Between the legendary and the ludicrous, there are many controversial plot twists which still inspire debate. These twists have as many fans as detractors. Since a movie's ending can often affect how people appreciate the entire story, these divisive twist endings are big sticking points in the discourse surrounding a certain movie. Those who love the twist will generally love the movie, while others might feel as though the twist ruins everything.
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Great movie twists are surprising without feeling like they come out of nowhere, and filmmakers often drop subtle hints before the big reveal.
This list contains spoilers for the following movies: The Mist (2007), Shutter Island (2010), The Village (2004), Zootopia (2016), Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022), Last Night in Soho (2021), Tenet (2020), The Shining (1980), Us (2019), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
10 The Army Arrives
The Mist (2007)
Director Frank Darabont
Release Date November 21, 2007
Frank Darabont's adaptation of The Mist was generally well-received by Stephen King fans. This should come as no surprise, since Darabont also directed both The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. The one major point of contention in his version of The Mist is the one moment where he differs the most from the source material. The ending in the book provides an ambiguous note of hope, but Darabont's version is much darker.
This down ending is a good fit for a horror movie, but some fans have questioned the sudden shift as the group decide to take their own lives.
The Mist ends with David mercy killing the rest of his group of survivors, including his son, before turning the gun on himself. Suddenly, the mist recedes and the military show up to take down the monsters. This down ending is a good fit for a horror movie, but some fans have questioned the sudden shift as the group decide to take their own lives. The other sticking point is the irony of the army showing up right at that moment. This feels like something that could happen in The Twilight Zone, but it's too convenient for the tone of the rest of the movie. King himself is a fan of Darabont's ending.
9 Teddy Is A Patient
Shutter Island (2010)
Release Date February 19, 2010
The discourse around Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island revolves around the controversial twist ending. Leonardo DiCaprio's US Marshal believes that he's investigating a missing persons case at an isolated asylum for the criminally insane, but he discovers toward the end that he's actually a patient. The entire investigation is part of an experimental psychological treatment to indulge his paranoid delusion so that it can finally be laid to rest.
Although it still shocks many people, there's a constant sense that Teddy is unwell, which spoils the surprise for some.
Shutter Island's twist ending has divided Scorsese's fans. Although it still shocks many people, there's a constant sense that Teddy is unwell, which spoils the surprise for some. With his war flashbacks, his disturbing dreams and a few other odd occurrences, it's clear to see that he is suffering in some way, even if audiences may not be able to deduce the specifics. The moment when Dr. Cawley wheels out a whiteboard to explain the twist is also divisive, with some fans seeing it as Scorsese's reductive way of spelling things out to his audience.
8 The Village Is Isolated From The Modern World
The Village (2004)
Release Date July 30, 2004
No director is more synonymous with twists than M. Night Shyamalan. Ever since the perfectly-executed twist in The Sixth Sense, he has made a habit of ending his movies with huge surprises. This means that audiences generally expect a twist of some kind when they watch a Shyamalan movie for the first time. He has consistently come up with creative ways to toy with his audience's expectations, but not every twist is a winner.
Shyamalan's twists range from the superb to the silly.
The Village
sits somewhere in the middle of this spectrum.
Shyamalan's twists range from the superb - like in Unbreakable - to the silly - like in Signs. The Village sits somewhere in the middle of this spectrum. The reveal that the entire movie isn't a period piece at all can be seen as a dark comment on the use of propaganda and seclusion to create false truths. However, the way that Shyamalan pulls it off can be a little too jarring. Harsher critics have accused this twist of going too far, as if Pride and Prejudice were to end with Mr. Darcy flying off in a helicopter.
