What are the most effective ways to end a screenplay?

When an audience walks away from a film the climax must resonate with it. You climax must not only be the most intense and consequential scene in the film it must also in a surprising and clever way resolve the main conflict and answer the theme question and character arc ending, if your story has these. These are what an audience will demand in your ending and most remember and talk about.

As far as mainstream Bollywood audience are concerned I would say the end should be happy with all issues and conflicts resolved. Audience here prefer happy endings. They don't won't to walk out of the hall with tears in there eyes. They don't want to take home the loss. A definite happy ending makes them feel satisfied ,relaxed and sorted. The protagonists on screen journey and struggle of life is always lived by the audience. So you can not make the audience feel looser at the end.

Ending a screenplay effectively involves leaving a lasting impression. I opt for emotional resonance, ensuring the conclusion aligns with the story's themes. A memorable twist or revelation can add impact. Whether offering closure or embracing ambiguity, the goal is to evoke a strong response, leaving audiences with lingering thoughts. Crafting a concluding scene that echoes the film's essence ensures the story resonates beyond the screen.

Ending a story on screen is like finishing a painting – you want everything to fit just right. First, make sure all the story parts connect to the end, like puzzle pieces coming together. This makes the ending feel complete. Add a surprise near the end to keep the audience interested – like a plot twist. Surprises make the ending more exciting and stay in people's minds. Lastly, focus on making the ending special since that's what people remember the most. It could be a powerful emotion, a big reveal, or something visually striking. The goal is to leave the audience with a strong and memorable feeling when the credits roll.

In my experience, don’t worry so much about following the “rules” of a genre—there’s a lot of homage in sci-fi, for example, but it’s not a requisite for making a solid sci-fi film. Subvert the audience’s expectations to really leave your last mark on them.

I think Charlie Savage nailed it! I was going to contribute my own thoughts, looked over all the responses here and read theirs more than once. It covers many genres and allows for interpretation. I would add that the ending must be plausible, and well thought out, contrived endings or convenient endings are maddening. For my money the best endings I have seen are Black Mirror. Charlie Barker digs some pretty deep holes with his stories and somehow manages to deliver an ending you believe.

Your theme should be the 'emotional driver' that influences the protagonist's subconscious decision making throughout the script, but at the end of the screenplay, as we experience 'rising tension', the theme too should become more pronounced, where the manifestation of that theme becomes the driving factor in the protagonist's decision to 'fight or flight'. In other words, the reason why the protagonist fights on is a direct result of the theme.

Your job is to invoke emotions; to manipulate other people's feelings. That sounds bad, but it's actually OK - it's a consensual arrangement. No-one goes to the cinema to come out in the same emotional state they entered. The audiences want to experience that emotional impact. There's a reason the end of a story is called the climax - it's the release of all that tension that has been rising previously. And with that release of tension comes an overwhelming flood of sensations, the emotions that the audience are feeling ... and hopefully the emotions that you intended them to experience.

The 'car park' moment is crucial. This is when everyone has exited the cinema and are walking back to their cars. What are they saying to each other? How are they describing the film? What was their favourite bit? That's what everyone does ... and they do it, because everyone loves to say what they liked or disliked about the film they just watched. So when it comes to screenplays, what are your 'car park' moments? Because when someone reads your script, it's those stand out moments that they will be talking to their colleagues about.

Much like the end of a dream, the final shot of a screenplay is often the last visual and emotional experience that audiences take away with them. It encapsulates the essence of the story and can leave a significant impact, resonating with viewers long after they leave the theater or finish watching the film. A carefully crafted final shot can evoke powerful emotions, convey thematic depth, and reinforce the central message of the screenplay, making it a memorable and thought-provoking conclusion to the narrative.

I am a big fan of twists and cliffhangers. In "The Others" there is a big twist at the end that blows you away! It's such a creepy and emotional movie that stays with you. "The Sixth Sense" does the same thing to the viewer.

As with scenes, the ending should also follow the 'enter late, leave early' discipline. In other words, don't hang around - the story is over, so don't drag the ending out.

End with a K.I.S.S - Keep it simple stupid… take a look at your hero’s establishing scene and your initial establishing scene. Take a thoughtful look at all of the ‘Givens’ in these scenarios and answer the question where did we end up? What’s the opposite of these scenes. What visuals clearly define what your character has overcome and landed? What is the state of your characters mind or key factors in change, what visual matches the internal place.

Ending is crucial, as it leaves a lasting impression on the audience. The most effective ending depends on the genre, tone, and themes. Some techniques: 1. Resolution of the Main Conflict 2. Character Arcs: Provide resolution for the main characters' arcs. 3. Closure: Tie up loose ends, provide closure for subplots, a sense of completion. 4. Surprise or Twist: Surprising twist that adds an unexpected layer. 5. Reflect the Theme: Reflect the overall theme or message. 6. Symbolism: Employ symbolism to convey deeper meanings. 7. Emotional Resonance: Evoke strong emotions, should resonate emotionally. 8. Open-ended: Leave some elements open to interpretation. 9. Bookend: Bring it full circle by referencing a key element from the beginning.

Greatest story telling is the one which ends with an unexpected turn or conclusion. Audiance thinking is always pre-determined with their expereince of seeing regular films. Consider a surprising element in the end. Show unexpected charactors or eliminate expected charactors in the climax.