Few events in movies are more satisfying to an invested audience than a well-executed plot twist. Unfortunately, many movies, while great the first time around, can lose their appeal and become frustrating once the viewers already know about the dramatic reveal. Knowing the twist in advance can fully erase any dramatic tension that the film works tirelessly to build up. Therefore, filmmakers have to work extra hard to make sure that their plot twists not only significantly contribute to the overall story, but that they are captivating enough to still be enjoyed on a second watch.
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Fortunately, many movies have twists so exciting, they can be watched over and over again without losing any of their punch. In fact, some twists actually manage to make films even more enjoyable the second time around. This is typically the case when the ultimate reveal has been carefully foreshadowed throughout the movie. These meticulously planned moments encourage the audience to search for clues that they may have missed the first time, while also demonstrating that the writers knew what they were doing all along. When these films were written, the writers knew audiences would come back hungry for more.
10 Verbal Kint is Keyser Söze
The Usual Suspects (1995)
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8.3/10 The Usual Suspects RCrimeMysteryThriller
Written by Christopher McQuarrie and directed by Bryan Singer, The Usual Suspects is a Mystery film that features Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Spacey, and Benicio del Toro. The plot unfolds during an interrogation in which a con man speaks to investigators about what happened, being one of only two men that survived a massacre at the Port of Los Angeles.
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*Availability in US Director Bryan Singer Release Date August 16, 1995 Studio(s) Universal Pictures Distributor(s) Universal Pictures , Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Writers Christopher McQuarrie Cast Kevin Spacey , Kevin Pollak , Benicio Del Toro , Gabriel Byrne , stephen baldwin , Chazz Palminteri Runtime 106 minutes Main Genre Crime Expand
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Much of the 1995 crime drama, The Usual Suspects, is told via flashbacks as Roger “Verbal” Kint discusses the complex series of events that led him and his associates onto a large boat where a brutal massacre has recently occurred. Throughout the film, Kint is being questioned by Agent Kujan, who is determined to figure out the identity of the mysterious crime lord, Keyser Söze.
Related The Usual Suspects Ending, Explained
The Usual Suspects asks a simple question: who is the mysterious crime lord Keyser Soze. The movie’s ending reveals the answer in spectacular fashion.
Eventually, Kint reveals Söze’s identity, and Kujan allows him to leave. It is only after Kint is gone that Kujan realizes that he had been lying the entire time, and Söze is actually Kint himself. Being among the most iconic plot twists in cinema history, the reveal in The Usual Suspects becomes even better when you watch the film thinking you know what to expect.
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The entire film is riddled with subtle hints that Kint may not be exactly what he says he is. In the room where Kint is being questioned, viewers can spot numerous objects that clearly inspired various parts of Kint’s fabricated story. This is just one of the many hidden clues for audiences to piece together even after they already know the truth.
9 Oliver Planned Everything
Saltburn (2023)
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6/10 Saltburn RComedyThriller
Written and directed by Emerald Fennell, Saltburn is a 2023 comedy-thriller film. When Oxford student Oliver Quick is invited to his friend Felix’s family’s wealthy estate, Saltburn, for a summer vacation, he is drawn into the world of eccentric characters and increasingly chaotic events as his obsession with Felix comes to a head.
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*Availability in US Director Emerald Fennell Release Date November 17, 2023 Studio(s) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer , MRC , LuckyChap Entertainment , Lie Still Distributor(s) Amazon MGM Studios Writers Emerald Fennell Cast Barry Keoghan , Jacob Elordi , Rosamund Pike , Richard E. Grant , Alison Oliver , Archie Madekwe , Carey Mulligan Runtime 131 Minutes Expand
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The 2023 dark comedy/thriller, Saltburn, highlights one eventful season experienced by Oliver, an Oxford student who accepts the offer to stay with his classmate, Felix, at his summer home. A series of disturbing interactions ultimately culminate in a violent end to the summer, with both Felix and his sister, Venetia, being found dead at different times. Years later, when Felix’s mother reveals that the entire estate will be given to Oliver upon her death, Oliver reveals that he orchestrated the entire summer, including the deaths of Felix and Venetia, before killing her as well.
The clever moments of foreshadowing throughout further add to the quality of the film on a second viewing.
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The twist ending of Saltburn not only increases the audience’s ability to rewatch the film, but almost makes it feel as though you’re watching an entirely different movie. The film takes on a whole new meaning when the truth is known, transforming from a story about a poor student who must spend the summer with an unusual family, to a story about a mastermind meticulously weaseling his way into a family’s hearts in order to steal everything they own. The clever moments of foreshadowing throughout further add to the quality of the film on a second viewing.
