# Recommend me (heh, heh) movies with surprise endings/plot twists **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 27, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-heh-heh-movies-with-surprise-endings-plot-twists/221304 "2003-12-27T20:55:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-heh-heh-movies-with-surprise-endings-plot-twists/221304/1 "2003-12-27T20:55:47Z")
So this year I finally broke down, decided to join the ranks of entertainment-addled modern man, and gave my mother permission to get me a TV/DVD for Christmas. It’s the first time I’ve had a boob tube since moving out on my own. Now it’s time for me to work throught the list of all the movies I’ve ever wanted to see but haven’t yet. At the same time, I’d like to build a new list. I love movies with surprise endings or surprising major plot twists. I know there are a lot out there, but having been out of the popular entertainment loop for years, I’m having trouble thinking of many. I’ve seen _The Sixth Sense_ and _Memento_. I’ve never seen _The Crying Game_ or _Fight Club_, but I’ve had them spoiled for me. _The Usual Suspects_ is the only other famous surprise-ending film I can think of right now. That’s certainly on my list. Everybody, please recommend your favorites! NB: I’m not looking so much for films which keep you in suspense by witholding information from you until the end, a la this summer’s _Identity_, in which you are wondering throughout the whole movie who the killer is but don’t find out until the end, and thus you’re aware throughout the whole film that there is a secret to be revealed. Though that type of movie is fine, I’m more interested in ones in which the ending or plot twist comes pretty much out of left field, as in _The Sixth Sense_. ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Danno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Danno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Danno)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2003, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-heh-heh-movies-with-surprise-endings-plot-twists/221304/2 "2003-12-27T22:31:10Z")
[Deathtrap](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083806/) with Michael Caine and Christopher Reeves is a good older movie (1982) with a lot of plot twists to keep you guessing. Certainly one of my favorite mysteries. ---
**Author:** ![joshmaker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a587f6/32.png) [@joshmaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joshmaker)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2003, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-heh-heh-movies-with-surprise-endings-plot-twists/221304/3 "2003-12-27T23:22:09Z")
\*\*[Psycho](http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/ebert_reviews/1999/01/psych1118.html) \*\* - The mother of surprise movies. M. Night Shyamalan’s **Unbreakable** and \*\*[Signs](http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/ebert_reviews/2002/08/080205.html) \*\* both have what I would consider “surprise” endings. Terry Gilliam’s **Twelve Monkey’s** is a another good example of an ending that makes you reavaluate the film. Also, I loved **[Magnolia](http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/ebert_reviews/2000/01/010701.html)** and it certainly had a “from left field” ending – one that left some viewers cold. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2003, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-heh-heh-movies-with-surprise-endings-plot-twists/221304/4 "2003-12-27T23:25:32Z")
“Swimming Pool” seems to fit your description pretty well. However, KNOWING that there is a plot twist coming out of left field kinda’ takes away from it a little bit, so I don’t how advised it is to even ask your question. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2003, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-heh-heh-movies-with-surprise-endings-plot-twists/221304/5 "2003-12-27T23:26:19Z")
I’m partial to **The Wicker Man**. ---
**Author:** ![AvariceAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/958977/32.png) [@AvariceAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AvariceAngel)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2003, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-heh-heh-movies-with-surprise-endings-plot-twists/221304/6 "2003-12-27T23:28:59Z")
_A Beautiful Mind_ is a lovely story with an unexpected plot twist, especially if you are not familiar with the story of John Forbes Nash. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2003, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-heh-heh-movies-with-surprise-endings-plot-twists/221304/7 "2003-12-27T23:54:44Z")
“Homicidal” shocked me when I was for the first time in the forth grade. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-heh-heh-movies-with-surprise-endings-plot-twists/221304/8 "2003-12-27T23:59:09Z")
‘The Sting’, starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Many David Mamet films have twists… ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2003, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-heh-heh-movies-with-surprise-endings-plot-twists/221304/9 "2003-12-28T00:04:47Z")
