Rhiannon Elizabeth Irons
Whoa! Didn’t see that one coming!
When it comes to cinema, it’s safe to assume that some of the most influential and memorable moments come as the result of a plot twist. That “gotcha” moment that leaves audiences bewildered becomes the hottest topic around the water cooler.
Naturally, this got me thinking about some of the most well-known plot twists and how they have impacted pop culture. This has ultimately led to a new Top 13 list.
So, grab some popcorn and brace yourselves. This is your only warning: There will be spoilers ahead.
13: The Game (1997)
After a wealthy San Francisco banker is given an opportunity to participate in a mysterious game, his life is turned upside down as he begins to question if it might really be a concealed conspiracy to destroy him.
This film has been parodied many times in pop culture, most notably on The Simpsons. With things getting increasingly out of hand as the game progresses, Michael Douglas’ character Nicholas Van Orton is pushed to the brink of insanity before he finds out his brother Conrad (Sean Penn) has been toying with him this entire time as a special birthday surprise.
12: Gone Girl (2014)
With his wife’s disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it’s suspected that he may not be innocent.
A missing wife is always cause for concern and no offense to Ben Affleck’s Nick, but the husband is always the first suspect. But what makes this stand out is that Amy (Rosamund Pike) orchestrated her entire disappearance just to frame her husband for murder. Why? Well, she caught her dear husband having an affair. Love makes you do the wacky, but this is extreme. She creates years of fake diary entries, fakes a pregnancy, strategically spills her blood all over their kitchen floor, and leaves behind the “murder” weapon, a new life insurance policy, and a shed full of secret purchases made in Nick’s name. Her plan, ideally, would end with Nick on trial for murder and eligible for the death penalty… and then with her own suicide, which would seal his fate.
11: The Prestige (2006)
After a tragic accident, two stage magicians in 1890’s London engage in a battle to create the ultimate illusion while sacrificing everything they have to outwit each other.
Have you ever watched a magician and wondered how they did these spectacular illusions? That’s how Robert Angier feels after desperately trying to figure out how his rival Alfred Borden performed the Transported Man trick. What he didn’t anticipate was Borden having a twin brother. His obsession would be his undoing. Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale really up the ante in this criminally underrated film.
10: Identity (2003)
Stranded at a desolate Nevada motel during a nasty storm, ten strangers become acquainted with each other when they realise that they’re being killed off one by one.
John Cusack leads an all-star cast including Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, Jake Busey, and Rebecca De Mornay as these strangers try to figure out what they all have in common and who is killing them. The first twist comes when it’s revealed that these ten strangers don’t exist at all. They’re all identities of one man, criminal Malcolm Rivers. As the identities eliminate themselves one by one, it’s revealed that Malcolm has been battling with this internal struggle for years.
Audiences were left gobsmacked by the revelation of multiple personalities. That shock continued when, in the final five minutes of the film, the identity of the true killer personality is revealed.
9: The Crying Game (1992)
A British soldier kidnapped by the IRA soon befriends one of his captors, who then becomes drawn into the soldier’s world.
A lot of major studios rejected this film because they thought the plot twist would turn viewers off. The opposite effect has happened with many people watching the film for the plot twist.
Fergus (Stephen Rea) ends up involved with the partner of the British soldier he befriended and ultimately feels responsible for the death of. The shock comes when things finally move towards an intimate moment between Fergus and Dil (Jaye Davidson) only to realise that “she” is in fact a “he”.
8: Saw (2004)
Two strangers awaken in a room with no recollection of how they got there, a dead body between them, and soon discover they’re pawns on a deadly game perpetrated by a notorious serial killer.
The movie that started the torture porn craze of horror, Saw really did have it all. As Adam (Leigh Whannell) and Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) struggle to solve their predicament, twists and turns happen all around them. As Dr. Gordon finally caves and saws his own foot off in order to escape, Adam is left chained to a bathtub. Gordon exits the dirty bathroom, dragging his now bloody stump behind him. As Adam collects his thoughts, the body in the center of the room stands up, telling him the key to his shackles was in the tub with him - which has now gone down the drain after he panicked and pull the plug draining the tub - before slamming the door behind him as he exits the room, leaving Adam for dead.
7: Fight Club (1999)
An insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soap maker form an underground fight club that evolves into much more.
