Everyone loves a good plot twist, and it takes skill to be able to pull off surprise endings and details in movies which can leave audiences shocked. Here, we list ten of the best surprise twists in movies –
‘Fight Club’ (1999)
This movie, based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk, has become a cult classic, despite not being a box-office hit when it was released. Edward Norton and Brad Pitt feature as the two leads, with Norton’s nameless protagonist seeing his life turned upside down when he meets Tyler Durden, played by Pitt. The ‘Fight Club’ movie goes from men fighting each other in basements to starting a revolution that threatens to topple the world, and the final, shocking twist that Pitt and Norton’s characters are in fact the same person, is enough to make this movie one of the best ones of the last two decades or so.
‘The Prestige’ (2006)
Christopher Nolan is now a globally-renowned director, with movies like ‘Inception’, ‘Dunkirk’ and ‘Interstellar’ to his name, not to mention the Batman trilogy. However, between directing ‘Batman Begins’ and ‘The Dark Knight’, Nolan also released this classic, which is probably one of his best works. Featuring Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman as a pair of rival magicians, the movie shows how the pair go to greater and greater lengths in order to outdo each other, with the final reveal boggling the mind.
Rounders (1998)
Another thriller starring Edward Norton, this movie also features Matt Damon. It was another flick that was only a modest success at the time of release, but has since become a cult hit. The plot follows the duo as they travel from city to city in search of high-stakes casino games for real money in order to pay off a large debt. There are a number of twists and turns in this flick, and it is definitely worth a watch for poker fans as well as those who like thrillers.
Shutter Island (2010)
Mark Ruffalo and Leonardo DiCaprio star as a pair of US Marshals, who visit a psychiatric hospital in order to investigate the disappearance of a female inmate. Martin Scorsese delivers a masterful movie with suspense, intrigue and shock, especially towards the end when the big reveal is made about DiCaprio’s true identity.
Arrival (2016)
Denis Villeneuve’s second directorial venture brings together Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner in this extraterrestrial thriller, where Adams’ character, a linguistic expert, is brought in to try and decode the language used by aliens who have landed in mysterious ships all over the planet. The movie moves along at a thrilling pace, and the final twist helps explain events at the start of the flick, bringing the story full circle.
Memento (2000)
Another Christopher Nolan masterpiece, this flick sees Guy Pearce play the protagonist, who suffers from short-term memory loss and thus uses pictures and tattoos to keep track of important information, as he fights to try and find his wife’s killers.
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Perhaps the movie with the most iconic twist of all time, the second movie in the original Star Wars trilogy has spawned pop culture references across movies, TV shows and games, and helped turn the Star Wars series into one of the most famous movie series of all time. We’re sure you know the twist already, and if not, please come out from the rock you’ve been hiding under.
Psycho (1960)
Alfred Hitchcock was a master of suspense, and this is perhaps his best work. The events at Bates Motel have thrilled and terrified many people since the movie’s release almost 60 years ago.
The Usual Suspects (1995)
This is the movie that gave Bryan Singer a name in Hollywood, as he tells the tale of a group of cons who come together for one last heist. The twist at the end will definitely take your breath away.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Night Shyamalan has almost created a career out of having twists and turns in his films, and this supernatural tale, starring Bruce Willis, is perhaps his greatest work.