10 Horror Movies That Originally Had A Much Darker Ending
5. Happy Death Day
Given the time-bending premise behind Happy Death Day - wherein the improbably named Tree Gelbman finds herself stuck in a Groundhog Day-style loop, except each day ends with her brutal murder - it's somewhat ironic that the original ending found test audiences feeling like the entire movie had been a waste of their time.
Happy Death Day's original ending is a perfect fit for its PG-13 rating, as Tree takes a leaf (sorry, couldn't resist) out of Bill Murray's book by breaking free of her time loop, getting the guy and becoming a much better person than she was before the loop began. As endings go, it's a crowd-pleaser - simple, straightforward, and satisfying.
The alternate ending? Not so much.
During the course of the movie, it's made clear that Tree's repeated deaths are taking a physical toll on her body, and that if she dies one time too many she'll be killed off for real. This comes into play during the film's unused climactic scene, where a hospital-bound Tree - having successfully dealt with her killer - is confronted by the wife of the College professor she's been sleeping with. Said wife then brutally murders Tree while the latter lies in bed, and the movie ends with the implication that this was Tree's last life.
As reported by Looper, test audiences were beyond pissed that Tree's trials and tribulations ultimately led to nothing, leading to the canon ending where Tree gets to celebrate her Happy Life Day. (Apologies if the phrase "Life Day" triggers any traumatic flashbacks of the Star Wars Holiday Special.)