Verge ESP: Final girls

Today on Verge ESP, Liz and Emily are talking endings. How do endings influence how we think about events, stories, and TV shows? What does a good ending do? How does a bad ending torpedo a good movie?

Who gets to survive to the end? If it's a horror movie, you already know: the final girl. She's young, virginal, and pure — unlike the sexually active girl who is usually the first to get murdered. Her purity and self-sufficiency are what qualify her for survival. A series of movies in the last several years have played with the trope — and just this year, The Witch, 10 Cloverfield Lane, and Don't Breathe have taken it to new places.

The final girl often makes for a satisfying ending — but what else makes a good finale? Liz talks about...