Write a Better Ending: 8 Iconic Final Lines of Dialogue

Plus how to get your short film script seen, Fast & the Furious, Tuner + more!

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Write a Better Ending: 8 Iconic Final Lines of Dialogue

A great final line is the perfect way to punctuate a film and send the audience out on a high. From “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship” (Casablanca) to “Where we’re going, we don’t need roads” (Back to the Future), the most famous final lines in cinema have acted alternately as punchlines to solicit one last laugh, thematic conclusions to tie the film together, and in some instances, a climactic narrative twist just before the credits roll.

Every word of a screenplay, down to the ending, is rich real estate for thrilling an audience. Coming up with the perfect last utterance will leave your reader excited the moment they set your script down. Here are some examples of iconic final lines to inspire you. *Spoilers ahead*

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Why the Fast and Furious Franchise Never Dies

Earlier this month, Vin Diesel took the stage at the NBCUniversal upfront presentation and announced that Peacock is developing four television projects set in the Fast and Furious universe. That’s right: four separate TV series, each presumably expanding on the characters and world the franchise has spent 25 years building.

This news is a milestone for Diesel and company, and it raises a question worth asking: how does a movie that started as a relatively small-scale street-racing film about truck hijackings become one of the most enduring and expansive franchises in Hollywood history?

The answer is a series of smart, creative decisions — about character, world, stakes, and scale — made at exactly the right moments.

Oscar Winner Daniel Roher Talks Grappling with Creative Self-Doubt with 'Tuner'

After winning the Academy Award for his documentary Navalny in 2023, writer-director Daniel Roher found himself in a creative free fall. At just 29-years old, winning the Oscar left him frozen with anxiety and depression, completely shutting down his creative flow.

We sat down with Roher to find out how he got through his artistic gridlock and how he used his own fear to inspire his first narrative film, Tuner, starring Leo Woodall and Dustin Hoffman.

Tuner is a stylish crime thriller about a young man, Niki (Woodall), who was once a piano virtuoso. His career was cut short, however, after he developed hyperacusis, a hypersensitivity to loud noises. With the help of noise-canceling headphones, he now has a less glamorous career as a piano tuner, under the guidance of the ailing Henry (Dustin Hoffman). When Henry racks up $30k in hospital bills, Niki uses his acute hearing to enter the dangerous world of safecracking to pay Henry’s debts.

Tips & Tricks

Did you know you can enter your Short Film Script into the Big Break Screenwriting Contest?

Big Break doesn't just accept feature and TV scripts! Enter your Short Script for the chance to win a fantastic prize package that includes $5,000 cash, a short film development course + much more!

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"Start with the first page, then the second. And if you do that 90 or 100 times, you'll have a screenplay."

Daniel Roher

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Write a Better Ending: 8 Iconic Final Lines of Dialogue

Plus how to get your short film script seen, Fast & the Furious, Tuner + more!

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