7 Dawn Bellwether Is The True Villain
Zootopia (2016)
Director Jared Bush , Rich Moore , Byron Howard
Release Date March 4, 2016
Cast Octavia Spencer , Bonnie Hunt , Maurice LaMarche , Idris Elba , John DiMaggio , Jason Bateman , Alan Tudyk , Nate Torrence , Katie Lowes , Ginnifer Goodwin , Tommy Chong , Shakira , J. K. Simmons , Jenny Slate , Tommy 'Tiny' Lister Zootopia is one of Disney's best animated movies of recent years, but it uses one of the studios most tiresome tropes. Disney's twist villains have become something of a cliché in the 21st century. This trend could be a subversive overcorrection from the time that Disney villains were evil in both actions and appearance, like Scar and Maleficent. Dawn Bellwether is a cute little sheep, but she's just as evil as some iconic Disney villains.
Disney's twist villains have become something of a cliché in the 21st century.
The whole pattern of Disney twist villains is divisive, but there are some movies which pull it off well. Prince Hans in Frozen is a great example, but Assistant Mayor Bellwether's reveal isn't as satisfying. Zootopia doesn't give her much attention before the big twist, so it seems to spring up out of nowhere. Advocates for the twist may claim that this is representative of backdoor political corruption, but it isn't universally loved.
6 Miles Bron Is The Killer
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
Release Date December 23, 2022
After a groundbreaking first entry, Rian Johnson's Knives Out franchise had to move ahead with an original mystery and a new cast of characters. While Glass Onion was generally well-received, it does feel like a step-down in quality at times. The ultimate reveal about the identity of the killer definitely doesn't compare to the brilliantly executed twist in Knives Out. Benoit Blanc deduces that tech billionaire Miles Bron is responsible for killing Andi and Duke.
Whether someone might love or loathe this twist could hinge on their affinity for the mystery genre.
Glass Onion's big twist is kind of an anti-twist, and a commentary on the conventions of the mystery genre. From the moment the "Disruptors" arrive on Miles' island, he seems arrogant, unintelligent and self-obsessed. He's the obvious suspect, which would automatically make some people think that it can't possibly be him. Whether someone might love or loathe this twist could hinge on their affinity for the mystery genre. Wake Up Dead Man will continue the Knives Out franchise in 2025, and Johnson now has to contend with the fact that his audience will have their guard up more than ever.
5 Ms Collins Is Sandie
Last Night In Soho (2021)
Release Date October 29, 2021
Cast Anya Taylor-Joy , Lisa McGrillis , Michael Ajao , Matt Smith , Margaret Nolan , Synnove Karlsen , Diana Rigg , Oliver Phelps , Thomasin McKenzie , Jessie Mei Li , Terence Stamp , Rita Tushingham , James Phelps Edgar Wright has built a cult following after the Cornetto trilogy, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and Baby Driver, but Last Night in Soho is his most divisive movie yet. The stylish horror stars Thomasin McKenzie as a student in London who starts experiencing strange dreams and flashbacks to the life of a different woman in the 1960s. Ultimately, she discovers that the mystery woman is none other than her elderly landlord, and that she took revenge on the men who mistreated her by killing them.
Some people were critical of the twist, claiming that it was easy to predict and needlessly melodramatic.
Last Night in Soho's twist transforms the complexion of the movie from a dark psychological horror into something more urgent and dangerous. Suddenly, Ellie is fighting for her life rather than just investigating a supernatural mystery. This is an exciting change of pace, but some people were critical of the twist, claiming that it was easy to predict and needlessly melodramatic.
4 Neil Is The Mystery Soldier With The Red Trinket
Tenet (2020)
Release Date September 3, 2020
Christopher Nolan has used twist endings to tremendous effect in Memento, The Prestige and Interstellar. Tenet's finale is much more divisive, although this aligns with the fact that Tenet is easily Nolan's most divisive movie. When it was released, Tenet was dismissed by some Nolan fans as confusing and self-absorbed. Its critical reputation is slowly being rehabilitated, but it still has many detractors.
Tenet
is easily Nolan's most divisive movie, and it has his most divisive ending.