I’m just going to recommend a bunch of good films – you decide which ones have “twists” for yourself after you’ve watched 'em. _Fight Club Glengarry Glen Ross American Buffalo_ The Usual Suspects\* Magnolia Seven The Shawshank Redemption Secretary The Road Warrior Ocean’s Eleven\* Sneakers\*\*\* Fair warning: movies with an astrerisk are in the “heist” genre, where several characters come together to steal something. If you’re not a fan of this genre, these movies may leave you cold. If you even think you might like a heist movie, start with **The Usual Suspects** or **Sneakers** and go from there. ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2003, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-heh-heh-movies-with-surprise-endings-plot-twists/221304/10 "2003-12-28T00:06:05Z")
…and for the record, **Glengarry Glen Ross** and **American Buffalo** are both David Mamet. Mad props to **glee** for reading my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soup)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2003, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-heh-heh-movies-with-surprise-endings-plot-twists/221304/11 "2003-12-28T00:08:39Z")
There’s this obscure movie called **The Empire Strikes Back** that has a pretty neat plot twist. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2003, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-heh-heh-movies-with-surprise-endings-plot-twists/221304/12 "2003-12-28T00:09:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jurph \* > …and for the record, **Glengarry Glen Ross** and **American Buffalo** are both David Mamet. Mad props to **glee** for reading my mind. Thanks, but if if I could read your mind, I wouldn’t have started my thread on Astral Projection! I think another Mamet film is ‘House of Cards’ - recommended. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2003, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-heh-heh-movies-with-surprise-endings-plot-twists/221304/13 "2003-12-28T00:15:10Z")
**Primal Fear** with Richard Gere and Edward Norton had a nice twist. It’s one of the 2 or 3 Gere movies I can stomach. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2003, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-heh-heh-movies-with-surprise-endings-plot-twists/221304/14 "2003-12-28T01:15:22Z")
[_No Way Out_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093640/) with Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman and Sean Young. It’s a pretty good movie for the genre, and I did not see the ending coming at all. It’s hard to recommend as a “surprise ending” movie, because saying that it has a surprise ending is sort of spoiler in itself. So, either “sorry” or “you’re welcome” … take your pick. ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2003, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-heh-heh-movies-with-surprise-endings-plot-twists/221304/15 "2003-12-28T01:59:21Z")
**Identity** starts out as a typical ‘who’s murdering all these people’ movie then turns into something new. Strangely I have a hard time deciding which part of it I liked the best. The orginal plot or the twist. ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-heh-heh-movies-with-surprise-endings-plot-twists/221304/16 "2003-12-28T02:12:07Z")
**Wild Things** , starring Matt Dillon, Kev Bacon and Denise Richards, is pretty much the ultimate plot twist movie, and is available to rent just about everywhere. Unfortunately it means sitting through some steamy sex scenes featuring a very undressed Denise Richards, but try not to let that spoil your enjoyment too much. And remeber, if anyone walks in while you’re watching one of these scenes, you rented the movie for the plot twists, the plot twists, honestly, the plot twists… ---
**Author:** ![chicksdigscars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@chicksdigscars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chicksdigscars)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2003, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-heh-heh-movies-with-surprise-endings-plot-twists/221304/17 "2003-12-28T02:24:18Z")
For the value of plot twists, I have to say _Drowning Mona_ . Maybe not what you had in mind, but this is a hysterical movie. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2003, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-heh-heh-movies-with-surprise-endings-plot-twists/221304/18 "2003-12-28T02:45:22Z")
dead again. ---
**Author:** ![raizok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4491bb/32.png) [@raizok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raizok)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2003, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-heh-heh-movies-with-surprise-endings-plot-twists/221304/19 "2003-12-28T03:17:07Z")
\*M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable \* I second the motion. Going once, going twice… ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2003, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-heh-heh-movies-with-surprise-endings-plot-twists/221304/20 "2003-12-28T03:28:46Z")
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