8 Of The Greatest Plot Twists In Our Favorite Films
Few things in life are as undeniably enjoyable as a decent plot twist, especially when it’s delivered during a truly exceptional film.
Upsetting every narrative expectation we’ve formed in the back of our minds, plot twists have the ability to leave us literally on the edge of our seats – eyes wide, mouth agape, hearts resting somewhere between the bottom of our throats and the top of our chests.
From beloved sci-fi thrillers to riveting psychological horror films, here are some of the most jaw-dropping plot twists we’ve ever seen in our favorite movies, ranked in order from worst to best. (Don’t worry, there are only very mild spoilers ahead.)
8. Memento (2000)
Jokes about Christopher Nolan’s penchant for nonlinear storytelling aside, nowhere is the director’s love for non-chronological narratives more clear than 2000’s Memento. Through its inventive nonlinear progression, Memento allows audiences to witness the shocking truth behind Guy Pearce’s amnesiac Leonard Shelby, uniquely closing out its narrative by depicting its start rather than its ending. (Trust us, it’s explained a lot better in the film.)
7. Shutter Island (2010)
The closest Martin Scorsese has ever come to making a full-blown horror film, Shutter Island also benefits significantly from its noir-inspired main story, existing as something straight out of a lost Twilight Zone episode or a bygone issue of E.C. Comics. Establishing a simple enough mystery involving an escaped inmate at an isolated mental health facility, Shutter Island veers right just when you expect it to be headed left, paving the way to a film that asks profound questions about what’s real, what’s imagined, and what’s simply the product of Teddy Daniels’ guilt-ridden mind.
6. Psycho (1960)
Sure, everyone’s quick to point out the immediate influence Psycho had on the creation of the slasher genre, but it’s also worth pointing out the ingenious twists behind this landmark 1960 film. Not only do audiences witness the apparent protagonist of the film unexpectedly murdered by the end of the first act; we also experience the climax of a lifetime when the true identity of the enigmatic Mrs. Bates is revealed in front of us. Even now, over 60 years later, it’s a moment capable of sending shivers racing down the spines of even the most adept horror fans in the audience.
5. Planet of the Apes (1968)
Mocked, parodied, and referenced in everything from Madagascar to The Simpsons, the closing moments of Planet of the Apes have become the subject of so many spoofs and homages over the years, it’s almost difficult to take it seriously. But in 1968, few mainstream sci-fi had ever ended on such a dark, thoughtfully pessimistic view of humanity’s grim future. Offering up a stunning meditation on Cold War politics and the idea of mutually assured nuclear armageddon, it’s a film that raised the entire bar for all science fiction movies that followed in its wake.
4. The Sixth Sense (1999)
Nowadays, M. Night Shymalan’s love for sudden, last-minute plot twists might prove more disappointing than anything, but in 1999, he managed to knock it out of the park with the terrific reveal in The Sixth Sense’s final act. Gradually hinting at Malcolm’s true identity throughout the film, The Sixth Sense nevertheless takes our breath away with its climactic scene, allowing us to experience the movie’s twist from Malcolm’s bewildered, horrified, and tragically overwhelmed perspective.
3. Fight Club (1999)
Words can’t even begin to describe the experience of watching Fight Club for the first time. Between its visceral violence, sharp-edged humor, and pointed social satire, most viewers are so punchdrunk by the time they reach the movie’s second act, the true reveal behind Tyler Durden hardly seems like a surprise. (Although of course it is – a massive surprise, to say the least.) Upping the ante in terms of its plot and the impending execution of Project Mayhem, Fight Club’s notorious plot twist is the stuff of cinematic legend for a reason. No matter how many times we see it, it always manages to knock us silly.
2. The Usual Suspects (1995)
There are so many reasons The Usual Suspects remains a beloved classic of ‘90s cinema – but of course, the main reason people continue to highlight the film involves its infamous conclusion. Whereas most other movies on this list might toy with certain aspects of the movie’s narrative, The Usual Suspects’ ending throws the entire authenticity of its storyline into question. With practically every detail of Kint’s story likely a fabrication, viewers can only sit back, completely speechless, as the actual Keyser Soze strolls out of police custody, convincing us all that, indeed, the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.
1. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
To put it into perspective, imagine if Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire suddenly ended with Voldemort revealing he’s Harry’s father. That’s what audience members experienced when they first sat down to watch The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, ushering in an iconic moment in American cinema unlike any other. Forever changing the trajectory of all future Star Wars-related media, the ending of The Empire Strikes Back also retroactively changed the way audiences viewed both A New Hope and Star Wars as a whole, transforming it from a swashbuckling sci-fi film into an operatic study of fate, destiny, and the potential for personal redemption.