8 There Is No Tyler Durden
Fight Club (1999)
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36 8.8/10 Fight Club RDrama
Fight Club, David Fincher’s 1999 thriller starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter, is the cinematic adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s eponymous 1996 novel. In it, reckless soapmaker Tyler Durden helps the desolate Narrator find meaning in his monotonous life by creating an underground fight club where dejected men release their frustration in the form of fistfights.
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*Availability in US Director David Fincher Release Date October 15, 1999 Studio(s) 20th Century Distributor(s) 20th Century Writers Jim Uhls Cast Brad Pitt , Meat Loaf , Edward Norton , Jared Leto , Helena Bonham Carter Runtime 139 minutes Main Genre Drama Expand
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Life was uneventful for the unnamed Narrator of Fight Club before Tyler Durden showed up. After befriending Tyler, the Narrator begins to take on a whole personality, living a much more active, dangerous lifestyle. He quits his job and, with Tyler, forms an underground network of men looking to relieve stress through violence. As matters begin to escalate further out of control, with the risk of death becoming more of a factor, the Narrator is ultimately forced to confront the shocking reality that Tyler is merely another personality within himself, not a different person.
Rewatching Fight Club reveals that David Fincher knew what he was doing all along when he made the movie. There are numerous clues to the fact that the Narrator made up Tyler within his head, with a key one coming while the Narrator is sitting in a hotel early in the film. If you look closely at the television in the scene, you can see that one of the people onscreen is “Tyler” himself, revealing that the Narrator based Tyler’s appearance on someone he saw on TV. Details like this make Fight Club even more thrilling on a rewatch.
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7 She’s Not the Real Adelaide
Us (2019)
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8.5/10 Us RHorrorMysteryThriller
Written and directed by Jordan Peele, Us follows the Wilson family; Adelaide (Lupita Nyong’o) and her husband Gabe (Winston Duke), and their children, Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) and Jason (Evan Alex). When visiting a remote lakeside cabin, the Wilson family is beset by exact doppelgangers of themselves, who quickly disclose that they mean their counterparts harm. The Wilson family is forced to fight for their lives against twisted mirror images of themselves, not realizing that there are more doppelgangers out there.
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*Availability in US Director Jordan Peele Release Date March 22, 2019 Studio(s) Universal Pictures Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Jordan Peele Cast Lupita Nyong’o , Winston Duke , Elisabeth Moss , Tim Heidecker , Shahadi Wright Joseph , Evan Alex , Yahya Abdul-Mateen II , Anna Diop Runtime 116 Minutes Main Genre Horror Expand
With Us, the follow-up to Get Out, Jordan Peele further proved that he is a powerhouse in the world of horror. Us follows a family of four who must struggle to survive when they are attacked by their own mysterious doppelgängers, with similar attacks happening throughout the country. The family slowly manages to eliminate their doubles (known as the “Tethered”) one at a time, culminating in a final showdown between Adelaide, the family’s matriarch, and Red, her double. It is not until after Adelaide kills Red that it is revealed that the two actually switched places when they were little.
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Related Us vs Get Out: Which Jordan Peele Movie Is Scarier?
Both Get Out and Us are terrifying movies from visionary horror filmmaker Jordan Peele. But which of these movies is truly the scariest?
Revealed mere seconds before the end of the film, the final plot twist in Us forces audiences to reevaluate which character is the real protagonist. Viewers are left with the chilling realization that they may have been unknowingly supporting the villain all along. This reveal encourages the audience to rewatch the film, keeping an eye out for any indications that “Adelaide” may not be who she says she is (and there certainly are clues). If anything, many unusual elements (such as Adelaide’s unwillingness to speak following her incident) make a lot more sense when watching the film a second time.
6 Marta Is Innocent
Knives Out (2019)
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11 9.5/10 Knives Out PG-13DramaCrimeMystery
When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan’s dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, there are suspects aplenty. Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan’s untimely death.
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*Availability in US Director Rian Johnson Release Date November 27, 2019 Studio(s) 20th Century Distributor(s) 20th Century Writers Rian Johnson Cast Chris Evans , LaKeith Stanfield , Katherine Langford , Daniel Craig , Toni Collette , Jamie Lee Curtis , Ana De Armas , Michael Shannon , Christopher Plummer , Don Johnson , Riki Lindhome Runtime 130 minutes Expand
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Rian Johnson’s 2019 film, Knives Out, turned the mystery genre on its head by seemingly revealing the killer almost immediately, before ultimately twisting things around again. Early in the film, kindhearted nurse Marta Cabrera inadvertently injects wealthy writer, Harlan Thrombey, with a lethal dose of morphine, prompting him to slit his throat in order to avoid having the blame placed on his beloved nurse. A gripping investigation ensues, culminating in the reveal that Marta was not actually guilty after all, as Harlan’s greedy grandson, Ransom, switched the medicine bottles, intentionally seeking to kill Harlan.
