The idea of a plot twist has almost become a cliche. At its worst, it’s nothing more than an obvious attempt to trick the audience. But when it’s executed correctly, the effects can be drastic.
So much so that I’ve set out to compile some of my absolute favorites from the big and small screens. Have a look and check out these 10+ plot twists that keep us up at night.
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Hanna Grose is a ghost in *The Haunting Of Bly Manor*.
Right from the beginning, you can tell that there’s something not quite right with Hanna. She seems to be constantly forgetting herself and we almost never see her eat or drink.
Who could have known she was lying at the bottom of the well the entire time?!
Aaron Stamper doesn’t exist. There is only Roy in *Primal Fear*.
Aaron works to acquit himself of a capital crime by blaming it on his alter-ego, Roy. When the film concludes, we realize that Aaron was actually the fake persona.
The murderous Roy tricked us all!
Mr. Robot is Elliot’s alter-ego in *Mr. Robot*.
This twist divides audiences. Many people absolutely loved it, but me — not so much.
I’ve re-watched and gone over those old episodes with a fine-tooth comb, and this twist is nothing more than a deus ex-machina .
Verbal Kint and Keyser Söze are the same person in *The Usual Suspects*.
The best part about this plot twist is rewatching the film immediately after. You can literally see him piecing the story together as he’s telling it to the police.
Even after all these years, The Usual Suspects remains a classic.
Finding out that Bernard was actually an android in *Westworld*.
I think that this was the collective moment where every fan of Westworld ‘s head exploded in shock.
Learning about Bernard’s true origins utterly destroyed everything we thought we knew about the series.
Darth Vader was Luke’s father in *Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back*.
Is this the greatest plot twist of all-time? It’s possible.
I often try to imagine what it would have been like to be sitting in that theater and to hear Vader proclaim “I am your father!”
Tracy was dead the entire time in *How I Met Your Mother*.
I was a very early HIMYM truther. I stood by this show for so much longer than was warranted, always believing that they’d right the ship.
Sadly, it never happened and we discover that the mother was dead from day one.
Norman Bates murdered his mother years ago and adopted her personality in *Psycho*.
Psycho is a masterpiece, both for its storytelling and its groundbreaking cinematography.
That moment when you realize that Norman’s mother is nothing more than a rotting carcass still sends shivers up audiences spins, even 40 years later.
The Red Wedding in *Game Of Thrones*.
“The Lannisters send their regards” is easily one of the greatest lines from the entire Game of Thrones series.
The entire scene happens so quickly, you don’t even have time to realize what’s transpired.
Teddy Daniels is an inmate at *Shutter Island*.
He was an inmate at the hospital the entire time?! How many times have they run this gambit before?
Doesn’t it seem a little unlikely that so many people would be in on this long con?
The Trinity Killer’s final act of malice in *Dexter*.
I’ve said it so many times already but the 4th season of Dexter is pure TV perfection. Finding Rita dead in her bathtub in the finale rocked fans to their very foundation.
If Rita wasn’t safe, then no one is safe.
Dr. Malcolm Crowe was a ghost the entire time in *The Sixth Sense*.
Honestly, if you’re one of those people who tries to act as if you knew the ending all along — just stop the charade. You’re not impressing anyone.
This film is how M. Night Shyamalan got his infamous reputation as the twist-director!
Alfred Borden has a twin brother in *The Prestige*.
Did you know that if you combine Alfred Borden with Robert Angiers you get ABRA? Christopher Nolan loves doing this in his films.
When I saw Borden reappear after his hanging, I thought I’d seen a ghost.
Walt was the one who poisoned Brock in *Breaking Bad*.
Just when you think you’ve seen the deepest depths of Walt’s depravity, he goes and poisons a kid.
This was the moment when we truly came to realize how merciless and dangerous Walt could be.
It was earth all along in *The Planet Of The Apes (1968)*.
I guess you finally made a monkey out of me!
Discovering that the Planet of the Apes was really post-apocalyptic earth was not only genre-defining, but it set a new precedent in science fiction filmmaking.
