18 Movie 'Happy' Endings (That Really Weren't)

Happy endings are also not assumed in horror films, as the villain usually comes out on top. Rainbows and unicorns were not supposed to be promoted in horror films unless there's a wicked Leprechaun at the end. However, whenever a happy ending finally appears, it is a delightful surprise…until it's not. Some filmmakers enjoy creating "false" happy endings to mock or tease audiences since they prefer to retain suspense and mystery until the final moment.

Great movies grab us in, toy with our emotions, and utterly enslave our imaginations for a couple of hours. They seem to hook us in so well that we don't notice how clichéd most of their endings are.

We asked our readers to select the worst offenders to help us highlight this point. The winner is listed below, but first, let's look at the runners-up...so scroll down and see some of the movie endings that weren't quite as happy as they first appeared…

18
Entry by pafoofa

WAR OF WORLDS THE The son joins the battle against the aliens and runs over the hill. The aliens destroy The hill explodes. everything in sight. The s

17
Entry by S Peter Davis

SOURCE CODE Jake Gyllenhaal's character is sent to the past to identify the person who planted a bomb on a train > He is repeatedly told that he's bas

16
Entry by Ted E.

LOOKS UKE THE TREMORS HAVE STOPPED. INDY. 1 GET THAT YOU'RE BOTH GOING TO ABANDON THE HOLY GRAIL FOR SOME REASON. BUT SHOULDN'T WE GO BACK IN AND CHEC

15
Entry by NoProbLlama

Great! She got the guy! CRACKEDCO GREASE ..by forfeiting her entire sense of identity! Yay. conformity!

14
Entry by Brian_Jay

Mrs. Doubtfire Daniel Hillard disguises himself as a nanny during a custody dispute. He is found out, but gets them back and his alter ego makes him a

13
Entry by T. S. Obiech

PRINCESS THE The happy ending... BRIDE Wesley saves BButtercup, and they live happily ever-after! But... Prince Humperdinck is still alive, and he h

12

Hank Palmer spends most of... THE JUDGE ...thinking he made out with his own daughter. The subplot ends happily when Hank finds out she was only his n

11
Entry by Scott Laffey

ICORDAN IN 1980' TLASOGOCOY EXACTLY2 SECONDS BEFORE THE MOON WAS TO COLLIDE WITH EARTH, FLASH DEFEATS MING, SAVING THE PLANET! THIS AFTER A RELENTLESS

10
Entry by luluradebe

ORACKEDCON SANDRA BULLOCK LANDS SAFELY, BACK TO EARTH. GREAT. SHE'S IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE WITH NO MONEY, NO FOOD AND NO IDENTIFICATION. NOT SO GREA

9
Entry by T. S. Obiech

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS Of THE THIRD KIND THE HAPPY ENDING Roy Neary fulfills his dream by meeting the aliens and leaving with them on their mothership.

8
Entry by Michael Voll

LETHAL WEAPON Congratulations, you finally killed the villain. Time to celebrate with your friends and your girlfriend. Oh... right. DEAD DIA CRACKED.

7
Entry by elendirl

CRACKED COM The MUTOS are defeated. Ford Aaron Taylor Johnson), Elle (Elizabeth Olsen) and their son are alive. But... San Franciscol is destroyed. Go

THE PINHIN MAAN Ben Richards cleared his name, saved the girl and canceled the nation's favorite shoW. Everyone lives happily ev... no, wait. Didn't t

5

The lioness has rejoined her culb and all is right in the jungle'- Kill Bill Vol 2 UMA THURMAN 11171 dde UMA THURMAN AIA The Tarde Mother and daught

4
Entry by scandata

TIMEOP Officer Walker has traveled back in time, defeated the villain, and created a new timeline where his pregnant wife wasn't murdered ten years ag

3
Entry by Paka

18 Movie 'Happy' Endings (That Really Weren't)

2
Entry by Ruyc

CRAGKED.CON I Now Pronounce You Ghuck and Larry So Ghuck (Sandler) was just pretending to be gay to get close to Alex (Biel) as she is a supporter of

1
Entry by Scott Laffey

James Cameron's 2009 hit Avatar concludes with all of the humans except a select few being sent back to Earth with Jake becoming a Na'vi to be with