This article contains spoilers for numerous films, including Fight Club, Psycho, The Prestige, Last Night In Soho, Parasite, Saw, Secret Window, and Split.
It’s impossible to avoid spoilers all the time, but I am so pleased I was able to experience all of these films without the twist being spoiled. I adore twisty films that subvert expectations, but the downside is that many of these movies have their twists spoiled by enthusiastic fans. On top of this, when a movie with a twist really makes waves and stands out, it continues to be discussed for years to the point that the endings become common knowledge.
Movies like The Sixth Sense, Planet of the Apes, The Usual Suspects, and Return of the Jedi are all classic hits that feature a huge twist that most people are likely to know about, regardless of whether they’ve seen the movies. However, I have still had the pleasure of enjoying plenty of incredible movies with a twist that I didn’t know about beforehand. The sensation that such twists bring is unforgettable, and precious, because you only get it once with each movie, before the twist is inevitably etched in your brain.
8 Fight Club
This movie came out in 1999, when I was just 5 years old. As a result, I didn’t see the movie until many years later. Despite this, I somehow managed to avoid learning about the incredible twist ending, and it came as a brilliant surprise. Throughout the movie, I was captivated by the ideology, the themes, and the wild ride that Tyler Durden and the Narrator embark on.
In addition, the casting of Brad Pitt, Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter in the leading roles was absolutely inspired. The sheer differences between the enigmatic Durden and the timid Narrator also helped to create a divide between the protagonists that seemed utterly impossible to cross over. But when the film concludes, and it reveals the Narrator was alone much of the time, with Durden only existing in his imagination, it was a moment like shattering glass. The entire movie is reframed, and it’s genuinely spectacular to watch.
7 Psycho
Going back even further, the Alfred Hitchcock classic, Psycho, is another film that I managed to avoid spoilers of despite the movie already being in circulation for more than 30 years before I was born, and practically half a century by the time I was old enough to watch it. I think that part of the reason the twist ending alluded me, despite pop culture references that paid tribute to Psycho, was just how captivating and influential the rest of the movie is.
Yes, seeing Norman Bates dressed as his deceased mother for the first time is an iconic part of the film, but beyond this, the film features plenty of other scenes that have taken on a life of their own. The shower scene, Norman’s smile as he stares into the camera at the end of the film, and several other moments have all been adapted and parodied in countless other works. But discovering the true depths of his mental state and seeing Norman in the dress is vital for understanding Psycho on a deeper level than the parodies that it inspires.
6 The Prestige
Fortunately, the last 20 years have also offered up numerous iconic twists that have become modern classics. Among them is the iconic Christopher Nolan film, The Prestige. With Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman starring side by side in a story of two competing magicians who wish to become the greatest, and most celebrated men in their trade, The Prestige sees these men push the limits in order to achieve greatness, no matter what the cost. The twists in The Prestige come two-fold, as the final act reveals numerous secrets that become increasingly disturbing and depict the blind devotion of these performers.
While Bale’s character is revealed to be two twins who have chosen to live as one man in public and alternate, going to great lengths in order to match in every way, Jackman’s character unbelievably makes the greater sacrifice. With his trick only becoming possible through the use of a machine that clones him, and thus requires he dispose of the other version with every performance, in the same brutal way that his wife died no less. The ending is harrowing, but also brilliantly constructed in a way that only Nolan could pull off.
5 Last Night In Soho
Even more recently, Last Night in Soho depicts a dramatic and thrilling mystery that happens across time. As the film builds intensity with a young woman who finds herself transported back in time as she sleeps, an eerie sense of confusion arises between what is real, and what is merely a dream. For young Eloise, things start out fun and exciting, but it quickly devolves into something much darker. She then tries to use her dream state to unravel mysterious crimes which are rattling the community.
However, as the film races towards its finale in the third act, Eloise discovers the dark secret that appeared to be safely out of reach in the distant past is actually still very present. The woman with whom Eloise has been lodging is revealed to be behind the murders, and her victims lie decaying within the walls of her home. This shocking twist is even more impactful because Eloise has developed such a deep and personal connection to the figure in her dreams, but it turns out she was the guilty party all along.
4 Parasite
Parasite is an incredible film from South Korea that played a significant part in making foreign language films more mainstream. Thanks to the films outstanding performance at film festivals, securing four Oscars and many other accolades, and receiving widespread global releases, this thriller became a phenomenon that demanded to be seen. And considering the incredible direction of Bong Joon Ho, as well as a captivating narrative, it was easy for everyone to enjoy.
As the movie slowly establishes the Kim’s as a family of impoverished individuals who wish to climb the economic and social ladder through deceit, it appears that this is the central premise of the story. However, as the movie progresses, it becomes clear that the Kims are not the first people to take advantage of those more fortunate and insert themselves into the lives of the wealthy in ways that cross boundaries and create significant tension. The ending is something that needs to be seen to be believed as it keeps getting more uncomfortable and strange.
3 Saw
Saw is another film that I missed in theaters due to being too young at the time of release, but when I did eventually see the first entry in the franchise, it was incredibly compelling. I tend to prefer horror that is more psychological and less graphic, but the Saw franchise delivers both to a high caliber. The villain of the film remains hidden throughout, but when he is finally revealed at the end of the film, it’s absolutely shocking.
While the two men locked inside a dingy disgusting room are subject to brutal trials that test their morality and humanity, they are in the presence of a dead body that appears to be a former victim. There is no reason to doubt the authenticity of the body, the conditions in the room and the brutality of their captor who speaks by way of recording make it clear that death is the game. However, as the movie reaches its end, the body suddenly moves, and then stands up. All along, their tormentor was lying just a few feet away, and the pair were none the wiser.
2 Secret Window
Secret Window stars Johnny Depp in one of his lesser known roles, but the thrilling story of a writer who locks himself away in a secluded house in the woods is well worth a watch. When the film came out, I was in the middle of exploring Depp’s body of work, with Sweeney Todd, Edward Scissorhands, Chocolat being just a few of the titles I was watching for the first time. Depp’s versatility, and his gravitating to roles that were typically a little outside the norm had me intrigued, and led me to watch this little-known Stephen King adaptation.
Also being a fan of Stephen King and his adapted works, Secret Window was already likely to be my kind of movie, but the psychological twists and thrills throughout elevated it to another level. As the film progresses, Depp’s character gradually becomes more unstable, as the stories he is writing begin to take shape in his real life. Ultimately, he is revealed to be the protagonist within the story, and a secret killer, though even he was unaware of his murderous deeds.
1 Split
Finally, when I was younger, I watched Unbreakable with my dad and became a lifelong M. Night Shyamalan fan. Of course, the director has ups and downs, and there are plenty of flaws within his films, but his signature twists are iconic, raising his work to a cult status. However, when I watched Unbreakable, I certainly didn’t expect the story to be continued down the road, more than 15 years later.
But, that’s exactly what Shyamalan did when he made Split and included an end credits scene that revealed David Dunn, the hero from Unbreakable, as part of this same shared universe. This was a spectacular and unexpected twist that was immediately satisfying, and created incredible anticipation for the final chapter in the trilogy, Glass. However, I was fortunate enough to watch the Shyamalan universe being revealed in real time, while newcomers to the series will already have this twist spoiled merely by knowing it’s a trilogy.
