no/single survivor in a film

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) is probably the first film where all the main characters die
Night of the Living Dead (1968) is probably the first horror film where all the main characters die

I believe that Alien (1979) is the first horror film that leaves a solitary character alive. As far as I can remember the 1950s horror films usually left the general populace alive, and a couple or a family of the principals characters alive.

It seems as if Netflix is trying to revive to a limited extent the no survivor/single survivor film.

Any film buffs that can correct me, I would appreciate their input.

There might have been more, but polling of test audiences on movies usually doesn’t favor such bleak endings.

Of course any movie where you’re happy if everyone dies is probably a bad sign for a movie in general. I don’t think anyone died in Bio-dome, but I would have been happier if everyone had.

The Hateful Eight

Ends just as the final two characters are bleeding out.

Won’t spoil this one because it’s not as well known, but it’s gotta a wicked ending. Highly recommend going in blind.

It’s basically a mashup of two other space movies: Alien and Gravity.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre with Jessica Biel was after Alien, of course, but I want to say she was the only protagonist to survive that one.

I guess it depends on whether or not you consider Alec Baldwin's character in The Departed a main character, but if not, Mark Wahlberg's character was the only main protagonist to survive in that movie. Actually, he was the only one I'd consider a main character to survive.

And then you have Titanic where Kate Winslet was the only main character to survive, I think, but that movie didn't have good guys and bad guys, per se, so that may not apply.

Referring to the cast, not the characters. Dan Aykroyd is a good bet to be the only surviving principal cast member of The Blues Brothers. By now I think he only needs to outlive Steve Lawrence.

Quote: Mission146

And then you have Titanic where Kate Winslet was the only main character to survive, I think, but that movie didn't have good guys and bad guys, per se, so that may not apply.

Well I was thinking of horror films, but three out of the seven fictional characters survived in Titanic. I don't think we should count "Unsinkable Molly Brown" as you can tell from her nickname she is going to survive.

Fictional Primary Characters

Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater:
Frances Fisher as Ruth DeWitt Bukater: Rose's widowed mother
Billy Zane as Cal Hockley: Rose's arrogant and snobbish 30-year-old fiancé (bad guy)
Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson: DIES
Danny Nucci as Fabrizio: Jack's Italian best friend, DIES
Jason Barry as Tommy Ryan: An Irish third-class passenger DIES
David Warner as Spicer Lovejoy: An ex-Pinkerton constable (bad guy) DIES

Quote: Pacomartin

Quote: Mission146

And then you have Titanic where Kate Winslet was the only main character to survive, I think, but that movie didn't have good guys and bad guys, per se, so that may not apply.

Well I was thinking of horror films, but three out of the seven fictional characters survived in Titanic. I don't think we should count "Unsinkable Molly Brown" as you can tell from her nickname she is going to survive.

Fictional Primary Characters

Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater:
Frances Fisher as Ruth DeWitt Bukater: Rose's widowed mother
Billy Zane as Cal Hockley: Rose's arrogant and snobbish 30-year-old fiancé (bad guy)
Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson: DIES
Danny Nucci as Fabrizio: Jack's Italian best friend, DIES
Jason Barry as Tommy Ryan: An Irish third-class passenger DIES
David Warner as Spicer Lovejoy: An ex-Pinkerton constable (bad guy) DIES

I retract my statement, then. I only saw Titanic when it first came out on video and that was because I heard (redacted).

Anyway, I guess I just remembered it incorrectly. I watched the entire thing, but wasn't really enthralled by it...it's kind of like Passion of the Christ in that the ending is not really in doubt.

Quote: Pacomartin

Night of the Living Dead (1968) is probably the first horror film where all the main characters die

At the office a girl was complaining that in horror movies the black person was always killed first. I told her how the black guy made it to the very end. Then she asks what happened to him.

"They shot him between the eyes."

Well, he did make it to the end.

Quote: Pacomartin

Well I was thinking of horror films,

All quiet on the western front might be a horror film much as any war film. But it's a war film, I believe.

Did any main characters survive in "300"?