Decided to watch An American Werewolf in London last night because I don’t know if I’ve ever watched the movie. I knew how it ended because it’s 45 years old and there’s been plenty of videos on it, but I had never actually watched it. It was quite enjoyable.
It got me thinking about how many good movies end with the main hero/protagonist(s) dying. I can think of quite a few great movies off the top of my head, but I wanted to hear from Lemmy on their favorites!
Don’t Look Up
God Bless America
Sinners. What a great time; I was sure everyone was gonna die before I knew the theme of the movie.
Train to Busan
Needless to say, every answer on this list spoils the movie. But, really, how it happens is as essential as what happens.
Everyone
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Melancholia (one of the saddest movies I’ve seen)
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Knowing (a little Nicholas Cage never hurt anybody)
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Don’t Look Up (so well done, great soundtrack)
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On the Beach (1959, classic!)
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Sunshine (Alex Garland’s swing)
Religious undertones
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Constantine (“coffin nail”)
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Dogma (God/Alanis Morissette is the real hero)
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Meet Joe Black (the first death is the hardest)
Anti-Heroes
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Logan (heroes never die, right?)
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White Heat (1949, classic!)
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Kiss Me, Deadly (film noir, “the great whatsit”)
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Dancer in the Dark (Björk, another saddest film)
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law abiding citizen
Idk if “In Bruge” counts since you technically dont know if he lives or dies.
Great film! The transformation scared the crap outta me when I somehow saw it on tv as a kid.
Children of Men was also a good one. Trying to think what others, but I love when the hero dies because life is rarely fair and just and an unlikely happy ending ruins a story pretty effectively.
There have probably been dozens of movies where the hero was supposed to die at the end but audience screenings or studio execs interfered.
Iron Giant
… okay well sorta
Excalibur (1981)
Arthur is impaled, pulls himself down the length of the spear that has impaled him, and uses Excalibur to impale his godforsaken son.
The greatest Arthurian movie ever made, bar none.
And it has a bunch of “before they were famous” people in it.
Including Sir Patrick Stewart, may he Rest In Peace.
Alien
18 hours and nobody has said Avengers Endgame?
Also, to be topical since it’s early November: V for Vendetta
Pan’s Labyrinth
Absolutely fantastic, I consider it a masterpiece. Definitely one of my favorite movies.
She isn’t dead she was just whisked off to that very real magical place! Right? RIGHT!!?
Yup. The fascist is dead though.