The first rule of Fight Club is we don’t talk about Fight Club. Edward Norton is The Narrator while Brad Pitt is Tyler Durden in this complex yet must-see film. What starts as a simple fight club turns into domestic terrorism with the Narrator becoming increasingly at odds with Tyler. But really, he’s at odds with himself. Tyler is a figment of the Narrator’s imagination. The rivalry between them has been an internal struggle this entire time.
6: The Sixth Sense (1999)
Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis), a child psychologist, starts treating a young boy, Cole (Haley Joel Osment), who encounters dead people and convinces him to help them.
The movie that gave us the overquoted line of “I see dead people” had to make this list. Upon first viewing, audiences were shocked to learn that M. Night Shyamalan had pulled the rug out from under them when it was revealed that Malcolm Crowe had actually died during the opening scene after being shot by a patient. Watching it back now, with the knowledge that he’s a ghost, audiences can see signs throughout the film, proving that Shyamalan hid this great reveal in plain sight the entire time.
5: Memento (2000)
A man with short-term memory loss attempts to track down his wife’s murderer.
Leonard (Guy Pearce) has one of the worst memories in cinema history. Or does he? Memento is a film told in reverse so technically the twist is right at the start. You see, Leonard isn’t hunting his wife’s killer. He is his wife’s killer. His mementos he leaves for himself are purposefully vague to allow him to chase fictional killers, absorbing him of the guilt he feels. Fun Fact: The Limited Edition DVD allows the movie to be watched in the exact chronological order of the events in the film.
4: The Usual Suspects (1995)
The sole survivor of a pier shootout tells the story of how a notorious criminal influenced the events that began with five criminals meeting in a seemingly random police lineup.
You cannot deny that Kevin Spacey, regardless of what you think of him personally, was made for this role of Verbal Kint. Or should I say Keyser Soze? Yes, the twist that no one saw coming upon first viewing, crippled, screw-up criminal Verbal Kint is actually the mastermind. Upon repeated viewings, it’s easier to pick up little clues as to his real identity.
I could ramble on about how impactful this film has been and how it’s been parodied in pop culture since its release back in 1995, but instead, I’ll let Verbal Kint tell you himself; “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist. And like that… he is gone.”
3: Planet of the Apes (1968)
An astronaut crew crash-lands on a planet where highly intelligent non-human ape species are dominant, and humans are enslaved.
The final scene of this movie was suggested by Rod Serling and according to rumours, Pierre Boulle was greatly upset by this ending, but later warmed to it, preferring this new ending over the very different ending he had written.
After being convinced that they had to be on a foreign planet, it was quite a shock to discover the planet they had been on the entire time was actually Earth. Seeing Charlton Heston drop to his knees on the beach and curse the world to Hell is still as effective today as it was upon its initial release.
2: Psycho (1960)
A Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer’s client, goes on the run, and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.
Even if you haven’t seen Psycho, you knew this was coming. Director Alfred Hitchcock went to great lengths to keep the ending of his masterpiece a secret, even going as far as to ban theatres from allowing patrons inside once the film began.
For the entirety of the movie, audiences were convinced that Mother was responsible for the demise of Janet Leigh’s character, Marion Crane, and for the private detective that’s following her trail. Audiences were shocked to discover that Mother wasn’t real, but rather her dutiful son, Norman Bates – played superbly by Anthony Perkins – was the one behind the murders. Even with clunky exposition dialogue at the end, Psycho’s impact still felt more than 60 years later.
1: Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
After the Rebels are overpowered by the Empire, Luke Skywalker begins his Jedi training with Yoda, while his friends are pursued across the galaxy by Darth Vader and bounty hunter Boba Fett.
Never has a twist been more shocking, or impactful. The decision to make Darth Vader Luke’s father had a dramatic effect on the franchise, turning him into a redeemable character. It also provided the springboard for the prequel trilogy.
Often misquoted in pop culture, the line “No, I am your father,” is one of the greatest lines in cinema history. Audiences were gobsmacked by the reveal back in 1980. And while it’s not a greatly kept secret these days, this plot twist still manages to send shivers down the spines of viewers. Without a doubt, this is one of the greatest movie plot twists of all time.
Honourable Mentions
Soylent Green (1973) – What is the secret of Soylent Green? People.
Primal Fear (1996) – There was never an Aaron.
Shutter Island (2010) – The title is an anagram of “truths and lies” and “truths/denials”
Oldboy (2003) – 15 years of imprisonment, 5 days of vengeance, a lifetime of therapy when your new romantic relationship is with your own daughter.