The Darkest Movie Endings Ever 1. La Cabina (The Telephone Box)

A news series of video's celebrating the darkest endings to movies ever.
The first film in this series is La cabina aka The Telephone Box which is a 1972 television film directed by Spanish director Antonio Mercero, and written by himself and José Luis Garci, starring José Luis López Vázquez. It first aired on 13 December 1972 on Televisión Española. The film won the 1973 International Emmy Award for Fiction.

[@gilesorr5704]

I must have seen this at around the same time (1981 as a pre-teen boy) late at night on the BBC. The following morning, on a bus into Leeds city centre. I noticed a man in a red phone box (when we used to have those) making a call with his foot wedged in the door opening. I can only conclude that he had seen the film the previous night as well...

[@nicklive66]

Me too late night about 1981 aged 14ish on BBC 2.

[@Trikipum]

Same happened in spain, people avoided closing the doors and the recaudation of phone booths plummeted for a while... this was 9 years earlier though....

[@craig7248]

Same time I saw it, i think

[@casullas1]

Sure

[@Captain_Rhodes]

lol you know it

[@lustyrustyligotage5296]

I saw this on TV when I was a kid. I'm 53 now and I've never forgotten the ending. It stayed with me.

[@eleanorhogan8643]

I saw this film on KZbin when I was 23 years old as I was told about it so I went to watch it, it is used as a message about General Franko.

[@mirazusta2002]

And a special mention should be made to the movie's main character, José Luís López Vazquez, one of Spain finest actors. RIP Mr López Vazquez.

[@Captain_Rhodes]

Wow it seems so many of us were up late at night as kids. What a classic. I just watched it for the first time in over 30 years. Had a big effect on me as a kid

[@ZEFISH888]

Just watched this one and I have to say it did kind of freak me out. Everyone looking in and laughing as well as being stuck in that small space was very uncomfortable even before the ending. I think it's done quite well. Definitely leaves much more of an impact than most other horrors.

[@mhoppy6639]

I watched this as a child as well and I too was utterly terrified and traumatised by this late night BBC2 offering. Been looking for it ever since. What a great metaphor for Franco and the disappeared.

[@marramamberta1]

I watched this on Spanish TV in the mid 70's and it scared the hell out of me. At the time, there was only one telephone company in the country and it was State owned. The name of the company was (and it still is, although now it is not the only one in the country) "Telefónica". What I have heard is that after the broadcast of the movie on TVE (there were only two channels at the time), the following day, Telefónica registered the lowest rate of phone calls made from public telephone booths. I can tell you myself that, on my way to school, I saw someone using the phone with the foot in the door so it would not close. I guess that, in that sense, it can be similar to the effect of the movie Psycho when it first came out, as people were afraid of taking showers and asked their partners to be with them in the bathroom while they took a shower. Mercero, the director of the film, when interviewed, mentioned that he did not have in mind Franco's dictatorship as an inspiration for the movie. However, this is what he is saying (and he might be telling the truth, as he may not be conscious about the whole influence that the dictatorship could have had on his mind and work). He said the idea came from a dream he had. Well, we know that the subconscious is often influenced by vital experiences and the world that surrounds us, so it would not surprise me that Franco's dictatorship had more influence on Mercero's work than what he seems to admit. The place where the initial scene was filmed is now no longer accessible; it is an inner private "patio" shared by a few buildings in the center of Madrid (a childhood friend of mine lives in one of them and he told me the story while I was at his house many years ago). The main character in La Cabina, José Luis López Vázquez, is magnificent, spectacular, in most of the films in which he performed. If you can, look at a film named "Mi querida señorita", as an example of the many great performances of this genious.

[@MEHDIZed3D]

20 years agi ive heard about it from my father..and now as I searched on youtube, finally found it

[@hastekulvaati9681]

“No prior information of the film.“ Yup, exactly the same for me. I stumbled upon it on TV late at night. At first it seemed like a comedy but the atmosphere just builds and builds.

[@giovanniscavetta9080]

Yep, around 11 years old for me. Truly traumatised me, especially as I watched it alone and it seemed to start as a comedy.

[@fijagorockabilly4527]

I saw this in 1981 when I was 17 and it really left it a mark on me. I've since found a dvd of it but cannot bring myself to watch it again....

[@anthonylynn1969]

Watched it exactly like you, as a kid. It stuck in my memory for ever others had never seen it and this is the first time since I've found your video, I'm buzzing as now I can confirm I wasn't just dreaming 😊

[@markwilson4052]

I also came across this as a kid. I’m certain it was Ch4 around 1985/86 over the Christmas holiday - possibly New Year’s Eve. A few of us at school saw it. Me and my mate used to laugh about it

[@bouillonjules2]

Yes, I first saw this when I was a child. First saw it in 1979 and again in 1984. Scared the hell out of me. Still traumatised now😱!!

[@michealrossiter148]

The darkest Movie ending was The Force Awakens. Because you knew there was going to be more childhood memories to ruin in the next movie.

[@bdr6644]

I remember seeing this as a kid, been trying to find it for years, wandered into by accident today, brilliant

[@djc2152]

Brilliant interpretation

[@bFABIO]

I also saw him around that age. I was so terrified that I didn't speak for days. It has remained in my head to this day.