The ending of
Knives Out
is another twist that completely transforms the meaning of the story building up to it.
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Without knowing the ending, Knives Out appears to be the story of a kind woman trying to avoid the grave consequences of a simple mistake. When the viewer knows the twist, though, it becomes a thrilling tale of a nurse potentially being implicated for a crime she did not commit, while the real killer threatens to go unnoticed. The reveal of Ransom’s true guilt feels all the more satisfying when you know that Marta was never to blame.
5 Teddy Isn’t Who He Thinks He Is
Shutter Island (2010)
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8.3/10 Shutter Island RMysteryThrillerDrama
Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island is based on the novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, and Ben Kingsley. Set in 1959, Shutter Island follows two U.S. Marshalls – Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Ruffalo) as they are sent to investigate the disappearance of a patient from a hospital specializing in psychiatric care.
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*Availability in US Director Martin Scorsese Release Date February 19, 2010 Studio(s) Paramount Pictures Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures Writers Laeta Kalogridis , Dennis Lehane Cast Leonardo DiCaprio , Emily Mortimer , Mark Ruffalo , Ben Kingsley , Max Von Sydow , Michelle Williams , Patricia Clarkson , Jackie Earle Haley Runtime 138 minutes Main Genre Drama Expand
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Some plot twists are so well done they force viewers to question every second of the film up until that point. This is the case for Shutter Island, the 2010 psychological thriller directed by Martin Scorsese. On a first viewing, the film is portrayed as the gripping story of a detective trying to get to the bottom of the mysterious events unfolding at an island-based mental hospital. Once the twist is revealed, however, it becomes apparent that the protagonist is merely a patient involved in a grand ruse to help him cope with the tragic events of his past.
Shutter Island becomes even more enjoyable upon a second viewing because it is so densely packed with hints that the protagonist isn’t who he thinks he is. Audiences gain the ability to view the film through the lens of it being about a group of people desperately trying to maintain an illusion, all for the purpose of helping a man come to terms with his guilt. All the main character’s flashbacks and strange interactions with others suddenly take on a whole new meaning when the twist is revealed, redefining the entire film for those who know the truth.
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4 Norman Bates Killed His Mother
Psycho (1960)
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9.5/10 Psycho RHorrorMysteryThriller
In this now-iconic Alfred Hitchcock thriller, a secretary embezzles forty thousand dollars from her employer’s client, goes on the run, and checks into a remote motel. The place is run by a young man under the domination of his mother — and he soon turns out to be far more threatening than he appeared at first.
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*Availability in US Director Alfred Hitchcock Release Date September 8, 1960 Studio(s) Universal Pictures Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Joseph Stefano , Robert Bloch Cast Janet Leigh , Martin Balsam , Anthony Perkins , John Gavin , Vera Miles Runtime 109 minutes Main Genre Horror Expand
Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 horror classic, Psycho, features an iconic plot twist which has made the film a hit for generations. In the film, mysterious proprietor Norman Bates discovers that a shadowy figure has been committing murders on the grounds of his motel, prompting him to cover them up as he deals with his ill mother. By the film’s conclusion, it is shockingly revealed that Norman’s personality is split between that of himself and that of his overbearing mother, whom he gruesomely killed years before. Overcome with guilt, Norman mummified her body, and carried out murders while embodying her personality.
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Thanks to the chilling performance of Anthony Perkins, the reveal of the twist in Psycho gets better with every viewing. The sight of a crazed, knife-wielding Norman running to protect his mummified mother is haunting enough to still maintain its impact even 60 years after its initial release. Every interaction in which Norman alludes to his “ill” mother becomes all the more unsettling when audiences know the truth. Similarly, Norman’s frightened reaction to the first murder reminds viewers just how fractured his mind truly is.
3 Anything to Win “Village of the Year”
Hot Fuzz (2007)
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9/10 Hot Fuzz RActionComedyMysteryThriller
The second film in Edgar Wright’s Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, Hot Fuzz stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as two policemen who investigate a seemingly idyllic community in the English countryside. After London hotshot policeman Nicholas Angel is transferred to the sleepy town of Sandford, he finds himself partnered with bumbling local officer Danny Butterman (Nick Frost). However, the pair soon discover that Sandford is not all it appears to be, uncovering shocking secrets that will shake the town to its very core.
