ActiveMan
No Result
View All Result
  • Wellness
  • Style
  • Living
  • Culture
  • Wellness
  • Style
  • Living
  • Culture
No Result
View All Result
ActiveMan
No Result
View All Result

Most Downer Film Endings

by Matthew Brosche
in Culture
Reading Time: 4 mins read
Most Downer Film Endings
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Films are an escapist fantasy for a majority of people. When people go to the movies they expect the story to make sense in a way that that real life doesn’t. The villains get punished, the heroes are rewarded, and everyone ends the story feeling safe and happy.

Then some movies come along that force the audience to face the uncomfortable truth of life by throwing the happy ending trope on its head, leaving the audience with a pit in their stomach as they leave the theater. Here are a few of the endings that are as depressing as they are entertaining.

No Country for Old Men

no-country-for-old-men_30262_4ea5fa772c058837cb0027d1_1320295952

Whats the story
In 1980’s Texas, hunter Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) finds a briefcase containing two million dollars among a group of dead cartel members. Moss decides to keep the briefcase, unknowingly setting off a cat and mouse game with hitman Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) who is hired to get the money back, killing anyone who gets in his way.

While Moss and Chigurh try to outsmart each other, local Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) lags behind trying to solve the case of Chigurh’s murders.

How it all ends
The film builds up a final confrontation between Chigurh and Moss using our collective knowledge of how stories usually go, but that never happens. Instead, Moss is unceremoniously killed off screen by the cartel, Chigura survives a car wreck, but the audience is never told if he was arrested or not, and Bell ends the film of retelling a dream he had to his wife.

What makes the ending so sad is how it throws the usual good versus evil storyline for a loop, as no one really wins in the end. Everyone is either dead, wounded, or broken. Sheriff Bell’s speech to his wife at the end explains why the movie is as pessimistic as it is, with Bell metaphorically stating that he is an old man who can’t find a place in this new world of violence and chaos.

Seven

seven

Whats the story
Soon to be retiring detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) is teamed with up and coming detective Mills for one final case. The case in question is the most gruesome and horrifying the city has ever seen.

Each victim being ritualistically murdered and given the title of one of the seven deadly sins by a killer who leaves no trace. Somerset and Mills must work quickly to catch the killer before he murders all seven of his targets.

How it all ends
After John Doe, the seven killer turns himself over to the police, Mills, and Summerset convince Doe to take them to the location of his last victim. When reaching the location following John Doe’s instructions, all they find is a box sitting out in the middle of a desert.

Summerset opens the box and is horrified at what he sees, leading Mills to scream the now famous line “What’s in the box!” John Doe informs Detective Mills that his wife’s head is in the box and that he murdered her because he was jealous of her and Mills’ happy relationship, making Doe the representation of Envy in his plan.

Despite Summerset’s attempts to convince him not to, Mills shoots and kills Jon Doe allowing Doe to complete his plan by focusing Mills to become the embodiment of wrath.

The death of Mills’ innocent wife makes this ending heartbreaking enough, but what makes it even worse is the fact that John Doe won. If Mills kept control and arrested Doe instead of killing him, then the killer’s whole plan would have fallen apart as Mills would have never become the representation of wrath. Due to his choices, Mills has to live with his wife’s death and that he fulfilled John Doe’s plan.

The Mist

the-mist

Whats the story
Based on the Stephen King story of the same name, The Mist follows David (Thomas Jane) as he takes his eight-year-old son to the store with him. The two quickly find that a heavy mist has descended on the entire store trapping everyone inside.

The shoppers band together in an attempt to survive until someone can save them or the mist clears. Survival becomes complicated when tension breaks out between the shoppers along with monsters attacking anyone who tries to leave the store.

How it all ends
Probably the most downer ending in any movie, causing many who see it throw a stream of enranged expletives at the screen. The ending of The Mist finds David and a few other survivors, including his eight-year-old son, held up in a broken down van with the mist slowly encroaching in on them.

With seemingly no other options the group decides on a suicide pact, letting David shoot all of them before shooting himself. Just as he is about to kill himself the mist clears and the military comes in to save David, who has to be restrained after he starts screaming with grief.

This ending is depressing enough with David now having to live with the fact that he killed his son, but what makes it even worse is that if they just waited a few minutes longer, they would have all been saved.

Previous Post

All Natural Supplements for Your Sex Life

Next Post

7 Benefits of Ice Cold Shower in the Morning

Related Posts

Yellowstone Season 5

The Best Episodes of Yellowstone Season 5 (So Far)

May 2, 2023
5

Have you watched the Yellowstone Season 5? If you haven't already, it's time to jump on the bandwagon and start...

'Shazam 2: The Fury Of Gods' A Big Disappointment

‘Shazam 2: The Fury Of Gods’ A Big Disappointment

March 21, 2023
12

Shazam 2: The Fury of Gods really made the gods furious with its recent performance. In recent times, the DC...

5 Fun Bachelor Party Ideas

5 Fun Bachelor Party Ideas

October 10, 2021
132

Why do we have bachelor parties? For one thing, they serve as a great way to bring friends and family...

The official poster for Bird Box, an original Netflix film.

5 Movies to Watch if You Like Netflix’s ‘Bird Box’

January 2, 2019
866

Netflix's latest breakout original horror film, “Bird Box,” has most viewers and critics split between acknowledging its brilliance or highlighting...

Ant-Man and The Wasp Wanted To Be About Love

Ant-Man and The Wasp Wanted To Be About Love

September 23, 2018
343

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a super solid summer blockbuster. I just think it could have been more. Spoilers for...

The 10 Online Gaming Sites You Need to Utilize

The 10 Online Gaming Sites You Need to Utilize

September 23, 2018
331

The gaming industry doesn't just reside with consoles like Xbox and Playstation. There's a whole world of gaming at your...

Why is Hereditary so Freaking Scary?

Why is Hereditary so Freaking Scary?

September 23, 2018
486

By now you’ve no doubt heard of director Ari Aster’s breakout hit and how terrifying it is. But what makes...

Best Time To Catch The Great Migration

Best Time To Catch The Great Migration

September 23, 2018
353

Call it the ‘biggest show in the world’ but the Great Migration is a spectacle like no other. There is...

Finding the Next "Deadpool"

Finding the Next “Deadpool”

September 23, 2018
122

The sudden success of "Deadpool", an R-rated Marvel franchise, has spurred a new chapter in comic book movies.

Load More

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Dolph Lundgren’s Ivan Drago Workout Routine for Rocky IV

7 Simple Tricks To Getting Rid of Visceral Fat

Proven Ways to Overcome Addiction

ICYMI: These Shower Habits Cause Back Acne

10 Delicious Foods That Will Make You Horny

How to Recover Fast from Muscle Sores and Strain

  • About
  • Disclaimer
  • Email us: [email protected]

© 2023 ActiveMan. All rights reserved. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. All the information on this website – activeman.com – is published in good faith and for general information purposes only. ActiveMan does not make any warranties about the completeness, reliability, and accuracy of this information. Any action you take upon the information you find on this website (ActiveMan), is strictly at your own risk. ActiveMan will not be liable for any losses and/or damages in connection with the use of our website. ActiveMan might get paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites. ActiveMan is a registered trademark of Placeful, Inc.

No Result
View All Result
  • Wellness
  • Style
  • Living
  • Culture

© 2022 ActiveMan. All rights reserved. All images property of their respective owners. ActiveMan is a registered trademark of Placeful, Inc.

x
x