With such a plethora of films available in today’s age, it can be tough to decide which movies and TV shows provide the most compelling endings. Some come to a close with professions of love and romantic kisses in the rain, while others carry more morose final scenes. It is hard to determine what makes a good conclusion. Do you choose the predictable, cliché happy ending or the thought-provoking, unconventional one? Perhaps up to the viewer discretion…
The grand Love confession
What makes a love confession grand, you may ask? I think what makes this cliche so vastly adored is its ability to adapt. Some of the best movies are so greatly acclaimed because of their pinnacle moment where two characters gain a sense of clarity for each other’s feelings. Perhaps by way of Lloyd Dobler holding a boombox over his head (Say Anything, 1989) or Mr. Knightley running after Emma just to say, “I cannot make speeches, Emma. If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more” (Emma, 2020). We are compelled to these not because they are always grand in the most outright ways, but because we as the audience know it is grand in some unique way to the receiver. For instance, as a 21st century woman, I wouldn’t give a second thought to a man paying my sisters dowry off because she ran away and eloped with a British officer. However, when I watch Mr. Darcy do this for Elizabeth Bennet and her family, who surely would’ve been ruined by such a scandal in the 19th century, I simply cannot fathom a more romantic gesture (Pride & Prejudice, 2005).
Some may argue that the stereotypical huge, flamboyant professions of love are obnoxious and unrealistic, and while they may not be the most practical examples to form your basis of love on, they do all share one commonality: vulnerability. It takes a lot of gumption to “put it all out there” and face potential rejection or rebuff. While we as viewers may have a pretty good idea that the other character will reciprocate the same feelings of adoration, when it comes to real life, this is not always the case. Poppy had no clue her chase after Alex would lead to him still wanting to make a future with her — readers of the book did of course, but all the same, admitting to feeling like she would always be “too much” for someone was a vulnerable state to put herself in (People We Meet on Vacation, 2025). And isn’t that what love is? The courage to be vulnerable with one another?
The unconventional ending
Love confessions, epic speeches, and moments that are so unique to television are awesome, aren’t they? But what about when the main character doesn’t get the guy or girl, or the hero fails? We are trained to believe that these are overall unhappy endings and may even form a dislike for the film altogether because it didn’t result in a cheesy, over-the-top finale where everyone sings Kumbaya. We as humans crave closure, so it’s no surprise we want every end tied up at the close of a film. But at times, I have found that the most clarity I have gained from a movie or TV show is when the ending wasn’t what I wanted.
My favorite example of this comes from a TV show I swear I will never shut up about, Fleabag. To me, it is the rawest piece of television I have ever consumed. Our main protagonist, an adulterous and completely vulgar cafe owner who goes only by the show’s namesake, ironically falls in love with a priest, which can be nicely put as her moral antithesis. And, of course, despite all their religious and ethical discrepancies, we all rooted for them — which ultimately was all for naught when Fleabag told the priest she loved him and he responded, “It will pass.” A terrible yet completely beautiful ending to a perfect show. Terrible because I would give anything for him to have stayed at the bus bench with her, but beautiful because it showed that real love doesn’t always have to last for it to be impactful. Or in Eternity (2025), a film that surprisingly had me in tears when the credits rolled. Premise wise, it was maybe not the most realistic, given a newly deceased woman has to choose between spending eternity with her first or second husband, but more so in the way it portrays the manifestation of long-term relationships and unconditional love. Sorry for the spoiler ahead, but in the end, when Joan picks her slightly less heroic and charming second husband to spend eternity with, it exemplifies that true love is not momentary bouts of passion, but a slow, steady resolve to understand someone and take them as they come, not as you wished they’d be.
I think endings — such as in Fleabag and Eternity — that neglect the typical Hollywood ending are so captivating because they give way to an uncomfortable truth. Though we would all love to believe that once the “big speech” and kiss in the rain is over and the credits roll, the two leads live happily ever after and never face another issue again, this is a far cry from reality. You can’t force people to choose you or to always puzzle out everything about you. Real love is grounded in patience and the pursuit in acknowledging another, which is far from easy. Everyone is flawed, even your partner is a human who has their own sh*t to figure out (pardon my French). I don’t think love is supposed to be one perfect moment or one grand confession, but lots of small moments that show how earnestly you want to understand your partner.