Top 10 Scariest Horror Movie Ending Scenes

David Lynch movies have a tendency to send viewers on a psychological journey - and “Mulholland Drive” is no exception. At its heart, it’s about a woman who suffers from amnesia after a car crash and tries to piece together her life - simple, right? But the journey she goes on is anything but. After an hour and a half of being dragged through the emotional wringer, with flashbacks, time shifts and confusing dream sequences, Naomi Watts’ character finds herself tortured by voices and hallucinations. Ultimately, it becomes too much for her and she shoots herself in the head. A fittingly chaotic and shocking end to a surreal movie, the final moments pack a huge emotional punch.

The most recent release on today’s list, “The Lighthouse” shows us that Robert Eggers's 2015 masterpiece “The Witch” was no fluke. This director is a seriously talented storyteller. Read the synopsis, and “The Lighthouse” may sound a little thin on the ground - it’s about two lighthouse keepers and the agony of the isolated time they spend together. But the veiled meanings behind many of the scenes and the way in which suspense is built makes the final scene all the more satisfying. Climbing the winding steps of the lighthouse, Robert Patterson’s character experiences some sort of significant existential moment before tumbling down into oblivion. Of course, there are many potential interpretations, but that final gruesome shot alone deserves a tip of the hat.

A classic case of the remake being just as good (if not better) than the original, 1978’s "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" is a bonafide horror classic. With a bunch of alien pods duplicating human forms and invading Earth, nobody is to be trusted - and throughout the entire movie, we are constantly analysing a character’s body language to see if they might be one of them. Thankfully, we can trust our protagonists Matthew and Nancy - or so it would seem. As the movie comes to a close, Nancy approaches Matthew, only to be greeted by the trademark point and shriek of a Pod. It turns out Matthew has become one of them, letting out a noise that will live forever in the nightmare bank.

One of the most famous body horror movies of all time - from genre master David Cronenberg - "Videodrome" lures you in with its intriguing imagery, and then subsequently makes you feel sick. The story follows the CEO of a tv channel who becomes obsessed with a mysterious and murderous broadcast called “Videodrome”. Ultimately, this force of evil can only be defeated by “leaving the old flesh”, and so James Wood’s Max Renn is forced to shoot himself in the head. The scene itself is pretty horrific, so we can’t show it in its entirety here, but the cult-like, sacrificial circumstances are what make it so iconical creepy. Long live the new flesh, long live the new flesh, long live - whoa. Sorry about that.

We’re not going to pretend to completely understand this movie; it is a Nicolas Roeg picture after all. But there’s no denying that its climactic death (and the foreshadowing that leads to it) will leave even the most seasoned moviegoer uneasy. Searching for a sense of acceptance after his daughter’s death, John Baxter becomes haunted by strange imagery around Venice. Running through the winding streets, his journey comes to an abrupt end after he corners a figure that he believes is a child. It’s not. It’s a dwarf... with a meat cleaver. This hotly debated scene has been called everything from genius to stupid. But one thing’s for sure: it’s scary, memorable and unnervingly ambiguous.

This legendary slasher flick made summer camps grade A nightmare fuel. Taking the classic formula of teenagers getting frisky with each other one minute - and then running for their lives the next - the movie helped spawn a massive franchise spearheaded by the hockey-mask wearing killer Jason Voorhees. But in reality, Jason doesn’t appear until the end of the first film - and this moment is all the more impactful for it. The scene sees the movie’s leading lady Alice peacefully floating on Crystal Lake, before being pulled to the depths by the corpse of Jason Voorhees, in one of cinema’s most memorable jump scares. Seriously, this movie straight up ruined lakes, and camping, and the name Jason in one fell swoop!

Ah yes, a horror villain not even your dreams can protect you from. The idea that a clawed psychopath could haunt your dreams and kill you is a pretty terrifying one. But the notion that said psycho can never really be killed is what’ll really haunt you in your dreams. Similar to the aforementioned “Friday the 13th”, “Nightmare on Elm Street” lulls us into a false sense of security with a happy ending, before the tide shifts and we’re forced to lean forward and pay attention for one final scare. Believing the horrifying Freddie Krueger is gone, Nancy waves her mum goodbye, before her car - now sporting Freddie’s iconic colors - locks her in, and her mother is violently dragged through a window. Wow!

As with other occult-based movies, “Hereditary” features enough subtle symbols, references and secrets to make your head spin even after multiple viewings. Centering on a family who is targeted by a hellish cult, this Ari Aster flick sees death and mystery begin to surround them. The cult’s ultimate goal is to use the 16-year-old Peter as a vessel for their demon leader Paimon. Pretty heavy stuff. After a series of freakishly-strange deaths, the cult eventually gets their wish, as Peter ascends to the treehouse and is greeted by headless worshipping disciples. He is crowned as Paimon and the cult rejoices. Right, that’s enough on “Hereditary” for now!

A movie about loneliness, adolescence, religion and friendship (or lack thereof), “Carrie” will be relatable to many, though its ending is anything but. Sure, maybe you’ve fantasized about getting even with a high school bully using newly developed telekinetic powers, but this gets ugly real fast. After discovering her abilities, the bullied Carrie unleashes hell on her fellow students and ultimately burns herself and her mother alive. Following the chaos, Sue, the only survivor of Carrie’s high school onslaught, visits her decimated home, only to be visited once again by the teen. But don’t worry, it was only a dream. By today’s standards, it may be a predictable jump scare, but it still remains one of the most satisfying.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Saw” (2004)

“REC” (2007)

“The Mist” (2007)

"Drag Me to Hell" (2009)

"The Shining" (1980)

It’s easy to turn your nose up at it now- what with movies like “Paranormal Activity” being commonplace these days, but back in 1999, found footage horror movies weren’t really a thing - and “The Blair Witch Project” is credited with popularizing the format. At the time of its release, people didn’t know whether the film was a work of fiction or genuine found footage. And that made the ending all the more heartstopping. In true found footage fashion, the conclusion isn’t polished. Far from it. The students enter a house while they’re in the woods and are swiftly picked-off, one-by-one, by something - or someone. All we get is shaky footage and screaming. We fear what we do not know. And that’s why this takes the top spot!