The way a film ends can keep its message resonating, make an audience laugh more than it already has or bring an entirely new element to a film or television show. Here are some of the best to ever be released to the public. 

When the lights turn on in the auditorium, what do you do? Are you one of those people who gets out of the theater immediately, hoping to beat whatever “traffic rush” you’re worried about after the show? Or do you stick around until the last name rolls on the credits, savoring every last moment of the movie-going experience? The next time you go to the theater, we urge you to stay until the very end—if you don’t, you might end up missing some quality content that’s featured here in our list of the 10 most captivating end credits in movie history. 

WALL-E 

WALL-E earned its acclaim for many reasons that look beyond the end credits. But art history aficionados will recognize the narrative immediately—here, the designers at Pixar have animated an entire history of the world’s most important moments in art and culture. It plays as a troubling metaphor—that humanity has to relearn these pivotal moments because it has strayed so far from its past—but, on the surface, it provides one of the most compelling and complete portrayals of art history ever created. Take another watch and see the credits shine. 

Call Me By Your Name

One of the most touching movies to be released in recent years, Call Me By Your Name captivated audiences with its emotionally driven narrative following the story of two heartbroken lovers. In the movie’s final moments, the audience is given one last scene to reflect upon—while the main character feels his strongest emotion yet, the end credits start to roll simultaneously through the scene, creating a hyper-pensive moment that further engrains the movie’s message. Life goes on as his mother sets the table and all that’s left to do is move forward. 

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

Tom Cruise has been making Mission Impossible movies for over a decade and the franchise continues to wow audiences worldwide. For the ending of M:I-5 Rogue Nation, released in 2015, the team ends the movie with a credit sequence that matches the film’s energy perfectly. Utilizing dynamic, VFX-driven transitions and fast-moving sequences, the end credits here are equally as action-packed as the movie itself, proving how a well-paired credit sequence can continue to drive home the movie’s hard-hitting energy if it’s done right. 

A Series of Unfortunate Events

A Series of Unfortunate Events follows three orphans as they navigate life with their unhinged, evil uncle, Count Olaf. Here, in the end credits, the audience is treated to the entire story being recreated in an animated style—adding to the melancholy mood of the film and further ingraining the story of the poor children into the audience’s imagination. 

Kill Bill Vol. 2

In Quentin Tarantino’s magnum opus series Kill Bill, the characters in the story adopt larger-than-life personalities. So, in the end sequence of the series’ sophomore installment, Taratino leans on a humanizing tactic to further bring his personas to life. The end credits here feature quick-stop featurettes that showcase an almost “behind the scenes” glimpse at each of the characters; visually driven moments that highlight the actors’ familiarity with their role and provide a cheeky, secondary look at each character.  

The Pianist 

The ending of The Pianist is overflowing with emotion. So it’s only right that director Roman Polanski blends the movie’s end credits alongside the film’s pivotal, final moments. The end scene here is dynamic, changing from text-on-screen updates about the main characters’ life after the movie cuts, to the climactic final scene during an orchestral performance. As the orchestra’s instruments echo through the concert hall, the credits roll and the audience if left to experience the end of the movie in one final dramatic moment. 

22 Jump Street

22 Jump Street is a notably silly movie—but the laughs don’t stop when the final scene cuts. This film utilizes the space it was given for end credits as an excuse to max out the funny factor. Here, the movie’s main characters are seen pitching (and creating) fake sequels to the movie that just ended; every scene is full of hilarity and ridiculousness, all in an effort to make the audience laugh, smile and bring home funnier memories from the film itself. 

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

We’re getting back to a classic with this feature on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. We all know the story—a high schooler creates an elaborate plan to get him out of school for the day and the twists-and-turns don’t ever stop. But this movie ends in hilarious fashion by reintroducing a plot line that was dropped earlier in the story. Whatever happened to the school’s principal anyway? 

The 40 Year Old Virgin

Steve Carrel’s guy-comedy The 40-Year-Old Virgin is chock-full of funnies. But the movie takes a unique turn in its final moments to showcase a hilarious, hippie-inspired music video set to The 5th Dimension’s song, “The Age of Aquarius.” In a moment that sees our beloved, innocent main character finally achieve his life’s goal of… well, you know… the blooming, blossoming atmosphere of the end credit sequence solidifies this movie’s silly-factor in shining fashion. 

Liar Liar 

Jim Carrey starring in Liar, Liar is a moment in movie history still renowned for its humor. So, it’s no surprise that the movie’s end sequence is a hilarious behind the scenes look at B-roll footage from the movie’s production cycle. Cutting from one scene to another, the end credits here show Carrey lighting up a room with his improvisational humor—a fun look into the process of how this classic comedy was created, and proof that even the most professional actors can’t keep a straight face when the funnies really start hitting. 

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