Top 10 Shocking Twists That Came Early in the Movie

“Pulp Fiction” (1994)
Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” is a tour de force of narrative twists and turns. One big example is the surprising and greatly unexpected death of John Travolta’s Vincent Vega. Vega was undoubtedly the star of the film, being the centerpiece of its first two major stories. Viewers were comfortable having Vega as the primary protagonist, but then Bruce Willis and “The Gold Watch” were introduced and threw everything into question. It’s in this segment that Vega is unceremoniously killed by Willis’s Butch as he emerges from the apartment bathroom. It comes out of nowhere, and just like that, the movie has disposed of its main character. Fortunately, viewers were able to see more of Vega owing to the movie’s non-chronological structure.

“Hancock” (2008)
Co-written by “Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan, “Hancock” begins its life as a dark comedy about a washed up superhero who is hated by the populace of Los Angeles. It’s a funny twist on the genre, and viewers were perfectly happy watching 90 minutes of it. But that wasn’t to be. Jason Bateman plays Ray Embrey, a public relations specialist who offers to work with Hancock. He has a wife named Mary, played by Charlize Theron. Midway through the movie, viewers learn that Mary is actually Hancock’s immortal ex-wife and a fellow superhero. Hancock had forgotten this owing to his amnesia. Unfortunately, some critics thought this a clumsy reveal and argue that the first half of the movie is far superior to what they consider its underdeveloped second.

“The Descent” (2005)
This horror film is another example of a first half that could have worked perfectly well on its own. A group of thrill seeking friends get together for a spelunking adventure, only to get lost in an uncharted cave system. This makes for some great claustrophobic fun, and the horror is firmly rooted in an unsettling reality. However, the group is then attacked by subterranean creatures known as Crawlers, and the Crawlers have an appetite for human flesh. The movie pivots into a survival slasher tale as the group of friends are systematically taken out by the Crawlers. Unlike “Hancock,” many critics thought this a great twist, marrying two unique halves into a satisfying whole.

“Hereditary” (2018)
This Ari Aster horror film earned widespread praise and is often regarded as one of the greatest horror films of the 2010s. Part of its strong reception is undoubtedly due to the malicious yet brilliant bait-and-switch concocted by the marketing department. Milly Shapiro’s Charlie Graham was plastered all over the movie’s marketing material, including the posters and trailers. It was very obvious that the story was centered around her and the supernatural connection she shares with her deceased grandmother. However, Charlie is nothing but a decoy protagonist, as she suffers a horrific fate about thirty minutes into the movie. It was a genuinely unexpected moment, and it left viewers in a chilling state of shock.

“Memento” (2000)
This being a Christopher Nolan film, “Memento” contains a labyrinthine plot that can prove confusing and hard to follow. The movie has a unique structure, with two stories being told concurrently, one of which is shown in black and white and the other of which is being told backwards. In one of the film’s greatest sequences, the black and white and backwards color storylines converge, revealing Joe Pantoliano’s Teddy Gammell as the undercover police officer that Leonard is meeting. It’s very hard to convey without actually seeing the movie, but it proves an incredible mid-story reveal that changes everything we thought we knew about protagonist Leonard Shelby.

“Knives Out” (2019)
This surprise hit served as writer-director Rian Johnson’s clever and subversive take on the whodunit genre. Like all whodunits, the movie begins with a mysterious death - that of rich novelist Harlan Thrombey, who is believed to have committed suicide. Of course, this being a whodunit mystery, the answer can't be that simple. Only, it actually is. As viewers learn about thirty minutes in, Harlan did indeed kill himself, slitting his throat after his nurse Fran accidentally mixed up his medications. This unpredictably answers the whodunit mystery long before the story’s conclusion. Instead, the story shifts to Fran’s cover-up attempts, and the mystery turns to the events surrounding the mix up and suicide, resulting in a wonderful deconstruction of the whodunit.

“From Dusk till Dawn” (1996)
Quentin Tarantino loves to play with narrative conventions. In penning the cult classic “From Dusk till Dawn,” he pulled off one of the most masterful genre shifts in movie history. The movie begins as a crime drama following bank robber brothers Seth and Richie Gecko. After robbing a liquor store, the brothers kidnap a pastor and are smuggled across the Mexican border. Once there, they arrive at a desert strip club...that is run by vampires. And just like that, a crime drama turned into a vampire action flick reminiscent of the cheesy B-movies of the ‘70s. Unfortunately, this plot twist was known going in, as the movie’s marketing emphasized the vampires. Luckily, that does nothing to quell its effectiveness.

“Parasite” (2019)
Unlike “From Dusk till Dawn,” the massive plot twist found in “Parasite” was completely hidden. The movie begins as a dark comedy, with the destitute Kim family infiltrating the rich Park family as their servants. They become the Parks’ chauffeur, housekeeper, English tutor, and art therapist, each recommending the other and keeping their familial relationship a secret. It works, and the machinations prove brilliant and hilarious. But midway through the movie, the previous housekeeper, Moon-gwang, reveals a secret underground bunker beneath the Park mansion. Inside is her husband, who has been hiding from gangsters for the last four years. It proves a fantastic left turn, it helps deepen the movie’s allegory and visual metaphors, and it switches the genre from dark comedy to borderline horror.

“A Clockwork Orange” (1971)
This Stanley Kubrick film, based on Anthony Burgess’s novel of the same name, does not make for a pleasant viewing experience. It concerns Alex DeLarge, a psychotic teenager who takes pleasure in causing chaos and assaulting random people with his gang. The first act follows their unsettling debauchery, and viewers begin to question the movie’s point. However, a huge twist occurs about thirty minutes into the movie, and Alex is betrayed by his gang, arrested, and sent to prison for fourteen years. It’s here that the real story and theme emerges, as Alex is subjected to a new behavioural therapy practice known as the Ludovico technique that aims to quell him of his violent tendencies.

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

The Cast Is Killed, “Death Proof” (2007)
The Entire Main Cast Is Wiped Out By Stuntman Mike Halfway Through the Movie

Elite Hunting Club, “Hostel” (2005)
The Titular Hostel Is a Front for a Tourist Killing Group Known as the Elite Hunting Club

Amy Dunne Is Alive, “Gone Girl” (2014)
The Story Shifts to the Perspective of the Missing Amy, Who Has Orchestrated the Whole Thing

John Doe Turns Himself In, “Seven” (1995)
John Doe Arrives at the Police Station Covered in Blood

Laura Hunt Is Alive, “Laura” (1944)
The Presumed Murdered Laura Is Revealed to Be Alive

“Psycho” (1960)
Arguably the greatest left turn in movie history, Marion’s death at the hands of Norman Bates is now the stuff of film legend. The first thirty minutes of the movie follow Marion as she steals money from her boss, flees the city, and stops at the Bates Motel. After befriending the welcoming if somewhat odd Norman Bates, Marion is murdered while taking a shower. Everyone knows this now, but the twist was absolutely massive at the time. Janet Leigh was the biggest star of the movie and its main selling point, so to dispose of her thirty minutes in was both incredibly gutsy and ultimately genius.