I love movies with a twist, especially the ones which alter your perception of everything which happened in the story prior to the revelation. So the first in my occasional series of "top tens" is my top ten films with a twist. You may have a different list, please feel free to set me straight by leaving a comment :)
Each item in the list contains a brief synopsis of the movie and my view of the film, I have tried to be careful not to spoil the story too much or to reveal the surprise. So, in reverse order:
10. The Sixth Sense (1999) - A child psychologist (Bruce Willis) sets out to help a boy (Haley Joel Osment) who claims he can see ghosts. This is perhaps one of the most famous "twist" movies, so why only 10th? Well, it is a good film and the reveal is well handled and quite well disguised, but if you start watching this film with the knowledge that a twist is coming (like I did the first time I watched it) it's not too difficult to guess where the film could be heading very early on (far too early).
The film has been parodied by other films and discussed so much that many people who haven't yet seen it may still know the ending. That aside, even if you do know what's coming or, like me, you guess the surprise early on, it's still worth watching to see the masterful way the suspense builds until the reveal. This was director M. Night Shyamalan's finest hour , his movies have got progressively worse since The Sixth Sense (although Unbreakable is also worth seeing).
IMDB rating - 8.2
Amazon - The Sixth Sense (Collector's Edition Series) DVD
Amazon - The Sixth Sense [Blu-ray]
9. Identity (2003) - Ten strangers (including characters played by John Cusack, Clea DuVall and Ray Liotta) are stranded in a remote motel and are killed off one by one.Even if this movie were the play-it-by-the-numbers whodunnit it first appears to be, it would still be fantasticly entertaining. Thankfully it's not so straight forward. When the twist comes it completely throws the story on its head and, like the best movies in this list, you want to watch the whole thing again so you can piece together the parts in a new light.
IMDB rating - 7.3
Amazon - Identity DVD
Amazon - Identity [Blu-ray]
8. Primal Fear (1996) - An arrogant hot-shot lawyer (Richard Gere) defends an altar boy (Edward Norton) accused of murdering an archbishop during a blackout.Despite being the supporting actor Edward Norton steals the show in this courtroom drama (he was nominated for an Oscar and won several other awards).
I have a problem with many courtroom dramas as they sometimes tend to drag. The pacing in this film is superb with enough time for the characters to develop but, at the same time, it doesn't get bogged down in lengthy courtroom toing and froing. I would have placed this movie higher in the list but for the fact that repeated viewings throw up holes in the character back-story (something you probably won't notice in the first sitting).
IMDB rating - 7.6
Amazon - Primal Fear DVD
Amazon - Primal Fear (Hard Evidence Edition) [Blu-ray]
7. Se7en (1995) - Morgan Freeman plays a world-weary experienced homicide detective on the verge of retirement, Brad Pitt the inexperienced, cocky, young cop brought in to replace him. They must work together to hunt for a serial killer whose victims each exemplify one of the Seven Deadly Sins.The world in which Se7en is set is dark, depressing, mean, moody and disturbing. The brilliant realised atmosphere in the film will probably stay with you for a long, long time. The end hits you like a sucker punch.
IMDB rating - 8.6
Amazon - Seven (New Line Platinum Series) DVD
Amazon - Seven (1995) [Blu-ray]
6. Memento (2000) - Guy Pearce plays Leonard, a man who has short-term memory loss and is trying to hunt for the man who killed his wife. Joe Pantoliano and Carrie-Anne Moss play the other main characters in this complex but compelling story.This isn't so much a movie with a twist as a movie that never stops twisting and turning. It really is better that you go into this movie without knowing anything about it all, so out of respect towards anybody who may read this but hasn't seen the movie I won't reveal too much, except to say you are in for one hell of a ride. Everything about this film is unique (not just the story, even the way it was directed and the way it is presented to the viewer). After the first viewing you will be trying to piece together the parts and make sense of it all for days. A stunning film which never ceases to surprise (even on the Nth viewing).
IMDB rating - 8.6
Amazon - Memento DVD
Amazon - Memento [Blu-ray]
5. Psycho (1960) - Marion (Janet Leigh) is on the run with the $40k she stole from her employer. After getting lost she stops off at the Bates motel where she encounters mother's boy Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). It would be remiss of me to make this list without including at least one Hitchcock movie and that one Hitchcock film has to be Psycho (having said that; the film does deserve to be in this list on its own merit) . For me, the Master of Suspense made no better "twist" movie than this. An excellent horror masterpiece that has lost none of its thrill or power to shock in the fifty(50!)-odd years since release.
