For me, the Usual Suspects.
Almost all the early Cohen brothers film. The journey is always more interesting than the destination etc.
Psycho. It was one of many spoilers given in an old National Lampoon article, so I read a bunch of them before ever seeing the movies.
Or there’s the famous crop duster scene in North by Northwest. I was visiting a library and happened to pick up a shot by shot analysis of the scene. I hadn’t seen the movie, and figured it would be awhile before I ever did (this was long before home VCRs), so I read the article.
Then, when I got back, I turned on the TV. They were showing North by Northwest, and were just about to start the crop dusting scene. Despite the fact I had read a shot-by-shot analysis of the scene not two hours before, the filmed version had me on the edge of my seat.
Day of the Jackal, and North ny Northwest, as RC indicates.
Actually, Hitchcock’s stuff generally falls into this category. Hitchcock rarely used hidden twists. He’d rather have you see the oncoming horror or confrontation and let you squirm. The only real twist I can think of in any movie of his was in Psycho. All the others were pretty irrelevant McGuffins, knowledge of which spoiled nothing.
Have to agree with The Usual Suspects. Didn’t see it until YEARS after it came out, had it spoiled up one end and down the other, and it still gripped me. And I still rewatch it.
I feel the Usual Suspects is BETTER if you know the ending. When you watch his expressions, they make so much more sense (Convince me, Verbal…) if you know the “surprise.”
I can watch Silence of the Lambs any number of times because of the relationship between Starling and Lecter. That’s what makes the movie for me, rather than the plot. Not that the plot is bad, but the (inter-)acting is better.
Sixth Sense, The Others, The Crying Game – I was spoiled for the surprises but still liked the movies.
Author Ira Levin has added the phrases “Rosemary’s Baby” and “Stepford Wives” to our lexicon. And the books are still damn good.
I’ll second Psycho. Growing up I must have seen the infamous shower scene dozens of times along with the stairway stabbing and the ending in the basement. It all seemed so cliche at the time.
But sit down and watch the movie uninterrupted from beginning to end and it’s and excellent film with all the tension and build up being 90% of the thrill.
Rear Window is spectacular, even knowing what happens.
Really any A.H.'s films.
Breach Even if you weren’t reading the news back in 2001 about the discovery and arrest of F.B.I. mole Robert Hanssen you still know how the movie ends because it opens with a news clip of John Ashcroft announcing Hanssen’s arrest.
Even so, it had me on the edge of my seat, thanks to the strong acting chops of Chris Cooper.