Final Line: "What are you thinking? How are you feeling? What have we done to each other? What will we do?"
In Gone Girl, Amy's final words perfectly capture the disturbing marriage at the center of the entire story. After everything the couple has done to manipulate and hurt one another, they remain trapped in the relationship they have created. It's sad, but it's beautiful. | © 20th Century Fox/Regency Enterprises
Final Line: "It's too bad she won't live! But then again, who does?"
Gaff's final remark in the original Blade Runner adds another layer of uncertainty to the film's questions about humanity and identity. It also leaves you wondering exactly what he knows about Rachael and Deckard. | © Warner Bros.
Final Line: "Oh no, it wasn't the airplanes. It was Beauty killed the beast."
After Kong falls from the Empire State Building in 1933's King Kong, Carl Denham reflects on the tragedy. The line transforms the ending from a rather straightforward monster movie ending into a surprisingly poignant statement about beauty and human cruelty. | © RKO Radio Pictures
Final Line: "I'm having an old friend for dinner. Bye."
Hannibal Lecter delivers his final words in The Silence of the Lambs with chilling casualness as he watches Dr. Chilton arrive. Audience members already know Lecter's cannibalistic tendencies, so the implication behind "dinner" makes the otherwise polite farewell deeply unsettling. | © Strong Heart Productions/Orion Pictures
Final Line: "Well, I'm back."
Samwise's understated final line comes after the enormous journey he has undertaken. Rather than ending with another grand speech, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King closes with the simple idea of returning home and getting back to ordinary life. | © WingNut Films/New Line Cinema
Final Line: "Which would be worse: to live as a monster? Or to die as a good man?"
Teddy's final question in Shutter Island completely changes the meaning of everything that came before it. After realizing the truth about his identity and what he has done, the line suggests that he may knowingly choose to forget reality rather than live with the consequences of his actions. | © Paramount Pictures
Final Line: "Well, nobody's perfect."
After an increasingly complicated series of disguises and romantic misunderstandings, the wonderfully simple punchline of Some Like It Hot brings everything to a close. Its effortless delivery makes it one of the funniest final lines in movie history, and it sends the characters riding off into the sunset quite nicely. | © Mirisch Company/United Artists
Final Line: "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown."
Evelyn Mulwray's murder leaves Jake unable to bring justice to the people responsible, and this final line sums up Chinatown's rather bleak worldview. Sometimes the truth can be uncovered without actually being able to change anything in the grand scheme of things. | © Paramount Pictures
Final Line: "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up."
Norma Desmond's final words in Sunset Boulevard magnificently capture her complete detachment from reality. Even after everything that has happened, she still believes she is a movie star preparing for her big return, which makes the ending both tragic and unforgettable. | © Paramount Pictures
Final Line: "Why don't we just wait here for a little while... see what happens?"
R. J. MacReady's final words in The Thing leave the film's central mystery completely unresolved. With neither character knowing whether the other is still human, the movie ends by forcing the audience to sit with the same uncertainty. | © Universal Pictures
Final Line: "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. And like that... he's gone."
The famous closing line of The Usual Suspects gives the movie one final sinister twist. After watching Verbal Kint tell his story, the audience is left questioning just how much of what they heard was actually true. | © Bad Hat Harry Films
Final Line: "I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope."
Red's final words bring the story to its emotional conclusion as he travels toward the possibility of a new life with Andy. After spending decades believing that hope was dangerous, Red finally embraces it, making the ending of The Shawshank Redemption especially moving. | © Castle Rock Entertainment/Columbia Pictures
Final Line: "In case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!"
Truman's familiar catchphrase takes on a completely different meaning once he uses it to say goodbye to the artificial world that has controlled his entire life. It is funny, emotional, and perfectly suited to his character. The Truman Show arguably has one of the most iconic film endings ever. | © Scott Rudin Productions/Paramount Pictures
Final Line: "Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads."
Doc Brown's final line in Back to the Future is an impeccable setup for another adventure. As the DeLorean takes flight, the line turns the movie's time-travel story into an exciting promise that the possibilities for the next film are virtually endless. | © Amblin Entertainment/Universal Pictures
Final Line: "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
Rick's final words in Casablanca perfectly capture his decision to move forward after letting Ilsa go. The line transforms a heartbreaking farewell into a surprisingly hopeful ending and becomes one of Hollywood's most iconic closing moments. | © Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.
A great final line can stay with an audience long after the credits roll. Sometimes it perfectly sums up a character's journey, while other times it adds a surprising twist, delivers an emotional goodbye, or leaves you with something to think about. That said, these movies prove that a handful of carefully chosen words can make an already memorable ending even more powerful.
