50 Worst Movie Endings

Saw 3 (2006)

The Ending: The film’s only likeable character gets her head blown off as her idiot husband fails to control his temper by killing Jigsaw.

To make matters worse, the whereabouts of his daughter die with the villain…

Why It’s So Bad: While the first film ended with a diabolical twist, this one is just plain nasty. Boooo!

Hide And Seek (2005)

The Ending: Dakota Fanning doesn’t actually have an imaginary pal with murderous leanings.

It’s her split-personality dad who’s been doing all the killing!

Why It’s So Bad:
A split-personality ending always feels like a bit of a cop out, and this one is no exception.

The Descent (2005)

The Ending: The US-friendly version in which our heroine suddenly finds her way out of the caverns and jogs off to salvation in the form of a main road.

Why It’s So Bad: It’s an improbably convenient ending, and vastly inferior to the UK version, which reveals that this escape is merely a trick of the mind.

The Witches (1990)

The Ending: Miss Irvine turns her back on her witchy sisters and transforms Luke back into a boy again.

Why It’s So Bad: It totally ducks the poetic (if a little depressing) ending of the book, which has the hero remain a mouse, comforted by the knowledge that he and his grandmother will see out the rest of their days together.

Psycho (1960)

The Ending: The interminable Dr. Richmond embarks upon a speech about how “matricide is probably the most unbearable crime of all”.

No wonder Norman isn’t listening…

Why It’s So Bad: After the thrilling events in the basement of the Bates house, this anticlimactic follow-up is the ultimate damp squib.

Colour Of Night (1994)

The Ending: Bruce Willis’s sexually troubled (and seemingly male) patient turns out to be the mysterious woman he’s been sleeping with.

Put that in your ethical pipe and smoke it!

Why It’s So Bad: Melodramatic, hokey and downright implausible.

Surely something would ring a bell for old Brucey?

Perfect Stranger (2007)

The Ending: Halle Berry was the killer all along.

Betcha didn’t see that one coming, did you?

Why It’s So Bad: Berry’s character doesn’t act like a murderer for a single second of the film until the big reveal.

So when said reveal rolls along, it feels like a bit of a cheat really!

A.I. (2001)

The Ending: Haley Joel Osment’s little boy robot is trapped at the bottom of the ocean with a statue of the fairy he’s spent the whole movie looking for.

Then 2,000 years later, some aliens wake him up and bring his mum back to life for a day. Aww.

Why It’s So Bad: Drafting in some last-minute aliens to save the day seems just a tad lazy from a storyteller of Spielberg’s quality.

Grease (1978)

The Ending: Danny and Sandy hop into Greased Lightning together, which promptly takes flight, carrying them off into the sunset.

Wait, what?

Why It’s So Bad: Greased Lightning can fly?

Great Scott!

Source Code (2011)

The Ending: Despite the meticulously established system of logic established by the film, Jake Gyllenhaal’s character is still granted a happy ending by apparently cheating science.

Why It’s So Bad: Obviously, sci-fi filmmakers are at liberty to make up the rules as they go, but we’d much have preferred it if Source Code ended on the scene where Gyllenhaal and Michelle Monaghan share a kiss.

The ensuing scene feels unnecessary and slightly clunky to our minds.

George Wales

George was once GamesRadar's resident movie news person, based out of London. He understands that all men must die, but he'd rather not think about it. But now he's working at Stylist Magazine.