The Movies With the Best Alternate Endings

We’re all familiar with how our favorite movies end. Like, we know the Hobbits defeat Sauron, Butch and Sundance go down in a blaze of gunfire, and the detective in Chinatown realizes the case is unsolvable.

Most movies aim for one clear, lasting ending because that’s what audiences prefer. Stories need satisfying conclusions, and those conclusions should be definite. If an ending is unclear, viewers might be confused or miss the movie’s main point.

As a big movie fan, I’ve learned that filmmakers often shoot a lot more than what actually makes it to the screen – it’s just part of the process! A lot of times, this extra footage involves the ending. They might film a slightly longer version, or even whole scenes that ultimately didn’t fit. Sometimes they’ll shoot multiple endings, trying to find the one that works best, and only use that one. It’s fascinating to think about all the possibilities that don’t make the final cut!

As a movie fan, I’ve always been fascinated by those behind-the-scenes glimpses we get thanks to DVD extras and streaming features. They often reveal alternate endings, and it’s amazing to see how a film’s conclusion could have gone in completely different directions. Sometimes an ending just didn’t test well with audiences, forcing the studio to intervene. Other times, filmmakers experiment until they find the right ending in the editing room. And occasionally, a movie deliberately includes multiple endings as a playful artistic choice. Whatever the reason, certain films are packed with alternate conclusions, and I’ve put together a list of the most interesting ones. Be warned: major spoilers ahead!

10 Movies With the Wildest Alternate Endings

Game of Death (1978)

As a huge Bruce Lee fan, it’s always been a little sad knowing Game of Death was never really finished the way he intended. It’s famous for being pieced together after his death, using whatever footage they had and a reworked script. Because of that, there are actually a bunch of different versions floating around, each with slightly different endings! The original idea was wild – they were going to bring in George Lazenby to play a spiritual guru, but that never happened. The version we all know from 1978 shows Lee as a movie star rescuing his girlfriend from a bad guy, but other cuts get really interesting. Sometimes he saves her and gets arrested, and in one version, they just say goodbye and sail off into the sunset – it’s fascinating to see how they tried to complete his vision.

Apocalypse Now (1979)

Movies with difficult productions often result in multiple versions being released, and Apocalypse Now is a prime example. Problems like bad weather, unprepared actors, a cast member’s breakdown, and even a real-life civil war stretched filming from a few months to an entire year, creating over a million feet of footage. This means director Francis Ford Coppola has plenty of material to create new versions of the film. One notable change involves the original ending, which featured a strange montage of jungle explosions during the credits, including the destruction of Kurtz’s compound. Because viewers wondered if this meant Kurtz had been targeted by an airstrike, Coppola re-edited the credits with a simple black background and removed the explosions altogether.

Blade Runner (1982)

There’s a lot of debate among fans about which version of Blade Runner is the best, and much of that discussion centers on how the film ends. The original theatrical release had a hopeful ending, showing Deckard and Rachael driving into the sunset, accompanied by narration from Harrison Ford suggesting Rachael would live a long life. However, both the director, Ridley Scott, and Harrison Ford disliked this narration. So, for the Director’s Cut, Scott removed the narration and the driving scenes, ending the film on a more ambiguous note as Deckard and Rachael simply leave his apartment.

Clue (1985)

The movie Clue is remarkable for its incredibly complex mystery, offering three distinct and equally believable endings. When it was first released, different theaters showed different endings, sometimes even advertising which one audiences would see. One ending reveals Yvette, the French maid, as the murderer, acting on orders from Miss Scarlet, while the butler, Wadsworth, is exposed as an undercover FBI agent. Another ending points to Mrs. Peacock as the killer, who was trying to silence those who knew she was accepting bribes, with Wadsworth again revealed as an FBI agent. The final ending is the most surprising: everyone except Mr. Green is a murderer, and Wadsworth plans to blackmail them all, until Mr. Green reveals himself as an undercover agent, kills Wadsworth, and unexpectedly reveals he’s married despite pretending to be gay.

