10 Great Films With Soul-Destroying Endings

Set in a rural mining town, Kes looks in on the life of a working class family and their disengaged son, Billy.

Billy faces abuse at school at the hands of his teachers and peers, and at home from his older brother. Even his own mother thinks that his life is going nowhere.

One day, however, he takes a young kestrel from its nest and names it Kes. He gets a book on falconry (admittedly by stealing it but it’s the thought that counts) and begins to work hard at training his bird.

His life starts to look as though he has some prospects; he is even applauded and praised by his English teacher after he manages to deliver a speech on falconry and his experience training Kes.

Good things never last though, and after he fails to place a bet that his brother asked him to, Billy’s brother becomes enraged having missed a winning pay-out.

As revenge, Billy’s brother kills Kes and dumps his body. Wracked with sadness, Billy retrieves the bird’s little body and buries him overlooking the fields where they had trained.

It’s always sad enough when a pet dies in a film, but this ending is particularly upsetting because Kes was the only thing making Billy feel his life was worthwhile, inspiring him to work hard at something and do better, only to have that all stripped away in a fit of vengeful rage.