10 Horror Movies Where The Hero ALMOST Won

They were so close!

Smile Movie
Paramount

Although the realm of horror varies, there is always one constant: the antagonist is not going down without a fight.

When our lead character must contend with a hulking zombie, a gigantic alien, or a demonic spirit, putting them in the ground is going to be anything but easy. Quite often, the big bad will seemingly bite the dust on multiple occasions before calling it a day. After that, the hero can rest easy, knowing the nightmare has finally come to an end.

But every once in a while, the odds favour the side of evil. Despite the protagonist's resourcefulness and willpower, there are times where they're unable to stop the villain slaying everyone in sight or taking over the world.

It's all the more depressing when the adversary in question emerges triumphant when the good guys were so, so close to beating them. If they reacted faster, tried a different strategy, or double-checked to see if their foe had kicked the bucket, these heroes would've walked away the victor.

Even though this lot gave it their all, none of them managed to taste victory.

10. Brightburn

Smile Movie
Sony Pictures

In this dark adaptation of the Superman mythos, Tori and her husband Kyle discover an extra-terrestrial ship in the forest which contains a humanoid baby. Desperate for children of their own, the couple decide to adopt the child, naming him Brandon.

On his 12th birthday, Brandon begins developing superpowers, compelling his parents to tell him the truth about his origins. After his spacecraft emits telepathic messages to Brandon to "Take the world," the alien teenager begins lashing out, killing anyone who's ever wronged him (including his adopted father).

As Brandon's power and ambition grows, Tori realises she must put him out of his misery. Discovering he can harmed by his own ship, Tori takes a shard of the vessel before coaxing Brandon towards him. After giving him a huge hug, Brandon seemingly lets his guard down. Just as Tori's about to drive the shard into his back, Brandon realises he's being duped and knocks it out of her hand.

Tori begs for forgiveness, but her pleas fall on deaf ears. Flying his mother high above the clouds, Brandon lets go, letting Tori fall to her death.

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James Egan has written 80 books including 1000 Facts about Superheroes Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about TV Shows Vol. 1-3 Twitter - @jameswzegan85