30 Films Where The Last Scene Is Actually The Best Scene In The Entire Thing

Recently, on my personal favorite subreddit, r/movies, redditor u/downvote_this_mf asked for people to name some "Movies where the final scene is widely regarded as the best scene in the entire film," and movie lovers really came through with some A+ answers.

Harman-Ising Productions

So, with that in mind, here are just a few of the most popular responses shared:

1.Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

"Man, that had me on the edge of my seat. Going from all that epic fighting to that axe lunge to the snap and the silence. Only to show everyone dusting, people I had been following for 10 years. The theater was just as stunned as I was."

—u/Craig1287

You can watch the ending scene here:

2.Inception (2010)

"Is he dreaming? Does is it matter if he is or not?"

—u/impliedinsult

You can watch the ending scene here:

3.Halloween (1978)

"After Michael disappears and Dr. Loomis tells Laurie he was the boogeyman. The montage of all of the places in the movie is just perfect."

—u/Turd-In-Your-Pocket

You can watch the ending scene here:

4.The Matrix (1999)

"Neo flying out to save us all was the perfect ending. I enjoyed the sequels, but without the sequels, the impact of the ending would have been absolutely legendary (probably an unpopular opinion)."

—u/AjEdisMindTrick

You can watch the ending scene here:

5.Saw (2004)

"I’m still shocked about that ending. It was easily the best scene in the whole movie."

—u/Rxmses

You can watch the ending scene here:

6.The Lost Boys (1987)

"'One thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach: all the damn vampires.'"

You can watch the ending scene here:

7.Primal Fear (1996)

"It’s a jaw dropper the first time you see it."

—u/FreeRangeAlien 

You can watch the ending scene here:

8.Arrival (2016)

"The end is really a montage, but it's spectacular."

—u/alannordoc

You can watch the ending scene here:

9.City Lights (1931)

"I always say it'd still be a favorite of mine if it wasn't as good as it was, but the reason it's my favorite movie is because of the perfect ending."

—u/Typical_Humanoid

You can watch the ending scene here:

10.Children of Men (2006)

"It's utter chaos, then suddenly, a child screams, and everything stops for a moment. It moves me to tears every time."

—u/PullMull

You can watch the ending scene here:

11.The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

"This is the one I thought of because it lasts about 20 minutes. Brilliant tension, cinematography, and a nice surprise."

—u/danielagoodrich

You can watch the ending scene here:

12.Schindler's List (1993)

"Not just where Schindler loses his cool and his persona cracks as the gravity of everything hits him when he thinks, 'I could have saved one more,' but all the descendants that probably would not be here if he hadn't done what he did."

—u/Seab0und

You can watch the ending scene here:

13.Reservoir Dogs (1992)

"You're thinking, 'They won’t ALL shoot…will they?'"

—u/rulerofearthnyc

You can watch the ending scene here:

14.Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

"That ending is epic and amazing!"

—u/nickyeyez

You can watch the ending scene here:

15.Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)

"'Is everyone all right?' 'Well, the fucking hippies aren’t. That’s for goddamn sure.'"

—u/Flyingvop

You can watch the ending scene here:

16.Big Fish (2003)

"The whole film is a masterpiece, but the final scene wrecks me."

—u/cyclejones

You can watch the ending scene here:

17.Field of Dreams (1989)

"'Hey dad? Wanna have a catch?' I love this movie for a million reasons, but the simple game of catch at the end is beautiful. This whole movie, this whole quest, was just for this one moment between Ray and his dad. It crushes me every time I watch that movie."

—u/fajita43

You can watch the ending scene here:

18.Before Sunset (2004)

"There we go. That’s the answer. I’ve been scrolling through all these great responses, but I knew we were missing it. It has to be this just because it’s about two films (and 11 years) worth of tension being released when he says 'I know.' Best trilogy in film history, too, if you ask me."

—u/ChuckWallace987

You can watch the ending scene here:

19.The Game (1997)

"This is such a great movie with just a minor re-watch worth, but oh, what would I give to see this movie for the first time again."

—u/Hardi_SMH

You can watch the ending scene here:

20.Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

"The whole movie is great, but the last scene always haunted me."

—u/casual_eloc

You can watch the ending scene here:

21.Arlington Road (1999)

"A pretty good film that's about half an hour too long and definitely sags in the middle, but that ending...wow. I realized what was going on at the exact moment that Jeff Bridges's character did, and I'll never forget that split second 'oh shit' moment."

—u/Stevepiers

You can watch the ending scene here:

22.Captain Phillips (2013)

"The final scene where he is being rescued and checked out by the medic was surprisingly emotional. I still think about it regularly after seeing it years ago."

—u/cafterk

You can watch the ending scene here:

23.Michael Clayton (2007)

"This is one that comes to mind. The whole movie is just a constant buildup of tension, and George Clooney just paying a guy to drive a taxi around so he doesn't have to think while he is just silent was really impactful. The whole movie is good, but I think the ending is definitely the standout scene for me. It's also pretty cool that this scene happens while the credits roll, yet it didn't take me out of it."

—u/GoatRogan

You can watch the ending scene here:

24.Whiplash (2014)

"Damn, that's catharsis."

—u/JustinHardyJ

You can watch the ending scene here:

25.Se7en (1995)

"The movie is brilliant from its first scene, but that ending solidifies it as one of the best of all time."

—u/copperblood

You can watch the ending scene here:

26.Smokin' Aces (2006)

"There's a few awesome scenes in the movie, but that ending with that soundtrack playing beats everything before it."

—u/thedevilyoukn0w

You can watch the ending scene here:

27.Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

"I love the whole movie, but man, the Darth Vader scene is probably one of the best things in all of Star Wars."

—u/Nefty_Y

You can watch the ending scene here:

28.Saint Maud (2019)

"The last fraction of a second is the most chilling thing I've ever seen in a film."

—u/MrJackdaw

You can watch the ending scene here:

29.A History of Violence (2005)

"No spoilers for the ending, but not one character says a single damn word in the final five minutes, yet you understand everything that is said between everybody in the room. Such a fantastic story, I felt like it flew under the radar somewhat, which is weird considering it's a David Cronenberg film."

—u/BLAZEtms

You can watch the ending scene here:

And finally:

30.The Truman Show (1998)

"It's the greatest closing scene in any movie ever, in my opinion."

—u/cfh294

You can watch the ending scene here:

You've read their picks, but now it's your turn. Which ones did they miss? Which ending scenes are the best scenes in the entire movie? Share your pick(s) in the comments below!

Some responses were edited for length and/or clarity. H/T: Reddit.

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