28 Days Later (2002)

Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later offers a surprisingly hopeful ending for a bleak zombie film. The main character, Jim, is healing from his experiences in a secluded cabin, and the zombies are slowly decaying as the Rage Virus runs its course. As a plane flies by, Jim and the other survivors display a banner that simply reads “HELLO.” Interestingly, the DVD includes three alternate endings where Jim doesn’t survive. In one, he dies from his gunshot wounds. Another version shows him succumbing to those same wounds while dreaming about the accident that initially put him in a coma. The third, which only exists as storyboards, depicts Jim receiving an emergency blood transfusion to save Frank instead of killing him.

The Butterfly Effect (2004)

As a big fan of The Butterfly Effect, I always knew a movie dealing with how even tiny choices can drastically change things would have a few different endings! The first one they showed in theaters was pretty bittersweet – Evan and Kayleigh recognize each other on the street, but they just keep walking in opposite directions. Then there was a more hopeful version where Evan actually asks Kayleigh out for coffee after they meet. Interestingly, the novelization and another cut of the film included an ending where they pass each other and start to walk away, but Evan turns around and follows Kayleigh before the screen goes black. But the wildest ending? It showed Evan watching a video of his own birth and then going back in time to… well, let’s just say it involved him in the womb. Talk about consequences!

Hide and Seek (2005)

The Hide and Seek DVD offers five different ways the movie can end. The version shown in most theaters concludes with young Emily beginning a new life with a family friend, and her drawing a picture with two heads, hinting that her father’s mental health condition might affect her too. A more optimistic ending features the same drawing, but with only one head. Another alternate ending shows Emily in a psychiatric hospital, playing hide and seek with her reflection. This ending also appeared in international versions of the film, though without a countdown. The final ending presents the hide and seek scene again, but this time Emily is playing in her new home with her caretaker instead of in the hospital.

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

The extra endings for X-Men: The Last Stand don’t change how the movie ultimately ends, they just add a little bit more to the story. In the version shown in theaters, everyone is back in school, the President grants rights to mutants, Rogue gets rid of her powers with a cure, and Magneto is in prison playing chess. One alternate ending on the DVD shows Rogue returning to Professor X’s school and telling Iceman she decided not to take the cure, so she still has her powers. Another shows Wolverine going back to the Canadian bar where we first met him and talking to the bartender—the same one from the original X-Men movie—before saying he’s going home.

Paranormal Activity (2007)

When Paramount Pictures bought Oren Peli’s horror film Paranormal Activity, they decided the movie needed a different ending. The original ending, shown only at the 2007 Screamfest Film Festival, featured Katie alone in the bedroom with a bloody knife, sitting on the floor. Her friend Amber later finds Micah’s body and calls the police. When the officers arrive, Katie briefly seems normal and asks about Micah, but a loud noise from the attic causes a cop to accidentally shoot her. The version released in theaters shows Katie throwing Micah’s body at the camera before crawling toward it with a grin. Another alternate ending had Katie going upstairs, locking herself in, and then slitting her own throat with the knife.

The Final Destination (2009)

Each Final Destination movie builds to a suspenseful climax where you anticipate how the remaining survivors will meet their fate. In The Final Destination, Nick, Lori, and Janet believe they’ve escaped death after Nick stops a mall explosion, but a truck suddenly crashes into the café where they’re meeting. There were also alternate endings considered: in one, Nick sacrifices himself to stop the explosion, and Lori and Janet are later killed by falling debris. Another alternate ending showed Nick tragically pulled into an escalator, with gruesome results.

The 10 Movies with the Best DVD and Blu-ray Special Features

This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

We generally avoided including releases from the Criterion Collection on this list—otherwise it would have been all Criterion titles—but we made an exception for This Is Spinal Tap. Its initial DVD release was a Criterion edition. This release, which was unavailable for many years before a recent 4K re-release, is packed with extras. You’ll find two audio commentaries, nearly a full movie’s worth of deleted scenes, the original 20-minute short film that started it all, a music video for “Hell Hole,” and even two trailers featuring director Rob Reiner jokingly presenting a wheel of cheese—they hadn’t finished editing the actual movie yet!

