10 Terrible Horror Movies That Reward You For Staying Until The End
Bad movies may leave you wanting to leave early, but these horror films made the wait worth it.
Devising the perfect ending for a movie is anything but easy. However, it's the most important part, since an underwhelming finisher can completely destroy a story, no matter how incredible it was up until that point. (This is known as "pulling a Game of Thrones".)
Depressingly, shoddy epilogues are commonplace when it comes to horror. High Tension's twist was a cop-out, the final special effect for the original Nightmare on Elm Street fell below the standard set by the film until that point, and the last few minutes of Signs made the aliens look like morons.
However, there are certain slashers, sci-fi indies, and splatterfests that find themselves on the other side of the spectrum. Some of the worst horror flicks imaginable wrapped things up in a way that's clever, creepy, and satisfying. Rather than throwing in a forced jump-scare or lazy sequel bait, these duds culminate with a haunting visual, a memorable kill, or a jaw-dropping revelation. The third act turned out so well, it almost justifies watching these atrocious flicks. (Emphasis on the word "almost".)
These 10 entries on this list aren't great by any stretch of the imagination. Nevertheless, they knew how to end things with a bang.
10. C.H.U.D.
Based on C.H.U.D.'s negative reception, it's easy to understand why Douglas Cheek's directorial debut was also the last film he oversaw.
The sci-fi horror, which centres around sewer-dwelling mutants attacking the surface world, is as B-movie as they come. With its bad dialogue, worse acting, and ropey effects, C.H.U.D. is a textbook example of "so bad, it's good".
However, the third act proves the story is much smarter than it initially appeared. As our heroes make their way through the sewers, they discover a nuclear container, marked "Contamination Hazard Urban Disposal" (or C.H.U.D.) Slowly but surely, they realise the government has been illegally transporting toxic materials underground, mutating anyone who came into contact with it. When the mutants began preying on the poor, the authorities chose to do nothing, believing poverty had gotten out of hand in the city. In that moment, it's clear the mutants aren't evil monsters, but victims.
What makes this revelation more shocking is the fact the poster was deliberately misleading, stating C.H.U.D. stood for "Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers".
Since the first hour is drearily formulaic, it was surprising to see such a biting social commentary thrown in the eleventh hour.