Tenet's puzzling ending reveals that Neil is the soldier with the red trinket who sacrifices himself to save the Protagonist in the battle. He's also the soldier who saves the Protagonist during the opening scene at the opera house. For those who love Tenet, this is a shocking gut-punch that reveals Neil's fate is sealed. However, it just adds more questions for fans who don't quite connect with Nolan's cerebral thriller.
3 Jack Appears In The Old Photograph
The Shining (1980)
Release Date June 13, 1980
The Shining is one of the best Stephen King adaptations, although the author has been vocal about his personal dislike of Stanley Kubrick's take on his material. Kubrick adds his own touches to King's novel, and they make the meaning of some puzzling events a little more ambiguous. There are several strange occurrences in The Shining, like Jack's escape from the food storage room and the sight of the masked man in the bear suit, but the ending is what has sparked the most debate over the years.
The photograph is a piece of physical evidence which seems to discount theories that the events of
The Shining
are largely caused by psychological distress.
The Shining's haunting ending shows Jack in a photograph taken at the Overlook Hotel in 1921. Some Kubrick fans have interpreted this as evidence that Jack's soul has been somehow absorbed by the Overlook Hotel after his death, while there are also fan theories involving reincarnation and non-linear time. However, the photograph is a piece of physical evidence which seems to discount theories that the events of The Shining are largely caused by psychological distress. The controversial twist has continued to intrigue audiences for decades.
2 Adelaide Is One Of The Tethered
Us (2019)
Us
Release Date March 22, 2019
Cast Lupita Nyong'o , Winston Duke , Elisabeth Moss , Tim Heidecker
Jordan Peele quickly earned a devoted following after his outstanding debut feature Get Out. Us doesn't enjoy quite the same level of critical acclaim, although Get Out was always going to be a tough act to follow. Us once again showcases Peele's mastery of tension, but the twist ending isn't universally popular. Adelaide looks back on the night during her childhood when she first met Red, and she realizes that she is one of the Tethered, and that she switched places with her döppelganger.
The idea that Adelaide could switch places with one of the Tethered in her childhood creates holes in most fan theories.
The ending of Us is an ambiguous puzzle, and Peele's fans have interpreted it in many different ways. The Tethered have been interpreted in many different ways, with fans suggesting they could represent Native Americans, the working class, humanity's dark internal nature, or something else. The idea that Adelaide could switch places with one of them in her childhood creates holes in most fan theories. It's also a mystery how she learned to speak normally, and why she seems more "human" than the other Tethered people.
1 Rey Is "No One"
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
Release Date December 15, 2017
Cast Daisy Ridley , Oscar Isaac , Mark Hamill , Carrie Fisher , John Boyega , Adam Driver , Andy Serkis , Lupita Nyong'o , Anthony Daniels , Gwendoline Christie , Kelly Marie Tran , Laura Dern There have been no shortage of controversies in the Disney era of Star Wars, with hardcore fans of the franchise disagreeing with many of the creative decisions being made. The divide in the fan base erupted with the release of The Last Jedi. After The Force Awakens delivered some solid Star Wars thrills, The Last Jedi was seen as the movie which really had to move the story and the franchise forward into a new era, but its handling of Rey's story was extremely controversial.
Despite the controversy, it was more popular than
The Rise of Skywalker
's reveal that Rey is a descendant of Emperor Palpatine.
Rey's sensitivity to the force is one of the big mysteries from The Force Awakens, and this led many fans to speculate that she could be related to the Skywalkers or another well-known Jedi. Kylo Ren tells her in The Last Jedi, that she is simply "no one". Advocates of this twist argued that it represented a more exciting and inclusive approach to the franchise, meaning that anybody could be a hero. Harsher critics felt that it betrayed the franchise's lore. Either way, it was a more popular choice than The Rise of Skywalker's reveal that Rey is a descendant of Emperor Palpatine. That was almost universally reviled.
Custom image by Yeider Chacon
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