Movies with a plot twist often make for some of the most memorable viewing experiences, especially when the twist comes towards the end of the film. A good movie will lull an audience into a false sense of direction and then blindside them with a huge reveal in the third act. The reveal is then usually associated with the movie forever.
Another thing that makes movies with dramatic plot twists great is that they engage the audience to try and figure out what the twist might be. In a lesser movie, the audience can see it coming a mile away, however, the best films with third-act twists leave the audience guessing until the end. Spoilers have been left out to avoid ruining any of these gems for readers who haven’t seen them yet.
The Prestige (2006)
Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige sees two feuding magicians, played by Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman, go to extreme lengths to outdo each other and come up with the ultimate illusion. This rivalry is handled expertly by Nolan and the talented cast, delivering a tense and intriguing viewing experience.
The Prestige features a shocking third-act twist that viewers can sense is coming but struggle to pick it. Unlike the magician’s rule of never revealing the secret behind a magic trick, Nolan reveals everything by the end, finally giving the audience the relief they yearned for.
Shutter Island (2010)
Martin Scorsese recruited top actors Leonardo Dicaprio and Mark Ruffalo to feature in his mystery-thriller noir film Shutter Island. The pair play police officers who are sent to investigate a shady disappearance at a hospital for the criminally insane, a place that could send them mad themselves if they aren’t careful.
Scorsese uses his master filmmaking talents to misdirect the audience throughout the film, to the point where there’s nothing to really suspect until the start of the third act. He then drops a narrative bombshell that leaves the audience wondering how they missed all the clues along the way.
Psycho (1960)
The master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, gave the world his most iconic film with 1960’s Psycho, a movie that changed Hollywood and the horror-thriller genre forever. Psycho follows the story of a woman who, after embezzling a large sum of cash money, runs away and winds up at a roadside motel that’s run by the unassuming Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins).
The woman eventually finds out that there is something sinister lurking behind Bates’s well-to-do demeanor. Much like the woman in the film, the audience can feel that there’s something not-quite-right about Bates and his relationship with his domineering mother, though it’s not until the very end that Hitchcock provides a shock twist that’s now become legendary.
Se7en (1995)
In David Fincher’s Se7en, Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman play homicide detectives chasing a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as a motive to commit gruesome murders. The film features the classic trope of pairing a rookie detective with a veteran, who must work for the greater good despite differing ideals.
Fincher adds a gritty realism that makes Se7en one of the more perturbing serial killer thrillers to ever be made, especially with its closing scene that features a horrifying twist. It’s a twist that may leave some viewers feeling nauseous, although it is well worth it.
Scream (1995)
In 1996, legendary director Wes Craven released Scream, which is universally regarded as one of the best slasher horror films. Neve Campbell plays a teenager who is stalked by a masked killer who likes to use horror movie trivia as part of a game when hunting their next victim.
Scream delivered another iconic horror movie villain with the Ghostface killer, who has gone on to enter pop-culture history alongside the likes of Freddy and Jason. Scream keeps the audience guessing as to who the masked killer could be, and ends with a reveal that is extremely difficult to see coming, making this one of the more engaging Wes Craven movies.
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Bryan Singer’s much-loved film The Usual Suspects follows the story of a group of criminals who randomly meet at a police lineup, and then later become involved in a shootout that leaves many people dead. The mastermind behind the events is the mysterious Keyser Söze, who is only revealed at the very end of the story, leading to one of film history’s greatest twists.
The twist in The Usual Suspects has been ingrained into pop culture, becoming one of the most parodied twist scenes ever, often with hilarious results. It’s a film that allows the audience to easily get invested in the characters, all of who may or may not hold the key to uncovering Söze’s secret identity.
Predestination (2014)
Australian directors The Spierig Brothers direct Ethan Hawke and Sarah Snook in the mind-bending film Predestination, which sees Hawke play a time-traveling police officer, known as a temporal agent, on his final mission chasing an elusive criminal.
As he travels through time, Agent Doe discovers truths about himself that he would never have thought possible, leading to a twist ending that sticks with the audience for a long time after the credits roll. This underrated sci-fi mystery film is one that is highly intelligent in its story and execution, with the twist just being the icing on the cake. It comes with a warning, however, as the reveal at the end may leave audiences feeling extremely awkward inside.
The Mist (2007)
The Mist may not be one of Stephen King’s most highly regarded or highest-earning film adaptations, however, it has one of the best endings. It follows a group of strangers trapped in a supermarket while the outside world is under attack from a monster invasion. The group has to band together and get over their differences in order to survive, though it’s easier said than done as tensions quickly begin to rise amongst them, with deadly consequences.
What makes The Mist great is that it’s more of a human horror story than a monster horror story. The film’s characters are essentially a reflection of the diverse types of people in the real world, and a look at how they may react in a position of duress as proposed in the film. It features a twist ending so dreary and gutting that it may take viewers a while to recover.
Oldboy (2003)
Korean auteur Chan-wook Park shocked the cinematic world in 2003 with his expertly-crafted thriller film Oldboy. The film follows a man who was kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years, only to be randomly released by his captors. He’s then given 5 days to find the people that imprisoned him while trying to solve the mystery of his own kidnapping.
This brutal film features one of the more unique premises to come out of the South Korean thriller movie scene, with a shock twist in the final act that will have audiences feeling enraged, appalled, distressed, disturbed, and possibly even physically sick.
Saw (2004)
In 2004, two Australian unknowns released a little horror movie called Saw, which went on to become a massive financial success and spawn eight sequels. The film sees two strangers wake up in a dirty bathroom with no clue of how they got there, and soon find out that they’re part of a deadly game perpetrated by a twisted serial killer.
Saw features an original premise with outstanding performances from its two leads, Cary Elwes and Leigh Whannell, who convey a sense of fear and terror with amazing authenticity, driving the horrifying narrative home. Its shock twist is one that is nearly impossible to pick, making it one of the greatest twists in film history.
