But First: On Using Postscripts and Epilogues

The problem with epilogues is that they sometimes spell out something the previous two hours should have made clear, or pack in story details that we might have liked to see in the film.

Sometimes, as in American Graffiti (above), they add depth to an already satisfying story. And they’re great for documentaries, especially when a story keeps going after filming has wrapped.

But the five films that follow make particularly great use of postscripts, aka epilogues. Since we’re talking about the endings of movies, spoilers follow.