Top 20 Movie Scenes That Were More Important Than You Realize

“Final Destination” (2000)
Known for its shocking kills, “Final Destination” is full of deathly surprises. If you watch closely, several members of the ensemble signal their impending fates. This includes subtle gestures like Tod pretending to cut his throat. As it turns out, Death doesn’t like it when you avoid him. These indications are a clever and cruel way the writers put you on edge. Another example is Terry’s ironic placement in front of some bus artwork. Not only are these spooky details, they also make you think twice about leaving the house yourself. The filmmakers find a way to make blocking and production design even more crucial.

“Tremors” (1990)
When underground creatures wreak havoc, the unlikely heroes in Nevada assemble. An early point in the film even gives an indication of where things might be heading. Kevin Bacon’s Val McKee wakes up his friend Earl Bassett, jokingly calling out a stampede. Bassett’s fall mirrors the death of the final monster. The thrilling finale finds the pair tricking the enemy, with the latter fumbling its way to a massive drop. It’s not the most obvious piece of foreshadowing either. Eagle-eyed viewers might draw a parallel, but this doesn’t detract from the entertaining nature of “Tremors.”

“Saving Private Ryan” (1998)
Steven Spielberg’s brutal look at World War II doesn’t hold back, depicting the many casualties of Allied soldiers. After the heroes secure Omaha beach, they find a Hitler Youth knife on an enemy’s corpse. Private Stanley Mellish[a] spots the knife and has an emotional reaction. It’s an affecting scene on its own, but the moment foreshadows a gruesome finale. Mellish later fights for his life while a blade plunges into him. Little did he know that he’d die from a similar type of weapon. With a number of chilling deaths, “Saving Private Ryan” becomes even more disturbing at this point.

“Hot Fuzz” (2007)
Nicholas Angel hopes for a big-city promotion, but ends up with a post in a small village. He first complains to his superiors and makes a comment about disappearance to Chief Inspector Kenneth. Later in the film, the hero realizes that Inspector Frank Butterman actually kills people. It turns out that Angel’s worries came true in a major way. While Kenneth isn’t the culprit, his reply foreshadows the corruption alive in Sandford. Butterman and his collaborators get rid of people in a scheme to win an award. It’s another witty piece of writing from Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg, both of whom prepare a fun twist through dialog.

“Pulp Fiction” (1994)
As this 1990s classic gets going, it almost seems like a random series of crime stories. The first scene features two robbers that decide to knock off a diner. In an ingenious twist, Quentin Tarantino returns to this location in the film’s ending. If you look closely, you can see the character Vincent Vega walking in the background. This Easter egg only enhances the beginning. Watching the movie a second time, you’ll see the writing on the wall. Tarantino plays with time and story structure, keeping you on your toes until bringing you back to the start.

“Citizen Kane” (1941)
During the first scene of this classic, Charles Foster Kane delivers his last words. His mystery message leads people to wonder what it all meant. Little does the audience know, a scene from the hero’s childhood unlocks the entire plot. A younger Kane plays in the snow before being whisked away by good fortune. This means even more when you realize his sled’s name. In the end, workers burn the wealthy man’s possessions and the last shred of evidence. It’s all a brilliant metaphor for the loss of his childhood innocence. In his dying moments, he pined for a time before wealth and loneliness. This kind of detail adds to the overall mystique of “Citizen Kane.”

“Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” (1982)
When Captain Kirk has a birthday, Spock gives him a copy of “A Tale of Two Cities.” The gift becomes much more important than a salute to Charles Dickens. At the end of the novel, one character sacrifices his life for another. This becomes an aptly-made reference when “Wrath of Khan” mirrors Dickens’ plot. During the climax of the movie, Spock puts his life on the line to save the Enterprise crew. One of the most memorable twists in sci-fi history links itself to literature. Unless you’re a fan of the classics, you probably didn’t pick up on this parallel.

“Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (1975)
In a film full of anachronisms, this one might be the funniest. “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” is briefly interrupted by a historian. Before he can offer up much commentary, he’s slayed by a passing horseman. This seems like a random burst of comedic violence until the end. As King Arthur and his posse conduct their final charge, they’re rudely interrupted by the cops. It would also be fair to assume that the Knights of the Round Table were suspects. While Arthur and company get hauled away, you might laugh or feel shocked by the surprise ending.

“Reservoir Dogs” (1992)
When you first meet the robbers in “Reservoir Dogs,” you probably don’t expect one to be an undercover cop. The thieves spend part of their breakfast discussing tips. After Mr. Pink’s rant, Joe Cabot[b] wants to know who didn’t throw in their share. This leads to an important hint as to which guy might be a cop. Mr. Orange speaks up, revealing Pink’s choice and his potential for being the rat. This becomes a much more telling moment after Orange’s identity is revealed. Quentin Tarantino impresses audiences once again, making them wonder what else they missed the first time.

“Back to the Future” (1985)
Any great time-travel movie likes to play with your expectations. “Back to the Future” also lets various details alter the narrative, with this change making for another fun piece of the puzzle. Marty McFly meets Doc Brown at Twin Pines Mall before going back in time. Once he’s in the past, McFly accidentally destroys one of Peabody’s trees. This makes for an ingenious change in the future. It turns out that the protagonist’s accident inspired the new name Lone Pine Mall. With so many gags in this movie, this one might be among the most underrated.

“Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” (2005)
“Revenge of the Sith” is full of memorable moments… for better or worse. One of the most crucial scenes in the film is often overlooked. Maybe that’s because it’s also among the subtler moments, using clever visuals to foreshadow the falling out between a master and an apprentice. As Obi-Wan heads off to Utapau, he parts with Anakin on good terms, assuring him he’ll be a great Jedi eventually. When Obi-Wan says, “Goodbye, old friend,” he doesn’t realize that he’s saying farewell forever. This is the last time Obi-Wan sees Anakin before he becomes Darth Vader. This is hinted as Obi-Wan steps out into the light while Anakin remains under the area’s dark side, concealing the anger, hate, and suffering within.

“The Terminator” (1984)
Even without its lower half, the T-800 is relentless in its pursuit of Sarah Connor. After multiple fake-outs, Sarah finally gets the upper hand by crushing what’s left of the Terminator in a hydraulic press. The only part of the machine that’s left in decent shape is its right arm, which was mere seconds away from choking the life out of Sarah. When the film premiered in 1984, the arm’s preservation wasn’t even an afterthought. Little did we know that this plot point would leave the door open for a sequel. In “Judgement Day,” Skynet’s creator, Cyberdyne Systems, tries to reverse engineer the T-800’s arm, as well as the CPU that got left behind. It may’ve been terminated, but this machine still can’t be stopped.

“The Big Lebowski” (1998)
As much as we love this cult comedy, we share the Stranger’s sentiment when he says that he didn’t like seeing Donny go. One of the reasons Donny’s death is so hard to swallow is because it comes out of nowhere… or does it? Donny’s demise was actually foreshadowed when he failed to bowl a strike for the first time. Donny appears puzzled and the audience is equally confused. Why was that little moment included in the movie? Right after missing, Donny checks his right hand, suspecting something is off. The situation is even more serious than Donny thinks, as arm pain is a symptom of an imminent heart attack. Moments later, Donny’s heart can’t take it when a fight breaks out with the nihilists.

“The Thing” (1982)
The opening of this sci-fi horror film immediately sucks the audience in, but a few major things often get lost in translation. While in pursuit of a sled dog, a Norwegian man accidentally blows up his own helicopter. As the dog rushes to a nearby research team, he yells something at them in Norwegian. Unable to get past the language barrier, the Norwegian man starts shooting, causing Garry to fire back. What the Americans - and most viewers - don’t realize is that the Norwegian was saying, “Get the hell away from that thing! That’s not a dog, it’s some sort of thing! It’s imitating a dog, it isn’t real! Get away, you idiots!” The big reveal was hidden in plain sight from the get-go.

