Top 10 Most Unsatisfying Movie Endings of All Time

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” (2008)

Nothing ruins a grounded film more than some literal out-of-this-world meddling. While Indy’s adventures have always leaned a bit into the fantastical, the appearance of actual aliens isn’t just a toe in the genre. It’s a hard left into full-on sci-fi. We’re talking interdimensional portals, resurrected aliens, and honest-to-God flying saucers. Look, the idea of alien treasure on its own isn’t that bad. But, “Crystal Skull’s” hamfisted execution is so goofy, it deflates any kind of tension from the film’s climax. By the time the credits roll, it feels like you just watched a Saturday morning cartoon, not a big-budget blockbuster. And that’s not a compliment.

“Donnie Darko” (2001)

This influential thriller begins and ends with the same jet engine crashing into a bedroom. But, the implications couldn’t be more different. Thanks to some muddled time-traveling hijinks, the second crash landing kills Donnie, essentially erasing the events of the film altogether. Admittedly, it’s an ending you won’t forget any time soon. But, once the novelty wears off, you’re left with an empty feeling of, “what was the point?” After all, “Donnie Darko” spends two hours masterfully building up its characters and world, only to render them pointless at the eleventh hour. Despite its thematic heft, this big-swing of an ending feels more hollow than anything else.

“The Amazing Spider-Man 2” (2014)

To catch you up to speed, Gwen’s dead, Peter’s practically given up, and Spider-Man is missing in action. It’s a bold, powerful note to end on… Or, it would’ve been, if “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” didn’t continue for another five minutes. In order to avoid ending on a downer, Rhino suddenly appears to cause some extra mayhem. Peter picks up his web-shooters, swings back into action, and right when the fight’s about the start - the movie cuts to black. Instead of committing to Peter’s tragic circumstances, we get a shoe-horned happy ending that crams yet another villain into a movie that already had too many. There’s no great power, or great responsibility here.

“The Game” (1997)

Instead of cake or presents, Nick’s birthday gift is the chance to play a game. Sounds fun, right? Well, as it turns out, this game has some pretty intense rules. Like gaslighting Nick, draining his bank accounts, burying him alive, and even making him shoot his own brother. Or, so he thinks. At the film’s climax, everyone pops out, yells “surprise,” and carries on like they didn’t just put Nick through a horror film. They claim it was to make him a better person, but there’s no excuse on the face of the planet capable of justifying this ending. It’s absurd, silly, and retroactively ruins the two hours that come before it.

“World War Z” (2013)

This war ends with Brad Pitt’s Gerry discovering a pathogen that effectively saves the human race. On paper, that’s a perfectly serviceable ending for a summer blockbuster. The issue is that, up until that point, “World War Z” was a run-and-gun action thriller with more explosions than characters. The film worked because it knew it was mindless, popcorn entertainment. By abandoning that for a more character-focused climax, the movie’s drama completely flatlines. It stings even worse because they’d already shot a massive, bloody final battle befitting a movie called “World War Z.” But, for some reason, that’s the ending that wound up on the editing room floor, instead.

“Prometheus” (2012)

The whole point of a prequel is to explain a story’s origins. But, apparently, no one told that to “Prometheus.” Now, to be fair, it does show off Xenomorphs… in the final frame of the movie before the credits roll. Even worse, the narrative ends on a cliffhanger with space explorer Elizabeth Shaw seeking out the mysterious Engineer homeworld for answers. We’d like some of those, too. “Prometheus” leaves way too much up in the air. Like, why do the Engineers want to seemingly destroy Earth? How did this Xenomorph come to be? For a prequel that’s supposed to clear up mysteries, “Prometheus’” inconclusive ending raises more questions than it answers.

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” (2019)

Rey never needed an in-depth backstory. But, did that stop “Rise of Skywalker” from retconning her as a Palpatine? Of course not! Setting aside the distinct lack of foreshadowing, this laughable reveal ruins one of the best parts of her character - that she was a nobody. Rey used to represent the idea that anyone could master the Force. But, rather than committing to that empowering philosophy, “The Rise of Skywalker” spits on it so it can have a dramatic last-minute reveal. To make matters worse, the entire trilogy ends on an eye-rolling one liner where Rey claims herself as a Skywalker. For a galaxy far, far away, the “Stars Wars” family tree is disappointingly small.

“A.I. Artificial Intelligence” (2001)

Ironically, a film centered on humanoid mechas grows an ooey-gooey heart in its final minutes. As nice as it is to see the robotic David finally receive the motherly love he always craved, the sentimental finale feels extremely out of place in such a gritty thinkpiece. Then again, this is Steven Spielberg, and he’s apparently a sucker for a happy ending. Whether it's earned or not. Just look at the head-scratching decision to let Tom Cruise and his family walk off into the sunset at the end of “War of the Worlds.” These aren’t bad endings by any stretch of the word. But, tonally, they leave a lot to be desired.

“Planet of the Apes” (2001)

1968’s historic “Planet of the Apes” never needed a remake. Especially one that trades one of cinema’s greatest twist endings for… well, whatever this is. In place of the legendary Statue of Liberty reveal, Mark Wahlberg’s Leo goes back in time to see a monkey version of the Lincoln monument. Not only is it a lame retread of an iconic moment, but it fails to resolve any of the film’s plot threads. If Leo went back in time, how are the apes still in control? Don’t ask us, because the movie definitely doesn’t explain anything. It’s a confusing mess of an ending that singlehandedly turns a lackluster remake into an awful one.

“The Devil Inside” (2012)

There’s a lot of genuinely bad movie endings out there, but at least they got endings at all. “The Devil Inside” doesn’t even have that going for it. There’s a car crash, a fade to black, and then a screen directing you to a website for more information on the quote-unquote “ongoing investigation.” No climax. No resolution. To say it’s frustrating would be the understatement of the century. Imagine driving out to a movie theater, buying a ticket, and then leaving with homework if you want to know the rest. Yeah, it’s no wonder “The Devil Inside’s” non-ending is often cited as one of the worst movie conclusions of all time. Scary stuff, indeed.