The Top 5 Twist Endings in Cinematic History
Here are the five greatest movie twist endings.
Spoilers ahead, obviously.
We're about to unveil several unexpected conclusions.
Just a Note
Credit: 20th Century Fox
We're not referring to twists like the one in Fight Club that emerge later in the film but rather establish a foundation for additional storyline.
We're focusing on moments at the very conclusion of the movie that alter the entire narrative that preceded them, possibly prompting you to rewatch the whole film.
Are you ready? Let’s dive into the top movie twist endings.
Number 5: Primal Fear
Paramount
The Setup: Ambitious defense attorney Martin Vail (Richard Gere) represents the apparently mild-mannered Aaron Stampler (Ed Norton), an altar boy accused of murdering an archbishop. Vail believes his client suffers from dissociative personality disorder due to years of abuse, including at the hands of the archbishop, leading him to embody the violent persona of Roy.
The Twist Ending: Aaron confesses that he fabricated his dissociative personality disorder — and that he truly embodies Roy.
Why It’s One of the Best Movie Twist Endings: Ed Norton delivers a stunning performance, and it's always entertaining to see an arrogant character like Vail have the ground pulled out from under him.
Just a Note
20th Century Fox – Credit: C/O
If you're curious why another Ed Norton film — Fight Club — isn’t included here, it’s because the major twist occurs roughly thirty minutes before the film ends.
It's certainly an excellent twist, but we believe it doesn’t fit on a list of movie twist endings since there’s still too much movie after the reveal.
Number 4: The Wizard of Oz
MGM – Credit: C/O
The Setup: Dorothy (Judy Garland) crashes into Oz after a tornado transports her and her little dog, Toto, from Kansas. She teams up with the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion on a thrilling, musical journey down the Yellow Brick Road to meet the Wizard, hoping he 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 — an ordinary man using theatrical tricks to appear grand and powerful. Dorothy and her friends must realize that they have to realize their own dreams through the strength and character they developed during their adventure.
The Wizard offers the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion symbolic gifts to illustrate this point. When he attempts to return Dorothy to Kansas in a balloon, Toto jumps off, prompting Dorothy to follow. She soon discovers she can find her own way back to Kansas.
Why It’s One of the Best Movie Twist Endings: While those familiar with Wicked know that the Wizard wasn’t actually magical, imagine being a child in a 1939 movie theater, watching the film in vibrant Technicolor, and suddenly realizing the entire premise of Dorothy’s journey was a deception. Yet, there's comfort in the realization that Dorothy, like you, has the power to find her own way home. It’s an emotionally rich twist.
Number 3: The Usual Suspects
Gramercy Pictures
The Setup: Customs Agent Dave Kujan (Chazz Palminteri) interrogates Verbal Kent (Kevin Spacey), who presents himself as the weakest link in a criminal organization dominated by the ruthless Keyser Söze. Kent appears to be a pitiful character — slow, hesitant, cowardly, and seemingly as harmless as Ed Norton’s Aaron in Primal Fear.
The Twist Ending: Verbal is actually Keyser Söze, and he has been fabricating a false narrative for Kujan inspired by items in his office.
Why It’s One of the Best Movie Twist Endings: This twist is completely unexpected yet perfectly logical. The Usual Suspects (named after a line from Casablanca) primarily explores the influence of storytelling and legend-making, which is a theme that screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie clearly contemplated. He won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the film, which launched an impressive career marked by numerous collaborations with Tom Cruise, including the twist-laden Mission: Impossible series.
The Usual Suspects holds a position on our list of the 12 Most Mind-Blowing Movies We’ve Ever Seen — along with the top movie on this list.
Number 2: The Sixth Sense
Buena Vista Pictures – Credit: C/O
The Setup: The third film by M. Night Shyamalan, which established him as the master of twists, The Sixth Sense is a supernatural thriller that pairs child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) with troubled boy Cole (Haley Joel Osment), who claims he can see dead people.
The Twist Ending: In a reversal of The Third Man, Malcolm is actually dead. Although we witnessed him being shot in the opening scene, we simply assumed he survived. He did not.
Why It’s
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Here are the five greatest movie twist endings.
