A great ending can make a movie! For this list, we’ll be looking at the greatest film conclusions released in the year 2000 or later. This means a whole lot of spoilers.
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00:00 "So long, partner."
00:02 Welcome to WatchMojo,
00:03 and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 best movie endings of the century so far.
00:10 "The last pages are for you, Sam."
00:12 For this list, we'll be looking at the greatest film conclusions released in the year 2000 or later.
00:18 This means a whole lot of spoilers.
00:21 Did we forget a notable finale?
00:23 Let us know in the comments.
00:27 Hey, Mojoholics. For a chance to win cash prizes,
00:30 play our live daily trivia challenges every day at 3pm and 8pm Eastern,
00:35 only at watchmojo.com/play.
00:38 The secret to a great movie twist is that it recontextualizes what we've seen up until that point,
00:52 making us see previous scenes in a new light.
00:55 And the twist from Michel Gondry's 2004 sci-fi romance does just that.
00:59 After undergoing a procedure to eliminate all memories of their relationship,
01:03 Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet's characters meet at a train station,
01:07 at which point we realize that the first scene of the movie is actually their second meeting.
01:11 After learning that they had been in a relationship and had their memories erased,
01:15 the two decide to try again, in spite of the risk that history might repeat itself.
01:19 "And I'll get bored with you and feel trapped because that's what happens with me."
01:24 "Okay."
01:25 While the romance was never meant to last,
01:32 Elio Pearlman still feels the residual effects of his affair with Oliver.
01:36 The latter calls the Pearlmans to check in with them and offers some parting words to their son.
01:42 Elio and Oliver share one final conversation over the phone
01:46 as they reminisce about their time together.
01:48 "Oh, you're getting married? I suppose."
01:51 "I might be getting married next spring, yeah."
01:56 It's a fleeting moment that subverts the dramatic reunions of typical romances.
02:01 The main character follows this up by sitting by the fire,
02:04 crying quietly as the flames flicker off screen.
02:07 It's also a subtle ending that allows the hero to mourn the relationship.
02:11 The heartbroken teenager doesn't need words to express his sadness,
02:15 inspiring viewers to remember their first loves.
02:18 "Is it a video? Is it a video?"
02:23 "I have touched you for the last time."
02:30 "I want you to make a choice."
02:36 When two unsuspecting victims awaken to find themselves chained up in a bathroom
02:41 with two hacksaws and a corpse to keep them company,
02:44 the stage is set for one of the most nail-biting and shocking horror films of the decade.
02:49 Faced with the choice of either killing each other or cutting their legs off to escape,
02:53 the pair soon deduce that they're the latest victims of the notorious Jigsaw Killer.
02:57 But in a shocking twist, the corpse in the room is eventually revealed to be very much alive
03:02 and the Jigsaw Killer himself to boot.
03:04 The franchise never again reached the heights of this incredible ending.
03:08 "Game over."
03:12 Number 17. Swan Lake - Black Swan
03:16 "You completely blew me away!"
03:18 "Okay, well I guess, um, that's it. So I'll let you finish."
03:24 Natalie Portman's character, Nina Sayers, beats out her rival Lily and her own mind
03:29 to become the star ballerina in a production of Swan Lake.
03:33 Darren Aronofsky's surreal film ends with the final show,
03:36 showing that Nina's preparation truly pays off.
03:40 She expertly dances as the white and black swan in a stirring performance.
03:45 However, there's a price for her extreme dedication.
03:48 The leading dancer collapses after some impressive moves
03:51 and ends up receiving a serious wound on stage.
03:55 She truly gives everything to the ballet in an ending that proves there's a dark side to pursuing your dreams.
04:01 "Perfect."
04:09 "It was perfect."
04:10 Number 16. Reuniting with Kevin - Moonlight
04:14 "What can I get you?"
04:16 "Chiron?"
04:19 The only thing that got us more emotional than the surprise win
04:22 that Barry Jenkins' film had at the 2017 Oscars
04:26 was the ending of the film itself.
04:28 The powerful story of a gay black man living in Miami,
04:31 the film explores themes of masculinity and identity,
04:35 as it follows main character Chiron through three stages of his life.
