Top 30 Unexpected Plot Twists That Saved Bad Movies

“Lucky Number Slevin” (2006)
A man named Max and his son Henry are killed by the mob. Years later, Slevin Kelevra finds himself trapped between two crime bosses – The Rabbi, and, fittingly, The Boss. Also involved is a shadowy figure known only as Mr. Goodkat. Bear with us, it gets kind of complicated. Fast forward to the ending, and we learn that Slevin is actually the young Henry from the prologue, who was spared by the assassin Mr. Goodkat after he had an attack of conscience. The movie’s events were all a ploy concocted by Slevin and Goodkat to get revenge on The Rabbi and The Boss, both of whom had ordered the death of Max. It’s a neat little family-based twist that elevates an otherwise run-of-the-mill mob thriller.

“Red Notice” (2021)
Despite its star-studded cast, “Red Notice” really flew under the radar and garnered a middling reception. A traditional heist caper, it involves three people fighting over stolen jewels that once belonged to Cleopatra. John Hartley is the FBI agent on the trails of professional thieves Nolan Booth and Sarah Black. Or is he? Turns out, Hartley is actually a conman and the husband of Sarah, and they are both working together against Nolan. They targeted the thief and used him to find the location of the third and final jewel, which they proceed to snag for themselves. It’s these types of twisty, “who can you trust?” mind games that make heist thrillers so much fun.

“Den of Thieves” (2018)
At this point, we should always expect an otherwise unassuming member of a gang to be the true criminal mastermind. “Den of Thieves” follows a police detective named Nick O’Brien as he tries to stop a gang from robbing the Federal Reserve. One of the gang’s members is getaway driver Donnie Wilson, played by O’Shea Jackson Jr. In the exciting climax of the film, Nick successfully recovers the bags of stolen money, only to find them filled with shredded paper. What he doesn’t find is Donnie, who had swapped the bags and taken the cash for himself, having orchestrated the whole heist from the get-go. It’s a great way to end what is essentially just a ripoff of “Heat.”

“A Perfect Getaway” (2009)
This ironically-named movie takes place in Hawaii and concerns three couples – Cliff and Cydney, Nick and Gina, and Kale and Cleo. The couples meet on a remote hike, but they become wary of each other when a homicide is reported in the area, with the perps being described as a man and woman. Kale and Cleo are eventually arrested for the murders, which surprises no one considering their generally creepy nature. Of course, it was all a red herring. The real killers are who we least expected – Cliff and Cydney, two drug users who murder tourists and assume their identities. The movie is much smarter than your average thriller, and this twist is certainly a big part of it.

“Reindeer Games” (2000)
Okay, pay attention, because this gets complicated. So Nick and Rudy are prison cellmates, but Nick is killed in a fight. When Rudy gets out he pretends to be Nick and meets Ashley, with whom Nick had been exchanging letters. Then he gets sucked into a casino heist planned by Ashley’s brother Gabriel. Fast forward a bit, and we learn that Gabriel and Ashley are actually lovers, not siblings. Plot twist one. Plot twist two, Nick shows up, alive and well! And plot twist three, “Ashley” is actually Millie Bobeck, and she had been working with the presumed-dead Nick from the very beginning! Get all that? Point is, it’s a fun reveal that added some much-needed spice to an otherwise ho-hum heist thriller.

“War” (2007)
Jet Li plays Rogue, a yakuza assassin who is seemingly shot and killed by FBI agent Tom Lone. However, he survives and murders Tom and his family before burning down their home. Later, Rogue fights yakuza boss Shiro Yanagawa, who realizes that he is not actually Rogue, but the supposedly deceased Tom Lone. Tom had pulled a trick on both the yakuza and the audience – he killed Rogue that night, put his wedding ring on his finger, and burned the house down to make his corpse unrecognizable. He then had his face surgically altered to resemble Rogue so he could go on a revenge spree. There’s nothing like a good face swap plot twist to help a movie stand out!

“The Uninvited” (2009)
While it’s a lesser remake of the Korean film “A Tale of Two Sisters,” “The Uninvited” is a decent enough flick that’s redeemed by a solid plot twist. The movie follows sisters Anna and Alex, who are convinced that their father’s new girlfriend Rachel murdered their mother in a house fire. Tensions build, and Alex ultimately murders Rachel. But as we eventually learn, most of the movie’s events took place in Anna’s head. Suffering from mental illness, Anna accidentally killed both her mother and Alex in a house fire and pinned the blame on Rachel as a coping mechanism. She then imagined Alex and murdered Rachel as a result of her worsening delusions. It’s a great twist that deepens both the plot and Anna’s character.

