I think the end of the world, as shown in the End of Evangelion, is beautiful. It's a cinematic masterpiece. I rewatch it every once in a while.
The section of the movie I'll be talking about is from Rei being absorbed by Lilith, all the way to the shot of the empty live-action theater, if you're curious.
Rei: I'm home.
The sounds of Lilith detaching from its cross, its hands phasing through and peeling off from the nails, are awful. Disgusting - they sound like.. slime ASMR, I guess, but they set the tone for the rest of the end. It crashes into the LCL below, and as the fluid rains down, Lilith begins to lean back.
The mask peels off of the angel and audibly clatters against the ground. Lilith breathes as its body changes into something more recognizable; its spinal cord sinks into its body, layers of fat are distributed elsewhere, and breasts form.
What is it?
Aoba: An unidentified high energy object from Terminal Dogma is approaching rapidly!
Hyuga: AT field confirmed! Pattern: Blue!
Maya: Not an Angel?!
Hyuga: Negative! It's a human!
Its hand phases through Maya Ibuki's body, and she screams.
Lilith continues rising. It breaches the clouds, leaning back as if it is about to fall; it leans forward, closer to Unit-01, and seems like it may fall the other way. It reaches out for Unit-01.
It gasps for air as its eyes are rapidly generated, filling the sockets. Shinji screams, and I don't blame him. If something human-ish, bigger than I could comprehend, was reaching out for me...
The Eva Series begins to transform, their teeth bursting out of their mouth and mutating like tumors, growing the face and body of Rei Ayanami. Arms and legs and faces reaching out for nothing and no one. The sounds are disgusting, and it all is enough to send Shinji into a mental breakdown.
In an earlier version of the film, Lilith was to mutate and have Kaworu's appearance on-screen, but this was cut from the final version of the film. It still happens: "Kaworu" reaches towards Unit-01 while Lilith's upper body dangles backwards behind him. With this, Unit-01 transforms into the Tree of Life, and "Kaworu" reverts back into the Rei-like appearance that Lilith has.
Shinji experiences what others have: building something up just to knock it down and restart again; Asuka telling him he disgusts her; Kaji and Misato having sex; Asuka yelling at Shinji... He begs for people to not leave him, to care for him, and there is no reply. He tells Asuka he wants to help her, and she pushes him away. He begs for help, and she splashes him with hot coffee. He begs for help, and she calls him pathetic.
He begs for help, and there is only one word.
Asuka: No.
He chokes her. Frames of past episodes of Evangelion flash across the screen, along with clips of red humanoid figures marching and swaying.
Shinji: Nobody wants me, so they can all just die.
Lilith: Then what is your hand for?
Shinji: Nobody cares whether or not I exist. Nothing ever changes, so they can all just die.
Lilith: Then tell me, what is your heart for?
Shinji: It'd be better if I never existed. I should just die too.
Lilith: Then why are you here?
Shinji: Is it okay for me to be here?
With that, the dream ends. The Black Moon rises into orbit around the Earth, and Lilith rises with it.
Lilith's hands split open. Back on Earth, humanity is starting to fall apart, comforted in their final moments by a messenger who appears as the person most important to them. After that, their bodies devolve within seconds, becoming nothing but primordial ooze. The Eva Series impale themselves with their spears, moaning in ecstasy as they die.
The Earth is shown being covered in red - blood, perhaps, or primordial ooze - as the souls of all living humans are taken. Thousands upon thousands upon thousands of screams are heard, and yet it sounds like something as simple as a flock of birds calling - or the cheering and applause of an audience. Nevertheless, this is the end, as the souls are drawn into Lilith.
I think it's gorgeous. I hope that, when the world ends, it is as beautiful as this. I hope I never get to witness it.