[Movies] twist/shock endings

[spigot]

No, there isn't a new movie out called Twist Endings  

I love movies with twist/shock endings. Having watched Inception and Shutter Island recently (and finally), I'm wanting to compile a list of movies with "twist" (or shock) endings, or some kind of revelation or turn of events at the end which makes you re-think, and want to re-watch, the movie from a different perspective. What good ones can I put on this list? I know there's a bunch. Thanks!

Edit - I suppose we can argue, for the sake of arguing, the semantics between a "twist" and a "shock" ending. Ones that shock may not necessarily warrant evaluating the movie with a different set of eyes and twist endings don't need be shocking to be effective so there is a distinction.

[rickfc]

The one that immediately pops to mind is The Sixth Sense

[Isgrimnur]

The Usual Suspects.

[Gratch]

The Usual Suspects.

+1, one of my all-time favorites.  Amazing how the final 30 seconds can completely change the previous 2 hours.  

Fight Club probably falls in this category, as would Seven.

[TiLT]

Any movie by M. Night Shyamalan.

Memento.

[Crusis]

The Last Exorcism - although that movie was full of twists and turns. I still hated the ending.

[LoneStarSpur]

Fight Club

And I don't need to start another thread to throw this out here.
Tyler wasn't the only one who didn't exist(?)

[Razgon]

black Swan - really, really good movie.

WHY AM I NOT ALLOWED TO SPELL IT "Movie" anymore, stupid spelling checker??!!?!

oh, and "Anymore" isnt spelled like that either? God I need a spelting hat...

[Gratch]

And I don't need to start another thread to throw this out here.
Tyler wasn't the only one who didn't exist(?)

Interesting.

[Blackjack]

I tend to mix up "shocker" endings with "twist" endings. I guess a "shocker" ending might be something that surprises you but doesn't necessarily make you go back through the film and re-examine it.

David Fincher's "Seven" has a famous "shocker" ending but I'm not sure it's a "twist" per se, because it didn't really make us re-think the whole movie per se -- just maybe some of the latter part of the film. Or did it?  

"The Crying Game" -- is that ending revelation a twist that makes you re-think the whole film, or is it just a shocker?  

I agree with Crusis -- I think "The Last Exorcism" last year had one of the worst "shocker endings" I ever saw, because it was as if was tacked onto the wrong movie and mistakenly inserted from perhaps

Spoiler for Hiden:

Rosemary's Baby and The Blair Witch Project

. I'm not certain it qualifies as a "twist" ending because it sort of fits the movie's theme (it's not like aliens suddenly port in from outer space, or the priest turns out to be a woman or something), though not its overall tone. Well, maybe that IS a twist. 

For many viewers and critics the ending completely ruined an otherwise often fascinating film. It may have even stunted its box office prospects. It was as if the film studio and/or filmmakers "lost their nerve" and couldn't settle for a quietly disturbing film that leaves you to draw your own conclusions at the end -- they felt they had to Spell It Out.

The otherwise forgettable 1980s slasher film "Happy Birthday to Me" (with Little House on the Prairier's Melissa Sue Anderson) has a "oh you gotta be kidding me" twist ending, and I think it does make you re-think the whole film. But I wouldn't subject anyone to seeing it all the way through.  

[Harkonis]

April fools day.  Havent seen the remake but the twist is likely the same

[Mr. Fed]

"No Way Out" had a good twist ending.

[Bullwinkle]

The Crying Game's twist wasn't at the end, though that's being technical.  I saw that coming, but only a little before, but piecing that together didn't ruin the movie at all.  That's a true measure of brilliance in these twist movies to me, where you think you know what's going on, are pretty sure, even, but the movie makers are clever enough to keep you unsure.  With TCG, I was grinning in disbelief as I got it.  I could hardly believe they were pulling it off.  

Unfortunately, I figured out The Sixth Sense while they were having dinner.

Spoiler for Hiden:

They ate in silence and he didn't pick up the check.

