The Big Suprise Twist Categories

Cafe Society
1

What are the different categories of suprise twists that tend to be used in a movie, book, or TV series? And what are some truely original ones that you’ve seen/read (spoiler boxes for recent ones or The Prisoner, which is in my Netflix queue)?

The most common one I’ve seen is the Person A Is Actually Related To Person B. Starting as early as Oedipus (killed Dad, married Mom), through Chinatown (mother of her own sister), and including (obviously) Star Wars (kissed sister, Dad’s evil second-in-command of galactic emperor).

Another one is the Supposed Good Guy Is Actually Working for the Bad Guy. Titan A.E. comes readily to mind. Kiss The Girls is my wife’s suggestion. Would The Count of Monte Cristo or A Close Shave count? I’m surprised more aren’t coming readily presenting themselves to me. :slight_smile:

Of course, there’s the correlary: Supposed Bad Guy Is Actually Working for the Good Guy. That was used in 24 last season, and was in Harry Potter and the Philospher’s Stone (preferred title ;)).

Another one I’ve seen is the Main Character is Actually Gay. Usually see it more in comedies, but it’s gotten to the point that whenever a character announces, “I have something I need to tell you”, I finish to my wife, “I’m gay”. She, of course, hits me. I’m guessing that the ending of In and Out had something to do with that :wink:

One of the most original suprise twists was in a TV series that I can never remember the name of where it turns out that the pictures the main character took of four hung rebels were actually of four U.S. Senators. Did not see that one coming at all.

2

Supposedly main character is either the Devil or a ghost.

Seemingly random events are actually a big conspairacy.

Seeming conspiracy is actually a series of random events.

3

Main character exposes conspiracy of silence. The conspiracy is real, but was carried for very good reasons.

4

Reality / fantasy twist. E.g. it was all a dream.

The identity twist. Character isn’t who we all thought - assumed someone else’s identity.

The nature twist. Character isn’t what we thought. (We thought he was a doctor, he isn’t, he’s a patient. We thought he was rich, he isn’t, he’s poor. We thought he was alive, he isn’t, he’s a ghost.)

The head count twist. Two supposedly different characters were actually one and the same (disguise / error).

The classification twist. We thought murder, it was suicide.

The misplaced motive twist. Actual victim wasn’t the intended victim, which is why the crime was so hard to understand.

The collaboration twist. Two ‘strangers’ or ‘enemies’ were actually in cahoots all along.

The moral colour twist. The sinister, evil character is actually innocent or heroic. And vice-versa, obviously.

The authority twist. The detective or authority figure, whom we trust, did it.

The individual / group twist. They all did it.

The null twist. Nobody did it - wasn’t a crime after all.

The price / value twist. The ‘highly valuable’ McGuffin is actually worthless.

The under your nose twist. Everyone has looked far and wide for the answer to the secret, but the solution was right under their noses all along.

The sci-fi transformation twist. It’s not the familiar character we think - it’s a shape-shifter who has assumed his or her appearance.

The personal potential twist. The ‘hopeless’ candidate actually has all the attributes of a winner. And vice-versa.

The linguistic twist. Seemingly straightforward message was actually a clever anagram or code.

The flawed premise twist. E.g. long dispute and fight over whether the correct decision is A or B. We are led to think these are the only options. Turns out to be neither.

The bloodline twist. Supposedly non-related characters are related. Or vice-versa.

Emotional composition twist. The ‘lovers’ actually hate each other, or the ‘sworn enemies’ love each other.

The disability twist. The ‘deaf’ guy can actually hear everything.

The audience throw things at the screen twist. We are led to expect a neat, wrap it up conclusion, but the writers couldn’t think of one and it’s all just left hanging in the air.

The prank twist. All the events were really just part of some vast, elaborate practical joke.