04:39 The final segment sees Chiron, now an adult,
04:42 return to Miami and reconnect with his former lover Kevin.
04:45 "You're the only man that's ever touched me."
04:48 As you might expect, old emotions come bubbling up to the surface,
04:51 especially given how Kevin has seemingly moved on with his life.
04:55 It's no wonder the film won an Oscar, eventually.
04:58 Number 15. Out the Window - Birdman
05:02 "Dad? Dad?"
05:06 Alejandro G. Inarritus' 2014 film stars Michael Keaton
05:10 as an actor living in the shadow of his time playing a famous superhero.
05:14 So yeah, this one's pretty meta.
05:16 Full of breathtaking long takes and furious drum solos,
05:20 the film is a captivating look at fame and depression
05:23 that frequently throws viewers for a loop with doses of magical realism.
05:27 The film looks like it's going to end on a down note
05:30 when a despondent Keaton appears to throw himself from a hospital room window.
05:35 But the final reaction of his daughter as she looks skyward instead of down
05:39 indicates it may be a happy ending after all.
05:42 [Music]
05:47 Number 14. Andy Gives His Toys Away - Toy Story 3
05:52 "Now you gotta promise to take good care of these guys."
05:56 "They mean a lot to me."
06:00 Speaking of endings that had us weeping,
06:02 the third installment in Pixar's beloved franchise
06:05 left pretty much everyone who saw it in tears.
06:07 After a harrowing adventure that took them from a daycare
06:10 to nearly being melted in an incinerator,
06:12 Woody, Buzz and friends finally get the happy ending we were hoping for.
06:17 Andy gives his toys to a neighborhood child
06:19 and plays with them one last time before leaving them to their new lives.
06:22 "Buzz Lightyear to the rescue!"
06:28 It's really the best ending we could have hoped for.
06:31 And after the terrifying experience of nearly seeing these beloved toy characters meet their doom,
06:36 we're grateful for the happy ending.
06:38 "So long, partner."
06:44 Number 13. The Dance - Avengers Endgame
06:48 How do you bring the massive Avengers saga to a close?
06:52 The Russo brothers were up to the task with this quiet moment between two beloved characters.
06:57 A climactic battle with Thanos certainly proves to be an epic scene,
07:01 but the epilogue of Endgame really tugs at the heartstrings.
07:05 "Try some of that life Tony was telling me to get."
07:12 "How'd that work out for you?"
07:16 "It was beautiful."
07:18 Captain America grows old and even gets to have his dance with soulmate Peggy Carter.
07:23 Giving his shield over to Sam Wilson,
07:25 Steve Rogers finally gets to settle down and have his happy ending after saving the universe.
07:31 "You want to tell me about her?"
07:39 "No. No, I don't think I will."
07:42 Other MCU finales such as Iron Man have effective hooks,
07:46 but this one speaks to the deeper meaning of the entire adventure.
07:50 Number 12. Mercy Kill - The Mist
07:53 Having barely made it through the movie,
07:55 the remaining survivors of The Mist contemplate their own existence in the final minutes.
08:00 "For once."
08:06 "There's five of us."
08:08 David Drayton makes the executive decision to spare the writers from being taken by interdimensional beings.
08:14 After going through with a devastating choice,
08:17 the character reels from his losses and anticipates his own death.
08:21 The actual outcome is much different than what he expected.
08:25 Instead of being torn apart, the hero finds himself surrounded by military personnel.
08:30 The gut punch of an ending really sells the desperation of the premise.
08:34 By revealing the effects of an impossible choice,
08:37 this Stephen King adaptation really goes for broke.
08:40 "No!"
08:47 Number 11. Frodo Leaves for Grey Havens - The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King
08:53 After completing his quest to destroy the Ring,
08:56 Frodo returns home at the end of this trilogy.
08:59 Time passes before the Hobbit heads for the Undying Lands.
09:02 The emotional conclusion brings a finality to the hero's journey,
09:06 leaving many of his friends like Sam behind.
09:09 "I will not say, do not weep. For not all tears are an evil."
09:15 Some continue to criticize The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King - for having so many endings,
09:20 but this one definitely feels like the book officially closes on the series.
