Summary

• Plot twists should be well-executed and not too perfect or predictable.
• Foreshadowing and red herrings are essential in creating a satisfying twist.
• A poorly done twist can ruin the entire film and discredit the characters and story.

Plot twists are time-honored traditions in cinema, and creating the perfect twist can be difficult if the way it wraps up the loose ends of the narrative works out a little too well. Additionally, too many plot twists within one story can cheapen the effect, and make the plot predictable. While predictability isn't always a bad thing, there's plenty of drama in the struggle against the inevitable, it rarely bodes well if a plot twist is too perfect and neat.

When done right, a plot twist elevates a traditional story structure and makes the audience feel simultaneously gratified and shocked. There must be sufficient foreshadowing so that the twist doesn't feel unearned and plenty of red herrings to divert the audience's attention to the wrong conclusion. However, if done wrong, a twist can ruin the entire film and destroy the good faith the viewer had from the beginning. Certain genres require a fair amount of twists, and the best filmmakers know how to satisfy and

10 Rey Is A Palpatine

Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

One of the biggest mysteries in the newest installments of the Star Wars franchise is the source of Rey's (Daisy Ridley) Jedi powers and control over the force. For the first two films of the trilogy, it remained unknown, and there were subtle thematic hints that it didn't matter, a hero could come from anywhere. All of this was undone in The Rise of Skywalker when it's shown she's a descendant of Emperor Palpatine. This easily ties together Rey's arc and undermines her character's mystery. In one moment, it becomes fate that Rey ends up with the Jedi.

9 The Final Battle Was A Vision

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)

The question of why the final battle in Breaking Dawn never actually happened is answered in the film when Alice (Ashley Greene) reveals that the fight was one of her visions. This is a boring and highly criticized choice that proved to be one of many problems with the final installment of the series. Worse still, was how realistic the scene was, making fans believe that the events were happening. By going back on the loss and violence that occurred in the fight, the story gets away with everyone living happily ever after, no matter how disappointing that is.

8 Dylan Rhodes Is The Leader Of The Horsemen

Now You See Me (2013)

Now You See Me was never lauded for its particularly strong script, or received as a serious film by critics, but even a movie that's made only for the sake of enjoyment can have a logical ending. FBI agent Dylan Rhodes spends the entire film chasing the four horsemen, nearly catching them but getting tricked at every turn. It's amazing how well the magicians outmatch and outsmart him. However, it turns out they were never one step ahead of him, because he was the mastermind behind the whole thing.

Rhodes was the son of a famous magician who died in the course of attempting a dangerous stunt and has dedicated his entire life to getting revenge on the man who contributed to his father's death. This makes all of his actions so far in the story superfluous and creates confusion as to how he got away with all of this in the first place. It also discredits the skills of the magicians that the audience has been rooting for throughout the film, making their skills and powers of deception significantly lessened.

7 Tom Is A Ghost

Last Christmas (2019)

Heavily featuring the song of the same name, Last Christmas by Wham!, the film Last Christmas is a holiday rom-com that has a bittersweet and confusing ending. Protagonist Katarina (Emilia Clarke) spends the film falling in love with Tom (Henry Golding) and learning how to be a better person from him. Just when it's time for them to get their happy ending, she realizes he's been dead the entire time. A shocking twist that makes all the moments when he disappears, or she can't get a hold of him suddenly fall into place.

Why he had to be dead is anyone's guess, but it's most likely so the filmmakers didn't have to deal with the nitty-gritty of making their relationship make sense. Few rom-coms are too concerned with how healthy or realistic their central relationships are, but the teacher-student dynamic that Tom and Katarina have would never have lasted had he been alive. How he came back as a ghost for the sole purpose of changing one woman's life is merely chalked up to the power of Christmas.

6 The Aliens Are Real

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

Few Indiana Jones reboots have had the success of the original trilogy but, even with the box office bomb of the fifth movie, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is still the least popular Indiana Jones movie, most likely because of the inclusion of aliens. Most of the films have supernatural elements but always maintain realism with practical effects, and a compelling adventure to accompany the out-of-this-world aspects. As Indy (Harrison Ford) and Mutt (Shia LaBeouf) get closer to the truth, the mystery could have used aliens as a misdirect, but the film decided to make the aliens real.

5 Hugh Is The Killer

Knives Out (2019)

Despite being popular with audiences at its release, Knives Out has come to be a controversial addition to the whodunit genre. The final scene where Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) spells out how the murder went down includes the incredible twist that Hugh AKA Ransom, the grandson of Harlan (Christopher Plummer), was the one who killed him for his money. While no one wanted Marta (Ana de Armas) to be responsible for Harlan's death, the ease with which every piece of the puzzle can be connected back to Hugh is a little too perfect.

4 Emily Has A Twin

A Simple Favor (2018)

Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick play a pair of twisted best friends in A Simple Favor, a film that has more twists than one can count. Out of all of them, the twist that makes the most sense, but is the most convenient, is the fact that Emily (Lively) is not actually dead, it's her twin. This is an easy out for the plot and allows the writers to bring her back into the action without much fuss. From there, the plot only goes downhill, becoming more improbable with each shocking revelation, until they're no longer shocking.

3 Angier Has Been Cloning Himself

The Prestige (2006)

Out of all of Christopher Nolan's movie endings, The Prestige is an interesting one, that leaves the audience wondering who the real villain of the film is. In the final moments, Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman), proves to the Boden twins (Christian Bale) that he is the superior illusionist through his dedication. While the Bodens pretend to be one person, Angier has been cloning himself, and killing the other version every night in his performance. The laws of physics, or how Angier is pulling this off, become a little fuzzy, but this is not of great concern for the movie.

2 Ending With The 9/11 Attacks

Me (2010)

The end of Me is almost too wild to be considered a twist, as the film ends before the audience has a chance to process what just happened. There is no indication that the film is going to be about the events of Septemeber 11th at all. It's only in the last seconds of the film that it's strongly implied Robert Pattison's character is about to be killed in the attacks. This ending is transparently an out for the filmmakers who weren't sure how to end the film and thought one last tragedy would provide sufficient emotional impact.

1 Blofeld Is Bond's Brother

Spectre (2015)

Daniel Craig's Bond is largely regarded as the best iteration, as are the films that he stars in. However, in Spectre, when the iconic villain, Blofeld (Christoph Waltz) is finally introduced, the face-off between Bond and Blofeld is ruined by a pedestrian twist. Blofeld and Bond are revealed to be long-lost brothers, and Blofeld's hatred of him stems from a childhood rivalry. He becomes an international criminal mastermind and holds a grudge so all-consuming that all of Bond's troubles have been caused by him. However, the fact that they are brothers is simply not a strong enough motivation.