Top 10 Terrible Movies with Terrible Endings

“Halloween Ends” (2022)

This newer trilogy brought Laurie Strode back to confront her past traumas and possibly take down Michael Myers for good. The filmmakers then decided to spend a large portion of the third film on a new character named Corey. This undercuts the ending, which features the inexplicable capture and apparent death of Myers. He’s put through a shredder in what could’ve been a more interesting moment for the entire series. The conclusion also makes you wonder if it’s even going to work, considering that the villain always finds a way to come back. With all this in mind, the horror film fumbles to its finale instead of finishing on a high note.

“Mac and Me” (1988)

You don’t need to remember much about “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” to recognize this film as a rip-off. An alien and a boy become unlikely friends before the world tries to tear them apart. The bizarre ending includes Eric Cruise being shot, killed, and then revived thanks to Mac and his relatives. It’s a shocking and inexplicable way to end, made only worse after the title character and his family are given citizenship. They all drive down the road as a chewing gum bubble inflates with a goodbye message. It’s among the cheesier finales of its kind, sending off the extra-terrestrial family after a lackluster sci-fi adventure.

“Knowing” (2009)

In this thriller, Nicolas Cage’s character John Koestler tries to understand a prophecy about terrible events. His professor realizes later that a solar flare might destroy the Earth. It’s definitely a bummer, but the hero doesn’t even get a chance to survive it. Instead of saving the lead, the movie chooses two children to escape the planet’s destruction. You almost wonder why you watched the whole film only to see most of the characters incinerated. Not only that. Young Abby and Caleb frolic in some far-off land like nothing happened. Why save the kids and not some other worthy person? “Knowing” features many twists and turns that all lead to disaster before giving audiences this annoying sendoff.

“Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey” (2023)

Despite the wacky premise, this horror sendup of classic characters feels like a drag. Winnie-the-Pooh kills many people before being pinned by a car. It looks like Christopher Robin and Maria are safe until the bear gets up, forcing the villain’s former friend to plead for mercy. The movie decides to punish the viewers with one final trick. Pooh reveals that he hasn’t gotten over Robin’s departure, choosing to channel his anger into stabbing Maria. It feels cruel to have an innocent person die without even giving the hero a chance to fight back. As the powerless survivor tries to escape, you might be wondering if there’s a point to the mindless violence.

“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” (2009)

This action series loves its big battles and chaos, but sometimes it also wants to be dramatic. This doesn’t always work out, as the sequel “Revenge of the Fallen” tries too much all at once. The film tries to put Sam Witwicky in danger, but decides not to have the human hero die after all. If that isn’t enough, Optimus Prime might not make it either. It’s not hard to imagine they’ll keep the Autobot leader around for another adventure. Rather than push the story to the limit, the writers decide to do the obvious and revive Prime with a little plot magic. This narrative trick doesn’t help a movie that’s already on thin ice for not focusing enough on the robot fights.

“Cats” (2019)

Unless you’re steeped in the lore of this Broadway musical, you might find this adaptation a little confusing. The bewildering musical numbers, visuals, and casting choices lead to this strange ending. Grizabella is chosen to fly to the Heaviside Layer, with the evil Macavity failing to ride along. It’s undercut by the questionable CGI and ongoing terror of the motion-capture technology. There’s also the fact that the hero Victoria finally becomes part of the Jellicle Cats. It should be a celebration of great achievements and defeating the villain, but the whole thing falls flat. Tom Hooper’s cinematic retelling of “Cats” comes off as more of a mismanaged nightmare than anything else.

“Jaws: The Revenge” (1987)

There didn’t need to be one sequel to “Jaws,” let alone multiple ones that failed to live up to the original. The worst almost has to be the overblown “Jaws: The Revenge.” It once again pits humans against a freaky shark, but this time the ending almost works like a parody of an action film. The heroes slam into the villain with the sailboat, causing an explosion. You’ll likely be scratching your head as the slow-motion effects make it all even more ridiculous. If that isn’t enough, the character Jake miraculously survives his earlier encounter with the fearsome sea creature. The one good thing about this movie and the insane conclusion might be that it effectively ended the series.

“Morbius” (2022)


Statistically speaking, there must be some “Morbius” film fans somewhere. The final battle leaves something to be desired as the title hero and his nemesis battle it out. Jared Leto and Matt Smith’s characters tussle in a fight that doesn’t have much in the way of stakes. Even after that, the movie decides to give you an unnecessary post-credits scene that only raises more questions. Michael Keaton’s Adrian Toomes shows up in a desperate attempt to connect this universe to the larger MCU. If you even stick around for this moment, you’ll likely be unphased by an easter egg that goes nowhere. It all feels like fan service for a project lacking in substance or the ability to answer plot questions.

“Remember Me” (2010)

It might be one of the most misguided twists of the last several decades. “Remember Me” trudges forward as a mediocre drama, giving actors like Robert Pattinson and Pierce Brosnan a script full of cliches. The story then goes haywire as it is revealed that the ending takes place on September 11th, 2001. Pattinson’s character Tyler ends up in the World Trade Center, leaving the audience to expect the worst. It seems like a last-minute way to grip audiences and feels too shocking to actually count. Viewers likely walk away with this surprise on their minds, having been blindsided by tragic events. The film isn’t worthy of this fourth-quarter change and fails to use it to enhance the plot.

“The Devil Inside” (2012)

We can’t think of a bigger slap in the face than this ending. “The Devil Inside” tries to give audiences one last set piece in a car, but the action comes to a screeching halt. Several characters die, Isabella disappears, and the film tells the audience to visit a website for more information. The filmmakers don’t even care enough to give the story a proper finale. It’s even worse knowing that the film up to that point has only been a subpar take on exorcism movies. The last title card goes one step further, practically telling viewers that they’ve wasted their time.


Did we forget another horrible finish to a bad movie? Let us know in the comments below.