Happy Vs Sad Ending: Which One Do You Prefer?

Question

In movies, TV-series, books, theater etc. #Ending #HappyEnding #SadEnding #ComedyVsTragedy

BlueCoyote · Accepted Answer

I love endings where it's not entirely clear and the audience/readership is left to decide for themselves, interpret etc.

A great example for this is the last scene in one of my favorite movies, "The Road", with Viggo Mortensen.
The movie (which is based on a novel by Cormac McCarthy) itself is incredibly depressing. Easily the most depressing movie I've ever seen and the most depressing novel I've ever read. It's hard to express in words how much this story pulls you down. Unless you've read/watched it, you can't imagine.
Anyway, this is the ultra-short summary: an unnamed man and his son travel through an utterly destroyed, desolate, post-apocaplyptic landscape. It's very cold, there is no sunlight anymore because they sky is clouded by ash, most of the freshwater is toxic and there is no vegetation anymore. All plants and all animals are dead. As it appears, the man and the son are among the last survivors. They constantly have to watch out for roaming hoards of bandits, cannibals and other horrific people. As the story plays in North America, the man's plan is it to hike down south with his son in the hope that the climate might be a little better there or that some form of vegetation might be left there.

At the end of the novel/movies (SPOILERS), the man gets very sick as a result of an infected wound and dies. Shortly after, the 8-year old boy is picked up by a traveling man who turns out to also have a wife and children.

This ending is very open and I've had many a good discussions about it with my mom and my friends. For example my mom thinks the ending is clearly happy and hopeful because the boy found a new family that can protect him and take care of him.
However, one could also argue that he just lost his dad... who was the last person alive he could truly trust. So how can this be a happy end? Also, can the boy really trust that family? He has absolutely no idea who are what they are. They might as well turn out to be psychopaths. On the other hand, he is forced to join them because a child would never survive alone in this world.
And then of course there are the following question: where is this family going? Are they also traveling south? Will they actually find some oasis of vegetation where life is possible? Will they all live happily ever after or starve to death? Maybe even be murdered?

I love these kind of unclear, open endings where you have to put your own spin on it. That usually also says a lot about the kind of person you are.

fnmps · Accepted Answer

I prefer endings that are sort of mixed. For example, if you know the TV show Chuck or the movie Gladiator. They are not exactly happy endings, but not truly sad. They might be emotional endings but I wouldn't consider them happy or sad.

The_FallenOne · Accepted Answer

Funny I was just thinking about this a couple days ago.😂
I have a very strong opinion about this.

I like happy/bittersweet endings in movies or movies where it ends badly or sadly... but it's also left on a cliffhanger so you have to watch the next movie to find out how it really ends. Sad endings just bum me out. I mean it's a movie why not have a good ending, It's not real life.
(Avengers Infinity War pissed me off. It was all that stupid cunt Star Lord's fault. He just COULDN'T hold his anger for 30 more seconds. Stupid bitch.)

Now TV series that leave cliffhangers every fuckin' episode (Example: Pretty Little Liars) annoys the shit out of me, but for movies it works cause it really draws you in to watch the next movie. It really gets you hyped for the next movie. For a tv series it just gets old and boring real quick.

My favorite genre is horror movies, but I hate those horror movies that end badly. Like when the bad guy/murderer wins or kills everybody. It really just angers me. Because usually they all die stupidly or they didn't even try hard enough to defeat the bad guy. What's the point of watching a movie if everyone fuckin' dies?(Saw is the only exception) IT'S EVEN WORSE WHEN YOU NEVER SEE WHO THE MURDERER IS. (Example: The Open House) If you haven't watched that garbage movie, DON'T. You will regret wasting that speciffic hour and a half of your life that you will NEVER be able to get back. AND I garentee you will be angry at the end. When I watched that movie I was legitimately so pissed off I went to the YouTube trailer and Rotten Tomatoes to leave a bad comment.🤬 (Unsurprisingly I'm not the only one who hated it)

Ayways, you get my point ✌😁

alice55 · Accepted Answer

I likes happy endings best, I always dislike sad ending but to me it doesn't sound like an ending. I'm always like "Where is the rest? Is this the end? This movie is suck".

ghostqueen · Answer

I prefer happy ending, I have enough sadness in my life.

Ayer93 · Answer

Always happy endings. Creates such a neccessary catharsis and escape from this shitty world we live in. SAO, Pursuit of Happiness, etc. They were such successful productions because they portrayed the hardships well and ended up happy ever after. Gives you (or at least myself) good vibes.

Udbhav_Bantwal · Answer

I would usually prefer a happy ending but more important than that is that the movie ends with enough closure, cause sometimes some movies are really good but the ending kinda leaves the storyline unfinished and I just don't get that feeling of closure from the movie and I don't like that...