 I think it's twenty minutes or so into the movie.  Every bit of evidence points to that surprise, so once you figure it out, there's nothing fun any more.  Frankly, it's not that great a movie.

As an added twist for Fight Club, I just read a bizarre theory that Tyler also represented Trading Places.  



Was that true of Helena Bonham Carter, too, maybe?

[PeteRock]

The Game with Michael Douglas and Sean Penn

Psycho

The Empire Strikes Back

Oldboy (although what is once seen cannot be unseen)

12 Monkeys

Eastern Promises

Primal Fear

Arlington Road (just saw it recently on TV and did not see the ending coming)

The Devil's Advocate

American Psycho

Vanilla Sky (although I f-ing hated the ending, so much that I returned the film)

Fallen

That about exhausts what I can come up with at the moment.

[Zekester]

The Departed

when.....

Spoiler for Hiden:

he stepped out of the elevator

[theohall]

Million Dollar Baby.

[CeeKay]

The Happening. 

I was shocked that none of the cast led a revolt and lynched Shimmyshammydingdong before he damaged their careers by finishing the movie.

[TiLT]

The Empire Strikes Back

Wow, that movie and its twist is so ingrained in my mind that I didn't even understand why you listed it until I stopped and thought about it. Good one!

[Crusis]

I agree with Crusis -- I think "The Last Exorcism" last year had one of the worst "shocker endings" I ever saw, because it was as if was tacked onto the wrong movie and mistakenly inserted from perhaps

Spoiler for Hiden:

Rosemary's Baby and The Blair Witch Project

. I'm not certain it qualifies as a "twist" ending because it sort of fits the movie's theme (it's not like aliens suddenly port in from outer space, or the priest turns out to be a woman or something), though not its overall tone. Well, maybe that IS a twist. 

For many viewers and critics the ending completely ruined an otherwise often fascinating film. It may have even stunted its box office prospects. It was as if the film studio and/or filmmakers "lost their nerve" and couldn't settle for a quietly disturbing film that leaves you to draw your own conclusions at the end -- they felt they had to Spell It Out.

I liked the movie a lot until the last few minutes.

Spoiler for Hiden:

The whole time I had to wonder if she was even possessed. I found the "Her soul's in hell!" thing to be a real give away but only after it was over. I should have seen it coming hehe.

Not to mention the reverend doing parlor tricks, the dad being right the entire time ... good flick but who in the hell thought that ending would make people happy?! BLECH!

[Crusis]

Oldboy! Talk about a double gut punch.

[PeteRock]

Million Dollar Baby.

Forgot about that one.  I had never seen the film before, not really knowing much about it, and then caught it on AMC one afternoon while studying. 

 

I had no idea. 

The Departed

I'd say that is more of a "shocking" ending than a twist one.  Similar to Layer Cake.

The Empire Strikes Back

Wow, that movie and its twist is so ingrained in my mind that I didn't even understand why you listed it until I stopped and thought about it. Good one!

 

[corruptrelic]

The Lodger (2009)

Still quite haven't figured out what happened at the end of that one but you definitely don't see it coming..

[Barrakketh]

Shattered (1991)

I anticipated the twist but I recall it threw a couple of my friends.

[rshetts2]

The Wrath of Khan (StarTrek II)  Killing off Spock was huge.  Of course they reneged in the next movie but it was definitely a shocker when it happened.

[EngineNo9]

Following (Christopher Nolan's movie before Memento)

[WorkingMike]

To this day the one that still gets me is Night of the Living Dead.

I'm tossing Angel Heart, Jacob's Ladder, The Others, The Spanish Prisoner and Primal Fear into the mix

[Bullwinkle]

To this day the one that still gets me is Night of the Living Dead.

I'm tossing Angel Heart, Jacob's Ladder, The Others, The Spanish Prisoner and Primal Fear into the mix

Angel Heart was another one that was good, whether you pieced it together or not.  The Others, too.  Actually, that one did a really good job of leading you down a couple of paths  I loved Jacob's Ladder, but I think it may have been too weird for most.

