There are all kinds of movies out there, which is great, because all kinds of people go to the movies. Not only that, but it can depend on the day and our mood when we pick a film what sort of movie we’re really up for, you know?
That said, most of us enjoy a good, twisty thriller now and again, and one of the worst things can be when you can see the “big twist” coming a mile away.
These 18 people assure you that won’t be the case with these 18 movies, though, because their twists are some of the best.
Warning: spoilers ahead!
18. A strong red-herring game.
Hot Fuzz.
This movie had the strongest red-herring game ever, the false motive Angel was pursuing was actually captivating, only to reveal that everything was a mere coincidence in the end.
17. It hits just right.
Moon.
My favorite thing about Moon is that everything is pretty much exactly as it seems.
They get the twist out of the way about 30 minutes in and from that point on you’re expecting another twist, but no. The plot from that point on is just “Well what are we gonna do about it?”
16. It makes you question yourself.
Memento.
Am I drunk?
….I don’t feel drunk
15. An oldie but goodie.
Primal Fear with Richard Gere and Ed Norton.
The whole “act-like-a-man” thing. I knew what you wanted. It was like we were dancing, Marty.
14. It holds up well.
I’m mentioning this movie not because it is the best but rather because it is hard to find digitally for some reason but the movie “The Others” with Nicole Kidman has a great twist for its time.
13. Excellent film.
Oldboy.
And to clarify for those who haven’t watched it… the Korean version… the US version was botched.
Excellent film. So glad I watched it. But also, wish I hadn’t.
The American version was dumb.
12. So many great things.
10 Cloverfield Lane.
I love this movie and it’s sometimes a hard watch for me because John Goodman behaves exactly like my father, and his performance is both terrifying and incredible, but the whole film is phenomenal and the ending was like, omg wtf.
The great thing about 10 Cloverfield Lane is that eventually, you stop thinking about the initial reason why they are in the bunker, but rather focus on the story about two persons stuck with a psychopath. However…
11. But you’re here for it.
Psycho
It starts out being about a woman on the run with a suitcase full of money and then turns into a completely different movie a third of the way in.
I absolutely love that they built the marketing around Janet Leigh the movie quickly established her as the protagonist only to kill her off 20min in.
Brilliant move.
10. It’s wild to think about that moment in the theater.
I hear that when Empire Strikes Back and Vader tells Luke who he truly is that everyone just absolutely lost their minds.
Fun Fact: A child psychologist advised George Lucas that Yoda would need to confirm the fact that Vader was Luke’s father, because kids would not believe it coming from a villain.
9. Don’t give it away!
Orphan was pretty f**ked up.
It pisses me off because on the NZ Netflix they give away the twist in the film summary.
This reminds me of when I read the book Ender’s Game (long before the movie). It was a later printing and that back cover said “it’s just a game… or is it???”.
8. A good movie no matter how you slice it.
Monty python and the holy grail , nobody expected it to end like that in all honesty.
The twist with the animator has been stuck with me since childhood.
7. This movie is intense.
Crazy, Stupid Love has not one but two of the best twists ever for a rom-com!
I had randomly put it on one night thinking it would be a generic run of the mill comedy but the setups are so good that those twists come out of nowhere but are still fantastic
I often bring it up as one of the great twists because it’s hiding in plain sight the whole time and you are never looking for it. In a lot of these movies, your eyes are waiting for the twist, but in a rom-com, it allows you to not even know it’s coming, it’s a very good one!
6. It all came together so well.
Arrival.
I loved the twist in Arrival! Watching it start to all come together was awesome.
5. A little over the top.
Does anyone remember Dead Again with Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson?
I’ve always loved that one, though it’s maybe a little over the top.
4. A fun experience.
Planet of the Apes.
I watched it on TV in college one lazy Sunday afternoon. I knew about the twist from pop culture, but I discovered my roommate didn’t know anything about it so watching him see the twist was a really fun experience.
3. You knew this one would be here.
Twelve Monkeys. Simply fantastic.
2. And this one, too.
The 6th Sense was a complete mind-f**k!
Everyone in the theatre let out a collective jaw-dropping “oooooooh s*%t”
1. It’s actually surprising.
The mist.
The ending was terrible but in a good way like the twist was heartbreaking but it was so good.
This was one of the rare “twists” that actually surprised me. And man did it f**k me up.
I’ve seen some of these, but not all – now I’m excited for the next time it’s my turn to pick on movie night!
What’s your favorite film twist? Lay it on us in the comments!
