Movies with endings you would change [SPOILERS]

I'm not entirely sure if there's already a thread like this floating around somewhere, so if there is, maybe we can just merge this one into it.
Basically, I’m pretty sure everyone here has those movies where you just sit there thinking, "Man, I wish they’d ended it differently."
Like, the whole movie is absolutely killer, but then the ending comes along and just completely ruins the entire vibe for you.

It would be cool if you guys could also pitch some alternative endings—you know, how you would have wrapped it up if you were in the director's chair and all that. 🙂

I’ve got a few of these stuck in my head, so once I finally get settled at my computer, I'll write them out.

Just a heads-up:
This whole thread is basically going to be one giant spoiler fest, since we're specifically talking about how movies end. I don't feel the need to slap a 'spoiler warning' on every single sentence because it’s kind of obvious what we're doing here, but hey, feel free to use them if it makes you feel better.
Anyway, if you haven't seen a certain movie or if you're worried about getting spoiled, you probably shouldn't keep reading this thread.

First thing that popped into my head...

SPOILER ALERT! Obviously...

Ransom (1996)

I honestly feel like the movie would have landed such a massive punch if Gary Sinise's character had actually pulled off the heist—you know, instead of the writers playing it safe and opting for that typical, predictable Hollywood happy ending.

Carlito's Way 🙂

Most of them would be Ridley Scott or Quentin Tarantino films.

The Room (2003)

I really wish Johnny and Lisa could have just found some happiness together and stayed that way... and if only she would stop tearing him apart... 😢

bluenomad2 said:Most of Ridley Scott's or Tarantino's movies.

🤦

man, at least you get enough deleted scenes and alternate endings to choke on right there. ☕

bluenomad2 said:Most of the films by Ridley Scott and Quentin Tarantino.

signature.

bluenomad2 said:Most of the movies by Ridley Scott and Quentin Tarantino.

Could you expand on that a bit? I'm genuinely curious about your reasoning.

Personally, if I were rewriting Interstellar, I’d change everything from the moment he enters that black hole.
And that final chapter of Trier's Antichrist? It completely veered off in the wrong direction for my taste.

Boyle's The Beach.

Patrick Martin said:Carlito's Way 🙂

Don't take this personally—but I'd love to hear the actual reasoning behind such a drastic take on this movie.

Ethan Palmer61 said:I’d rewrite everything in Interstellar from the moment he hits that black hole.

Sorry, but I find this whole thing hilarious.

bluenomad2 said:Most of Ridley Scott's movies...

So, what’s actually missing from Alien?

Samuel Murphy8 said:Don't take this personally, but I’d love to hear the reasoning behind why you made that call regarding this movie.

It’s because I actually gave a damn about the guy. He was making choices that felt real—like, if I were stuck in that mess, I probably would've pulled the same moves. I really felt for him,
and by the end, my heart just broke for him, and even more so for those two.

Samuel Murphy8 said:I’ve gotta be honest, I find this whole thing pretty hilarious.

The core issue is that up until that specific moment, everything felt somewhat rational and "plausible," almost like it was backed by some theoretical logic. But once things cross that line... I don't know, at that point, I’d just want to kill him.

SPOILER

I don't know, I’m just not really a fan of movies where the main characters don't get some kind of happy ending, you know? It immediately makes me think of that horror flick The Descent, where the lead girl barely manages to claw her way back to the surface only to get absolutely wrecked right at the end. To me, that’s just pointless.
I mean, okay, look, sometimes those bleak endings work really well and turn out to be great, but most of the time, it just doesn't do it for me.
I guess I’d also throw Funny Games into that mix; I actually think it’s a really good movie, but that ending where they just move to a different house is honestly such a letdown. After all that suffering and abuse they went through, you're just sitting there expecting someone to finally take those villains down.

northernpilot2 said:SPOILER

I’d also throw Funny Games into this mix. I think it’s an incredibly strong film, though I have to admit that ending where they just swap houses felt a bit underwhelming to me. After witnessing all that suffering and abuse, you naturally find yourself waiting for some kind of justice—for someone to finally step in and take those villains down.

That’s just how Michael Haneke operates; he refuses to grant the audience the satisfaction of a happy ending. Take that scene where the woman kills one of the bad guys, only for the other one to simply "rewind" the moment. It’s his way of signaling right away that things aren't going to end well for anyone.

He’s a bit... unconventional like that. 😁

Obviously spoilers !

So, I was just thinking about another one where the ending totally let me down. >.
I honestly would’ve changed it so he was the only survivor, just to spare them all the misery, and then have him get rescued by the military at the very end. I mean, on one hand, I get that the ending is super impactful, and you can tell they were definitely aiming for that gut-punch feeling to make sure it sticks in your head.

Ethan Palmer61 said:That’s just how it goes with Michael Haneke; he just won't give you the option of a happy ending. It’s like that one scene where the woman kills the villain, and then the other guy just "rewinds" the scene—that kind of thing basically tells you right away that things aren't going to end well.

He’s just... a bit weird 😁

Yeah, I get that, but I still can't wrap my head around that ending, I guess. But like you mentioned, once you see that rewind thing, you could pretty much conclude exactly which direction the story is heading.

Force Majeure (2014)

A really solid film, though I have to admit the final few minutes feel incredibly silly.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Maybe instead of giving the thumbs up during that landing, Arnie should have just flipped the bird and said, "I'll be back." I mean, who knows—maybe he actually would've come back after that.

Oh, hold on a second. 🙄

I'm done. Honestly, I can't even deal. It’s over for me—and I’m fine with that—because I refuse to acknowledge any Terminator movie made after Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Period.

I can't quite recall The Descent, but are you sure they actually fixed things at the end?
Or was that just some PTSD kicking in?
Maybe I watched an alternate version.

The Mist has a different ending in the book.
But the one in the movie was really impactful.

I watched Visit today, and honestly, I'd cut the last thirty minutes. It’s fine until then.
I'd totally change the ending because it's basically the same as Sleep Tight.

The forced ending of HIMYM really annoyed me, but there's an alternative version so it's fine. That one is better.

I loved the ending of Prometheus. Same with Cube, Triangle, and Dogville. I really dig endings like those.

Oh, for sure!

Back then, the ending of the Matrix trilogy was one of my biggest disappointments. Such a pathetic way to wrap it up. They could have ended on a loss or even with Pi bonded, it wouldn't have mattered. But they chose something unresolved! Gross.

Edward Price6 said:I can't really wrap my head around the descent part anymore, but are you actually positive they fixed things up at the end?
Or was that just some kind of PTSD thing?
Maybe I watched some weird alternative cut or something.
!

Man, I honestly don't even remember it clearly since it's been forever, but if I recall correctly, she crawls through all those bones, somehow manages to get into a car, and just keeps driving. Then, it’s like she wakes up and realizes the whole thing was just a fever dream—she crawls back to that hole and finds this old creep waiting there, someone who obviously knew about the creatures in those pits and was basically feeding them.