Top 10 Horror Movie Endings That Leave You Guessing

From human sacrifices to mangled animal visuals, “The Witch” is a hard watch. The primary theme is Satan’s deceptive influence, which a 17th-century family is too late to realize. By the end, it turns out that the family goat is the devil in disguise. Since protagonist Thomasin has lost everyone by this point, she gives in to Satan’s offer to “live deliciously,” effectively abandoning her faith. However, “The Witch”’s penchant for cryptic imagery leaves us with many questions. After all, how do you explain levitating witches in the woods? And will they return? Or does Satan plan on more victims? That’s up for viewers to decide. What we do know is that Thomasin’s fate with the devil is sealed and there’s no going back.

A father’s quest to rescue his daughter from a mysterious creature goes deeper than your standard monster film. The hero uncovers a complex plot involving the creature’s mutated origins, which the government tries to cover up. “The Host” deals with impossible odds for the protagonist, as the chances to rescue his daughter diminish each minute. Although he’s too late to save her, he adopts the child his daughter had cared for. Just when you think this might be it, the film signs off with a lot to consider. The last scene leaves it up in the air if the monster is truly gone. Is the government still conducting illicit research? Is there another monster in the river? We don’t know.

It’s not every day a film openly tries to gaslight its viewers. But that’s what “American Psycho” is all about. There’s a huge question mark over Patrick Bateman and everyone around him. None of it is ever resolved, either. After watching Bateman hack and slash his way through numerous victims, it seems as if he’ll face the consequences of his actions. Instead, nothing happens. The film plays with us at every turn, as we wonder if Bateman ever committed any of his crimes or if he’s part of a mass cover-up he doesn’t know about. While you’d think this would work to Bateman’s benefit, it makes him feel as if he’s trapped in his own personal hell.

This supernatural horror film painfully details the terrifying experiences of its main characters. In the end, the dark entity, Blair Witch, controls Mike, who seemingly attacks Heather as the footage cuts off. It’s up to the audience's interpretation if they succumbed to the Blair Witch, or if it’s still kept them alive as its hosts. We don’t learn the truth behind its endgame and what it has planned. Admittedly, the characters here go out looking for trouble. So, their eventual doom is on them. Still, we can’t help feeling sorry as things spiral into disaster. The final shot has viewers feeling as curious as they are terrified.

Darren Aronofsky’s mind-bending film leans fully into its psychological horror premise. Told from troubled ballerina Nina’s perspective, we follow her failing grip on reality and maddening confusion. After vying for the lead spot in a “Swan Lake” production, Nina resorts to murdering her rival for the role. However, Nina’s frail grasp of her surroundings switches in and out, and it turns out she’s mortally wounded herself. “Black Swan” doesn’t attempt to explain what Nina’s mind was going through, letting viewers choose which version of events might have happened. With so many renditions from Nina’s point of view, it’s hard to come to a definite conclusion. Even so, Nina’s downfall is certain, as we watch her last breaths before the curtain comes down.

A violent entity targets its victims and doesn’t stop until they’re dead. Since it manifests like any other person, they don’t know they’re toast until it attacks. After learning about its aversion to water, the protagonists seem to have it beat. But it’s anyone’s guess if it’s gone for good. “It Follows” carries a sense of restlessness, always making us feel like someone’s watching. The finale stays true to this theme, as someone appears to be following the characters. So, has the entity come to finish the job or is it just a person out for a walk? The ambiguity runs a chill down our spine. We don’t know if our protagonists ever reach home or if they’re slain while the credits roll.

There’s hardly any scene in “Rosemary’s Baby” that doesn’t make you shudder. After teasing a conspiracy throughout the film, we learn that everyone in Rosemary’s circle orchestrated her pregnancy. What’s the deal with her child? Well, it’s none other than the Antichrist. The protagonist was set up to fail from the beginning, as even her husband believes in fostering Satan’s spawn. Rather than depict the fallout, the film ends on ambiguous terms. Has Rosemary accepted her initiation into the Satanic cult? Will her influence prevent the child’s fate or will she raise it to bring about the end of the world? All questions here are valid. As things appear, we might have witnessed the beginning of the end for all of mankind.

When the film begins, it’s a mystery. When it ends, you’re probably still scratching your head. “Shutter Island” slowly peels back its protagonist’s fractured mind. U.S. Marshall Teddy Daniels’ search for psychiatric patient Andrew Laeddis ends like you’d never expect. Teddy is Laeddis. Laeddis repressed his true identity to cope with the traumatizing death of his family. The entire story is an elaborate ploy to get him to accept his past and prevent his lobotomy. Unfortunately, he’s regressed by the film’s end. Or has he? There’s a hint of acknowledgment in his last scene. This begs the question: is it worth living with the harrowing truth, or a lie that robs you of your identity? Teddy seems to have made his decision.

Generations of viewers have been baffled by “The Shining.” To some, Jack’s descent into madness is a result of crippling isolation. Others are convinced of a ghostly presence. The ending appears to confirm the latter but adds more questions. Although he meets his death in the hedge maze, we then see Jack in a photo – from 1921! There’s no explanation behind his sudden appearance at this long-ago party, although we know he’s not old enough to be there. Fans have wondered if this means he’s joined a group of similarly doomed hotel managers from years before, or if this was Jack from a previous life. Whatever it might be, the ending suggests Jack’s fate was in place before he ever stepped foot in the hotel.

When it isn’t displaying horrific acts of violence, “The Thing” has us thinking. Apart from wondering what the monster is, we question which person it’s imitating. Despite destroying the station, neither of the final two survivors is sure if the other is human. The tension hangs over them even with death staring them in the eye. We never find out if the Thing resides in one of them or if it’s dead. But the paranoia carries on until the film’s last minute. Neither man will survive the cold, yet they’ll probably keep worrying about the Thing until their last breath. And if the entity is still alive, their sacrifice was all for nothing. It’s a grim prospect we might never get a definitive resolution for.

Which horror ending can you interpret in several ways? Let us know in the comments.