“Passengers” (2008)
“They were dead all along” is a tricky twist that is not often welcomed by audiences. In fact, reactions to it can be pretty darned hostile. But we think it gives this otherwise unmemorable film a memorable kick – it certainly helped us remember it. The concept is simple: Anne Hathaway is Claire Summers, a psychotherapist who counsels the survivors of a plane crash. But they’re not actually survivors. In reality, everyone died in the accident, including Claire, who is having trouble accepting her demise and is imagining herself as a psychotherapist. Talking to other deceased people was a way to help her come to terms with her own death. It works. In the end, Claire finally accepts her new position and sails into the afterlife.

“Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare” (1991)
As the title suggests, this was meant to be the final movie in the “Elm Street” franchise. And what better way to end it than with a little patricide? A John Doe is brought to a youth shelter, which is run by Dr. Maggie Burroughs. Together, they discover that the mythical Freddy Krueger had a child. Maggie checks her adoption papers and discovers that she is that child. Her real name is Katherine Krueger, but it was changed when Freddy was arrested. So she confronts her father, pulls him into the real world, and sticks a pipe bomb in his chest. The family dynamics are interesting, and it gives the franchise a satisfying ending. Or, rather, what should have been its ending.

“Identity” (2003)
This is a highly divisive movie, and it all boils down to its famous twist. For some, this was just another forgettable Agatha Christie movie, with people being mysteriously killed off in an isolated motel. The story is inspired by “And Then There Were None,” and for many, it was a pale imitation of it. Until that twist. We learn that these people are actually the “personalities” of Malcolm Rivers, a murderer suffering from dissociative identity disorder. Malcolm’s psychiatrist is attempting to remove the different personalities, which we see visualized as the violent events in the motel. Just when we thought this was another ordinary murder mystery, in comes this wild twist to prove us all wrong. It’s divisive, yes, but it’s certainly unforgettable.

“Devil” (2010)
“Devil” deserves points for an exciting premise: five strangers are trapped in an elevator. One by one, a person is killed by someone in the group while everyone tries to figure out the culprit. Although it’s an interesting story setup, “Devil” becomes too similar to “Saw.” The film basically becomes about how gruesome the next death will be. These cheap thrills aren’t particularly exhilarating until the climax. It turns out that an elderly woman who “died” early on is the true villain – even more surprisingly, she’s the actual devil. The antagonist deliberately trapped sinful people together to collect their souls. This flips “Devil’s” story on its head since each person deserves to be held responsible for their crimes.

“The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” (2018)
This fantasy adventure is about protagonist Clara bringing peace to a magical land. She teams with the Sugar Plum Fairy while grieving her mother’s death, the former queen of the realms. The film’s “good-versus-bad” outline lacks originality, feeling like a rehash of superhero movies. Its twist does signify deeper themes relating to Clara’s loss, as Sugar Plum’s betrayal comes to light. Mother Ginger, the supposed villain, is revealed to be falsely accused. Perceiving the death of Clara’s mother as abandonment, Sugar Plum plans to become queen in her place. Meanwhile, Clara accepts losing her mother, empowering herself to defeat the villain. This turn of events perfectly contrasts the two characters, adding the required emotional depth that’s lacking for most of the story.

“The Boy” (2016)
American nanny Greta is given the strange job of looking after a porcelain doll named Brahms. This begins a drawn-out plot about odd events surrounding the doll, which convinces Greta that it’s possessed by the spirit of her employers’ deceased child. Unfortunately, much of “The Boy’s” runtime is about jump scares that don’t do much to move the plot forward. It’s only at the end when the payoff for these shock-value moments arrives. Brahms, the titular “boy,” isn’t actually a boy – he’s not even a ghost. Brahms has been alive all the time, living within the house’s walls to spy on Greta. The movements of the doll were all orchestrated by Brahms himself, providing an impressive turn of events to an otherwise formulaic film.

“Don’t Worry Darling” (2022)
In a seemingly idyllic ‘50s town called Victory, housewife Alice Chambers starts to notice things are off. She realizes her husband Jack and all the men are hiding a secret. “Don’t Worry Darling” suffers from an identity crisis, not fully committing to being a psychological thriller or a commentary on male fragility. After wasting some of its runtime on these themes, the final act of the movie turns things around. Alice comes to know that Victory isn’t real – it’s a simulated reality where she and the other women are trapped by the men. This brings context to the odd behavior of most of the characters, as they knew this secret all along. The revelation also adds much-needed tension to Alice’s bid for freedom.

“Life” (2017)
“Life” is too similar to other alien-based films to feel original, featuring a story about a species that slowly takes out a space crew one by one. It has a rather generic plotline where the characters figure out a way to stop “Calvin” the alien. The ending makes it appear that Miranda North has escaped while David Jordan has sacrificed himself to prevent Calvin from reaching Earth. The film’s final moments are where this seemingly predictable story takes a huge turn, as it was Miranda’s pod that was knocked off course while David has reached Earth with Calvin. This changes “Life’s” direction completely, leaving us stunned with the chilling realization that humanity might be doomed.

