In modern cinema, franchises and movie series typically dominate the box office. The notion of allowing an audience to revisit a known property or to reconnect with an already beloved character is something that Hollywood often opts for, particularly as it seems to win favor with audiences. This has led to an ever-growing number of ongoing franchises, trilogies, and multi-film adaptations, with many cinematic stories unfolding over multiple releases. While this isn’t inherently bad, it adds an increased pressure for studios to stick the landing: after all, audiences wait years for the conclusion of a movie series, and anticipation for a great ending only builds during that time.
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Not unlike TV shows with perfect endings, movie series getting their final moments just right is a delicate art. However, when it is achieved, it’s a thing of beauty, offering satisfying and often poetic endings to a story that was often years in the making. Whether it was truly expected or a pleasant surprise, definitively final or decidedly open-ended, one thing is certain: these movie series absolutely nailed their endings.
1) The Back to the Future Trilogy
While Back to the Future might not spring immediately to mind when considering sci-fi movies with perfect endings, every entry in the trilogy boasts a strong conclusion. However, the final movie, Back to the Future Part III, had perhaps the most difficult task. It had to round off Marty McFly’s journey in a way that established his growth without completely ruling out possible future adventures. Thankfully, the movie delivered exactly that.
Seeing Marty finally ignore a challenge and rewrite his tragic future was deeply satisfying, and symbolized the lesson he had learned over the course of the trilogy’s final movie. In addition, the emergence of Doc Brown in his time-traveling train made for a welcome development, as it facilitated potential sequels should the opportunity arise. While further movies never materialized, the ending saw both Marty and Doc earn happy endings, both having come off all the better for their journeys through time.
2) The Hunger Games Franchise
Although the Hunger Games franchise lives on through prequels and other stories from its universe, the initial series of movies ended in 2015 with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2. The final entry in the book series was split into a two movies, with the final chapter concerning the ultimate fate of the franchise’s main characters and their revolution that sought to tip the political balance of Panem. While certain elements of the movie proved controversial with fans, its ending was pretty perfect.
The overall thrust of the last of the original Hunger Games movies was one of deep-seated uncertainty. Katniss’ dilemma over the ethics of her rebellion and its chosen leader in Alma Coin serves as a complex but organic evolution of the franchise’s story, and the ultimate ending is one that sees the hero act in Panem’s best interest. The final scene depicting Katniss and Peeta’s happy and peaceful future together is one that embodies the hope that run throughout the Hunger Games‘ story, giving the characters a happy ending painstakingly earned through years of suffering and loss.
3) The Before Trilogy
The Before trilogy is somewhat unique, as its story concerns a far more plausible human drama than the majority of other popular franchises. Beginning in 1995 with Before Sunrise, continuing in 2004 with Before Sunset, and ending in 2013 with Before Midnight, the series trilogy follows Jesse (Hawke) and Céline (Delpy) as their relationship evolves through different stages over the course of their lives. While telling a romantic story at nine-year intervals isn’t an easy task, the Before trilogy does so flawlessly.
After Before Sunrise following the couple’s meeting, and Before Sunset explores their later reconnection, Before Midnight chronicles a challenge in the lives they have since built together. It’s a trilogy that follows the complexities of modern relationships, but Before Midnight brings it to a touching and note-perfect close, with the strained relationship of Jesse and Céline being reaffirmed. It’s perhaps not the most dramatic ending, but it’s deeply fitting and a satisfying way to round off their three-film romance arc.
4) The Planet of the Apes Prequel Trilogy
Decades after Charlton Heston made the original movie iconic, the Planet of the Apes franchise was revived. 2011 saw the beginning of a Planet of the Apes prequel trilogy following the origins of the ape-led future Earth with the release of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. This was followed by Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in 2014, and the trilogy ended with War for the Planet of the Apes in 2017. The trilogy follows Caesar, the leader of the ape uprising, as he attempts to navigate the conflicts between humanity and his own simian society.
Caesar’s story is one of complex moral choices as he is forced to lead Earth into a new era, but he remains a sympathetic protagonist throughout as he attempts to keep the bloodlust of his fellow apes in check. However, War for the Planet of the Apes sees an increasingly desperate human force once again face the apes, leading to an unforgettable explosive conclusion to Caesar’s story. It’s a tragic and heroic end to Caesar’s narrative arc, and one that serves as a perfect prequel to the existing franchise.
5) The Guardians of the Galaxy Trilogy
When the MCU’s first Guardians of the Galaxy movie was announced, many casual fans knew very little of the titular team. However, over the course of James Gunn’s MCU trilogy – and the characters’ appearances in other movies in the franchise – the Guardians became some of the most beloved figures in the MCU. However, Gunn’s trilogy came to an end in 2023 with the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which rounded off the original MCU team’s story.
