Often, complex movies with plot twist endings can be the most rewarding, as those who watch them carefully will get the most enjoyment when the final piece of the puzzle fits into place. Be it in literature, television, or film, there’s nothing quite like having an answer to a highly anticipated mystery. The moment of realization when finding out who the killer is in Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, or finally learning who murdered Laura Palmer in Twin Peaks, provides a cathartic, shocking reaction of understanding and amazement that’s addicting.
Many of the best thrillers of all time provide these moments, but complexity and plot twists aren’t bound to any genre. In many films with shocking twists, subtle clues, whether via camera techniques or narrative, provide hints toward the ending. An ending is most satisfying when the viewer has paid attention thoroughly. Even if they haven’t put the pieces together, acknowledging some hints throughout can make the twist more gratifying at the end, as it feels earned rather than being contrived out of nowhere for shock value.
12 Mulholland Drive
Directed by David Lynch (2001)
While Mulholland Drive doesn’t offer viewers a moment of explanation to recap what the twist exactly was, it’s almost unanimously agreed that the first two acts of the film take place in Diane Selwyn’s dream. When watching the movie’s larger dream segment, many hints suggest the nature of this reality. Conversational beats and certain happenings feel slightly off, indicating to the viewer that something isn’t quite right. Also, motifs like the blue box and key and the re-purposing of names and faces suggest that Diane has categorized aspects of her real life into her fantasy.
11 Saw
Directed by Kevin Greutert (2004)
Now one of the longest-running horror franchises, the original Saw caught lightning in a bottle with its ending twist of the identity of the Jigsaw Killer. Many clues point to this twist, rewarding viewers for noticing them. For example, John Kramer’s body can be seen laid out in the form of an X, hinting at the “x marks the spot” clue. Jigsaw also reveals that he is “sick of the disease eating away at me,” reminding audiences that they’ve already seen a man in a hospital bed dying from a brain tumor.
10 The Prestige
Directed by Christopher Nolan (2006)
The Prestige ending is filled with plot twists surrounding the rivalry between Alfred Borden and Robert Angier. It’s a film about sacrifice and obsession, and the major twist shows how much Borden had to sacrifice for his craft, essentially splitting his life with his twin brother. The two alternate throughout the film between the Borden persona and his assistant, Fallon. The Fallon character is in the movie infrequently enough that he doesn’t draw much attention, but those with a keen eye might be able to spot Christian Bale behind the facial hair and makeup.
9 Inside Man
Directed by Spike Lee (2006)
Spike Lee delivered a classic 2000s thriller with Inside Man, which begins as a typical bank heist but evolves into much more. The film has many moving pieces, and it’s hard to discern what’s going on during the first watch. The ending reveals the motivations of the thieves, who don’t end up stealing money but instead leave a trail for Denzel Washington’s Detective Frazier to incriminate a corrupt bank owner. The reward of Inside Man is realizing the nuanced intentions of the film’s characters.
8 Oldboy
Directed by Park Chan-wook (2003)
Oldboy has one of the most gruesome and disturbing plot twists ever, but moments of foreshadowing still make the twist feel rewarding. Dae-su forms a romantic relationship with Mi-do after being imprisoned for 15 years. The two are drawn together by Woo-jin, who orchestrates the film’s events, disgustingly revealing at the end that Mi-do is Dae-su’s estranged daughter. It’s a surprising moment, but the seemingly contrived nature of their relationship makes much more sense when it’s revealed that they were hypnotized to fall for each other.
7 The Usual Suspects
Directed by Brian Singer (1995)
The Usual Suspects takes place after a crime, in which Kevin Spacey’s Kint is questioned regarding the events of the deadly heist. Kint weaves the story of the enigmatic Keyser Soze, an enigmatic criminal whose identity remains a mystery. The final twist reveals that Kint had been making the story up the whole time, using phrases and names from around the room to manipulate both the police and the audience. When watching Kint, there are several moments of foreshadowing where the camera focuses on him studying words from around the room, including the Kobayashi coffee mug.
6 The Departed
Directed by Martin Scorsese (2006)
Like the foreshadowing in Se7en, Martin Scorsese used a subtle visual trick to indicate which characters would die in The Departed. There are many shots in the film where characters who will die have an X on them in the frame. It’s an extremely rewarding visual motif to pick up on, especially given the film’s fast-paced, rapid-fire narrative style.
5 Shutter Island
Directed by Martin Scorsese (2010)
Another Martin Scorsese thriller with Leonardo DiCaprio, Shutter Island is known for its shocking plot twist, revealing DiCaprio’s U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels as a patient at the asylum. Shutter Island only has a few hints leading up to its plot twist, and they’re easy to miss. A critical detail that denotes DiCaprio as a patient is how the guards interact with him differently than they do with Mark Ruffalo’s Chuck, who is actually a doctor on the island. Regardless of whether one picks up on the clues, Shutter Island’s twist rewards the viewer for paying attention.
4 Fight Club
Directed by David Fincher (1999)
David Fincher’s Fight Club is a massively famous film, primarily due to Brad Pitt’s Tyler Durden being one of the most quotable movie characters ever. But even those familiar with the idea of the movie may be unprepared for the film’s central plot twist, which reveals Durden to be a figment of the Narrator’s imagination. Several subtle hints throughout the film show Durden to be fake. For example, when the two smash up cars with baseball bats, only the Narrator sets off any alarms.
3 Se7en
Directed by David Fincher (1995)
The Usual Suspects isn’t the only film with a Kevin Spacey villain reveal plot twist. In fact, it’s not even the only one in 1995. However, in the case of Se7en, the important twist is less about who John Doe is and more about what he’s done. The shocking Se7en ending sees John Doe reveal his final murder, where he decapitated Gwyneth Paltrow’s Tracy Mills and had her head delivered to the climactic location. David Fincher foreshadowed this moment with camerawork, commonly framing Paltrow’s character from the neck up.
2 The Sixth Sense
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan (1999)
The Sixth Sense set the gold standard for M. Night Shyamalan’s career, establishing a filmography that would contain supernatural elements and shocking twist endings. Shyamalan carefully plants clues throughout The Sixth Sense regarding Cole Sear’s ability to see the dead. While it’s set in a way where it’s easy to miss, the most notable foreshadowing is that no other character interacts with Bruce Willis’ Malcolm.
1 Memento
Directed by Christopher Nolan (2000)
Christopher Nolan’s Memento is known for being exceedingly difficult to follow, with its unconventional narrative structure and non-linear timeline adding to the confusion of the main character’s memory loss. Like The Usual Suspects, Memento is a story defined by unreliable narration, creating a mind-bending experience that allows the viewer to piece the puzzle together at the end. It’s a tough movie to enjoy without giving it one’s full attention.