A word of warning; if you rent or buy this make sure you get the original, not the awful 1998 remake.
IMDB rating - 8.7
Amazon - Psycho (Collector's Edition) DVD
4. The Prestige (2006) - Two magicians (Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale) develop a hatred for one another when one blames the other for the death of his wife during the performing of a magic trick. The hatred causes an intense rivalry and both magicians start to compete and seek the demise of the other. When one performs the ultimate illusion the other sets out to discover his secret, with deadly consequences.This is the second film in the list from director Christopher Nolan (the first being Memento, above) who is, in my opinion, the most consistent (consistently good) director of his generation. There are enough clues along the way to guess the twist, but even if you do guess it before the end of the film you still feel like you were taken to the conclusion by the director instead of guessing due to lazy script writing or bad directing. The characters are wonderfully played by Jackman and Bale, with Michael Caine, David Bowie and Scarlett Johansson completing an all-star line up.
IMDB rating - 8.4
Amazon - The Prestige DVD
Amazon - The Prestige [Blu-ray]
3. Mulholland Drive - Laura Harring plays "Rita", the sole survivor of a car crash (which happened on Mulholland Drive, hence the title). She befriends Naomi Watts' character and together they set out to discover more about Rita's forgotten identity.The term "nothing is as it seems" could, of course, be applied to almost all of the movies in this list, but none more so than this fantastic David Lynch tale of the Hollywood dream turned sour.
The twist in this film will probably hit you harder than any other in this list. Not only does it come out of nowhere in the most unexpected place, it also leaves you feeling a little dazed and undoubtedly you'll sit there for a while a little confused. This is a movie that needs more than one viewing and it gives you more pleasure each time you watch it. Each new viewing brings a new understanding and with it a totally new interpretation of the film.
In a strange way it reminds me of Apocalypse Now in that it encountered several hurdles during production (it originally started life as a TV pilot before the series was canned and it was finally finished nearly a year later as a movie) but the final result is richer due to the problems rather than suffering from them; a work of flawed genius if ever there was one.
If I was pushed to pick the best acting performance from this whole list it would be Naomi Watts in this film, she is absolutely superb from start to end.
IMDB rating - 8.0
Amazon - Mulholland Drive DVD
2. Fight Club (1999) - Disillusioned Ed Norton meets confident soap salesman Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) on a flight home. Together they set up an underground "fight club" which evolves into an anti-corporate terrorist group. The second David Fincher directed film in the list (see also Se7en above). This one is the hardest to describe in any detail, not just because a detailed synopsis would potentially reveal a spoiler, but also because this film has so many layers. This film isn't just a macho fighting fest' (despite the title and the early trailers), in fact the actual fighting scenes take up very little screen time. It has lots of snappy dialogue, astute social commentary, inspired casting with great chemistry between the lead actors, a fantastic story and, of course, a great unexpected twist at the end.
IMDB rating - 8.8
Amazon - Fight Club (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) DVD
Amazon - Fight Club (10th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]
1. The Usual Suspects (1995) - Five criminals (Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio Del Toro, Kevin Pollak and Kevin Spacey) are brought together as suspects for a police line up. They decide to get revenge on the police by doing a robbery. However, somebody is manipulating their every move.So here it is, my number one. I'd go as far as saying this isn't just my favourite movie in the context of this list but my favourite movie full stop. I've watched this movie so many times I can practically recite the words. The directing and acting are superb (Benicio Del Toro's Fenster is particularly memorable) and the story would hold its own even without the superb ending. The shock twist at the end only adds to an already great film.
The best thing about this film is the subtle misdirection throughout. You know a twist is coming and the movie makes you think you've sussed it, then it "flips you" (to quote Fenster) right at the end. Some people have criticised the film for "conning" the viewer, and I suppose if you analyse it too deeply then that might be a valid point, personally I prefer to just sit back and enjoy the journey Bryan Singer takes us on. I have watched this film over and over again and I never tire of it (and I hope I never will).
IMDB rating - 8.7
Amazon - The Usual Suspects (Special Edition) DVD
Amazon - The Usual Suspects [Blu-ray]
