Every movie and TV fan knows that these days, avoiding spoilers is becoming harder and harder. But what happens when it isn’t a poster, trailer, or even early screening that hints at or spoils major plot beats - but scenes in the movie itself?
Here are Screen Rant’s 10 Amazing Spoilers Hidden in Popular Movies.
Back to the Future
It’s nearly impossible to spoil this time-travel trilogy, since the fun isn’t in knowing whether Marty and Doc change history, but actually doing it. Still, fans could have predicted that sending Marty back to the future wouldn’t go smoothly: the paper cut-out of Harold Lloyd hanging from a clock tower in Safety Last! hinted at the climax in the opening minute.
Tangled
The baby Rapunzel doesn’t spend much time at home before being kidnapped in Tangled, but it wasn’t the tragedy it seemed. You could say her trauma was destiny at work: just take a look at the mobile in her crib. There’s a sign of her pet lizard Pascal, a Rubber Duck for the tavern she visits on the run, the horse Maximus, and more, all giving hints at her coming adventure.
The Prestige
Everyone who’s seen the movie knows that director Christopher Nolan left plenty of hints to the twist ending of The Prestige - but did you realize Christian Bale’s character may have also let the secret slip to his biggest rival magician? Viewers get the spoiler through narration, when Bale’s diary is being read by his rival (Jackman) and opens by describing their beginning in the industry as “two young men at the start of a great career.” Viewers might think it’s referring to the two stars, but when you realize Christian Bale’s character was actually played by twins, the line gives the entire twist away in the first scenes.
Frozen
It broke every Disney fan’s heart when they found out Prince Hans was really a villain in disguise. His plan was a subtle one, but fans missed one of the biggest clues that he wasn’t as innocent as he seemed. When soldiers corner and try to kill Queen Elsa, Hans comes to the rescue, but accidentally knocks down a chandelier which almost kills her anyway.
But look closer: Hans spots the crossbow, then takes a quick look at the chandelier before jumping into action. He made it seem like an accident, but his plan to take Elsa out was clear for those who caught it.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Star-Lord has a knack for nicknames when it comes to his alien partners, and goes deep into his childhood for Groot, dubbing him ‘Giving Tree.’ Most fans will get the reference to Shel Silverstein’s childrens book, “The Giving Tree,” but if they remembered the story in detail, they might realize how closely it follows Groot’s journey. He grows flowers to help his friends, loses his branches, and eventually sacrifices his entire body for the boy (raccoon) he loves. But just like the book, the tree was happy…
Captain America: The First Avenger
Double meanings and foreshadowing are often used to throw a wink to the audience, but nobody could have guessed that Captain America’s big screen solo movie would launch him into the future, ready to lead the Avengers into action… right? Well, one person clearly had a hunch that his and Steve’s path was going to be heading into the next century. When Bucky Barnes takes Steve on a double date to see ‘wonders of the future’ revealed, Steve winds up inducted into the super soldier program, setting in motion the events which saw the two men transported to the time of Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
The surprise ending to this detective story is played for a ton of laughs, with the revelation that police lieutenant ‘Lois Einhorn’ was really NFL kicker ‘Ray Finkle’ in a previous life. The jokes at her expense are all pretty childish, and the same is true of one of the biggest hints at her true identity, revealed through a few carefully placed pieces of fruit on her desk.
Looper
The hero of this film winds up doing everything he can to prevent a telekinetic young boy from becoming a horrible crime lord in the future, going by the name of ‘The Rainmaker.’ Although he succeeds, the name is never explained… but it is hinted at. Before the protagonist even arrives at the boy’s farmhouse, audiences get a look at a futuristic flying drone used to water the surrounding crops. If they realized this “rain-maker” was the key, they could’ve gotten the twist a whole lot sooner.
Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban
Keeping the events of the Harry Potter series under wraps was a major priority for author J.K. Rowling. But one of the story’s biggest surprises was hinted at in just the third movie. When Harry is injured during a Quidditch match he wakes up to his friends gathered around him, with Ron voicing his concern over Harry’s appearance. The Weasley twins defend Harry, saying they should “walk Ron off the Astronomy Tower” and see how he looks. They couldn’t have known it then, but that same fate would befall Albus Dumbledore, thrown from the Astronomy Tower to his death three movies later.
Casino Royale
Directors often use symbols to clue the audience in on their characters, but using them to spoil the movie in the opening credits isn’t as common. In Casino Royale’s credits, Vesper Lynd’s character is revealed as both the Queen of Hearts and the Queen of Spades. For those who know their suits, that means she’s a symbol of love, and a symbol of bad luck or betrayal - revealing her character’s double-cross before she’d even been introduced, eventually setting in motion multiple sequels.
Conclusion
Those are all the details, twists or plot points spoiled in major films, but which clues have we missed? Share them in the comments and don’t forget to subscribe for more videos like this one.
