Summary
A well-executed plot twist can take a movie to the next level, but the best twists can lose their impact over the years as countless other movies attempt to copy them. Unfortunately,bad plot twistsare far more common than good ones. This means that when a movie comes up with a fresh and exciting idea, it inevitably spawns scores of copycats that never quite recapture the magic of the original.
A good plot twist can reframe everything that has happened up to that point, and audiences can never see the movie in the same way as soon as the twist has been revealed. Some great movies are worth watching again after the twist has already been revealed, just to see if there are any little clues to pick up on. This is what allows movies to remain interesting long after their twists have become common knowledge and been relentlessly imitated.
This article contains spoilers forPsycho, The Sixth Sense, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Planet of the Apes, Fight Club, The Wizard of Oz, Se7en, Up, Citizen KaneandMurder on the Orient Express.
10 Biggest Movie Plot Twists You Should Never Spoil For Someone
A major twist that is revealed late in a film, warping the events that went before for the viewer should be preserved for new audiences to enjoy.
Alfred Hitchcock is one of film’s great masters of the plot twist, andPsychohas two massive reversals. The first still holds up today. Even though Marion’s death in the shower is a famous image, it’s still a shocking moment when Hitchcock kills off his main character halfway through the movie. The second twist, which eventually reveals shy and mild-mannered Norman Bates to be the killer, is less powerful.
Because so many characters have taken inspiration from Norman since 1960, he is the perfect archetype of an unsettling wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Norman is now seen as an iconic movie villain, so it’s impossible to seePsychofor the first time and not anticipate the ending. Also, because so many characters have taken inspiration from Norman since 1960, he is the perfect archetype of an unsettling wolf in sheep’s clothing. Hitchcock’s low-angled shots and Anthony Perkins' quietly disturbing performance telegraph his murderous instincts.Psychois still one ofAlfred Hitchcock’s best movies, despite its big twist being spoiled.
The Sixth Sensedelivered an incredibly famous twist at the end. It helped shape M. Night Shyamalan’s reputation as a trickster, and to a certain extent, it’s also partially responsible for the abundance of twists in mysteries and thrillers since its release. Everyone knows that there’s a twist inThe Sixth Sense,and most people also know exactly what the twist is, but this doesn’t completely spoil the movie.
Everyone knows that there’s a twist inThe Sixth Sense,and most people also know exactly what the twist is, but this doesn’t completely spoil the movie.
The idea that one of the main characters could be dead has been copied many times sinceThe Sixth Sense.Before then, it scarcely seemed like a possibility, and this is what helps make the reveal so powerful. Fans have come to expect twists from Shyamalan’s movies, and this is true of similar movies by other directors.The Sixth Sensehas had a huge impact, and the punch of its twist is considerably weaker now.
It’s hard to quantify the impact ofEmpire’s big reveal that Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker’s father, because this fact is so famous that evenpeople who don’t knowStar Warscan still quote, or misquote, the twist. TheStar Warsfranchise hasn’t tried to maintain the power of this twist either, and the entire prequel trilogy goes into detail about Vader’s backstory as Anakin Skywalker.
Darth Vader’s twist only works so well becauseStar Warssets up the fact that Luke is seeking revenge for the murder of his father, something that similar twists fail to understand.
Many other movies have tried to recreate this twist, with mixed results.Star Warsitself tried to perform the same trick in the sequel trilogy, with Palpatine revealed to be Rey’s grandfather. This reveal wasn’t loaded with meaning and high stakes like the one inEmpire, so it failed to replicate the impact. Darth Vader’s twist only works so well becauseStar Warssets up the fact that Luke is seeking revenge for the murder of his father, something that similar twists fail to understand.
In the same way thatStar Warshas spent several movies explaining its big twist, thePlanet of the Apesprequels have gone into detail about how Earth became the domain of apes. ThePlanet of the Apesfranchiseis now on track toward an eventual remake of the 1968 original, as each movie reveals more about the ascent of apes and the descent of humanity.Kingdom of the Planet of the Apesshows ape society beginning to harness electricity and agriculture.
In the same way thatStar Warshas spent several movies explaining its big twist, thePlanet of the Apesprequels have gone into detail about how Earth became the domain of apes.
Planet of the Apesis still worth rewatching despite its twist being spoiled,but doing so makes it seem a little more obvious than it first appeared. No planet other than Earth would have the same animals, vegetation, gravity and atmosphere. These details may have been easier to overlook in 1968, but no modern movie supposedly set on an alien planet would be allowed to get away with this without raising suspicion.
David Fincher’sFight Clubis already a brilliant movie before its big twist, so it doesn’t matter too much that everybody now knows that the Narrator is Tyler Durden.Fight Club’s twisthas been copied multiple times, so audiences these days are bound to be less surprised when a certain character turns out to be a creation of the protagonist’s psyche, especially when the character in question doesn’t fit with their surroundings.
