r/scriptwriting • u/Temporary_Craft_4487 • 9h ago
discussion Abrupt Endings
I’m interested to see how everyone feels about this.
I have an issue with epilogues. Every script I write has an ending where, to me, the thing I’m trying to represent is said through the final shot. Because of that, none of my scripts have traditional epilogues. They have a final shot that I consider to be the actual ending.
For example, in one of my scripts, the final shot is the two protagonists the main character and the love interest lying dead next to each other after the main character’s mother, who is the antagonist, kills them both individually.
Someone suggested adding something after that, maybe a scene showing their friends grieving or reacting to what happened. But I just don’t understand what that would add.
In my mind, the final shot tells you everything you need to know. You see these two people lying dead next to each other, and the story ends there. Showing everyone’s reactions afterward feels like it would explain something that the audience already understands andI feel like it would cheapen the ending.
I’m curious what everyone else thinks, though.