Content Warning: The following entries contain spoilers for the horror movies discussed.
To make any compelling horror movie work, one always needs a great, satisfying conclusion. In many ways, the ending can either make or break a film, provided it gives a well-written and well-executed payoff that entertains viewers and leaves a lasting impression on them. While the horror genre is a treasure trove of stellar and frightening finales, there are some well-known endings today for being the exact opposite.
The following entries are horror films that have gained notoriety for their incredibly disappointing and lackluster conclusions. Their endings are spectacularly underwhelming, appalling, and monumentally frustrating. They’ve become infamous for being huge letdowns that failed to give anything to their audiences' investments. They’ve ruined what could have otherwise made these films go out on a high note, and instead of leaving viewers frightened or thrilled, they just left them shaking their heads.
15’Devil' (2010)
Directed by John Erick Dowdle
When thinking aboutfilms with decent concepts but failed spectacularlyin their executions, one that should come to mind isJohn Erick Dowdle’sDevil. StarringChris MessinaandLogan Marshall-Green, it follows a Philadelphia police detective as he tries to save five stranded passengers stuck in a high-rise elevator. But onboard the elevator, in a cramped spot surrounded by four individuals who’ve secretly done terrible things in their pasts, one of them is secretly the Devil, here to collect their souls.
In the end, after most of the elevator’s occupants are brutally killed, the last passenger, Tony (Marshall-Green), finally comes face to face with the Devil, who reveals himself to be one of the previously dead passengers, an older woman (Jenny O’Hara), who saved him for last because he committed the worst sin of them all by accidentally killing a mother and son in a drunk driving accident. Feeling genuine guilt for his actions, Tony uses the moment to finally confess and repent for his sin, resulting in the Devil reluctantly sparing his soul and vanishing.It’s an abrupt and anti-climactic finale that ruins a pretty decent idea.It was incredibly obvious from the start that the older woman was the Devil all along, so there was no real surprise during the reveal. It’s not frustratingly bad or insulting; the ending to Devil is just a major letdown that feels a bit underwhelming.
14’Halloween End' (2022)
Directed by David Gordon Green
The lackluster finale toDavid Gordon Green’sHalloweenreboot trilogy could be considered a significant letdown. An insultingly bad installment that doesn’t honor the original,Halloween Endsis a prime example of a film series losing its direction, resulting in a conclusion that finishes theHalloweentrilogy on a low note.
This finale shows the disappointing end to Michael Myers' (James Jude Courtney) and Laurie Strode’s (Jamie Lee Curtis), decades-long rivalry. It seemed highly unlikely the writers would be bold enough to kill off Laurie, so it ended with a predictable win for her. Michael bleeds to death, and his body is dumped into a car shredder. What was supposed to be a satisfying, emotional send-off to this iconic movie rivalry resulted ina dull, insultingly forgettable finale that’s as soulless as its slasher villain.
Halloween Ends
13’The Open House' (2018)
Directed by Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote
One of theworst horror movies of the last 25 yearsis Netflix’sThe Open House. A dull, slow, anti-climactic thriller, the story is about a single mother and her teenage son whose stay at an open house turns into a nightmare when they’re stalked by a mysterious killer who seems lurking somewhere in the home.
What could have been an interesting idea for a suspenseful slasher flick turned into a boring, clichéd snoozefest that ends pointlessly as its plot. In the finale, after escaping into the woods after a brutal night of torment, the protagonist, Logan (Dylan Minnette), is discovered by the killer and strangled off-screen. It ends with the still unidentified killer as he drives off to commit his next murder.It’s an unsatisfying, cruel, and unnecessarily bleak conclusion that gives no payoffto the audience’s investment.
The Open House
Watch on Netflix
Directed by Rachel Talalay
Most slasher franchises have poor track records when it comes to a film going out on a high note. TakeFreddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, the first attempt to end theA Nightmare on Elm Streetseries in 1991. It didn’t stay the last movie for long because this lackluster, unfocused letdown didn’t give a satisfying conclusion to Freddy (Robert Englund) the way most audiences would have wanted.
The climax sees Freddy once again being defeated in another bizarre, goofy fashion, this time at the hands of his daughter Maggie (Lisa Zane). In what has to be one of the most embarrassing, darkly comedic ways the dream demon has ever gone out, Freddy is stabbed by his glove by Maggie and blown up with a pipe bomb, resulting in a poorly done CGI explosion that ends with Freddy’s disembodied head lunging in front of the camera.It’s a rushed, hideously shot, and ridiculous ending that was not the most dignifying way for a popular slasher villainlike Freddy to go out on.
Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare
11’The Descent: Part 2' (2009)
Directed by Jon Harris
A far cry from the nightmarish intensity of the first movie,The Descent: Part 2feels like an unnecessary sequel, made solely to cash in on the success generated bythe firstThe Descent. In a plot that completely retcons the much bleaker and arguably superior ending of the original, this story follows survivor Sarah Carter (Shauna Macdonald) as she reluctantly follows a team of authorities into the same cavern where she encountered flesh-hungry cave-dwellers.
By the end, after most of the rescue team is killed and the remaining two survivors are surrounded by Crawlers at the exit, Sarah unexpectedly meets her demise as she sacrifices herself to give sheriff’s deputy Elen (Krysten Cummings) a chance to escape. But, after finally reaching the surface, Elen is knocked unconscious, and her body is dragged back to the cave entrance by a deranged local (Michael J. Reynolds) and grabbed by one remaining crawler. This frustratingly mean-spirited ending insults everything the characters, especially Sarah, went through during the entire movie. Having Elen bite the dust just after escaping makes Sarah’s heroic sacrifice entirely meaningless.It’s an unnecessary finale to a film that wasn’t needed in the first place.
