Top 10 Least Predictable Movies of All Time
#10: “Psycho” (1960)
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When “Psycho” was released in 1960, director Alfred Hitchcock insisted that no viewers be allowed to enter after a screening had started. This might sound unnecessarily rigid, but if you’ve seen “Psycho,” you can understand his decision. A major shock in the first half of the movie completely alters the viewer’s expectations and changes the course of the film forever. But even after this twist, “Psycho” doesn’t let up on the intrigue - or the tension. We wish we could’ve been in the audience when the movie was first released, not knowing just what this shower scene had in store for us.
#9: “Oldboy” (2003)
If you think you know exactly where “Oldboy” is going, you’ve got another thing coming. This South Korean thriller from Park Chan-wook follows Oh Dae-su, played by Choi Min-sik, who is released after 15 years in captivity and works to track down the man who imprisoned him during this time. His quest is complicated by a romantic relationship, and that’s all we’ll say about the plot. “Oldboy” is rightfully acclaimed for its expert direction, especially with its fight scene shot in one unbroken take. But it’s the commitment to the unpredictable that makes it truly special.
#8: “Arrival” (2016)
“Arrival” is an alien invasion movie that’s light on lasers and explosions, but that’s not its only surprise. Acclaimed director Denis Villeneuve tells a close encounter story that feels heavy on science and light on fiction, with plenty of heart to go around. As Louise Banks, a linguist mourning the loss of her young daughter, Amy Adams anchors the emotional core of this movie, and the audience is always along for the ride as she and her team work to decipher the language of their extraterrestrial acquaintances. “Arrival’ builds to a resolution that’s a triumph of storytelling ingenuity.
#7: “Get Out” (2017)
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The first surprise of “Get Out” was that Jordan Peele, best known for his comedic work on “Key & Peele,” was directing a horror film. The next surprise was how perfectly suited he was for the genre, which thrives on suspense and unexpected revelations. “Get Out,” the story of a Black man (played by Daniel Kaluuya in an Oscar-nominated performance) who discovers a horrible plot at his white girlfriend’s family home, is constantly playing with the viewer, leaving hints in plain sight that make rewatches even more rewarding. Peele won a well-deserved Best Original Screenplay Oscar for this film, proving there should always be a place for new ideas in Hollywood.
#6: “Gone Girl” (2014)
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It’s hard to even describe David Fincher’s adaptation of writer Gillian Flynn’s best-selling novel without giving its secrets away. We’ll just say that the movie is about the disappearance of Amy Dunne, played by an Oscar-nominated Rosamund Pike, and the investigation towards her husband, Nick, played by Ben Affleck. Adapting her own novel, Flynn does a great job of bringing her soapy story into a cinematic context. And it’s no surprise that a director as skilled as David Fincher pulled off the thriller elements so well. “Gone Girl” was a movie that had everyone talking when it came out, but also doing their best to keep quiet about it.
#5: “Seven” (1995)
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Another David Fincher thriller, “Seven,” released nearly 20 years before “Gone Girl,” is so masterfully crafted, it’s hard to believe this was only his second film. Morgan Freeman plays a veteran detective investigating brutal slayings from someone who targets victims by using the seven deadly sins. His partner is Brad Pitt’s cockier young detective, and Fincher makes their relationship and individual journeys as important as uncovering who the villain is. “Seven” is great because it respects the viewer’s intelligence and makes every new turn feel earned. Fincher used these traits to great effect with another mystery: 2007’s “Zodiac.”
#4: “The Prestige” (2006)
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“The Prestige,” Christopher Nolan’s period drama about a deadly rivalry between two magicians, played by Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman, functions like a great magic trick itself, with plenty of misdirection and a stunning revelation that may have you saying, “Wow,” out loud even on subsequent viewings. The first line of the film is a question to the audience, and the more attentive you are to the film, the more impressed you can be by its tricks. For a prestige thriller that thrives off of surprises, it’s hard to do better than “The Prestige.”
#3: “Parasite” (2019)
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The first non-English language film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards, the dark comedy thriller “Parasite” quickly became a must-see for viewers who love suspense and payoff in their movies. In this South Korea-set film, a struggling family cons their way into working for an upper-class family without revealing their relations to one another. Over time, their deception becomes harder to manage, and they have to go to extreme lengths to keep their secret and their jobs. Director Bong Joon-ho gives every moment in the film tension, and when the other shoe drops, so do our jaws.
#2: “Fight Club” (1999)
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If it’s from David Fincher, you almost know it’s going to be good. That goes double if he’s working with Brad Pitt. Adapting Chuck Palahniuk’s novel about a white-collar worker who joins a violence ring, “Fight Club” starts with a deceptively basic premise that proves to be not-so-simple over time. As the nameless narrator, Edward Norton gives one of his best performances, and Brad Pitt’s Tyler Durden is one of the A-lister’s most charismatic - and most unsettling - creations. “Fight Club” might seem like it’s about physical combat, but it’s sure to give your brain a workout too. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “Mulholland Drive” (2001) David Lynch Is Synonymous with "Unpredictable" “Hereditary” (2018) A Shocking Supernatural Horror Debut from Ari Aster “The Sixth Sense” (1999) One of the Most Iconic Twists of All-time “The Departed” (2006) No One Is Safe in this Best Picture Winner
#1: “Memento” (2000)
It’s hard to tell where a story is going when it’s being told backwards. In Christopher Nolan’s breakthrough film, Guy Pearce plays Leonard, a detective investigating a murder. But the murder he’s investigating is his wife’s, and he has short-term memory loss. Leonard has to rely on tattoos and Polaroids for clues to find out who the murderer is. Nolan, adapting a short story by his brother, Jonathan, presents the information in both chronological and reverse-chronological order, keeping viewers on their toes and stunned by how satisfyingly it all ties up. “Memento” is the perfect example of a movie that keeps you guessing.
