10 Horror Movies Where The Last Scene Is The Best

It says that a lot that against the backdrop of the ever-evolving horror genre, John Carpenter's The Thing still holds up as one of the greatest horror films of all time. Still, let's just pretend the 2011 prequel/cinematic trainwreck never happened.

The 1982 sci-fi horror tells the tale of the eponymous entity's encounters with the crew of an Antarctic research crew. The Thing is a predatory extra-terrestrial entity; one that feeds by assimilating its prey before replicating their exact physical appearance. Needless to say, the concept of trust soon becomes a laughable afterthought as rampant fear and paranoia reveal the lengths to which human beings will go to survive.

Carpenter ultimately draws the curtains on proceedings in sublime style. Following an explosive showdown that destroyed the research station, the two remaining survivors - Kurt Russell's MacReady and Keith David's Childs - encounter each other amongst the burning wreckage. The stark reality of their unenviable position soon sinks in, as there is no way to know whether the other man is the creature. Comprehending the futility of their situation, the two men begrudgingly share a bottle of whiskey. Two heroes slowly freezing to death after saving humanity from a terrifying threat? Or simply a defeated man enjoying one final drink before he too is assimilated?

As maddeningly ambiguous as it may be, The Thing's closing scene is the crowning jewel of one of sci-fi horror's most exemplary outings, and one that remains fiercely debated to this day.