What is the best "bad" ending you've seen/read? [Spoilers abound]

[driver8]

Ok I didnt read the whole thread but I always liked the end to the original Get Carter with Michael Caine. The ending isnt too much of a surprise I guess, but its quite different from the later Sly Stallone remake.

On a related note the end of the Steve McQueen movie The Sand Pebbles always chokes me up. That was a surprise to me.

 

[Piratecat]

I was fairly put out by the ending of Perdido Street Station. Nothing works out for any of the people in this story... the only person in the whole damn book who gets a happy ending is one incidental character who buggers off and leaves the city before the big climax. Add to this a couple cases of poor storytelling that blunt the impact of the ending, and an ending that could have resonated with me came a lot closer than I liked to thudding.

 

[Mercule]

Jacob's Ladder.

 

[RichCsigs]

Having just watched it, I would add the Director's Cut ending of The Butterfly Effect to this list.

 

[Carnifex]

Perdido Street Station - harsh ending. From what I remember, The Scar is more upbeat (but that's not saying much). But the latest Bas-Lag book, Iron Council, has an equally sad ending. Good, but sad... once more, things don't really end well for the 'good guys' of the story.

 

[hafrogman]

How about The Great Escape?

Okay, it's bad because it's how it happened in real life, but it still made a powerful ending.

 

[Pielorinho]

Hmm...I loved the ending of Perdido Street Station, but then, it was one of those rare books that just worked perfectly for me.

I feel like a moron for not thinking of Shakespeare. He kinda had a reputation for tragedy, y'know?

(On a tangent, if you ever have a chance to see The Complete Works of Wiliam Shakespeare, Abridged, hie ye to the theater. It's been a long time since I've laughed till I cried. "Call you Butt-love? Hee--Butt Love!" They make the tragedies much funnier than the comedies)

A few that haven't been mentioned:

For a book, Pet Sematery really got to me, as did the novella The Long Walk, both by Stephen King.

The movie ending that has stood out for me most was The Vanishing. I hear the American remake had a happy ending, which is the kind of blasphemy that makes me want to put the director in place of the protagonist.

And what geek could forget Life of Brian?

Daniel

 

[Ferret]

I must seconded the Fight club ending. Man, that hit me.

Also another for the "Aw, but could they just....? That sucks." Kinda ending was for "His Dark Materials" Series by Phillip pullman. That was not a happy ending.

 

[The Grumpy Celt]

Spoilers aside, none of use have seen it yet. But I am going to be preemptive here and add "Star Wars Ep. III" to this list.

And the ending of Grapes of Wrath - both movie and book versions.

 

[Carnifex]

Hmm...I loved the ending of Perdido Street Station, but then, it was one of those rare books that just worked perfectly for me.

I enjoyed it too... which is why I consider it as one of the best 'bad' endings I've read. It's depressing and harsh, but that doesn't stop it being an enjoyable read