Sometimes everything isn’t happily ever after for our heroes. WatchMojo has put together a list for a great topic for discussion: movies where the villain ends up killing the hero. The hero’s journey doesn’t always end the way we’d hope (those reeling after this weekend’s Avengers: Infinity War are feeling that). Sometimes a hero sacrifices themselves to ensure their ultimate goal. Sometimes a hero’s goal IS their own death. Sometimes….well, sometimes they bad guys DO win. It goes without saying that unless you feel like you’ve pretty much seen iconic movies GIANT SPOILER WARNING! What do you think of WM’s selections? Off the top of my head, Road to Perdition, Shane, and Logan (which is in a lot of ways an homage to Shane) spring to mind. I think we can definitely find two better selections than The Wicker Man and Batman vs. Superman (seriously, guys?). What other films do you think should have made this list where the hero didn’t make it to the end credits?
No Country For Old Men really needed to be on this list. More than BvS, I can tell you that. Superman has been resurrected already. His death didn’t even take.
As far as I am concerned, The Vanishing (original version, not the American remake) is the mother of all films where the villain kills the hero in the end. It’s extremely well made, but I found it so profoundly disturbing that I never recommend it to anyone.
I don’t care what anyone says, the original Wicker Man is GREAT at least for its genre.
I don’t understand Nightmare on Elm Street: Dream Warriors getting an honorable mention. Maybe it’s considered the Empire Strikes Back of that franchise.
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Great article, and very topical at the moment.
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Thank you and thanks for commenting. If we’re all traumatized right now, I can’t even imagine what we’ll be doing in a year. Infinity War definitely belongs on this list more than Batman vs. Superman.
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Great list, and am happy to see “Leon” there, because it is the first one that came to my mind. I think also “V for Vendetta” qualifies.
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I would take it over The Wicker Man lol
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