For a genre that thrives on cautionary tales and moral stories of good overcoming evil against all odds, horror sure loves downer endings where the bad guys win. Whether it’s a fake-out ending or a sequel hook, happy endings are extremely rare in horror. To celebrate these underdogs, here are 10 films where good ultimately prevails!
10. Fright Night (1985)
A horror fan’s greatest dream turns into a nightmare when a vampire moves to his neighborhood. He manages to convince a washed-up TV actor who played a vampire hunter to help him, and succeeds just as dawn breaks – classic feel-good 80s horror at its best.
9. Spring (2014)
“Love conquers all” is a rare message in a horror film, but Spring is not like most body horror flicks. This unique creature feature ends with the “monster” sacrificing its uncanny skills in the name of love in a beautiful act of acceptance and vulnerability.
8. 28 Days Later (2002)
Despite the sequels’ generally bleak narratives, the original 28 Days Later ends on a surprisingly positive note. The remaining survivors endure the onslaught of the rage virus against all odds, as they wait to be rescued.
7. Hush (2016)
This home invasion flick featuring a deaf writer is the perfect example of a movie where the bad guy (or just “masked guy” in this case) unequivocally loses. Not only does the writer survive the attack, she outsmarts and kills her assailant – then sits outside smiling as police arrive, victorious.
6. Aliens (1986)
If we ignore the dreary bummer that was Alien 3, Aliens ends on very high spirits. Ripley defeats the Alien Queen in an epic showdown; Newt, Hicks, and even half of Bishop make it out alive, and they all enter hypersleep together. Roll credits.
5. Scream (1996)
This meta-slasher takes the “final girl wins” to heart: teenager Sidney Prescott faces off against the masked killers, cleverly turns their game against them, and when the dust settles, the villains are dead and the survivors walk into the ambulance lights as dawn breaks.
4. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Waiting it out at the Winchester might not have been the most brilliant plan, but things work out for Shaun and his girlfriend, Liz, in the end. Ed’s dead, sure, but he doesn’t seem to mind.
3. The Conjuring (2013)
Every film in The Conjuring saga ends with the Warrens proving that Good can triumph over Evil. The first movie, in particular, has a very positive resolution, free from hidden demons or overt sequel hooks.
2. Doctor Sleep (2019)
A surprisingly solid legacy sequel, Doctor Sleep ties up all the loose ends from The Shining. Though bittersweet, the film ends with the end of the Overlook Hotel’s corrupting influence.
1. Get Out (2017)
Jordan Peele proves he’s a master of both horror and comedy with the satisfying ending to Get Out. Chris manages to singlehandedly destroy a secret cabal of brainwashers and escape with his body and mind intact, ultimately rescued by his best friend in one of horror’s most cathartic final moments.
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