Photo: Blumhouse Productions
There were some amazing films in 2018, but only a few had ending sequences that we’re still talking about, or, in some cases, are still keeping us up at night. Below are Mandatory’s 10 Best Movie Endings of 2018. Major spoiler alert warning!
Year in review: The Most Underrated Movies of 2018
Unforgettable cinema: The 8 Movies That Defined 2018
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Best Movie Endings 2018
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'BlacKkKlansman'
BlacKkKlansman tells the story of Ron Stallworth, an African-American police officer who successfully infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan with the help of a Jewish-American detective in the 1970s. There is a brief celebration at the end of the film when the team thwarts a bombing plot, but the final moments drive home the movie's real message.
Following a knock on the door where Stallworth and his girlfriend are, the final scene depicts a large flaming cross surrounded by Klan members. Real footage of the white supremacist march that took place in Charlottesville in 2017 is edited in, including the car attack that killed Heather Heyer, one of the counter-protestors. Viewers also see Trump’s statement about there being “very fine people on both sides” and David Duke’s speech at the rally. Spike Lee wanted us to remember that racism still exists and still influences America at every level today.
Photo: Blumhouse Productions
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'Avengers: Infinity War'
The bad guys win, heroes die, and half of the universe's living creatures have been wiped out. Avengers: Infinity War's ending will go down as one of the most traumatizing cliffhangers in movie history. Something tells us the inevitable permanent deaths in Avengers: Endgame will be even more heart-wrenching, especially if the trailer is any indication.
Photo: Marvel Studios
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'Mandy'
Nic Cage's drug-induced instant cult classic Mandy escalates to a bloody and maniacal climax after Cage's love is brutally murdered. The very ending of the film is gory and bittersweet as Cage's character has slain his demons and has clearly broken with reality as he hallucinates the dead Mandy in his car.
Photo: SpectreVision
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'Halloween'
Not only was it satisfying getting to see Laurie Strode face off with her tormentor and, alongside her daughter and granddaughter, come out with a win, but the reveal that Strode's fortified home was actually one giant blazing booby trap was a glorious sight to behold. Jamie Lee Curtis' iconic character built a perfect fiery cage for Michael Myers. Even though we all know the Boogeyman never really dies.
Despite winning the battle, the Halloween sequel leaves off with a foreboding image of Laurie's granddaughter gripping the knife she used to stab Michael with, hinting at the cyclical generational trauma the Strode women have suffered.
Photo: Universal Pictures
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'Hereditary'
There were many great horror movies that graced the big screen this year, but none can match the horrifying ending sequence of Hereditary. The tension in the movie builds to an unavoidable brutal ending, with the death of an entire family and the resurrection of Charlie, aka a King of Hell, at the hands of a creepy nudist cult. Throughout the entire ending, the dread never lifts up, especially with the brilliant framing in the last few minutes.
Photo: A24
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'Tully'
Charlize Theron plays an overwhelmed mother of three, Marlo, who hires a nanny named Tully to help with her newborn. As Marlo seemingly starts to learn how to healthfully balance the stress of motherhood and marriage, the ending delivers an unexpected twist that Tully was a hallucination all along. Tully manifested as a coping mechanism for Marlo's postpartum depression/psychosis, and her sleep-deprivation didn't help matters. The surprising turn is as thought-provoking and poignant as the rest of the film.
Photo: Bron Studios
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'The Nun'
The best part about The Nun ending wasn't the protagonists' final battle with the demon Valak, but how the movie ties in with The Conjuring franchise as a whole. In The Conjuring, as the Warrens are sharing a video of an exorcism that led to Lorraine having a vision of the demonic Nun for the first time, it is revealed that the man who was possessed in that video is none other than Frenchie, one of the trio in The Nun who fought against the demon. This twist cleverly revealed how the Warrens became connected to the demon years later before their own battle with Valak culminates in The Conjuring 2.
Photo: New Line Cinema
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'Ralph Breaks the Internet'
We could go on for days about what a brilliant animated feature the Wreck-It Ralph sequel is, but the ending is what brings the story to an satisfying close. Ralph Breaks the Internet features plenty of fun cameos and innovative ideas on what the net would look like if you were traveling inside of it, but the message of friendship throughout the movie concludes with our main characters following their own dreams and learning that just because you stay true to your path, it doesn't mean you can't still be friends.
Photo: Walt Disney Pictures
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'Upgrade'
Upgrade features a near-future where technology controls nearly all aspects of life. Grey (Logan Marshall-Green) isn’t a fan of invasive technology, but after enduring death of his wife and physical trauma, agrees to have an experimental computer chip (Stem) implanted.
The end of the film takes a shocking turn as Grey’s body is completely taken over by Stem. Even though the bad guy technically won, you could argue that it's not the worst case scenario for Grey. He may be stuck inside of his own head, but in his dream world Grey’s wife is alive and they'll seemingly be together forever.
Photo: Blumhouse Productions
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'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom'
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom may not have been as popular as its predecessor, but the film's ending found the world overrun with dinosaurs. The unexpected release of the world's oldest predators set up the third installment in a huge way, leaving audiences wondering how the filmmakers will handle humans and dinosaurs co-existing.
Photo: Universal Pictures