Spoilers ahead, obviously.
We're about to unveil several unexpected conclusions.
Just a Note
Credit: 20th Century Fox
We're not referring to twists like the one in Fight Club that emerge later in the film but rather establish a foundation for additional storyline.
We're focusing on moments at the very conclusion of the movie that alter the entire narrative that preceded them, possibly prompting you to rewatch the whole film.
Are you ready? Let’s dive into the top movie twist endings.
Number 5: Primal Fear
Paramount
The Setup: Ambitious defense attorney Martin Vail (Richard Gere) represents the apparently mild-mannered Aaron Stampler (Ed Norton), an altar boy accused of murdering an archbishop. Vail believes his client suffers from dissociative personality disorder due to years of abuse, including at the hands of the archbishop, leading him to embody the violent persona of Roy.
The Twist Ending: Aaron confesses that he fabricated his dissociative personality disorder — and that he truly embodies Roy.
Why It’s One of the Best Movie Twist Endings: Ed Norton delivers a stunning performance, and it's always entertaining to see an arrogant character like Vail have the ground pulled out from under him.
Just a Note
20th Century Fox – Credit: C/O
If you're curious why another Ed Norton film — Fight Club — isn’t included here, it’s because the major twist occurs roughly thirty minutes before the film ends.
It's certainly an excellent twist, but we believe it doesn’t fit on a list of movie twist endings since there’s still too much movie after the reveal.
Number 4: The Wizard of Oz
MGM – Credit: C/O
The Setup: Dorothy (Judy Garland) crashes into Oz after a tornado transports her and her little dog, Toto, from Kansas. She teams up with the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion on a thrilling, musical journey down the Yellow Brick Road to meet the Wizard, hoping he 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 — an ordinary man using theatrical tricks to appear grand and powerful. Dorothy and her friends must realize that they have to realize their own dreams through the strength and character they developed during their adventure.
The Wizard offers the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion symbolic gifts to illustrate this point. When he attempts to return Dorothy to Kansas in a balloon, Toto jumps off, prompting Dorothy to follow. She soon discovers she can find her own way back to Kansas.
Why It’s One of the Best Movie Twist Endings: While those familiar with Wicked know that the Wizard wasn’t actually magical, imagine being a child in a 1939 movie theater, watching the film in vibrant Technicolor, and suddenly realizing the entire premise of Dorothy’s journey was a deception. Yet, there's comfort in the realization that Dorothy, like you, has the power to find her own way home. It’s an emotionally rich twist.
Number 3: The Usual Suspects
Gramercy Pictures
The Setup: Customs Agent Dave Kujan (Chazz Palminteri) interrogates Verbal Kent (Kevin Spacey), who presents himself as the weakest link in a criminal organization dominated by the ruthless Keyser Söze. Kent appears to be a pitiful character — slow, hesitant, cowardly, and seemingly as harmless as Ed Norton’s Aaron in Primal Fear.
The Twist Ending: Verbal is actually Keyser Söze, and he has been fabricating a false narrative for Kujan inspired by items in his office.
Why It’s One of the Best Movie Twist Endings: This twist is completely unexpected yet perfectly logical. The Usual Suspects (named after a line from Casablanca) primarily explores the influence of storytelling and legend-making, which is a theme that screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie clearly contemplated. He won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the film, which launched an impressive career marked by numerous collaborations with Tom Cruise, including the twist-laden Mission: Impossible series.
The Usual Suspects holds a position on our list of the 12 Most Mind-Blowing Movies We’ve Ever Seen — along with the top movie on this list.
Number 2: The Sixth Sense
Buena Vista Pictures – Credit: C/O
The Setup: The third film by M. Night Shyamalan, which established him as the master of twists, The Sixth Sense is a supernatural thriller that pairs child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) with troubled boy Cole (Haley Joel Osment), who claims he can see dead people.
The Twist Ending: In a reversal of The Third Man, Malcolm is actually dead. Although we witnessed him being shot in the opening scene, we simply assumed he survived. He did not.
Why It’s
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The Top 5 Twist Endings in Cinematic History
Here are the five greatest twist endings in cinematic history — moments that made us eager to rewind and watch from the beginning.