20 Horror Movie Endings That Are Practically Perfect

In The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - controversial upon release, but now deservedly acclaimed - five youths journey into the darkest underbelly of American society imaginable and encounter a grotesque family of serial killers in rural Texas. By the end, only one has escaped, and she'll never be the same again.

Once we reach the closing scenes, Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns) is the only one still alive, and she's brutalized and tormented throughout an obscene dinner, as the Sawyers - who are all like a gruesome parody of a traditional American sitcom family - prepare to murder her. 

Eventually, Sally does escape from the house and, after several harrowingly close calls, she gets onto the back of a pick-up truck, drenched in blood and screaming. Those screams quickly transition into maniacal laughter as she escapes while the pursuing Leatherface (Gunnar Hanson) impotently swings his chainsaw around in frustration. 

Simply put, this is one of the scariest horror finales ever. The family's sadistic psychological torment of Sally and the excruciatingly suspenseful chase that follows are vividly conveyed through the deranged acting and Tobe Hooper's intelligently grounded, documentary-style camerawork that immerses audience members completely in the nightmare. These closing scenes are a scream of pure, primal terror that's impossible to forget, and it is only when the credits start to roll that viewers will feel able to breathe again.