09:24 We can't argue with getting to spend extra time with some of our favorite characters either.
09:29 "We set out to save the Shire, Sam. And it has been saved. But not for me."
09:41 Leaving behind his own story for others to read,
09:44 the brave Frodo becomes a legend as he sails away.
09:48 Number 10. The Circle of Time - Arrival - The Ring - The Return of the King
09:51 Amy Adams' character Louise Banks goes through the ringer in this sci-fi drama.
09:56 After making contact with aliens, she comes to a greater understanding of humanity as a whole.
10:02 Banks finally cracks the foreign language and its association with time.
10:06 This knowledge gives her a look into the future, revealing that her daughter hasn't been born yet.
10:20 Not only that, the father ends up being her colleague Ian Donnelly, in another surprise.
10:26 All of these details play out in illuminating moments that bring together the importance of communication, relationships, and life itself.
10:34 "You know what surprised me the most? It wasn't meeting them. It was meeting you."
10:46 Denis Villeneuve's poetic direction brings it all together in one of the more hopeful looks at contacting other life forms.
10:54 Number 9. Hypnotized - Old Boy - After Woojin exacts his revenge, Dae-su realizes Mido is his daughter.
11:14 He goes to a hypnotist to have his memory wiped of this knowledge.
11:17 In the film's final moments, Mido hugs him without any idea of the earlier revelations.
11:23 The hero smiles, and then his visible happiness begins to fade.
11:27 Did the man successfully have his mind altered, or does he find himself unable to forget the horrible truth?
11:34 Number 8. The Ambiguity - The Ambiguity of this ending asks audiences to question the entire journey itself.
11:51 As enigmatic as the movie's setup, this finale allows viewers to start a discussion of their own about the true fate of Dae-su's mind.
11:59 It's also more engaging to throw another twist into this story, rather than neatly wrapping it up.
12:04 Number 8. Waking Up From a Dream - No Country for Old Men - Like many of the Coen brothers' movies, their 2007 thriller ends on an ambiguous note.
12:24 One meant to underline the seemingly random and indecipherable chaos of life itself.
12:29 After being hit by a car, falling prey to the random chance he previously seemed to hold mastery over,
12:35 ruthless assassin Anton Chigurh limps off into an uncertain future.
12:39 Meanwhile, now-retired Sheriff Ed Bell shares the seemingly ominous dream he had the night before.
12:53 Is Sheriff Bell's dream the secret cipher to decode the film's deeper meanings, or is it simply chaos and chance?
12:59 We still don't know, and frankly, we're cool with that. Much like A Serious Man, this one is all about ambiguity.
13:06 Number 7. Whispering a Secret - In the Mood for Love - Wong Kar-wai's legendary romance centers on a man and a woman who form an unlikely bond
13:19 when they learn that their respective spouses are having an affair together.
13:23 United by this shared trauma, the two begin a friendship that slowly evolves into something more, as they develop feelings for one another.
13:30 But in the end, the two part ways, unable to engage in the same kind of betrayal that they fell victim to.
13:36 In the closing scene, the male lead whispers a secret into a hollow in a wall, referencing an earlier scene,
13:42 and ending the film on an ambiguous and melancholy note that still makes us tear up no matter how many times we rewatch it.
13:49 Number 6. The Lie - Memento - Boy, that Christopher Nolan sure knows how to end a movie, doesn't he?
13:57 Nolan's career-making film follows a man with anterograde amnesia, a condition that leaves him unable to form new memories beyond the past five minutes.
14:05 To make matters worse, he's on the trail of his wife's killer.
14:09 "You're not a killer, that's why you're so good at it."
14:12 The film is an often confusing maze of twists and turns, with a curveball ending that leaves many shaking their heads.
14:18 We eventually learn that the entire film has been shown to us out of order,
14:22 and that our amnesiac protagonist has been the pawn of an undercover police officer this whole time,
14:27 and that he already avenged his wife's death years prior.
14:30 "I have to believe that when my eyes are closed, the world's still there."
14:34 Number 5. The Secret - Lost in Translation - Hey, you!
14:40 As already discussed, there's something maddeningly interesting about an ambiguous ending,
14:44 one that keeps us wondering well after the credits have rolled.