The Descent Part 2
10’Founders Day' (2023)
Directed by Erik Bloomquist
A dullholiday-themed slasher flick, 2023’sFounders Dayis a spectacular mess of incoherent nonsense, forced political satire, and bland plot twists. Set during a highly contested mayoral race in a small town, a young woman struggles to uncover the identity of a masked serial killer who is targeting the families of mayoral candidates.
It suffers from not one or two or even three, but four incredibly underwhelming killer reveals that massively drag the entertainment down. Worse, it ends with the final girl somehow agreeing and joining sides with the last killer/mastermind in his bizarre and nonsensical scheme to become mayor simply because he thinks he’s the better choice to run the town.This nonsensical twist only adds more fuel to the already ludicrous story, leaving viewers' heads scratching as to why the protagonist would ever agree to such a ridiculous plan, especially after all the trouble and torment the killer put her through.
Founders Day
9’Would You Rather' (2012)
Directed by David Guy Levy
One ofthe most disturbing horror films ever made, 2012’sWould You Ratheris an unrelentingly bleak story that is too hard to watch at times. Starring an impressive cast of big names, includingBrittany Snow,June Squibb, the lateJohn Heard, and horror legendJeffrey Combs, it follows a group of financially desperate people as they compete in a dark and twisted game of life or death for the amusement of a sadistic billionaire.
Bleak endings can sometimes be quite compelling, but they can also have an adverse effect.Would You Rathersees the main character, Iris (Snow), experiencing countless horrors and committing unspeakable acts during the game, all in an attempt to win a cash prize to pay for her terminally ill brother’s medical bills. After barely surviving and finally being crowned the champion, she returns home only to discover her brother has passed away. It’s a punch-in-the-gut, downer conclusion that gives no resolve to the already depressing story.While some might argue it compliments the film’s tone, this dark ending feels a little too forced and gratuitous, seemingly only put in to be shocking and unexpected without any need to be.
Would You Rather
Watch on Roku
8’Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan' (1989)
Directed by Rob Hedden
A horror movie so bad,Jason himself would be disgusted.Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattanwas a massive letdown that could have otherwise been a much-needed boost to the declining franchise. Trading the dark, eerie forest setting of Crystal Lake for the gritty streets of New York, it follows Jason as he takes his killing spree to The Big Apple.
In a long-running slasher franchise criticized for having many lackluster endings, whether too cheap, jump-scare heavy, or sequel-baiting,Jason Takes Manhattan’s finale is the most outlandish. After finally catching up with the heroes, Jason meets his end in a sewer tunnel as toxic runoff drowns him, and his dead body inexplicably reverts to him being a child, like when he drowned at Camp Crystal Lake decades prior. While Jason has died many ridiculous times before,this absurd death makes absolutely no sense, nor does it seem entertainingly bad. There’s even an alternate ending that gets even more ridiculous, including an incredibly fake-looking Jason puppet.
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
7’Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers' (1995)
Directed by Joe Chappelle
After the disappointing cliffhanger at theend ofThe Revenge of Michael Myers, it was onHalloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers' shoulders to neatly wrap up Michael and Dr. Loomis' story arc and give a satisfying send-off toHalloweenfans after a string of lackluster installments. However, that, unfortunately, was not the case. StarringDonald Pleasencein his last outing as Dr. Loomis, it sees him teaming up withPaul Rudd’s Tom Doyle as they put a stop to Michael and the murderous Cult of Thorn once and for all.
The Curse of Michael Myersinfamously suffered major production setbacks during its development, resulting in constant reshoots, rewrites, and, most importantly, creating two completely separate endings. While drastically different, both finales have nothing going for them. “The Theatrical Cut” ends with Tommy ridiculously beating Michael to the ground, and then Dr. Loomis is mysteriously killed off-screen. “The Producers Cut” sees Michael escaping and Loomis surviving, but he inexplicably becomes Michael’s handler through the absurd magical powers of the Thorn Cult.While it’s up to viewers to decide which ending they prefer more, it’s undeniable that both conclusions are incredibly lacklusterand represent some of the lowest points of the franchise.
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers
6’The Turning' (2020)
Directed by Floria Sigismondi
A fourth adaptation ofHenry James' 1898 horror novella “The Turn of the Screw,” which also gave inspiration to 1961’sThe Innocents,The Turningis a 2020 supernatural horror mystery drama starringMackenzie Davis,Brooklynn Prince, andFinn Wolfhard. It follows a young governess, Kate (Davis), who slowly suspects something paranormal surrounds her after being hired to care for two troubled orphans at their luxurious mansion.
While it has a decent gothic tone, a few well-placed scares, and some genuinely engaging performances,The Turningultimately fell flat in its execution due to its faulty conclusion, or rather a lack thereof a conclusion. It ends with an unresolved question of whether Kate was actually experiencing supernatural occurrences or if they were all just in her head. It abruptly ends, almost like it’s in mid-scene as if a few extra minutes were trimmed to keep audiences guessing what happened. It’s a dull, unnecessary, cop-out, ambiguous ending that provides no payoff to the audience’s investment.