“Home Alone” (1990)
We all remember the scene in this Christmas classic when Buzz eats Kevin’s cheese pizza, sparking a chain reaction that leaves the kitchen in disarray. This creates a distance between Kevin and his family before an even greater distance is created. Even if you watch this film every holiday season, though, there’s a key detail that you likely missed. Amid all the commotion, Kevin’s ticket gets thrown out with some wet napkins. If his ticket wasn’t disposed of, the McCallisters would’ve realized before getting on the plane to Paris that Kevin got left home alone. This comes back in the sequel when Mrs. McCallister passes out everyone’s tickets, asking where Kevin is. Who knew spilt milk could be such a big deal?

“The Shawshank Redemption” (1994)
In one of this Oscar-nominated drama’s most poignant conversations, Andy tells Red where he’d like to live the rest of his life if he ever gets out of prison. Red, meanwhile, is afraid to leave the big house, worried that he won’t be able to make it on the outside. Of course, this ties into the film’s ending where the recently released Red meets up with Andy in Zihuatanejo. Really listen closely to the sly dialogue here, though. Red tells Andy that his dream of escaping to a Mexican beach is a pipe dream, or more specifically … Andy decides to get busy living, ultimately escaping from Shawshank through a sewage pipe that smells of human feces. Ah, we see what ya did there.

“Hereditary” (2018)
The devil is in the detail in “Hereditary,” inviting multiple viewings to catch everything. Attending a support group following her mother’s funeral, Annie discusses her brother who took his own life. In his departure note, Annie’s brother claimed that their mother tried putting other people inside him. At first, this just seems to be establishing her family’s history of mental illness, making us question Annie’s own sanity throughout the film. In this brief moment, however, Annie alludes to the eventual fate of her son, Peter. In the end, Peter’s body is taken over by his deceased sister Charlie, who hosted the demon Paimon. Annie’s mother was part of a coven and long before putting Paimon in Peter, they tried doing something similar to Annie’s brother.

“Fargo” (1996)
Movies by the Coen brothers usually have a few moments that appear pointless on the surface. Upon further investigation, however, they turn out to be vital clues. Take Marge’s awkward dinner date with Mike Yanagita for example. It’s uncomfortably funny, but many audiences at the time were left wondering why this seemingly random scene wasn’t left on the cutting room floor. As Roger Ebert pointed out in a retrospective review, Mike plays a greater role than most realize. After finding out that Mike lied about having a wife, amongst other things, Marge realizes that she might’ve missed something when she interviewed Jerry. This motivates her to revisit him for a follow-up interrogation, exposing Jerry for the liar he is. Does that answer your question?

“The Wolverine” (2013)
Although it’s billed as the final entry in a trilogy, you don’t really need to watch the first two standalone “Wolverine” movies to follow “Logan.” Nevertheless, there is a touching parallel between “Logan” and 2013’s “The Wolverine” that’s lost on most viewers. Possessing precognitive powers, Yukio tells Logan that he’s going to die on his back with blood everywhere and his heart in his hand. Given the franchise’s messy continuity, we didn’t expect this scene to go anywhere. In “Logan,” though, the titular mutant does indeed die grasping his heart. Not his literal heart, but his symbolic heart, which comes in the form of his daughter Laura’s hand. As if this goodbye wasn’t devastating enough already, the foreshadowing only makes it more powerful.

“Jurassic Park” (1993)
Few scenes in “Jurassic Park” are more spine-chilling than when raptors enter the kitchen with Tim and Lex inside. Fortunately, Tim lures one raptor into an open freezer. The melting ice on the floor causes the dino to slip, allowing the siblings to quickly lock it inside. But wait, why was the freezer carelessly left wide open? We thought John Hammond spared no expense. Well, think back to an earlier scene where Hammond has some ice cream with Ellie. Hammond tells her that the ice cream was melting, seeing how the power’s out. This minor detail is overshadowed by the conversation that ensues, but it explains why the freezer wasn’t shut. Hammond must’ve left it open while getting the ice cream, inadvertently saving his grandchildren.