14:47 A standout from this period is definitely the finale to Sofia Coppola's 2003 film,
14:52 which stars Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson as Bob and Charlotte,
14:56 an unlikely duo who form a friendship after a chance meeting in Tokyo.
15:00 After parting ways to return to their respective lives, the two meet one last time and share a final embrace,
15:06 after which Murray whispers something into her ear.
15:08 The film doesn't clue us into what that something is, leaving us forever guessing.
15:12 "Why? Why? Why?"
15:17 Number 4. My Masterpiece - Inglourious Bastards -
15:21 Always one for an entertaining surprise,
15:24 Quentin Tarantino brings this alternate take on World War II to a close with an entertaining reversal.
15:30 Hans Landa believes that he's going to surrender to Lieutenant Aldo Raine in a formal ceremony.
15:36 Contrary to his plan, Raine adds a permanent carving to the Nazi's forehead.
15:41 "I'm aware it ain't practical. I mean, at some point you gotta have to take it off.
15:45 So, I'm gonna give you a something you can't take off."
15:50 Brad Pitt's character relishes in the opportunity to exact revenge on his enemy.
15:54 It's a brutal scene that reminds audiences of Tarantino's penchant for violence.
15:59 With the final line of dialogue, the writer and director includes a moment of self-awareness to this war movie.
16:05 "You got something, you bitch?"
16:07 "I think this just might be my masterpiece."
16:10 Number 3. Final Performance - Whiplash -
16:13 "Andrew, what are you doing, man?"
16:15 "I'll kill you!"
16:17 Damien Chazelle's 2014 film had audiences staggering out of the cinema after its powerhouse closing scene.
16:23 A furious drum solo performed by the main character.
16:26 [Drums]
16:31 After enduring emotional abuse at the hands of his demanding music teacher,
16:34 Miles Teller's Andrew is ready to throw in the towel on his dreams of becoming a world-class drummer.
16:39 But after one last humiliation by the domineering teacher,
16:42 Andrew finally performs a notoriously difficult drum solo while his former teacher looks on.
16:47 [Drums]
16:56 It's a hugely satisfying finale that left many audience members holding their breath as the beats flew.
17:02 And Chazelle's career-making film drew to a triumphant close.
17:05 [Drums]
17:12 Number 2. Inception - Inception -
17:15 "Hotel, sir? We'll be landing in Los Angeles in about 20 minutes."
17:21 The ending that had audiences arguing over the tiniest wobble of a spinning top,
17:25 the final shot of Christopher Nolan's mind and reality-bending sci-fi epic,
17:29 is a lesson in how to get the maximum effect out of something minuscule.
17:33 After planting an idea in a target's mind by infiltrating their dreams,
17:37 Leonardo DiCaprio's Cobb seemingly returns to an idyllic life.
17:41 [Children shouting]
17:48 But rather than follow DiCaprio, the final shot of the film lingers on the spinning top he uses
17:52 to determine that he's not still in a dream,
17:54 leaving the audience to scrutinize the shot endlessly in a search for closure.
17:58 Between this and Shutter Island, 2010 was Leo's year for endings.
18:02 "Which would be worse? To live as a monster or to die as a good man?"
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18:26 Number 1. I'm Finished - There Will Be Blood
18:30 [Multiple voices talking at once]
18:35 Movie endings that throw you for a loop with a twist or leave you guessing from ambiguity are all well and good.
18:41 But sometimes you want a finale that puts a big ol' button on things.
18:45 And this one certainly does that. A big bloody button, that is.
18:48 "I drink your milkshake!"
18:52 In a final confrontation between oil baron Daniel Plainview and Eli Sunday,
18:57 a mild-mannered but ambitious pastor, star Daniel Day-Lewis' fiery performance reaches a fever pitch
19:03 as he drunkenly berates Eli before savagely beating him to death with a bowling pin.
19:08 "Did you think your song and dance and your superstition would help you, Eli?"
19:13 It's the kind of ending that leaves you exhausted, satisfied, and absolutely certain that you will never see anything like that again.
19:20 "That's it, that's it."
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19:35 [music]