Top 10 Movies That End On A Plot Twist

“Arrival” (2016)
In this sci-fi drama, linguist Louise Banks communicates with the Heptapods. These mysterious aliens arrive with a message crucial to humanity’s future. Just when it seems that General Shang will order an attack against them, Louise convinces him to change his mind. How does she do that? Because the Heptapods have imparted their ability to perceive time non-linearly. Pretty cool, right? But that’s not even the real twist. We learn the child that Louise lost at the beginning of the movie isn’t hers – at least not yet. As it turns out, we, the audience, have been following Louise in non-linear time as well. Louise accepts her fate, choosing to experience the fleeting happiness she will have with her daughter despite the inevitable heartbreak in store.

“Saw” (2004)
Delivering twists in the eleventh hour is a trademark of the “Saw” series. But the first entry remains the best at its execution. Trapped in a dilapidated bathroom by the serial killer Jigsaw, Adam and Lawrence try any way they can to survive. After the latter escapes by cutting off his own foot, Adam gets the shock of his life. Not only was the villain watching the whole time, but he was there all along. As the film earlier hinted, he likes to have a front-row seat to his sick games. The faint ray of hope we have for Adam extinguishes quickly as Jigsaw signals curtains for him. Or, as he says, insert SB [“Game Over”] And he doesn’t even leave the lights on. How rude.

“Seven” (1995)
You must have heard this long-parodied quote even if you haven’t seen this film. But David Mills has good reason to lose his cool. In “Seven,” Mills and his partner Somerset hunt a serial killer obsessed with the Seven Deadly Sins. Although it carries a bleak tone, the film builds toward a finale where justice will prevail… or that’s what it wants us to believe. After catching the killer, the sudden arrival of a package marks the shift in power. The protagonist learns it contains the remains of his wife, as the villain reveals he had a final trick up his sleeve. His death at Mills’ hands completes his mission. Although the bad guy is gone, the heroes well and truly lose during the film’s last moments.

“The Mist” (2007)
Before films like “Bird Box” and “A Quiet Place” normalized stories about unseen monsters, “The Mist” took a shot at this premise. Here, members of a small town are threatened by creatures in the titular mist. By the climax, the remaining survivors’ luck runs out. They decide to end their existence rather than fall prey to a grisly demise. Considering the odds were always against them, this ending makes sense. However, the film has one last kick-in-the-gut remaining. Instead of monsters, the army shows up through the mist. The protagonists would have been saved if they’d held on for a few more moments. Instead, we’re left with the shot of final survivor David breaking down. Humanity may have won, but at this moment, David loses everything worth living for.

“Primal Fear” (1996)
Attorney Martin Vail attempts to exonerate troubled youngster Aaron Stampler. Vail believes Aaron’s split personality, Roy, is responsible for a murder that puts Aaron on trial. The film details the differences between the two personalities, convincing us of Aaron’s innocence. Ultimately, Aaron is deemed innocent. But just when we’re in for a wholesome ending, the truth comes to light. Learning that Aaron remembers events only Roy would, Vail realizes that it was all an act. There was no split personality, to begin with. There was never an Aaron either. Roy had everyone duped, fabricating a complex lie to escape justice. This bombshell recontextualizes all the film’s events, turning it from a legal thriller into a full-blown psychological horror.

“The Prestige” (2006)
Christopher Nolan first displayed his knack for mind blowing twists with “Memento.” (xref) But “The Prestige” arguably trumps it with a deceptively simple trick. Magician Robert Angier crosses every ethical boundary to defeat his rival, Alfred Borden. This includes creating and killing clones of himself to replicate Borden’s “Transported Man” act. He believes he’s won after framing Borden for the death of his clone. However, Borden is avenged – by another Borden. A dying Angier learns the truth: Borden was an identity shared by twins. So, while one twin died, the other walked away a free man. “The Prestige” proves why a magician never reveals his secret. Because the real magic is the audience’s reaction. And this ending certainly leaves our jaws on the floor.

“The Usual Suspects” (1995)
Agent Dave Kujan listens to con artist Verbal Kint recount the events that led to a boat massacre. Heists, gambits, and betrayals ensue – all leading to criminal mastermind Keyser Söze. The antagonist’s identity is shrouded in mystery, and Verbal paints him as something of a Boogeyman figure. By the end, Kujan lets Verbal go, convinced he’s a pawn in Söze’s game. But as we find out, there was indeed a game, and it was Kujan who got played. Because Keyser Söze is none other than Verbal himself, having just pulled off his greatest trick. Some films have so many twists that it’s hard to keep track of what’s going on. In the case of “The Usual Suspects,” this is deliberately by design. Poof!

“The Sixth Sense” (1999)
The prevailing theme of this psychological thriller is acceptance. Psychologist Malcolm Crowe helps troubled child Cole, who can see the dead. Under his guidance, Cole comes to accept his gift. For most of the film, Malcolm’s role is to act as the youngster’s support, but when his job is done, his world comes crashing down. We learn why his connection to Cole is so strong – it’s because the latter was the only one who could see him. Recalling an encounter from the beginning of the film, Malcolm realizes he’s been dead the whole time. The true purpose of his relationship with Cole was to come to terms with his own demise. Along with shattering the illusion Malcolm cultivated, this revelation makes audiences perceive the film in an entirely different light.

“Psycho” (1960)
Even more than six decades after its release, “Psycho” remains the best example of masterfully swerving audience expectations. The first shocker is the famous bathroom scene: Viewers were stunned when heroine Janet Leigh’s character was killed off halfway through the movie. But it’s the reveal of her slayer that elevates “Psycho” to classic status. After teasing Norman Bates’ mother as the antagonist, the closing minutes steer into uncharted territory. Mrs. Bates is alive, but only within the confines of Norman’s mind. Turns out the weak-willed and helpless Norman is Mother. Unable to deal with the guilt of taking her life, Norman concocted her personality within himself. For many film aficionados, this ending represents the first big twist that changed the cinematic landscape forever.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

The Reunion That Never Was, “Atonement”
Robbie & Cecilia’s Happy Ending Is Fictional

Nothing (Probably) Happened, “American Psycho”
Was It All in Patrick Bateman’s Head?

The Doppelganger, “Us”
The Adelaide We Know Isn’t the Real Adelaide

“Planet of the Apes” (1968)
It’s not every day that a grim finale can be just as satisfying as a happy one. In this sci-fi classic, astronauts land on a planet dominated by apes. Protagonist George Taylor fights his way through the simian overlords in his bid for freedom. Taylor and his companion, Nova, believe the Forbidden Zone is the passageway for their escape back home. But waiting for him at the end of his path is the last thing Taylor expected to see. The ruins of the Statue of Liberty confirm that all hope is lost – the supposed ape planet has been Earth the whole time. Trapped in a dystopian future, Taylor can do nothing but rue his fate. And all we can do is watch in collective silence.

Which plot twist had you at a loss for words? Let us know in the comments.