“Click” (2006)
Perpetually frustrated Michael Newman is offered a time-skipping remote by a mysterious man named Morty. While Michael initially has fun with it, his life ultimately spirals out of control. “Click” has some emotionally stirring moments, but the slapstick comedy can become annoying to watch. The premise also overstays its welcome after several time skips. But the reveal of Morty’s true nature saves the movie. With decades skipped beyond salvation, Michael finds out that Morty is the Angel of Death. The remote was a way for Michael to appreciate his life, giving him an extremely long lesson to learn. Unlike stereotypical portrayals of the Angel of Death, Morty isn’t an evil entity, but someone who shows Michael that he’s been making the wrong decisions in life.

“Dead Silence” (2007)
Jamie Ashen tries to figure out a way to end his family’s curse as the ghost of ventriloquist Mary Shaw looks to end his bloodline. Taking a slow build toward its conclusion, “Dead Silence” spends a lot of its runtime showing the protagonist lost and confused. Jamie’s story is riddled with many bait-and-switch moments until he thinks he’s beaten Mary by destroying her last doll. However, the final moments have Jamie realize that he was led astray. His father turns out to be a doll controlled by his wife, who is possessed by Mary. With no place to run, a horrified Jamie learns this is how his demise was planned the whole time. Although the villain wins, the manner of her victory does deserve praise.

“Seven Pounds” (2008)
“Seven Pounds” has earnest intent with its story about the power of kindness. But it gets very melodramatic as the film goes on, making it a bit of a drag to watch. It follows Ben Thomas, who seeks to help supposed strangers. Keeping up with the abundance of characters is difficult until the ending ties everything together. We learn Ben is actually Tim Thomas, who was responsible for causing multiple deaths in an accident. Tim is giving his organs away to people in need to redeem himself, culminating in his own demise to save seven lives. His sacrifice justifies every interaction he’s had in the film, carving out Tim’s role as a tragic hero, and slapping viewers right in the feels.

“The Skeleton Key” (2005)
This supernatural horror contains many scenes with characters talking about hoodoo. All this exposition dulls “The Skeleton Key’s” quality since so much talking leaves little room for scares. Kate Hudson’s character, Caroline, becomes a caretaker of an elderly couple, the Devereauxs. The initially skeptical protagonist eventually believes the old people are hoodoo practitioners and tries to escape. But it turns out that all of Caroline’s research was manipulated to make her believe in hoodoo and prepared for possession. The Devereauxs are century-old body snatchers who lure young people to their plantation. Caroline and estate lawyer Luke are the latest in a long line of victims. All the talk of hoodoo in the film were discreet hints for viewers to prepare for this grand twist.

“Malignant” (2021)
Director James Wan frequently uses slow-burn stories with a twist. “Malignant” follows this template as well. It begins when mistreated Madison Mitchell’s violent husband is killed. Madison learns that her childhood imaginary friend Gabriel is behind the deaths of people connected to her. Although the film repeats this cycle of violence more than necessary, the twist of Gabriel’s sudden reappearance is worth the wait. We learn that Gabriel is Madison’s parasitic twin brother, who can control her body. After being extracted from her at childbirth, Gabriel’s consciousness has remained in her mind. The hunt for the killer went around in circles because Madison was indirectly the killer all along. This clever twist alters the context of the film’s events and sets up its horror-filled ending.

“Vanilla Sky” (2001)
“Vanilla Sky” opens with David Aames providing his account of the events that ruined his life. An accident leaves David’s face disfigured, alienating him from his lover, Sofia. Incoherent storytelling techniques and constant tonal changes in the narrative make it confusing to keep up with “Vanilla Sky.” But the climax answers why David’s life is a blur. He’s been in cryogenic sleep for over a century, waiting for technology to develop enough to repair his disfigurement. All the mayhem shortly after his accident was a glitch in his lucid dream, causing his feelings of guilt and sadness to catch up to him. The ambiguity of David’s fate is a clever way to leave viewers contemplating what comes next.

“Fallen” (1998)
This supernatural horror movie’s plot has detective Hobbes and Jonesy track the demon Azazel, who possesses people hoping to cause global calamity. The premise quickly takes a downturn since Azazel’s body-hopping becomes played out and nothing else really happens. “Fallen” also comes across as too convoluted for a horror movie, but this makes way for an ingeniously simple twist no one would see coming. Before letting Azazel take over his body, Hobbes poisons himself while at a secluded cabin to ensure the demon is stranded forever. However, Azazel breaks the fourth wall to mock us for thinking the good guy would win, as he possesses a cat to head back to civilization. This intellectual twist proves the devil does come in many forms.

