20 Horror Movie Endings Way Worse Than You Think
17. The Mist
The grand irony of The Mist's ending is that though the film concludes with humanity beginning to repel the invading aliens, it all came a little too late for protagonist David (Thomas Jane), who mercy-killed the entire rest of his group mere minutes earlier, including his own young son Billy (Nathan Gamble).
It's a totally horrific outcome and one of horror's all-time most impactful downer endings, but it gets even worse when you consider what life, if any, awaits David beyond the end credits.
Sure, there's the distinct possibility that David isn't long for this world and might well find the nearest gun to end his own life - as he tried to do before the military showed up - but what if he ultimately can't bring himself to?
Imagine a world where David walks the Earth a guilt-riddled husk, simply waiting for his life to end but incapable of doing so, all while the world around him slowly goes back to normal - a permanent reminder of his fatalistic decision.