If you were ever a person who ended a movie with tears streaming down your face or have only experienced the last episode of a TV show, leaving you with a stunned silence, then know that you are not the only one. To be honest, there is something quite special about the last scene of a film that keeps it with you even when the credits have been quite a while. It might break your heart, restore your faith, or just leave you in disbelief, but whatever it is, the impact of that scene is still stuck in your brain. These are the scenes that we keep going in our minds, cannot stop arguing about them with friends for hours, and maybe even look them up on YouTube to see them again.
Here is our countdown of 10 closing scenes of movies and TV shows that are deeply etched in memory—moments in which we cried, were left speechless, or just looked at the screen in bewilderment.
10. The Spinning Top in Inception
Christopher Nolan wasn’t messing around. Cobb returns home, spins his top to determine whether he’s still dreaming, and before we can find out. Fade to black. Real? Dream? The finale doesn’t give you closure—it challenges you to make up your mind. Bring on the passionate 2 a.m. arguments.
9. An Empty Apartment in Friends
After a decade of coffee-fueled anarchy, the gang departs their legendary apartment for the final time. The camera pans over the empty, silent room—no joke, no song, only the wistful heft of farewell. Sometimes silence speaks volumes.
8. From the Trenches to the Poppies in Blackadder Goes Forth
A sitcom ending that breaks your heart? This one does. While the characters charge off to war, the sound of war gradually recedes into a vision of a serene poppy field. It’s a symbolism gut-punch—making comedy a moment of deep remembrance.
7. The Door Closes in The Godfather
A final glance. Kay stands outside, observing Michael wholly immersing himself in the life he vowed he wouldn’t. Then the door closes in her face—and ours. In a single stroke, Francis Ford Coppola closes Michael’s makeover and leaves us wondering at what price power is obtained.
6. Wanda and Vision’s Farewell in WandaVision
For a superhero series, this farewell comes achingly near to home. As Wanda delivers her last words to Vision, the moment mixes colossal imagery with naked human sorrow. Magic or otherwise, there is no such thing as losing what has been lost—and this one stings.
5. The Beach in The Shawshank Redemption
After all the hopeless nights and quiet acts of defiance, Andy and Red finally reunite on a sunlit beach. It’s the emotional exhale we’ve been waiting for, and proof that hope can survive the longest, darkest storms.
4. One Last Hug in The Golden Girls
Not all endings are tragic—some are exquisitely bittersweet. Dorothy’s departure after marrying Blanche’s uncle reduces her friends to tears, clinging a moment longer. It’s a goodbye clothed in gratitude and love.
3. Driving Into the Future in Six Feet Under
Claire embarks on the road trip, and as she drives, we flash forward to the eventual death of every character. It is horrific, but also in a weird way comforting—binding together the show’s whole reflection on life, death, and everything between.
2. “Here’s Looking at You, Kid” in Casablanca
Rick’s decision at the airport—to release Ilsa—is one of the greatest acts of sacrifice in cinema. The scene is bittersweet, dreamy, and indelible, with a final line that continues to send shivers.
1. Joel’s Ending in The Last of Us
Brutal. Heartbreaking. Unapologetic. Joel’s ultimate decisions make us grapple with love, tragedy, and what we’d sacrifice for the people we love. It’s not tidy—but that’s precisely why it lingers.
What makes these endings have such a lasting impact? The main reason is that they are not just final scenes. They are moments of truth—brief intervals during which a narrative unfolds its soul to you and then closes it forever. A finale can be the protagonist suddenly going crazy, a door violently closing, or a hug that was waiting to happen; these events give us an instant that metaphorizes the whole story.