**WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS**
Endings play a great role in the appreciation we give to any story. They come in different feelings: happy, sad, funny, or serious. Sometimes they are open to the reader’s or viewer’s interpretation; leaving some people frustrated or satisfied. Beginnings engage you, the middle keeps you engaged, but the ending makes the engagement worth it. The perfect combination of the three makes the whole story surpass the test of time, but some might argue that a great ending, especially a satisfying one, might cheat this process, making the whole story memorable no matter what. As humans often remember what they last saw, it makes sense that some of the best memories from stories are the lasting impressions of them. Here I list five films’ endings that left me satisfied with it since I think the solved the plot or the story in a successful and impactful way. You might notice a pattern; a pattern I only noticed after selecting the films, which might be a little telling about me... I’ll let you judge:
Perfect Blue (1997) directed by Satoshi Kon: The feature film debut from this gone too soon master of animation, Kon tells us the story of Mima, a J-Pop idol who decides to venture into an acting career even though she’s very successful at what she already does. Dark, but rooted in realism, the tale is filled with mystery, plot-twists, and lots of symbolisms of the difficulties of a person growing up into adulthood, especially women, who are always put in the spotlight to be judged. The ending feels satisfying because you can finally breathe in peace with Mima, after all the ordeals she went through and finally discovering who was the real stalker following her all along.
The Prestige (2006) directed by Christopher Nolan: Considered by many as one of the most underrated films in Nolan’s career, The Prestige tells the story of the rivalry of two magicians who were once friends, but after a certain event and career jealousy, they decide to part ways. What makes the ending of this film so satisfying is that it tricks you to believe the ending happens before, but like any magic trick, the magician has a trick up of their sleeve. This final revelation is what makes you stand in ovation for the performer and admire that things were made right. It’s also good to know who really the best magician was.
Phoenix (2014) directed by Christian Petzold: One of the best films of the 2010s, this film is about the near-death suffered by Nelly, a Jewish survivor during WWII. The experience left Nelly with her whole face disfigured and the film follows the process of her rediscovering herself. It also tells the struggle of her accepting the betrayal of her husband, as he sold her to the Nazis in exchange for his freedom. The ending of this film is one of the best “it’s been me all this time, sucker” revelations in all cinema history. Every time I rewatch it, I can’t help but laugh at the priceless face her husband makes when he knows.
The Handmaiden (2016) directed by Park Chan-wook: Park’s most recent film has all the characteristics that have made all his films so recognizable. We enter the life of Sook-Hee, a con artist from a con family that is hired to play as a handmaiden to a young heiress, Lady Hideko, in order to deceive her and take all her fortune. The mastermind behind the plan, Count Fujiwara, doesn’t add to the equation the possibility of romance between Lady Hideko and Sook-Hee, signaling his eventual downfall. His downfall comes at the price of a happy and beautiful ending to both women, who can live happily ever after finally.
Revenge (2017) directed by Coralie Fargeat: Fargeat’s debut feature film, and only film to date, brings a new entry to the revenge-thriller, one that’s dominated by female empowerment. Released during the beginning of the #MeToo Era, Revenge deals with the difficulties of men thinking they own women, viewed from a woman’s perspective both in front and behind the camera. Although its plot is filled with many inconsistencies, there’s no doubt Fargeat has a command of the cinematic language, which she puts to perfect use during the final confrontation of the film. In the end, you feel relieved, especially if you’ve been there in real life because you can finally understand or at least have an idea of how difficult it is to be a woman in this world.
Honorable mentions: 12 Angry Men (1957), Alien (1979), The Truman Show (1998), The Sixth Sense (1999), Spirited Away (2001), Before Sunset (2004), Toy Story 3 (2010), The Last Jedi (2017), Liz and the Blue Bird (2018), Leave No Trace (2018).
Opmerkingen