Edanurus · Answer

Ok the descent is a horror movie where people get lost in underground caves (spoilers ahead). In the US release the main character suddenly finds an exit and escapes. In the UK cut she escapes. It then cuts to her back in the caves and if you had paid attention before there was a throwaway comment about the darkness of the cave sending you crazy which is what happened to her that is the better ending in my opinion

Cammy137 · Answer

I prefer a brutally realistic ending. If a happy ending works then great but if the sad ending seems more likely then I prefer that over the happy one.
That's why I'm somewhat worried about the Game of Thrones ending and also the Avengers 4 ending

Aalena · Answer

Depends on what mood im in and also if there's a message in the movie sometimes its better left where it is for the purposes of story telling rather than flipping it to make it end happily

Jegvitikke · Answer

Every story is different, and whether the ending should be happy or sad depends entirely on how well either would serve the story and make it give the biggest impact in the intended way. Happy and sad are 2 different emotions, and yet ine can't really exist without the other. Gotta say i prefer a happy ending in movies and books, but i always feel like in shortsr stories or poems, sad endings leave a far greater impact.

Trolloween · Answer

I would just choose a surprising ending. Too many films are predictable so you guess the full plot based on the trailer or first 10mins. I don't need to see the same story again and again.

Amanda269 · Answer

Happy endings. It is not finished untill they are happy. The whole plot is unhappy and then happy. Just look at harry potter and avatar.

Megatrizzle · Answer

I don't care whether it's a "happy" ending or a "sad" one, as long as it grips me into the story and wraps it up nicely, I'll be happy.

mollyc · Answer

Happy & Sad endings depends on what they were trying teach or portray in that film. If they send out a good message to the audience.

Sauron2099 · Answer

Some stories deserve happy endings and some sad, as long as the story progression is natural it really depends on the overall story.

blackandmint · Answer

I like happy endings best because it gives closure in a way. If the ending was sad or inconclusive, I’d just end up wondering what would happen next.

Clyde_123 · Answer

I like happy endings because I just want the main character to be happy. I really don't like where the couple didn't end up together or the boy died...

Ellie-V · Answer

I usually hate happy endings. The art of cinema is not supposed to be all cookie-cutter. It’s seriously annoying.

latinabutterfly96 · Answer

Sometimes sad is better. Because happy endings get boring and everyone knows how it’ll end (happily), so a sad ending would be abrupt but realistic.

-Asca- · Answer

I prefer happy endings most of the time. It's because villains succeeding with their plans that should not succeed makes me really angry.
I'm fine with it if everyone just dies or something though, as long as the villain doesn't get fullfilment.

AaronKrieger · Answer

An ending that doesn't leave you a smile, but one that leaves you thinking and stunned.

CottenBrick · Answer

I like funny endings, but that doesn't mean it can't be bit sad at the same time. Like in black adder they always kill off the entire cast at the end of a series

Aynsof · Answer

I like endings that are realistic in the context of the story  Happy endings... for the sake of happy endings as it often is in Hollywood movies are just idiotic

ultimega · Answer

Depends on the storyline. I don't mind a bittersweet ending

Deathraider · Answer

Ending should be realistic. Don't make it overly leaning towards one way or the other. The good guy doesn't always win.

LegateLanius · Answer

As much as I like the hero to whisk the woman away and babies ever after, sad endings have their place too.

anxiousvampire · Answer

I don’t care if it is sad or happy, I just want an interesting ending.

AmazingGuy008 · Answer

I love sad endings. They are very cool and makes me remember better the story. I am tired of happy endings, they are cool sometimes, but not always.

Joxaren · Answer

I prefer sad endings, because i realy like sad movies. Makes me emotional.

anonymxx · Answer

Depends. I usually like happy endings but.. It came to a point where I already guess or know the plot so it is better when the ending is unexpected.

Skullpool · Answer

Sad endings :) because they are unexpected and INFINITY WAR 😭😭 I mean, is cool when the bad guys win 💪

ToToRoUNKnoWn · Answer

Without being sad there would be no happy so that's why its important to be both at times

rarelambo · Answer

Ot all depends on the story and the event happening before the story begins, starts and events leading up to the ending.

dontgofalling · Answer

Either way, it's the story and how It's told, it's still a story

Insomniac92 · Answer

Depends on the plot... Characters and circumstances.

JuanDirtNacho · Answer

I like puzzling endings, for they keep me on the edge of my seat till the last second.

poludelirobi · Answer

Fuck happy ending if it doesn't make sense.. Then that stuff is just for kids

totallygeneric · Answer

Happy endings give me hope.

emmily2396 · Answer

I like unexpected endings

Jackieboi · Answer

The most realistic one

betaTester · Answer

Happy ending for my massages

DeaconPope · Answer

Happy sad endings are the best

beebella · Answer

Depends on the storyline.

clampfan101 · Answer

Happy, happy, happy! :) lol

Iamagoodguy · Answer

Happy ending for the ones I like

Grayout · Answer

Happy endings make me sad

hajisultan · Answer

Sad Endings. Because they are the reality.

sonit88 · Answer

Depends on how realistic that movie is.

suraj129raj · Answer

it always have more fun than happy endings 😂

rosstee563 · Answer

Nobody wants to leave the cinema sad

Just_A_Guy2018 · Answer

Cliff hangers.

GayHowellMeme · Answer

Sad endings

MariaTheGreek90 · Answer

Happy Ending.

Anonymous · Answer

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Happy Vs Sad Ending: Which One Do You Prefer?

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Happy Vs Sad Ending: Which One Do You Prefer?

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