, but even by his standards, the finale of Pulp Fiction is absolutely masterful. This hyper-influential multi-story narrative keeps jumping around in time throughout its runtime, but its epilogue takes place during the same scene as the prologue. At a diner, Jules is telling Vincent about his plans to quit his life of crime, oblivious to the fact that the place is about to be held up at gunpoint by a pair of robbers.
Tarantino’s dialogue, blocking, and sense of pace are at their pinnacle throughout the whole sequence.
It’s no coincidence that one of the most legendary opening scenes in film history also serves as the basis for one of the most legendary closing scenes. From Jules and Vincent’s conversation to Jules’ potent monologue (delivered with aplomb by a top-form Samuel L. Jackson), Tarantino’s dialogue, blocking, and sense of pace are at their pinnacle throughout the whole sequence.
4
‘Chinatown’ (1974)
One of the most innovative and memorable neo-noirs ever made, Chinatown is definitely not for the faint of heart, but its bleakness and intensity only make it more powerful. Where most films in the genre tend to follow a detective who takes a huge case and deduces his way to an answer, this one finds Jack Nicholson‘s Jake Gittes caught up in a case that keeps growing more and more impossible to fully grasp as the runtime rolls on.
Chinatown is undoubtedly one of the darkest crime movies of all time, and a lot of that darkness comes from its ending. Tragic femme fatale Evelyn gets killed, Cross takes her daughter with him, and as a traumatized Jake is taken away by his associates with the iconic line, “Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.” The good guys lose, the bad guys win, and thus, audiences are treated to one of the most riveting tragedies in the history of movies.
3
‘Casablanca’ (1942)
Though Casablanca received consistently strong reviews and a variety of awards upon release, it’s likely that no one involved in its production could have expected it to become as much of a transcendental classic as it is today. Thanks to one of the most quotable scripts of Golden Age Hollywood, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman‘s stunning performances, and one of the best last five minutes in cinematic history, it’s probably the greatest war film made during WWII.
After the non-stop emotional intensity of the movie’s climactic third act, Rick and Ilsa must bid each other farewell as she boards a plane to flee to Lisbon with her husband, Laszlo. Telling her, “Here’s looking at you, kid,” Rick stays behind to join Louis in the resistance against the Nazis, ending the movie with the line, “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” If that’s not truly legendary ending material, nothing could possibly be.
2
‘Citizen Kane’ (1941)
Almost unanimously agreed to be the greatest movie of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Citizen Kane made Orson Welles a cinematic legend and revolutionized the craft in ways that are easy to take for granted nowadays. Everything about it, from its narrative structure to its cinematography, was groundbreaking at the time. Today, it remains every bit as fascinating.
Another big factor making Citizen Kane such an iconic masterpiece is that it has one of the most perfect endings in film history. “I don’t think any word can explain a man’s life,” reporter Jerry Thompson says as the camera reveals the mystery of Rosebud: Charles Foster Kane’s old childhood sled, which gets burnt along with the rest of the deceased’s possessions. It’s one of the most layered, nuanced, and subtext-charged endings in movie history, and audiences, critics, and scholars alike have been endlessly analyzing it for decades.
1
‘The Godfather’ (1972)
There are very few films as legendary as The Godfather, and as such, there are very few movie endings as legendary as that of Francis Ford Coppola’s magnum opus. This tale of family, betrayal, and crime is one of the best character-driven stories ever told on the big screen, and its conclusion admirably manages to bring all of the epic story’s threads to a satisfying close.
The whole third act is incredibly riveting, but the last scene in particular is a gem. The image of Kay watching the door close, leaving the capos inside paying reverence to Michael as the new Don Corleone, is one of the most potent visuals in the entire art form. The Godfather as a whole is among the most timeless classic films ever, and this deeply meaningful and expertly executed ending plays a big factor in that.
