Animals were harmed in these films
'The Shawshank Redemption' comes to a beautiful conclusion when the two friends successfully make their escape and meet on the beach they dreamed of while in prison.
As all of the loose ends are tied up and all of the characters win their battles, order is restored to the world and Aragorn takes his rightful place as king. Frodo sails into the sunset to paradise while the others seem set to carry on happy lives.
'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' follows an epic team played by Harrison Ford and his on-screen father Sean Connery. They succeed in their quest to find the holy grail, but must leave it behind to escape with their lives. The pair ride off into the sunset for their next adventure.
In the first 'Rocky,' Sylvester Stallone's eponymous hero is dedicated to proving himself as a fighter. Even though defeating Apollo Creed is a mammoth challenge that he ultimately fails, his sense of victory is clear as he calls out to Adrian at the end of the fight.
Edward Norton's character realizes that he has single-handedly created a domestic terrorist plot to blow up skyscrapers in their city. He 'kills' Tyler, and watches the city collapse with his love interest, played by Helena Bonham Carter.
'The Dark Knight Rises' ends with Batman supposedly sacrificing his life to save the city. However, when his lifelong friend and butler Alfred is visiting a café in Florence, he sees Bruce Wayne alive and well. This might be a beautiful moment of closure and a happy ending, or it may simply be Alfred's fantasy of the life he wished for Bruce.
'Django Unchained' follows a former slave played by Jamie Foxx. He is on a mission to free his wife from a sadistic plantation owner played by Leonardo DiCaprio. His epic plan goes completely awry, ending in his capture.
'The Breakfast Club' is a timeless story of five classmates from different walks of life bonding when they're forced to attend detention together on a Saturday. The film ends with the narration of a letter written by one of the students summarizing what they've learned, while Judd Nelson walks across the football pitch to 'Don't You' by Simple Minds, ending with the iconic fist pump.
In the final instalment of the 'Avengers' series, his story is concluded when it's revealed that he gets the chance to return to the past and stay there, growing old with Peggy.
Will Smith's character is desperately trying to get his life on track by taking an unpaid internship at a brokerage firm after he loses his life savings. His wife leaves him, he loses his home, and he and his son are left homeless. At the end of the movie, it all pays off when the firm offers him a full-time job.
He turns on his former master and kills him, but is mortally wounded in the fight. Luke laments that he couldn't save his father as he dies, but Vader tells him "You already have."
There's no more satisfying movie ending than seeing Truman finally break out of his fake world! When the director asks him if he really wants to leave, he responds with his catch phrase and walks out into the new world.
Will Hunting is a mathematical genius, but he continuously sabotages his own happiness. The movie comes to a satisfying conclusion when he finally chooses to take the leap and follow his girlfriend to California, putting his happiness first.
Captain America has the most tragic love life in the Marvel series. He wakes up after being frozen in ice for decades to discover he's in the future and has missed the opportunity to spend his life with his beloved Peggy.
The final instalment of the 'Harry Potter' film series really delivers. The final battle between good and evil comes to its conclusion with the defeat of Voldemort. We even get to see the beloved protagonists all grown up in the future.
Edward Norton plays a disillusioned office worker who gets caught up in a secret underground fight club to break the monotony of his life. Brad Pitt plays Tyler, his roguish partner, but as the movie comes to an end we discover that Tyler is actually the other half of his fractured personality.
Finally, the eponymous hero escapes his captors and the movie ends with a literal bang! He blows up the plantation house with dynamite and rides away into the night with his bride.
'Gladiator' is an epic tale with an epic ending. Russell Crowe plays Maximus, a former Roman general forced into slavery after his family is murdered. He works his way up as a gladiator until he gets the chance to challenge the emperor to a fight.
This movie follows Andrew Neiman, played by Miles Teller, a young jazz drummer who is pushed to the brink by his tough professor, played by J.K. Simmons. The final scene is a resounding crescendo as he performs an epic solo and finally proves himself.
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'Groundhog Day' sees Bill Murray star in a living nightmare, in which he gets stuck in a time loop and lives the same day over and over again. He eventually learns some important lessons about life and falls in love. It's a joyous moment when he finally wakes up in the morning to discover it really is tomorrow, and his love is still with him!
Anthony Hopkins plays the notorious serial killer and cannibal Hannibal Lector in this classic thriller. He aids the FBI from the confines of his jail cell, but at the end of the movie he uses the situation to his advantage and makes his escape.
'The Lord of the Rings' film series is an epic tale spread over almost 10 hours. Each of the characters has gone to hell and back and thankfully they get the ending they deserve!
In the famous final scene, he makes a call to Agent Starling, played by Jodie Foster, from a payphone in a tropical town and informs her that he's "having an old friend for dinner."
'Predator' stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Dutch, the leader of a band of mercenaries sent into a South American jungle. His whole team is picked off by the creature, but Dutch manages to survive and "get to the chopper" by the skin of his teeth.
Although we must respect the artistic license, there's nothing worse than a cliff-hanger ending. Even though a happy ending isn't always realistic, it's nice to have the story neatly wrapped up. In a world of great uncertainty, it's just reassuring to know what the heck is going on sometimes!
Click through the following gallery to see our top picks for the most satisfying movie endings of all time.
The best movie endings that truly deliver
It goes without saying: spoiler alert!
MOVIES Finale
Although we must respect the artistic license, there's nothing worse than a cliff-hanger ending. Even though a happy ending isn't always realistic, it's nice to have the story neatly wrapped up. In a world of great uncertainty, it's just reassuring to know what the heck is going on sometimes!
Click through the following gallery to see our top picks for the most satisfying movie endings of all time.