Horror Movies Where Nobody Survives | Screen Rant – Screen Rant

Some horror movies surprise audiences by killing off every character. While it's always a bold choice, some movies even benefit from this decision.

Horror is a genre built on tropes, though horror movieshave tried to subvert some of these long-lived formulas by ensuring there are no survivors by the time the credits roll.Some horror tropes are utilized often, such as the final girl. Others are far less commonly used, which makes them more surprising. The choice to kill off everyone in a horror movie isn't as common of an ending, but tends to be utilized when a bleak, shocking finish is necessary.

In a way, horror movies that leave no survivors aretheantithesis of a movie trope. The final girl trope is one that isfairly predictable, but endearing to fans of the genre. The final girl, or sometimes the final boy, is one of the most effective ways to continue a story. That way, the original villain can come back for revenge. Killing off every character in a horror movie is shocking and unexpected. In these situations, the potential series either stops dead in its tracks or must continue in a more creative way. Most of the time, these movies start from scratch with each new iteration and follow the killer or villain of the series instead of a protagonist.

Related:Why Rob Zombie Horror Movies Often Kill Off The Final Girl

Killing every main character in a horror movie is a memorable choice because it's often such a surprise to the audience.Leaving no survivors has a way of changing the tone and meaning of a movie. When it's done right, it's a powerful ending to a horror movie. Here's a look at some notable examples of horror movies in which no one survives.

Not only did Night of the Living Deadmanage to make the zombie movie widely popular, but they shockingly killed off every main character in the story. George A. Romero's classic movie sees a group of strangers taking refuge in an isolated farmhouse as a zombie outbreak ravages their town. Ben (Duane Jones) becomes the de facto leader of the group. But despite his best efforts, the members of his group are picked off by zombies one-by-one. Help finally arrivesthe next day. The authorities see Ben in the window and mistake him for a zombie. They shoot and kill him from a distance.

A high death toll in a zombie movie isn't surprising, but having no survivors absolutely is. Ben's death packs a punch for a number of reasons. With his calm and cool demeanor, he seems like he'd absolutely survive the events of the film. It was heartbreaking and shocking all at once to see him die. Ben's death also revealed the underlying political message of the film. The police shooting a Black man before asking questions first is something that's resonated with audiences for decades. Zombies aside, Ben's death is arguably the most famous element of the movie.

The Blair Witch Projectreinvigorated the found footage genre of horror movies. With that, it set the now-common precedent of killing every character in found footage movies.It's not found footage if there are any survivors. The 1999 sleeper hit follows three student filmmakers as they make a documentaryabout a local legend known as theBlair Witch. The three students find out in the worst way possible that the witch is in fact, very real. None of them live to tell the tale.

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Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero