Many of the greatest stories ever told in cinema are in the sci-fi genre. It’s such a broad umbrella, covering everything from jaw-dropping epics and unforgettable action titles to terrifying horror stories. Sci-fi is such a diverse genre that it can cover everything from fantasy worlds with spaceships to depictions of grand futurescapes on Earth with technology we will never see in our lifetimes.

It’s no secret that a movie’s ending can make or break the entire project. We’ve all seen films where it seems like the director has struggled to wrap everything up, and a poor finale or abrupt ending can be the part that sticks in the audience’s mind as they leave theaters.

It’s a tricky balancing act, especially when the potential of a sequel is looming, but many titles nail that final act. Terminator 2: Judgment Day, for example, is still arguably one of the greatest sci-fi action movies ever made. It’s near-perfect, from its casting to its grand set pieces, with an emotional ending that feels earned.

Some sci-fi titles also wow audiences with an ending so spectacular that they elevate the entire project. The movies on this list are all beloved in the sci-fi genre. However, their endings are so good that viewers talk about them just as much as they do about the rest of the film. In some cases, audiences are still discussing those final moments decades later. With this in mind, here’s a selection of incredible sci-fi movies with endings that make them truly special.

7

Project Hail Mary (2026)

It’s arguably a bit early to proclaim Project Hail Mary a masterpiece, as it was only released in 2026. That said, the title is a massive hit with critics and audiences alike and is a strong contender for one of the greatest movies of the year.

Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace, a science teacher. He meets an alien lifeform while trying to save his planet, but the movie makes the list for its beautiful ending and a powerful act of self-sacrifice. Ryland races to save his friend, who he knows is in great peril, even if it means he will never return to Earth.

Project Hail Mary has such an unforgettable ending because it’s so optimistic. Ryland survives, and we see he has his own home on Rocky’s planet. The pair walk across the beach, and we learn that Ryland has a new purpose: teaching science to young Eridians. Many sci-fi movies stand out for their shocking or bleak endings. Project Hail Mary stands out for the opposite.

6

Donnie Darko (2001)

Donnie Darko is hailed as an early-2000s masterpiece with a wild, thought-provoking ending that changes how you view the entire film on a rewatch. The movie stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Donnie Darko, a teenager who sleepwalks.

Near the start of the movie, a jet engine falls from the sky, smashes through the roof, and into his room. However, it miraculously missed Darko because he wasn’t at home when it landed. The movie follows his encounters with a strange figure in a rabbit costume named Frank, introducing us to the concept of a tangent universe.

I’m paraphrasing, as Donnie Darko has many moving parts, but the final scene is shocking. Darko wakes up in his bed after the events of the movie, knowing the jet engine is about to land. Rather than run away, he laughs and lets it happen. It’s a tragic conclusion, but his death restores the original timeline.

5

Planet Of The Apes (1968)

1968’s Planet of the Apes and the subsequent 2001 reboot tell a very well-known story among sci-fi fans with a jaw-dropping shock finale. That ending is so iconic that even movie fans who have never seen Planet of the Apes may be aware of it.

Charlie Heston stars as George Taylor, an astronaut who crash-lands on an unknown planet inhabited by intelligent apes. He learns that apes are the dominant species and that they believe humans are inferior. Taylor proves he can speak, to the surprise of his captors. He escapes and tries to find a way off the planet.

The movie makes the list for its legendary ending. Taylor rides a horse down the beach and encounters the Statue of Liberty protruding from the sand. He sinks to his knees yelling, “God damn you all to hell!” as he realizes he’s on Earth in the future instead of a strange alien planet.

4

The Thing (1982)

The Thing is arguably one of the greatest sci-fi horror movies of all time with an ending fans are still discussing more than four decades later. The title is also among Kurt Russell’s best, and he stars as MacReady, a helicopter pilot at an Antarctic research facility.

Workers rescue a sled dog, or at least, that’s what they think. The dog is actually an alien creature that can imitate any living thing. Paranoia quickly spreads throughout the facility as the team realizes what they have brought in and that it can even masquerade as a human.

MacReady and Childs (Keith David) are the only remaining survivors by the end of the movie. What makes the finale so incredible is that the thing could be either of them, yet we have no way of knowing. Fans still try to decipher the final scene, with some convinced Childs is the thing owing to a few subtle sound cues.

3

Children of Men (2006)

Children of Men depicts a dreadfully bleak dystopian future, starring Clive Owen as Theo. The movie contains arguably one of the greatest car chases in cinema, though it makes the list for its poignant ending that stunned audiences into silence.

The title is set in an alternate 2027 where humankind has become infertile. No children have been born in years, though Theo encounters Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey), who is the first pregnant woman anyone has seen in almost two decades.

Humanity is collapsing during the movie, with war and violence commonplace. Theo and Kee take to the water in a small boat to escape the chaos on land. The ending is so impactful because Theo presumably dies as a ship approaches their rowboat. It offers a sliver of hope because the ship appears friendly, but we really have no way of knowing, and humanity’s fate remains in question.

2

Aniara (2018)

Aniara tells a horrifying sci-fi story about existential dread that feels oddly relatable if you put yourself in the passengers’ shoes. A massive spacecraft is traveling from Earth to Mars as our planet is ravaged by pollution and environmental disasters. However, it’s knocked off course, and passengers realize a trip that should take just weeks may last their entire lifetimes.

The premise is so chilling because the movie shows how ordinary people respond to the prospect of spending the rest of their lives on the ship. Many unfortunate events shape the passengers’ destiny, though the ending is especially impactful.

Aniara feels like the antithesis of Project Hail Mary in many ways. There is no happy ending or triumphant resolution. By the time the spacecraft passes any other planet, nobody is there to see it, and millions of years have passed. It’s a bold, thought-provoking ending, even if it’s bleak.

1

Arrival (2016)

Arrival is an exceptional sci-fi epic about alien visitors who try to communicate as governments around the world decide how to respond. The movie stars Amy Adams as Louise, a linguist hired by the military to understand what these mysterious visitors want.

Learning the alien language has a profound effect on Louise as it affects her concept of time. It also sheds light on haunting visions Louise experiences about her partner, Ian (Jeremy Renner), and their daughter.

During Arrival’s climax, we learn that Louise’s flashbacks depict events that occur in the future. She’s witnessed her daughter succumb to an incurable disease before she was even born, and she also learns the fate of her marriage. The movie shows that she chooses to live the life she’s seen, even knowing how events unfold, posing uncomfortable questions about what the audience would do with that same revelation.