50 Movies Where Evil Won

Plot: Private investigator J.J. Gittes (Jack Nicholson) investigates several deaths connected to a conflict over Los Angeles' water supply. 

Chinatown is an all-around exceptional Film Noir, and one of the many noteworthy things about it is that it features one of the all-time great movie screenplays, courtesy of Robert Towne. Nevertheless, its infamously bleak ending was actually suggested by director Roman Polanski, who wanted the film to stand out by having a less conventional ending. 

Chinatown isn't exactly cheerful from the off, but things go to shockingly dark places as the story progresses. It is revealed that Gittes' love interest Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) has been sexually abused by her father, Noah Cross (John Huston), and has given birth to his daughter. Cross is also revealed as the killer.

Gittes arranges for Evelyn and her daughter, Katherine (Belinda Palmer), to flee to Mexico, and, in many films, they'd have successfully escaped. Chinatown, however, isn't like other movies. 

Evelyn is killed by the police (who are unaware of Cross' villainy) when she tries to escape, Katherine returns to Cross and Gittes, traumatized, is powerlessly led away. As they go, another officer says, "Forget it, Jake, it's Chinatown." Make no mistake, this is one of the most nihilistic, hopeless conclusions ever put to film, and what makes it worse is that it's scarily believable. A rich, powerful man getting away with his crimes thanks to his connections... doesn't seem too far-fetched, does it?