The 12 Greatest Movie Plot Twists of All Time, Ranked

      Here are the top movie plot twists, organized by ranking. As you will notice, we generally favor twists that alter the direction of a film rather than those that conclude it. However, we appreciate plot twists of all varieties.

      Let's dive in.

      But First: Distinguishing Twists from Reveals

      Orion – Credit: C/O

      There are numerous surprises that don't qualify as true twists. A twist fundamentally changes our understanding of the narrative, while a reveal simply offers a surprising moment.

      We enjoy surprises — for instance, Silence of the Lambs (shown above) is packed with them, but they don’t challenge our perception of the preceding events. Similarly, The Crying Game features a well-known reveal that doesn't significantly impact the storyline. Citizen Kane also has a notable surprise ending, but it doesn’t alter the film much—it feels more like an additional note.

      With that clarification, here are the 12 Best Movie Plot Twists, Ranked. Spoilers are included, so if you prefer to avoid them, you can just focus on the sections labeled “The Plot” for each entry and skip the rest. We’d much rather you experience these films unspoiled.

      Number 12: Primal Fear

      Paramount

      The Plot: Martin Vail (Richard Gere), an ambitious defense attorney, defends Aaron Stampler (Ed Norton), a meek altar boy accused of murdering a Catholic archbishop. Vail suspects that Aaron suffers from a dissociative personality disorder due to years of abuse, including from the archbishop, leading him to adopt the violent persona of Roy.

      The Plot Twist (Spoiler): The film concludes with Aaron confessing to his lawyer that he fabricated his dissociative personality disorder and is more like the violent Roy than the gentle Aaron.

      Why It’s Good: Ed Norton's execution of the twist is impressive, even if it sounds absurd on paper. This twist ranks lower on our list, as we prefer twists that occur earlier in the film to allow their impact to resonate. While we enjoy twist endings, we appreciate early or mid-movie twists even more.

      Number 11: Frozen

      The Plot: Following her sister Anna's (voiced by Kristen Bell) desire to marry Prince Hans (voiced by Santino Fontana), a man she has just met, Princess Elsa (Idina Menzel) inadvertently reveals the ice powers she has kept hidden since childhood.

      The Plot Twist: Toward the end, it becomes clear that Hans doesn't truly love Anna; he is actually cold-hearted. The anticipated fairy-tale kiss that we expect to conclude the film never occurs.

      Why It Works: There’s nothing we appreciate more than a cleverly executed twist in a children's movie, especially one that teaches caution about strangers. Frozen effectively sets up this significant twist through clever misdirection during the engaging musical number “Love is an Open Door,” where Hans and Anna appear to form a bond (but do they?).

      Number 10: Chinatown

      Paramount – Credit: C/O

      The Plot: Set in the 1930s, this neo-noir film, which earned an Oscar for Best Screenplay for Robert Towne, features private investigator Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) being drawn into an investigation by Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) concerning a complex scheme involving Los Angeles’s water supply and the affluent Noah Cross.

      The Plot Twist (Spoiler): While being confronted by Gittes, Evelyn tragically discloses that her father, Cross, raped her when she was 15, resulting in her giving birth to Katherine, whom she describes as both “my sister and my daughter.”

      Why It’s Good: It starkly highlights Cross's malevolence, revealing that he victimizes not just the land, but also his own daughter, raising the stakes in what could have otherwise been a mundane tale about water rights. Moreover, it occurs early enough in the film to linger throughout, casting a grim shadow over preceding events and igniting our anger towards the villain.

      Number 9: Fight Club

      20th Century Fox – Credit: C/O

      The Plot: An unnamed protagonist (Edward Norton) searching for a more meaningful life forms a fight club with Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), a charismatic stranger he meets during one of his monotonous business trips. Their antics soon escalate into an anti-consumerist uprising.

      The Plot Twist (Spoiler): The protagonist has actually been Tyler Durden all along! He is essentially a cooler imaginary friend.

      Why It’s Good: If you were unaware of this twist (and I certainly was when I first watched Fight Club in theaters in 1999), it packs a powerful punch. Although it arrives a bit late in the narrative, it works brilliantly. Once you realize it, the first rule of Fight Club becomes not to discuss the surprise twist.

      Number 8: The Wizard of Oz

      MGM – Credit: C/O

      The Plot: Dorothy (Judy Garland