First impressions are important in life and in film. Often, the first shot of the film helps to establish the world audiences allow themselves to get lost in for a few hours. To invest they must be fully engaged in the fantasy world flickering on the screen in front of them. Each shot, each frame pulls them further into the story, but the final closing shot may be the most important. It can validate or destroy the fictional world audiences have surrendered to, hoping to get lost in another dimension.
Stacker has compiled 25 iconic closing shots that include final moments of anguish, elation, surprise, and wonder. The films on the list represent a multitude of genres and decades. They leave audiences fulfilled, bewildered, and just plain thrilled to witness final moments and frames filled with brilliance that have helped to define cinema.
