Vineeth Chintala

Perfect Endings in Cinema

Once in a while a movie elevates itself with a perfect finish, with a final unforgettable impression. It can be the difference between going home satisfied and still remembering it years later. The difference between passing joy and lifelong love.

(The list below doesn't include one of my favorite films from the past decade - Portrait of a lady on fire. Sometimes the storytelling is so exquisite that the ending doesn't need to do much. The magic has already been transferred.)

Rules: In no particular order. With few words and No spoilers!

  1. Chungking Express: Shows how effective, and playful, symmetry can be in storytelling. After all, nothing makes a relationship look more convincing than me becoming like you and you becoming like me.
  2. Aftersun (2023): Shared from the perfect distance. Or rather it becomes the perfect distance - you see, the story doesn't unravel; Instead it pulls you in close enough to sense the small clues of sadness, so that you start looking at its moments differently ...indirect yet precise! A remarkable debut. I will be watching everything made by Charlotte Wells.
  3. Nine Queens: From the many heist and con films I love, here is an Argentinian classic. I might have just as well picked a Soderbergh film but talking about Nine queens also helped me find housing in Barcelona :)
  4. The Truman Show: It’s probably one of the darkest concepts in the history of film. Perfect execution of the ending, capped with unsurpassed lightness.
  5. Inception: In another high concept film with clear storytelling, the ending teases us with a bit of ambiguity. While the journey is (emotionally) complete, it still keeps us wondering for a long time.
  6. The Butterfly Effect: Perfect = good scene + right music. I have seen this movie only once, but the final minute found me a hundred times.
  7. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: The classic! Longest movie on this list, but the ending brings complete satisfaction. Compelling, operatic, memorable, mischievous.
  8. Before Sunset: Small is beautiful, mood is everything. This is the soul of the Before trilogy.
  9. Rock n Rolla: Stylish. Keeps you craving for a sequel, without any cheap cliffhangers.
  10. Lost in Translation: A whisper, a kiss and a goodbye.
  11. The lives of others: When words might not be sufficient, but movies are... It is always satisfying to see an honest payback, whether it's revenge or gratitude.
  12. Joint Security Area: How in a single final shot, we feel the full weight of the movie!
  13. Memories of Murder: Before Parasite, there was Memories of Murder. Haunting.
  14. Cinema Paradiso: Takes us back to the beginning, letting us feel the distance the story has travelled.
  15. The Matrix: Where all the subtext, all the subplots, everything converges to a single moment. When you watch it for the first time, it makes all your neurons of joy fire simultaneously.