Fight Club’s imitators have rarely, if ever, come close to matching the power of the twist.
Fight Clubis the type of movie that urges the audience to watch it all over again once the twist is revealed, so that they can see the breadcrumbs that David Fincher left on the trail. Fincher translates the twist from Chuck Palahniuk’s novel brilliantly. It may be too famous for its own good all these years later, but the reveal is still immensely satisfying.Fight Club’s imitators have rarely, if ever, come close to matching the power of the twist.
The Wizard of Ozopts for one of the most overused twists of all time, with Dorothy waking up to realize that she’s back in Kansas with her dog Toto by her side. This is usually seen as a cop-out that destroys the stakes and the themes of the entire story, but it somehow works quite well inThe Wizard of Oz,as the important thing is that Dorothy has learned to appreciate the comforts of home.
SinceThe Wizard of Oz,countless movies and TV shows have used the"it was all a dream"twist, and it almost never works.
SinceThe Wizard of Oz,countless movies and TV shows have used the"it was all a dream"twist, and it almost never works. Many of these have directly parodiedThe Wizard of Oz, but the movie still works despite its lame twist. This is because the conflict is resolved just before Dorothy arrives back in Kansas. By wishing to be home, Dorothy learns her lesson and grows as a character. How she gets from Oz to Kansas is largely immaterial.
The beginning ofUpis remembered as one of Pixar’s mini-masterpieces, but before Carl and Ellie’s sprawling love story kicks into gear, a young Carl is seen in a movie theater watching newsreel footage of his hero, Charles Muntz. This sets the scene for a shocking villain twist, when the two men finally meet each other decades later, and Carl realizes that Muntz has become bitter and obsessive.
While this reveal had a big impact at the time, it has been cheapened in the following years by all the Pixar and Disney animated movies which have also had twist villains.
While this reveal had a big impact at the time, it has been cheapened in the following years by all the Pixar and Disney animated movies which have also had twist villains. Lotso inToy Story 3,Evelyn inIncredibles 2, Ernesto inCoco,Dawn Bellwether inZootopia,Hans inFrozen.Thelist of Disney villainswho don’t reveal their intentions until late in the day has been growing and growing sinceUp,soaudiences can see it coming now.
Typical of many of David Fincher’s best thrillers,Se7enhas a sumptuous twist toward the end, as Mills and Somerset’s investigation finally leads them to John Doe. Just as the two detectives think that they’ve put an end to his killing spree, the murderer reveals his ace in the hole. Mills' wife’s head arrives in a box, and John Doe urges Mills to kill him as an act of retribution, thus fulfilling the final role of the seven deadly sins.
When two of the biggest blockbusters in history are using the same twist for their villains, it’s obviously become a little too predictable.
John Doe’s fiendish plan gives the detectives a false victory before revealing that his capture was intentional. This trope has been trotted out in plenty of movies sinceSe7en,sothe originality of this plot point has faded slightly. The Joker allows himself to be captured inThe Dark Knight,and Loki pulls a similar trick inThe Avengers.When two of the biggest blockbusters in history are using the same twist for their villains, it’s obviously become a little too predictable.
Citizen Kanebegins with newsreel footage detailing Charles Kane’s death and the extravagance of his life. The mystery of the film hinges on the meaning of his final word"Rosebud,“as reporters set out to interview his closest associates to try to figure it out. Different characters posit their own theories about the word’s meaning, with some theorizing that it was the name of one of his mistresses or a horse he lost a big bet on.
This twist doesn’t have as much impact all these years later, but this is only because so many other movies have been inspired by this idea.
The reveal that"Rosebud"was the name of Charles' beloved childhood sled highlights the damage that his traumatic childhood had on his entire life. Charles was essentially traded away from his parents as a young boy as his guardianship was transferred over to a rich industrialist. This twist doesn’t have as much impact all these years later, but this is only because so many other movies have been inspired by this idea.It’s now common to see a character grappling with events from their formative years, but this wouldn’t be as widespread without Orson Welles' influential masterpiece.
Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot movieshave brought new life to Agatha Christie’s famous Belgian detective, but they have still trotted out the same twists which have been seen in adaptations of her work for decades. Murder on the Orient Express was a bold choice to start off the franchise, because the entire narrative hinges on a reveal that is among the most famous literary twists ever.
Murder on the Orient Express was a bold choice to start off the franchise, because the entire narrative hinges on a reveal that is among the most famous literary twists ever.
In this case, Branagh’s first movie was already spoiled before it even opened in theaters, but it still pleased audiences with its performances and characterizations. Just like any adaptation of a well-known novel,Murder on the Orient Expressis about much more than its surprising narrative. Branagh’s subsequent Poirot movies have also used some of Christie’s most famous stories, but he doesn’t attempt to reinvent them too much.
