5 Movie Twists That Shocked The World

Narrative curves in motion pictures are often much loved devices that often provoke public discussion, especially when they are lent a generous marketing scheme. Some of the most famous movies in history have blown away audiences the world over with their creative plot routes that have caused many jaws to drop!

Whenever a movie featuring a radical plot change is released, cinema is given a fine polish to wipe away the tedious predictable fare that quantifiably outdoes more rare theatrical gems.

This editorial is going to pick a selection of five movies that feature some of the most inventive plot twists not only invented in Hollywood but the world over.

Psycho (1960)

Perhaps Alfred Hitchcock’s most famously directed movie, Psycho was financed by the director’s own pocket after Paramount Studios were sceptical that the project would make money. The twist was managed to be kept secret after Hitchcock pursued every copy he could find of Robert Bloch’s horror novel and burnt them. Nobody could be admitted into a screening of Psycho once it commenced at theaters, as it was required that the film be seen fully from start to finish!

The result after all this is of a movie that got, and still gets a seemingly infinite amount of credit than the source material that created the character of Norman Bates and his homicidal “mother.” A remake was produced in 1998 which is still looked upon as one of the worst redo’s ever made in cinema history!

Psycho II, released in 1983, also contained it’s own twist that could not quite match the one in the original but is often thought of as the best follow up to the eternal classic that fits neatly alongside it.

Currently, there is a television show that tells the story of the declining sanity of a young Norman Bates that looks to be climaxing next year after 5 successful seasons.

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Bruce Willis tried his hand at something different when he was chosen for the role of Malcolm Crowe, a clinical psychologist that finds himself suddenly ignored by almost everybody, even his wife, after a tense encounter with one of his patients except by a young boy by the name of Cole who tells him that he keeps seeing visions of people that have departed the world. As Crowe begins to take on Cole’s case, he gets more than he bargained for when he discovers something that ultimately alters his destiny forever!

M. Night Shyamalan’s directing career looked promising after the success of The Sixth Sense back in the late 1990’s but unfortunately has been unable to produce something of equal substance since although his recent movie, The Visit was a moderate horror hit which was billed as “Shyamalan’s comeback.” More evidence will need to be seen for this to be substantiated although one gets the feeling that the audiences have maybe been a little too hard on his directing style, which is often full of symbolism and twists that, to be fair, will only be admired by certain groups of people.

Seven (1995)

If there was ever a movie that is remembered more for it’s plot twist than anything else it had to offer then that would be Seven. Starring Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt as a pair of detectives on the trail of a serial killer who chooses his victims based on their sinful life choices.

If this writer is totally honest, Seven is a rather plodding, dull thriller that meanders in it’s final twenty minutes. But, boy, is the payoff worth it! The cinematography is decidedly gloomy right up to the closing credits with many scenes looking very foggy, adding to the feeling of mystery until the killer’s reveal.

It is just a shame that Seven is otherwise pretty forgettable once the impact of the conclusion wears off.

Orphan (2009)

A family take in a female orphan who, at first, seems sweet and innocent. But kids in horror movies are rarely who they project to be! Accidents begin to occur. Was it Esther? Gladly, the film is not a “who done it,” and we are always kept in the loop when people start dying off. But the plot rotation will pretty much dumbfound the viewer all the same! When you find out you will realise how great Isabelle Fuhrman’s effort is in this horror film, which should have gotten more credit than it did. The Orphan was a brief spell of fresh air for horror fans with it’s originality after being produced bang in the middle of the horror remake craze.

The Vanishing (1988)

Originally titled Spoorloos, The Vanishing is a foreign film made in Eastern Europe in the late 1980’s telling the story of a couple whose love is torn apart when Saskia is abducted by a stranger. Her boyfriend, Rex becomes obsessed with finding her, his crusade eventually becoming successful when he finds the captor. But that is only the beginning of his nightmare! Things result in a choice that Rex has to make that will or will not give him the answers about Saskia’s disappearance that he has been longing for!

George Sluizer, director, remade the film for American audiences in 1993. Starring Kiefer Sutherland and Sandra Bullock, it was devoid of the thought provoking twist that emphasised the original and instead contained a typical resolution that evokes only slight jubilation.

If you happen to like foreign cinema then the original The Vanishing is a must!

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