15 Promising thriller plots with less impressive climax

Thrillers have a way of pulling audiences in with twists, secrets, and high-stakes drama. Some thrillers start strong with mysterious setups, suspicious characters, and shocking reveals, only to fizzle out in the final moments. The tension fades, and what seemed like a brilliant puzzle ends up being something much simpler—or worse, something too far-fetched to feel real. These stories often leave people wondering what could have been if the ending had matched the promise of the first half. Even so, many thrillers with weak endings still manage to keep people entertained along the way. Sometimes it’s the characters, the eerie settings, or the questions they raise that make them worth watching or reading.

**Disclaimer: This article is entirely based on the writer's opinion and may contain spoilers. Reader's discretion is advised.**

1) The Girl on the Train (2016)

This movie starts with a strong setup, pulling viewers into Rachel’s chaotic life. She’s an alcoholic who rides the same train every day, obsessing over a seemingly perfect couple she watches from the window. The early parts keep you hooked as Rachel’s blackouts make her unreliable, and the mystery of a missing woman raises the stakes. But the ending falls flat. The twist—that her ex-husband’s new wife is the killer—feels too clean and predictable after all the buildup. A better ending could have leaned into Rachel’s unstable mind, leaving more doubt about whether she played a role in the crime.

2) Secret Window (2004)

The movie kicks off with a moody setup. Mort Rainey is a lonely, struggling writer who’s accused of stealing someone else’s story. It does a good job of building tension as Mort’s paranoia grows, and the quiet setting adds to the unease. The story loses its punch when it’s revealed that the villain is just a split personality. It feels like a shortcut, especially since the film spends so much time planting seeds for something bigger. A better ending might have left Mort’s mental state open to interpretation, making viewers question whether he was insane or being framed by someone real.

3) The Village (2004)

The first half of this movie is intense and unsettling. It introduces a small community trapped by fear of monsters in the surrounding woods. The idea of unseen threats and strict rules keeps the tension high, and the mystery around the creatures pulls you in. But the twist—that the monsters are fake and the village is a modern-day social experiment—takes the air out of everything. It feels like the movie builds up to something huge, only to stop short. A stronger ending could have revealed the creatures were real, tying them to the elders’ hidden pasts and giving the story more weight.

4) Gone Girl (2014)

The movie starts with one of the best setups in recent thrillers. A man’s wife goes missing, and as the investigation unfolds, it’s clear neither of them is what they seem. The tension is sharp, and the twists keep you guessing as Amy’s manipulations come to light. But the ending leaves things feeling unfinished. Amy returns home, forcing Nick to stay with her, and the story just stops. It works as a dark ending but doesn’t feel satisfying after so much buildup. A better ending could have seen Nick exposing Amy’s lies in a clever way, giving him some kind of win without losing the story’s edge.

5) I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House (2016)

This movie has a slow, creepy start that draws you in. It’s about Lily, a nurse caring for an elderly author in a house that feels more alive than it should. The quiet tension builds as Lily starts to sense something is wrong, and the house’s dark history begins to surface. But the ending, where Lily dies and becomes another ghost, feels too easy and expected. It doesn’t match the slow buildup or give the story a bigger payoff. A better ending might have tied Lily’s fate to the author’s books, suggesting the house was pulling her into its stories instead of just killing her off.

6) The Snowman (2017)

The movie starts with promise, following detective Harry Hole as he investigates a series of murders linked by snowmen left at the crime scenes. The eerie visuals and mysterious setup create tension early on, but the story quickly unravels. The plot jumps between timelines, leaving gaps that make it hard to follow. By the end, the killer’s reveal feels rushed and unearned, as the clues never fully connect. The movie wastes its chilling premise by skipping over important details. A better ending could have slowed down, tightening the story while letting Harry outsmart the killer through more grounded detective work.

7) Fractured (2019)

This movie opens with a gripping setup. Ray takes his injured daughter to the hospital, but she disappears without a trace, leaving him desperate for answers. The tension builds as Ray begins questioning his own sanity, keeping viewers unsure of what’s real. But the ending drops the ball. It’s revealed that Ray accidentally killed his wife and daughter and imagined their survival. While dark, the twist feels predictable and doesn’t hit as hard as it could. A stronger ending might have left Ray’s guilt ambiguous, allowing the hospital’s strange behavior to remain unexplained, keeping the mystery alive instead of closing it off.