After exploring Rocket’s origins in heartbreaking detail, the movie sees most of its members go their separate ways. With Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Mantis, and Nebula all opting to leave the team, Rocket assumes his place as their new leader, with Cosmo, Kraglin, Adam Warlock, and Phylla all joining alongside the remaining Groot. It’s an ending that polishes off the trilogy with emotional farewells that promises to keep the story alive within the franchise, even if it may never be quite the same again.
6) The Harry Potter Franchise
It’s no secret that the Harry Potter franchise has been a massive cultural phenomenon ever since the success of the first book in the series. The movie adaptations, which began in 2001, earned massive popularity, becoming one of the most-watched film series of all time. While every Harry Potter movie adds something to its narrative, the final film in the eight-film arc, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 had the unenviable task of appropriately ending the beloved movie series.
Much of the movie follows the Battle of Hogwarts, which sees some devastating character deaths as well as deeply triumphant moments. However, the final scene of the movie serves as an epilogue to the series, and depicts a middle-aged Harry, Ron, and Hermione sending their own children off to Hogwarts years later. It’s an ending that gives the whole franchise a cyclical feel, but also subtly establishes just how much the events of the movies have reshaped Wizarding society, making it a deeply satisfying way to say goodbye to the characters.
7) The Dark Knight Trilogy
Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy is commonly hailed as one of the best in superhero cinema, with its innovative approach to adapting Batman in a realistic manner earning particular praise. Beginning in 2005 with Batman Begins before continuing with the acclaimed The Dark Knight in 2008, 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises brought Nolan’s trilogy to a definitive close. The popularity of its predecessors made The Dark Knight Rises‘ task a complicated one, but its ending was able to deliver a subtly perfect conclusion.
The movie’s final scenes see Batman flying an overloading nuclear reactor away from Gotham City, seemingly sacrificing himself in a final heroic act, inspiring the city to become better. This leads to John Blake seemingly adopting the mantle of Batman, as well as the reveal that Bruce Wayne was able to escape the blast and live out a life of peace and seclusion. It’s an ending that gives the hero his well-earned happiness, while also establishing just what an inspiration he was able to become for his city before his retirement.
8) Fox’s Wolverine Trilogy
There are those that consider Logan one of the best comic book movies of all time, and while not everyone might agree, it’s certainly one of the most emotional farewells to a character in recent history. Serving as the third film in Fox’s Wolverine trilogy – which began with the ill-fated 2009 movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine before continuing with the often overlooked 2013 film The Wolverine – Logan brings the story of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine to a close. Loosely adapting the Old Man Logan story of the comics, Logan sees its ageing hero connect with his daughter in a future where mutants are on the brink of extinction.
Logan‘s ending is one of the most poetic in the history of the comic book genre. It sees the hero, who has outlived all of his closest friends, allies, and even enemies, head into battle for a final time, taking a stand for the future of mutantkind in spite of his failing abilities. Seeing Logan finally succumb to death is a bittersweet moment, especially thanks to Hugh Jackman’s perfect delivery of his final line. It’s a sad and violent ending for a character who never would have gone out any other way, making it a fitting and memorable conclusion to his solo movie trilogy.
9) The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
The Lord of the Rings trilogy was once considered an overly ambitious project, but the results continue to speak for themselves. The live-action adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic fantasy epic remain some of the most beloved fantasy movies ever made, as well as one of the most influential movie trilogies in modern Hollywood. While the narrative framework was admittedly laid decades before the movies were made, the final movie, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King served as a genuinely exceptional conclusion.
The Return of the King has it all: high-stakes drama, pitched battle scenes, and heroic sacrifices. It also features truly epic cinematic moments that bring the trilogy’s story to a close, including a handful of elements that are somewhat different from those in the original novels. The resulting movie is a perfect ending to an incredible cinematic journey, and one that gives the majority of its characters the endings they deserve after enduring the intense hardships of Middle Earth’s darkest days.
10) The MCU’s Infinity Saga
Though the movies of the MCU have featured some incredible moments, few can be considered as epic as the final scenes of Avengers: Endgame. The movie served not just as the direct sequel to Avengers: Infinity War, but also as the conclusion of the MCU’s Infinity Saga, the first narrative arc of the franchise which began in 2008 with the release of Iron Man. Bringing 11 years of shared universe storytelling to a single conclusive ending required meticulous planning and careful writing, but Endgame delivered a flawless and emotional end to the Infinity Saga.
From Tony Stark’s heroic sacrifice and the heart-wrenching farewell to the hero at his funeral to the reappearance of a much older Steve Rogers to pass the shield and the mantle of Captain America on to Sam Wilson, Endgame‘s ending is truly incredible. After Stark’s death, seeing Steve Rogers return to a peaceful retirement in the past with the woman he loves is a touching flourish. Endgame is able to bring the Infinity Saga to a definitive end while also establishing the MCU’s exciting future, making it a truly perfect end to its movie series.
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