Though The Northman didn't perform all that well at the box office, it's still being debated to no end amongst those who did see it, and one particular subject of conversation is the epic, volcano-based, boss-battle-like ending in Robert Eggers' movie. But the Viking movie is far from the first film to feature a last act that feels like a final boss battle in a video game.
Recently, Redditors have jumped at the chance to comment on which movies they think feature the best final boss fights in a movie. Between, typical 80s action movies, several revenge flicks, and, unsurprisingly, an adaptation of a video game, these would be Elden Ring-level difficult if they were video games.
Predator (1987)
As soon as the predator takes off their mask, audiences know they mean business, and after the alien monster has hunted everyone but Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger), it leads to one of the most intense, heart-racing, murderous scenes in the jungle since Apocalypse Now.
Iluvtaylorswift thinks it's the ultimate final boss in a movie, noting, "Arnold vs predator! GOAT final boss fight." No other sequel in the franchise has come close to the huge final fight of the original movie, not Alien vs. Predator, not The Predator, and while Predator 2 does have its moments, it still doesn't hold a candle to the 1987 classic.
The Matrix (1999)
The Matrix is one of the most influential action movies ever made, and that obviously comes with a ton of epic fight sequences. FoxOnTheRun99 argues that the movie has the best boss fight in any movie, arguing, "the subway fight is pretty much perfection. It was built perfectly up to that point.
The whole movie almost feels like it's following a video game format, as the opening act when Neo is being trained by Morpheus in the dojo feels like a tutorial. And while The Matrix Revolutions is far from a great movie, that film's final boss fight between the Smith and Neo is just as epic, especially as they have an audience of thousands of other Agent Smiths. But, ironically, video games like The Path of Neo and Enter the Matrix feature better narratives than the newly released The Matrix Resurrections, which radically changes the story.
Kill Bill (2003)
PearlsofRon jokingly mentions that every fight in Kill Bill is a boss fight and calls it, "The Dark Souls of movies." The Redditor is referring to the painfully difficult and nigh-impossible game where every fight is a boss to some extent, and that's not too different from Kill Bill, which sees the Bride hunting down the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad.
However, as the Redditor mentions, O-Ren Ishii, the final member of the squad that the Bride faces in Kill Bill vol. 1, is easily final boss-level. Ishii is Kill Bill's best supporting character, the sequence features an incredible duel, the only sound of the trickling of the water fountain adds to the suspense, and it features a Mortal Kombat-level fatality.
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999)
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace was the first of many polarizing Star Wars movies. Between the racial stereotypes, the overuse of CGI, and the plodding pacing, there are so many problems with the 1999 release. However, everything great about the movie, such as John Williams' score, Liam Neeson's portrayal of Qui-Gon Jinn, and Darth Maul, who had been teased throughout the whole movie, comes together for an epic final sequence.
JimJimmyJimJimJimJim calls the movie the greatest final boss fight in a movie of all time, noting, "The Phantom Menace has a spectacular duel/dance that’s propped up by one of John William’s best scores. The sequence is probably the highlight of the Star Wars prequel trilogy." Maul, Obi-Wan, and Qui-Gon fighting through halls as Willams' "Duel of the Fates" plays over the top is as heartstopping as anything in the original trilogy.
The Northman (2022)
Even though it's just a couple of months old, The Northman is already considered one of the best revenge movies ever made. And as is the case with any great revenge movie, it ends with an epic battle, and PaytonPritchard reckons that "Amleth vs Fjorner" is the best final boss battle.
Though God of War is all about Greek mythology and The Northman follows Norse mythology, there are so many similarities between the two. And just as God of War is so theatrical in its locations and bosses, The Northman is no different. The 2022 movie ends with Amleth and Fjorner fighting naked on the top of a volcano as it's erupting. However, while there's one clear winner when it comes to boss fights in video games, there are no winners at the end of The Northman.
Mortal Kombat (1995)
While 2021's Mortal Kombat was hated by critics but loved by fans and is full of fights that fans of the game franchise have been waiting decades to see on the big screen, that isn't the movie that Crappottheclown. The Redditor interestingly refers to the 1995 movie when they explain that "Liu Kang vs Shang Tsung" is the best final boss fight in a movie.
In fairness, though the movie is disliked even by fans, the final fight between the two supernatural beings is almost a good enough pay-off for everything audiences had to suffer through up to that point. However, the choice is almost a cheat, as the movie is based on a video game that's full of final boss fights.
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)
Keanu Reeves has seemingly tapped into something that few others have, as so many of his movies have a video game kind of format. Along with The Matrix, the John Wick series feel like entries into a video game franchise, all of which culminate in maddeningly difficult final boss battles.
S0nscedge thinks that Chapter 3 - Parabellum is the best of the lot, positing, "All great bosses are teased throughout the game to make the fight so much more satisfying, just like zero." Throughout Parabellum, Zero, along with his deadly abilities, are hinted at as soon as he's introduced, and the final battle doesn't disappoint.
King Kong (1933)
Secure-Watercress964 refers to the almost-90-year-old monster movie King Kong when debating the best final boss battles in a movie, and it's a left-field choice. The Redditor explains, "Gotta go old school: Kong v Planes." Interestingly, in King Kong, it's the humans that are the final boss, not the monster, almost like a reverse Donkey Kong.
While tie-in video game adaptations have a bad reputation - generally because very little effort is put into them - 2005's King Kong, which is based on the remake of the classic, is a surprisingly great video game adaptation. And if anybody thinks that calling the Empire State Building scene a final boss level is a stretch, that's exactly what it is in the game, and players even control Kong.
Speed Racer (2008)
Along with their long-running acting collaborator Keanu Reeves, directing duo the Wachowski sisters shoot movies in a very video game influenced way. Along with The Matrix, Speed Racer also follows somewhat of a game format, even more so than the cyberpunk movie, as the stylish visual effects and absolute sense of speed resemble the best racing games. And blinky9021Flow thinks the last race is the best final boss battle in a movie.
Surprisingly, out of all of the Wachowskis' unrealized projects, there isn't a single video game movie. Given their incredible talents with special effects and action directing, they'd be great choices for any action-adventure game adaptation.
Aliens (1986)
While Ripley first fighting the Xenomorph at the end of Alien is equally suspenseful and terrifying, Greenvillain thinks "Ripley vs the Xenomorph Queen" is the best final boss in the series. The Xenomorph Queen is more like a final video game boss than almost any other, as she's a more enhanced version of regular Xenomorphs, and many video game bosses are enhanced versions of henchmen or monsters found throughout games.
The Queen was first introduced in Aliens, and she showed that she could be angry and vengeful, emotions that are never displayed by regular Xenomorphs, and that made her particularly difficult to defeat. Not only that, but the Queen is the scariest practical monster ever found in a movie.