The Top 5 Film Twists of All Time
Here are the five most amazing movie twist endings. Spoilers are coming, of course. We will be revealing some unexpected conclusions.
Number 5: Primal Fear
Paramount
The Setup: Ambitious defense attorney Martin Vail (Richard Gere) takes on the case of the seemingly meek altar boy Aaron Stampler (Ed Norton), who is accused of killing an archbishop. Vail believes his client suffers from dissociative personality disorder due to years of abuse, including by the archbishop, which caused him to adopt the violent persona of Roy.
The Twist Ending: Aaron confesses that he has been faking his dissociative personality disorder — he is actually Roy at his core.
Why It’s Good: Ed Norton delivers an outstanding performance, making the revelation impactful, and it's always satisfying to see a cocky character like Vail have the ground taken from under him.
By the Way
20th Century Fox – Credit: C/O
If you’re curious about why another Ed Norton film, Fight Club, isn't included here, it’s because the major twist occurs about thirty minutes before the film ends.
While it's a fantastic twist indeed, we feel it doesn't qualify for a list of movie twist endings since there's too much film left after the big reveal.
Number 4: The Wizard of Oz
MGM – Credit: C/O
The Setup: Dorothy (Judy Garland) finds herself in Oz after a tornado transports her and her dog, Toto, from Kansas. Alongside the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion, she embarks on a thrilling, musical journey down the Yellow Brick Road to seek the Wizard, who they all believe can fulfill their wishes.
The Twist Ending: “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!” The Wizard (Frank Morgan) turns out to be a charlatan — just an ordinary man using tricks to seem powerful. Dorothy and her friends learn that they must create their own dreams through the strength and character they developed along the way.
The Wizard grants the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion symbolic tokens to represent this. When he tries to take Dorothy back to Kansas in a hot air balloon, Toto jumps off, prompting Dorothy to follow him and discover she can find her own way back home.
Why It’s Good: Even in the age of Wicked, where the story is widely known, the revelation in 1939 would have been shocking for children in theaters, realizing that Dorothy's entire journey was based on a false premise. The comforting notion that Dorothy, like them, can find her way home adds emotional depth to the twist.
Number 3: The Usual Suspects
Gramercy Pictures
The Setup: Customs Agent Dave Kujan (Chazz Palminteri) interviews Verbal Kent (Kevin Spacey), who appears to be the least capable member of a criminal gang controlled by the ruthless Keyser Söze. Kent comes across as a pitiful character — slow in his movements, cowardly, and seemingly as submissive as Ed Norton’s Aaron in Primal Fear.
The Twist Ending: Verbal is actually Keyser Söze and has been fabricating a false narrative for Kujan using items from his office for inspiration.
Why It Works: The twist is completely unexpected yet logically sound. The Usual Suspects (named after a line in Casablanca) explores the influence of storytelling and the creation of legends, a theme that screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie clearly contemplated deeply. He won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the film, kickstarting a remarkable career, including several collaborations with Tom Cruise in the twist-laden Mission: Impossible franchise.
The Usual Suspects is also featured on our list of the 12 Most Mind-Blowing Movies We’ve Ever Seen — alongside the top film on this list.
Number 2: The Sixth Sense
Buena Vista Pictures – Credit: C/O
The Setup: M. Night Shyamalan's third film, which solidified his reputation as "the twist guy," The Sixth Sense is a supernatural thriller that follows child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) as he works with troubled boy Cole (Haley Joel Osment), who claims to see dead people.
The Twist Ending: In a twist reminiscent of The Third Man, Malcolm is actually dead. Although we see him get shot at the start, we assume he survived, but he did not.
Why It Works: We appreciate films where the surprise has been cleverly hidden in plain sight. Shyamalan skillfully allows us to reach our own conclusions throughout the story — including the belief that Malcolm survived the shooting — leading to our own misconceptions.
Number 1: The Planet of the Apes
20th Century Fox
The Setup: Three astronauts, including George Taylor (Charlton Heston), crash-land on a planet dominated by apes. Humans, including the captive Nova (Linda Harrison, pictured with Heston), are
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