Audiences crave a happy ending, where the hero rides off into the sunset or the prince saves the princess. Of course, in the case of the horror genre, the princess is more likely to turn out to be a vampire who bites down on the prince and some far-fetched curse kills the hero.
It's common knowledge that most horror movies just don't have happy endings. It's not the way they're meant to be, with the dark, brutal finales selling home the horror of it all. That being said, every now and then, a happy ending does appear in a horror flick.
Aliens (1986)
In a place where no one can hear you scream, happy endings are but a luxury. Most of the time in the iconic Alien universe, the endings usually have the Ellen Ripley either dying or drifting off into an unknown future with no real answers.
However, in the action-packed sequel, Xenomorph Queen (one of sci-fi's most terrifying aliens) and escaping with Newt, Bishop, and Hicks, Ripley prepares for Cryo sleep not alone, but surrounded by friends and, in a way, family. A shame the sequels ruined the perfect moment.
Get Out (2017)
Often times, any movie regardless of genre will have more than one ending in the works, as a way to keep the options and routes open if test screenings don't work out. This can be said about Jordan Peele's horror hit, Get Out.
While the theatrical ending has the main character Chris escaping from the crazed, mind-controlling Armitage family with help from his pal Rod, in an alternate ending, Chris goes to jail, taking the fall for the Armitage's deaths. Thankfully, the ending audiences got was much more uplifting with Chris and Rod leaving Rose Armitage for dead as they drive off into the night.
Shaun Of The Dead (2004)
All audiences expect a comedy, even a horror-comedy, to have a happy ending. It's just how they're designed to work. However, after watching the titular character of one of the best zombie comedies out there, lose his best friend, and barely escape with his and his girlfriend Liz's life, fans were skeptical of a happy conclusion.
Yet, in an Edgar Wright film, all wells that end well are a common theme, with the zombie threat becoming a fluke and Shaun getting both the girl and his now undead friend back.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Over the years, slasher films have found a typical and almost cliched way to end most of their movies. Just when the audience and main characters think they've won, usually the killer pops back up, alive once more and ready to brutalize more innocent teens.
So when horror's most iconic and most realistic slasher villain.
A Quiet Place (2018)
Ambiguous endings can be annoying. To finish a film on a cliffhanger, with the main characters fates left unknown is the main factor in most horror features. In a way, it takes away from the story as a whole.
However, A Quiet Place, set in a world where monsters hunt by sound, reached its ending, fans weren't disappointed. Even though the film ends on a cliffhanger with the remaining monsters coming for the family, they're left with a way to fight back through hearing aids and serves as an almost inspiring finale as Emily Blunt racks the shotgun as the screen cuts to black.
The Invisible Man (2020)
The saying revenge is a dish best served cold is more true than audiences realize. Films more than anything utilizes this saying to the best of its ability, showcasing the main character to get to fulfill their destiny and exact revenge.
In the 2020 The Invisible Man, Cecilia manages to get revenge on her abusive boyfriend, Adrian Griffen by using his own invisible suit against him. It may not be the cleanest of endings, but it serves as a somewhat happy one for both Cecilia and the audience as the tormented girl walks away free of her tormentor.
Doctor Sleep (2019)
When the main character of a movie ends up dying, it doesn't always bode well for the film's finale. In the sequel to one of the best ghost films of the last five years, Danny Torrance meets a fiery demise after burning down the overlook hotel after being possessed by the hotel's ghosts.
However, this allows for an almost bittersweet ending, with Danny finding peace in death and imparts a last bit of wisdom upon Abra, who makes it her goal to not follow in Danny's footsteps and tries to use her shining gift to help people and lock away the ghosts that Danny struggled with for so long.
Ready Or Not (2019)
What better way to end a horror movie than with bodies exploding into a gory, brutal mess? When the dark, horror, comedy Ready Or Not started on the path to the end with Grace being prepared for a sacrifice, things looked pretty grim.
Luckily, the film ended on a high note, with Grace, one of many awesome female leads in a modern horror movie, getting free and watching as her demented in-laws blew apart one by one as the curse of the Domas's came true. With Samara Weaving laughing madly serving as a chef's kiss for this twisted yet strangely satisfying ending.
Army Of Darkness (1992)
Ending a series on a high note is difficult to pull off in a horror series like Evil Dead. With each film, the endings were grim, with the original leaving Ash Willaims fate ambiguous, and the sequel stranding him in the Dark Ages.
So when the third film, Army Of Darkness, ended, audiences were surprised by the upbeat finale with Ash returning to the present and accepting his messed up life of facing down Deadites and occasionally getting the girl or in Ash's own words: Hail to the king, baby.
Poltergeist (1982)
A story about a house taken over by ghosts doesn't sound as if it would have a happy conclusion and when audiences walked into Poltergeist in 1982, they were probably thinking the same thing. Demonic trees, evil clowns, and skeletons in the pool doesn't bode well for any family.
Of course, being produced by Steven Spielberg, a happy ending is guaranteed for a movie of this caliber. In the end, the family makes their escape as the house implodes. Despite losing their possessions, the family did escape with their lives, which, in hindsight, is probably better.