“Repo Men” (2010)
This movie’s premise is about repo men in the future whose job is to repossess artificially enhanced organs. The main character Remy’s attempt to escape the repossession of his heart eventually spirals into a predictable chase story. The story seems to reach its cliché happy ending when a glitch brings everything back to reality. It’s revealed that Remy’s injury at one point in the film had caused severe brain damage and all that he sees is part of a simulation. Remy and his love interest are actually barely alive, meaning the “happy ending” only exists in Remy’s mind. This subverts usual action movie stereotypes in favor of a dark and realistic conclusion that is bittersweet yet thought-provoking at the same time.

“Ender’s Game” (2013)
“Ender’s Game” follows the titular character’s training to prevent an alien invasion. He partakes in simulations of the alien race known as Formics, gaining victory through his strategically brilliant mind. However, the film devotes a lot of time to the gaming aspect, which prevents the supporting characters from having much depth. It’s only by the ending that the importance of the many simulations becomes apparent. Ender finds out that these were all happening in real time, and he’s responsible for wiping out most of the Formic race. It’s a solid twist that turns the protagonist into a villain without anyone realizing it. The reveal of the Formics’ true peaceful nature makes Ender’s misunderstood actions all the more tragic.

“Smokin’ Aces” (2007)
FBI agents Messner and Carruthers are tasked to keep the informant “Aces” alive from mob boss Sparazza’s bounty. Unfortunately, the influx of many characters turns this into a highly convoluted plot that runs around in circles until the climax presents the big twist. The FBI is revealed to be working with the mob, as Sparazza himself is an informant and Aces’s father whom the FBI hand over as part of their deal. Disgusted that the FBI’s own corrupt activities caused so many deaths, Messner pulls the plugs on both Aces and Sparazza to destroy everyone’s plans. After messing around with the plot so much, “Smokin’ Aces’” morally appropriate ending presents a great contrast to all the prior over-the-top violence.

“Final Destination 5” (2011)
The “Final Destination” movies have never been critical darlings, mainly because the plotlines lack many surprises. “Final Destination 5” follows the same pattern, featuring yet another group’s attempts to escape death but meeting their ends in gruesome ways. The main plot ends as expected, with the survivors planning to leave on a plane to celebrate their supposed victory over death. However, it’s then that the flight is confirmed to be the one shown in the first movie, meaning everything that’s happened so far has been set up by Death to lead to this moment. As the plane crashes, the story comes full circle for the whole franchise, making it symbolic of the circle of life and death.

“Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” (2003)
By this point, it was obvious that the series would copy the format of the previous two movies. “Terminator 3” does indeed follow this style, with the titular character now protecting an adult John Connor from another advanced Terminator sent by Skynet. The story is on course for the usual sacrifice by the Terminator, but the final moments take an original twist never seen before in the franchise. It turns out that Judgment Day could never be prevented as was always believed, and that Skynet has already initiated nuclear bombs to begin a worldwide massacre. “Terminator 3” baits the viewer into a false sense of security to leave fans speechless as the series’ promise of a dystopian future finally comes to pass.

“Orphan” (2009)
This psychological horror story centers around the adoption of a child whose arrival sparks several incidents. “Orphan” is largely formulaic, with obvious signs of young Esther being an evil child. The buildup seems to point toward a cliché turn for the worst from Esther, but the reveal of her true nature comes out of nowhere. As it turns out, Esther is an adult woman posing as a young girl, meaning her malicious activities were the premeditated actions of a murderer, and not a disturbed child. The twist gives this thriller the eerie sense of horror it was going for. It also makes “Orphan” a highly rewatchable flick, as it’s interesting to go back and find clues for this twist hidden all along.

“The Book of Eli” (2010)
“The Book of Eli” sees the titular character’s attempt to preserve the last copy of the Bible while escaping a warlord who wants the book’s knowledge. This dystopian movie has similarities with the critically acclaimed “Mad Max” series, but relies on the mystery of its protagonist so much that the action becomes a drag to watch. However, the closing moments show Eli’s been hiding an even bigger secret as the Bible is written in Braille, revealing that Eli was blind the whole time. Having given no obvious clues, the twist places the protagonist’s actions in a bigger context and signs off with an uplifting message. Eli’s journey was always meant to be spiritual, which changes the previously bleak outlook of the film in an instant.

“Saw 3D” (2010)
The seventh movie loses all the nuances and thoughtful commentary from previous entries. Instead, “Saw 3D” is a straight-up gorefest that relies completely on the traps. The flick’s plot sees Mark Hoffman simply off everyone in his path and then take down Jigsaw’s wife Jill out of revenge. However, Dr. Gordon, whose status was never clarified until this film’s opening scene, shows up to attack Hoffman before he can escape. It’s revealed that Gordon was Jigsaw’s secret accomplice all along, meaning he had a hand in everything that happened in the series. This ties up all loose ends in one go, and at least gives this by-the-numbers movie the huge twist fans were looking for.