Back to the Future Trilogy (1985-1990)

If you own the Back to the Future movies on DVD or Blu-ray, you’re in for a treat! Every version is packed with bonus content, including commentary from the filmmakers and cast, interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, episodes of the Back to the Future animated series, and even a short film featuring Doc Brown. There are also fun extras like fake commercials for a hoverboard and a spoof of Jaws. One Blu-ray edition even includes the complete pre-show video from the Back to the Future: The Ride attraction, which was overseen by Steven Spielberg at Universal Studios parks.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)

The HD Blu-ray release of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me included a wealth of deleted scenes – enough material to almost create a whole new film. This release offers a fresh perspective on the movie, which originally received mixed reactions, particularly with the inclusion of Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces, a compilation of all the cut and extended footage. While it’s usually clear why scenes were removed – often because they were too lengthy or unnecessary – it’s tempting to think that every scene from Fire Walk With Me should have stayed in the final cut. Yes, that would have made the movie over three hours long, but it also would have significantly enhanced the viewing experience, altering the plot and bringing back deleted characters and storylines.

Memento (2000)

Christopher Nolan’s Memento is well-known for its unconventional, non-linear storytelling, which effectively places viewers inside the disoriented mind of Leonard Shelby, a man with amnesia. The film cleverly uses both black and white and color sequences that eventually merge, revealing the full story at the end. Interestingly, a hidden feature on the Special Edition DVD lets you watch the movie in chronological order. To unlock it, you need to navigate to the Special Features and press play at a specific moment to access a segment called “The Beginning of the End.” This version presents the entire film in order, including the end credits playing in reverse and the opening scene shown correctly.

Freddy Got Fingered (2001)

It might be surprising, but the home video release of Tom Green’s famously outrageous film, Freddy Got Fingered, is packed with bonus content. Fox included a full commentary track by Green himself, as well as scene-specific commentary from other cast members. You’ll also find deleted scenes, both with and without commentary, and some behind-the-scenes featurettes. But the most interesting extra is an audio recording of the movie’s world premiere – you can hear the audience’s reactions, from laughter to groans, as if you were there yourself (if you were so lucky!).

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

It wouldn’t be complete without Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy – the bonus features on the home video release are truly exceptional. Making three epic movies consecutively was incredibly ambitious for its time, and after building such detailed costumes, sets, and landscapes with a mix of practical effects and CGI, the filmmakers went all-out to show us how they did it. You can enjoy deleted scenes, interviews with the cast and crew, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of the incredible work – like costumers painstakingly crafting chainmail. And keep an eye out for a fun Easter egg: Dominic Monaghan appears as a fake German journalist interviewing Elijah Wood about whether he wears a wig!

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Okay, let me tell you, even among those who aren’t huge Zack Snyder fans, most agree that his Dawn of the Dead remake is genuinely good. And the DVD release? Surprisingly fantastic! It’s a really fun collectible for any zombie movie lover. Beyond the film itself, they’ve packed it with some clever original content. There’s a fake news report detailing the zombie outbreak, a hilarious behind-the-scenes look at how they cast ‘real’ zombies, and even a video diary from the gun shop owner, Andy, that expands on the film’s world. It’s a great package overall.

Sin City (2005)

If you enjoyed Sin City and were curious about how its unique visual style was achieved, the DVD extras are a must-see. The release includes a fascinating picture-in-picture commentary that shows how scenes from the movie compare to the original storyboards and on-set footage. Similar to Freddy Got Fingered, it also features an “Audience Reaction Track” – a recording of a group watching the film for the first time, letting you experience it alongside them.

Grindhouse (2007)

The Grindhouse double feature from Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino is just as enjoyable to watch at home as it was in theaters. That’s because the fun bonus content shown during theatrical screenings is also included on the Blu-ray. While Planet Terror and Death Proof are available separately, the Special Edition Grindhouse Blu-ray offers the complete “Double Feature Presentation” – the first time both movies were released together for home viewing. It also includes the fake trailers for Don’t, Werewolf Women of the SS, Machete, Hobo with a Shotgun, and Thanksgiving – three of which later became full-length films.

Knocked Up (2007)

Judd Apatow loves letting his actors improvise during filming, which means his movies always have a lot of extra footage that doesn’t make the final cut. This is definitely the case with Knocked Up. When the movie came out on DVD, it included not only deleted scenes, but also a funny 30-minute fake documentary called “Finding Ben Stone” that shows how difficult it was to cast the main character. Apatow actually filmed some scenes multiple times with different actors—you can even see Michael Cera, Orlando Bloom, and Bill Hader hilariously mess them up!

2025-11-20 00:00