[@socman3988]

Omg I saw this movie also back then maybe around 80-81 late night on BBC. I was around 8 or 9 and I had nightmares later that night.!! 😲 Such a dark movie with little explanation.

[@lewisner]

The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas and On The Beach (1959) are pretty good contenders.

[@kevinadams346]

I watched this when I was 12/13 and when the narrator said he didn't know what he had watched 😂😂😂😂😂😂. That's how I felt 😂😂😂😂

[@Mattmurdockk431]

Trivia: in the late 90s they made this TV spot about a new private telephone company in Spain and they showed the man in the telephone box (same actor, the late and great Jose Luis Lopez Vazquez) finally leaving the box and therefore ending the monopoly of the Spanish National Telephone Company. Not a great ad but at least you get to see the guy finally leaving his imprisonment.😅

[@productionsofmachu9389]

I was obsessed with doctor who at 9 years old so I kept looking up “phone booths” or “police call box” and found this and made me terrified of small spaces

[@DEROERIS]

Eden lake has for me the most traumatic end I've ever seen and as an adult.

[@CiaranLeahy17]

"The Vanishing" (1988) has one of the most brutally dark endings ever. Do you plan on continuing this series?

[@zarkoostojic9063]

Holy shit! Spoorloos definitely one of eeriest films ever made. loved it

[@ptose]

yes, that's definitely a good one.

[@janecook4022]

I saw an old red phone box in someone's driveway earlier today and thought of this film.

[@diamantestres]

¡ gran película !

[@hughsonj]

I had no information about this film, but I had the ending sussed out as soon as the phone men came back for the box. Still, an effective movie.

[@ashokreddy4692]

New fear unlocked

[@jacquishuttleworth8381]

etched in my memory ........ none of my friends remember this .......

[@siroberts6030]

Anyone seen a British remake of La Cabina. I’m sure I’ve seen it in the 80s but can’t find it online.

[@Mr.Goodkat]

What can you remember about it? I'd love to find that if it exists.

[@BritishAutisticChef]

The Mist has a pretty dark ending.

[@lustyrustyligotage5296]

'Don't look now' is a film with a great dark ending. 1973 film starring Donald Sutherland.

[@nickyCage94]

Come and See

[@mauricedevereaux6573]

Night of the living Dead, Invasion of the body snatchers (Kaufman version), Don't look now, The Thing (Carpenter), Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Easy Rider, Martin, Das Boot.

[@mickdundee7604]

I remember it I was about the same age I reckon mad film

[@markkavin8197]

green uniform? Maybe they're soldiers and he's being captured and he's a prisoner of war?

[@tom-66]

John Frankenheimer’s Seconds (1966) has a pretty dark ending.

[@davesnyder7488]

Can anyone find a link with subtitles!?

Here, with Spanish or English subtitles: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3mUkKNsd5mIndE

[@AtithyaPun]

Movie name : la cabina

[@kevinwilliams5873]

Not knowing the politics of the time and thinking it was Italian anyway, as I kid I saw this. I thought is was a comment on state industries, I imagined that there where workers who fixed them, but there was a backlog, that is all. So these people died because of indifference and ineptitude and the people doing the work being indifferent to the suffering of others. I think that is worse. lol.

[@rorybyrne1958]

Was there a Japanese remake of this? I seem to remember seeing a Japanese girl in a similar film.

[@richstephens4116]

I have the same recollection.

[@daythinkerdaythinker]

The Mafu Cage

[@OlssonFilms]

The film is a comment on Franco's fascist rule of Spain. My high school Spanish teacher showed us this film in class. Never forgot it.

[@jayfolk]

Buried, Saw, Funny Games, No Country for Old Men, Hateful8, Irishman, Silence, Shutter Island, Only God Forgives, The Neon Demon, Bronson, Fear X, Life, 12 Monkeys, La Jete, Citizen Kane.

[@craig7248]

I watched this as a kid, with my grandad. Disturbing

[@sleepfighter]

It seems all the victims are bald dudes

[@lapub.]

Genetics selection managed by hairdresser that want a population made of only men with hair as other don't need them !

[@Havensight]

I remember it, saw it as a kid 40 years ago. But then I'm also not 100% sure. Is there an Outer Limit or Twilight Zone episode with the same storyline? I remember the end had 1000's of telephone boxes across a fast field. Something about aliens. Anyhow, here is a link for La Cabina vimeo.com/99467331

[@mirazusta2002]

Cheers man! As for your question on the Twilight Zone, sorry, I have no idea.

[@siroberts6030]

I too am sure I’ve seen a remake of La Cabina with scenes as you describe. Hundreds of telephone boxes with lots of dead people and a woman in one of the boxes.

[@cemkirac5829]

why...

[@lapub.]

Because ?

[@aquillanobile]

I WATCHED IT TOO AND IT SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME TOO. . I WAS 8 YEARS OLD WHEN THE MOVIE CAME OUT ON BBC.1973. I NEVER FORGOT

[@terryreknaw6152]

This is hugo talks talking.. This film is a political statement.

[@MEHDIZed3D]

The most Darkest movie ive ever seen is : ( Midsommar 2019) After this movie I've had different feeling about humanbeing

[@DARTHBASTARD69]

Very disturbing movie