25 People Talk About the Greatest Final Ten Minutes of Any Movie
1. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
The standoff in “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” Everything about that scene, from the cinematography, the score, to the tension is sheer perfection.
StigasaurusRex
2. Se7en
Se7en is one that comes to mind. Granted it may be more like 20 mins but that ending still fucks me up.
HalfChineseJesus
3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The tapes are absolutely tear-jerking. “What a loss to spend that much time with someone, only to find out that she’s a stranger.”
Jonboy326
4. Requiem for a Dream
Requiem for a Dream. The whole movie builds to that insane, destructive climax. It’s what makes the movie so unwatchable for a second time. It’s terrifying, knowing that there are people out there at this moment experiencing this precise thing.
Technical_Flamingo54
5. Final Destination
Final Destination 5. The twist that the movie is a prequel to the first gets me no matter how many times I see it. It essentially ends where it begins and seeing the main characters die like that is always very depressing to me.
DaRealDoomSlayer1993
6. Black Swan
Black Swan. Just the intercalation between shots of what’s happening on real life vs what she is seeing in her head… And then the death… And the crowd clapping even after the credits started… Art, man.
izzynk3003
7. The Last of the Mohicans
Last of the Mohicans. No question. Virtually no dialog. Everything is shown through emotions and intense action. Perfectly shot by Michael Mann in his prime, and the brilliant accompanying musical score sets the scene beautifully. Just an incredibly poignant and riveting finale.
scijay
8. Lord of the Rings
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. The Breaking of the Fellowship, the acting, the music, just how it ends fading to black with Frodo and Sam heading into the Emyn Muil, and then the credits kick in with the humming of the Concerning Hobbits theme… tears and goosebumps every time.
StarWarsFreak93
9. American History X
American History X.
justa_user_name
The last few minutes really drive home how big a waste a life spent in hate is.
10. Children of Men
A big moment for me is Children of Men, the baby scene. For those who haven’t seen it, it’s set in a world where people stop having babies, and it’s one of the best films ever made. The whole film circles around this moment, and builds up to it, and just as the characters stop their violence to make sure the baby is safe you the viewer go on the same humbling journey of realizing how precious both the babies’ life is, and everyone in the scene’s life is.
Hal_E_Lujah
I would also say the reprise in Up when he goes through the book again, ‘stuff I’m going to do’, and the whole point of the film crashes over you in a single heartbreaking moment.
And finally I love the scene in it’s a wonderful life when he is at the bar. The final scene is obviously iconic but the power of being at a bar he knows and loves where nobody recognizes him is so quietly powerful that I love it. It’s the moment he truly realizes the impact he has had on all these lives and stops finding it funny. I know it’s not the final 10mins but I think everything afterwards relies on it.
11. Dead Poet’s Society
Dead Poets Society
KSmimi
Oh Captain my Captain!
12. Lion King
Not a movie buff, but imo it’s Lion King (1994)
Checkurselfwins
The scene where it’s raining and Simba is walking up Pride Rock still gives me goosebumps
Also Hans Zimmer’s best work imo.
13. The Dark Knight Rises
longluca1496
I think the plot and villains were pretty underwhelming, but you can’t deny that the ending wasn’t cathartic as hell.
When Alfred sees Bruce with Selena at the restaurant, it makes my heart melt that Alfred’s fantasy came true, that Bruce has achieved a better life “outside of that awful cave”, and now he can be at peace knowing Bruce was happy.
When the platform Blake/Robin was standing on starts elevating (“rises”) and the scene cuts to black, everyone in my theatre started applauding. Beautiful ending.
14. Coco
Not seen anyone post this, but Coco. Pixar’s best film to date.
Lumber_Dan
15. Uncut Gems
Uncut Gems is the first thing I think of.
yeet_onfleek
16. Step Brothers
Step Brothers… IT’S THE FUCKIN CATALINA WINE MIXER!!
MChiky19
17. Home Alone
The ending of Home Alone is amaaaaazing. Possibly my favorite part of Christmas.
ProbablyaDrugDealer
18. Tarantino Films
Pulp fiction and inglorious bastards. Tarantino is great at making unpredictable endings.
coobmaroog
Most disturbing memorable is the mist
For the feels, green mile.
19. The Sixth Sense
The Sixth Sense.
FerverT
I know M. Knight Shyamalan has struggled to produce anything of quality for a couple of decades now, but that shouldn’t detract from the sheer genius of Sixth Sense.
I was absolutely floored with the twist ending. I remember everyone in the theater gasping.
The best part of course is the “twist” isn’t just arbitrarily inserted, there are so many clues throughout the movie that let us know Bruce Willis is a ghost. This made the movie rewatachable several times while scouring to find all the clues.
And we got the now iconic line, “I see dead people.”
Perfect execution in virtually every way.
20. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
drumsareloud
I know it might not make an all-time greats list or anything, but I was so-so on the whole movie until the end, and then left the theater on one of the best movie highs I’ve ever experienced.
21. Ferris Bueller
Ferris Bueller…It’s over…go home.
flickern
22. The Thing
The Thing.
LeDevilsAdvocate2021
All hell is breaking loose and there is a huge explosion. Now the last two survivors are trying to work out if, and if so, who, might be The Thing as they sit and wait to die.
23. A Quiet Place
A Quiet Place… the sound direction in that film was awesome.
Bobster2UK
24. Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan.
B3and1
“Tell me I’m a good man. Tell me I’ve lived a good life.”
25. West Side Story
The end of West Side Story (original).
purplealchemist
That shook me to my core the first time I watched it.