8) The Open House (2018)

The movie sets up an unsettling atmosphere as a grieving mother and son move into a remote house for a fresh start. Strange events begin piling up, creating paranoia and fear. The house itself feels menacing, and the suspense keeps viewers invested. But the ending doesn’t deliver. The son dies, the mother is brutally murdered, and the killer—never identified—walks away. It feels unfinished as if the movie forgot to explain why any of it happened. A better ending could have tied the events to the house’s history or given the killer a motive, making the story feel less random.

9) Before I Go to Sleep (2014)

The film hooks you right away with its premise. Christine wakes up every day with no memory of who she is, relying on notes and recordings to piece things together. The mystery deepens as she questions whether her husband is helping her or hiding something. It builds well, but the ending feels too neat. The villain is revealed and defeated, and Christine’s memory magically starts returning. It’s rushed and unrealistic for such a complex setup. A more effective ending might have kept Christine’s recovery uncertain, focusing instead on her struggle to reclaim her identity without completely resolving the mystery.

10) Dream House (2011)

The movie starts with an intriguing setup. Will moves into a new home with his family, only to discover it was the site of a brutal murder. As he investigates, he learns he might be connected to the crime in ways he doesn’t understand. The tension builds well, but the twist—that Will’s family is dead and he imagined them—feels overdone and drains the suspense. The ending focuses more on tying loose ends than exploring Will’s mental state. A better version could have left his guilt and reality unclear, forcing viewers to question whether he was dangerous or truly a victim.

11) Passengers (2016)

The movie starts with a fascinating concept—two passengers wake up too early on a spaceship during a 120-year journey. Jim’s isolation and moral dilemma after waking Aurora create real tension. The visuals and early story pull you in, hinting at a survival thriller. But the second half shifts focus to romance and skips over bigger questions about morality and survival. The ending, where they simply accept their fate, feels too easy. A better finish could have explored their efforts to save others or find a way to return to sleep, pushing the story toward sacrifice or redemption instead of settling.

12) The Roommate (2011)

This movie opens with a familiar but effective setup—a college freshman, Sara, gets a new roommate, Rebecca, whose behavior slowly turns obsessive. The tension builds as Rebecca’s jealousy escalates, creating moments of unease that keep you guessing what she’ll do next. But the climax is where it falls apart. The final confrontation feels rushed and predictable, ending with a simple fight and Rebecca’s death. It misses the chance to explore Rebecca’s backstory or push Sara into a moral dilemma about saving or killing her. A more layered ending could have added depth by exposing Rebecca’s trauma rather than relying on clichés.

13) Hush (2016)

The movie jumps straight into the action. Maddie is a deaf writer who lives alone in a remote house. A masked killer shows up and begins stalking her. The setup pulls you in right away, and Maddie’s disability adds tension that makes the situation feel different from most survival thrillers. The back-and-forth struggle between them keeps the story moving, but the ending feels too sudden. Maddie kills the intruder, and that’s it. The movie doesn’t show what happens next or how she deals with the trauma. A stronger ending could have followed her trying to rebuild her life afterward.

14) Serenity (2019)

The film sets itself up as a moody thriller with Baker, a fisherman, being asked by his ex-wife to kill her abusive husband. The mystery builds as Baker struggles with the decision, but the story takes a bizarre turn. It’s revealed that everything is part of a video game created by Baker’s son to cope with his father’s death. This twist completely disconnects from the grounded tension the film worked so hard to create. A better ending could have kept the plot grounded, focusing on Baker’s moral struggle and delivering a dramatic, real-world confrontation instead of turning into sci-fi.

15) Old (2021)

This movie has a strong start with a group of strangers trapped on a beach where they age rapidly. The early scenes pull you in as they try to figure out what’s happening while dealing with personal secrets and physical changes. But the ending—where the beach is revealed as part of a pharmaceutical experiment—feels too far-fetched and undermines the tension. It turns the story into an explanation rather than letting it stay unsettling. A better ending could have left the cause of the phenomenon unexplained, focusing instead on how the survivors deal with the trauma of their experiences once they escape.