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*Availability in US Director Edgar Wright Release Date February 14, 2007 Studio(s) Paramount Pictures , Universal Pictures Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures , Universal Pictures , Focus Features Writers Edgar Wright , Simon Pegg Cast Simon Pegg , Martin Freeman , Bill Nighy , Robert Popper , Joe Cornish , Chris Waitt Runtime 121 minutes Expand
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The second film in Edgar Wright’s popular Three Flavors Cornetto trilogy, Hot Fuzz easily packs the most surprising twist ending of any of Wright’s action-heavy comedies. After reluctantly relocating to the small town of Sandford, former London police officer Nicholas Angel begins to notice that a series of strange, tragic events in the quiet town may be closely connected. After some shrewd detective work, it is uncovered that the local Neighbourhood Watch Alliance (NWA) has been carrying out numerous murders and framing them as accidents, just so Sandford can continue receiving the honor of “Village of the Year.”
Related 30 Best Hot Fuzz Quotes
Hot Fuzz is yet another near-perfect Edgar Wright film filled with great action, smart storytelling, and of course, hilarious quotes.
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As is the case with all of Wright’s movies, Hot Fuzz is packed with lines that first appear to be casual throw-away gags, but end up being excellent uses of subtle foreshadowing. Practically every line in the script ends up reappearing in some capacity later on, with various characters dropping carefully placed hints about their involvement in the murders. These lines embody the satisfying blend of feeling perfectly natural the first time around, but assuming a whole different meaning when you know the truth. Hot Fuzz features the perfect twist to rewatch based on its multilayered dialogue.
2 The “Body” Is the Killer
Saw (2004)
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8/10 Saw RHorrorMysteryCrime
Saw is a horror film directed by James Wan. The story follows two men who awaken in a dilapidated bathroom, chained at opposite ends, and discover they are pawns in a deadly game orchestrated by a serial killer known as Jigsaw. As they struggle to survive, they learn the harsh consequences of their past actions. The film features complex puzzles and a dark atmosphere, contributing to its critical and commercial success.
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*Availability in US Director James Wan Release Date October 1, 2004 Studio(s) Twisted Pictures , Evolution Entertainment , Saw Productions Inc. Writers Leigh Whannell Cast Cary Elwes , Leigh Whannell , Danny Glover , Monica Potter , Ken Leung Runtime 103 Minutes Main Genre Horror Expand
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Many horror movies feature twist endings, but few manage to build them up quite as effectively as the original installment in the Saw franchise. A large portion of Saw‘s narrative occurs in a large, rundown bathroom, which has been repurposed by the Jigsaw Killer for one of his deadly games. The room contains little else beyond the two potential victims, a handful of clues, and a seemingly dead body. It is not until the end of the film that the body rises, revealing itself to not only be alive, but to be the true Jigsaw Killer.
For instance, there are multiple nods to how the killer enjoys watching the devious games he creates, explaining why he would plant himself right in the middle of the room.
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Saw is riddled with clever bits of foreshadowing that hint at the identity of the infamous serial killer. For instance, there are multiple nods to how the killer enjoys watching the devious games he creates, explaining why he would plant himself right in the middle of the room. There is also the subtle detail that the “body” lies with its limbs extended to form an “X” shape, providing an alternate explanation of the cryptic “X marks the spot” clue. These details, among many others, make Saw a chilling game for the viewers, who likely missed these hints the first time.
1 Everyone Is Guilty
Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
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10/10 Murder on the Orient Express (1974) PGDramaThrillerMystery
Hercule Poirot, the world-famous detective, boards the luxurious Orient Express, only to have his journey disrupted by the murder of a fellow passenger. With a cast of suspicious characters, each harboring their own secrets, Poirot must use his exceptional deductive skills to solve the crime.
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*Availability in US Director Sidney Lumet Release Date November 24, 1974 Writers Agatha Christie , Paul Dehn Cast Albert Finney , Lauren Bacall , Ingrid Bergman , Sean Connery , Martin Balsam , Jacqueline Bisset , Michael York , Anthony Perkins Runtime 128 Minutes Main Genre Mystery Expand
With more murder mysteries out there than one could count, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find the ones with twists that get better and better each time you watch them. One film that achieves this feat is Murder on the Orient Express, the 1974 Sidney Lumet film based on Agatha Christie’s novel. After a long, deep investigation of a violent murder on a snowbound train, detective Hercule Poirot makes the unsettling discovery that no individual suspect is the sole killer; instead, all the suspects worked together to commit the crime.
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The unexpected reveal that every suspect was equally guilty comes as a huge surprise to viewers, and encourages them to rewatch the film with this new knowledge in mind. Without knowing this twist, it is highly unlikely that the audience would have even considered the possibility of every suspect being guilty, as this is drastically different from the resolution of most mystery films. Watching Murder on the Orient Express is even more exciting when using the lens of knowing everyone is guilty, instead of assuming most of them are innocent.