But NotLD's ending is still extremely powerful.  I actually read a bunch of John Russo's books (he wrote it with Romero), and they all end like that.  Well, not exactly the same but devastatingly downbeat.

[Caine]

Biggest to come to mind not already mentioned. Inception.

[Covenant]

Identity (starring John Cusack) was a really good one.

And in the John Cusack vein... Hot Tub Time Machine had a funny twist

[PeteRock]

Biggest to come to mind not already mentioned. Inception.

I love movies with twist/shock endings. Having watched Inception and Shutter Island recently (and finally), I'm wanting to compile a list of movies with "twist" (or shock) endings, or some kind of revelation or turn of events at the end which makes you re-think, and want to re-watch, the movie from a different perspective. What good ones can I put on this list? I know there's a bunch. Thanks!

 

 

[Caine]

Biggest to come to mind not already mentioned. Inception.

I love movies with twist/shock endings. Having watched Inception and Shutter Island recently (and finally), I'm wanting to compile a list of movies with "twist" (or shock) endings, or some kind of revelation or turn of events at the end which makes you re-think, and want to re-watch, the movie fr
om a different perspective. What good ones can I put on this list? I know there's a bunch. Thanks!

 

 

ah, it was early.

Ok, sub the outer Nolan movie, the prestige.  That had a twist at the end.  There was a foreign film about ww2 and a village that escaped, with the end showing the main character sitting among other captives on a train, having fantacized the whole thing as his way of dealing with his grief. Don't know the name anymore.   

[corruptrelic]

Funny Games.

Don't let the name fool you, its truly one of those WTF! movies that just doesn't go the way you'd expect it to. Almost disturbing.

[WorkingMike]

I still remember watching NotLD on late night tv once and not being able to get to sleep because I was so bothered.

The ending to the Descent was a little bit of a twist as well

[Zekester]

Speaking of The Descent.....watched the sequel last night, and it wasn't half bad 

[Ironrod]

Does it count if you already know the reveal?

Planet of the Apes
Citizen Kane

[kronovan]

You can't talk twisted and shock ending without mentioning David Lynch. His 2 films hat come to mind on this subject are Mulholland Drive and Lost Highway.

+1 to The Sixth Sense and The Usual Suspects

[Pyperkub]

The Last Seduction
Blade Runner (sort of, depends on which version you're watching)
Psycho
Charade
Basic Instinct
Saw (the first one)

echo:
The Usual Suspects (definitely)
No Way Out

[Purge]

Identity was fantastic (that was the seven people in a motel, right?).
I'd also put up the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. There are so many twisting subplots, you don't catch most of them on the first-go-round.

Versus had an unexpected ending, as did Phantasm. The Psycho movies had their fair share of twists, although you kind of know it going into them.

"Finkle is Einhorn" parody of The Crying Game in Ace Ventura was a bit of a loop (considering how hot/crazy Sean Young is), and that ties us to Blade Runner.

The Hulk (Ang Lee) had a HUGE shock ending... (the whole city-sized ball of electricity as Nolte tries to aborb Bana's rage being my joke here, folks).

I found that Executive Decision having Segal die was a pretty big shock (and garnered cheers from the theatre audience).

Sliding Doors was another one with a decent twist.

While I didn't enjoy Match Point much, its ending (and the death of one of the characters) came as a big shock.

Final Destination (the first one) was filled with shock endings.

Planet of the Apes (original) - pounding sand and all.

Dawn of the Dead (both versions, really).

Carrie.

Silence of the Lambs - "I’m having an old friend for dinner"

[Purge]

You can't talk twisted and shock ending without mentioning David Lynch. His 2 films hat come to mind on this subject are Mulholland Drive and Lost Highway.

This.

[Crusis]

Watched Repomen last night. Talk about how NOT to do a twist ending. BLECH!