Sunday, October 08, 2006

Top 5 Plot Twists

"Be it a rock or a grain of sand, in water they sink as the same."
Here are the finest five of them all.

5)The Usual Suspects(1995)
Well-written script, that's for sure. Could he be Keyser Soze? Is everything made up entirely? It's as if the plot serves one purpose and one purpose only: make you watch the movie again and again. Although it may be a thrilling ride the first couple of times, then the whole thing starts unravelling, revealing some plot holes which are interpreted differently by each and every viewer. But that's the magic of the movie. It's not just the final twist, The Usual Suspects is built that way in order to make you think and rethink the movie from its very beginning, and engage in endless conversations with your pals. Well played, Mr Singer.


4) The sixth sense (1999)
The most talked about twist of all time, even from Psycho. The twist that gave Shyamalan his trademark. Jaws drop and "shut up!" repeated constantly. There are almost no clues in the film, showing us that Bruce's character is actually dead from the start, other than the alienation with his wife. Jacob's Ladder was a more psychological take of the same main concept, but the 6th Sense was a crowd-pleaser, and that's where its success is based upon. You can't overlook the plot holes, like how did Bruce enter houses and stuff, but this movie reinvented a genre.


3) The Others (2001)
Such a shocking ending. This movie combines the right direction, script, editing and performances, all for the sake of the final twist. Borrowing elements from The Sixth Sense and The Haunting, it gets you in the right mood from the very beginning. It may seem like such a simple plot (haunted mansion, children seeing ghosts) and you turn off your brain. And as we progress towards the end, everything turns around. And you start thinking, why didn't I see that coming? So Overall, it's not just for the scares, this movie is based on a main concept like we've never seen before, making you see things from a ghost's point of view.


2) Fight Club (1999)
How twisted is the Narrator? When we come to realize that Tyler Durden was just a figment of his imagination, an alter ego with all the qualities he lacked, you can't but admire the way all the events where depicted on us. And there are clues throughout the movie. The single frames of Tyler, as his personality starts kicking in, the monologues of the Narrator, the attitude of Marla and everyone else. An irony about the downfall and the lack of sincerity in our society, how mayhem and chaos actually make sense from time to time, how sick our current lifestyle really is. Fight Club is a disturbing movie, yet honest and pure, the twist has an actual meaning unlike most films. Now go consume.

1) Oldboy (2003)
Once he starts turning the pages of the photo album, you become suspicious. When he reaches that picture, it's as if a trap door opens underneath your feet. And the manipulation has just got started. It's the perfect revenge plot. What's moral, right or wrong, it's all a matter of opinion. Who seeks forgiveness and who seeks redemption now? Everything is justified, in a script with no plot holes. In the second viewing, you spot and understand the little details. In third viewing, you're along for the ride. And that final shot where Mido and Oh-Dae Su hug in the mountains! Did the psychic do her job? Does he still remember everything? Is Park Chan Wook a twisted fuck?



Contenders
Angel Heart, Audition, Wild Things, Planet Of The Apes, The Game, Chinatown, Saw, Jacob's Ladder, sorry but you all came close. Again, Psycho had indeed a great twist, but there have been much better ones since then.
It's the top 5 plot twists, not the best endings. So, endings with no particular twist of events were not considered. That leaves out Se7en, Citizen Kane etc. Just wait for the Top 5 Movie endings.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Rol...lo Tom...masi..." from LA Confidential; could also be one of your Hon Men Death Scenes.





Dude - Top 5 car chases, heists.

Alex DeLarge said...

Oldboy as your #1 pick is perfect, just an awesome movie that propelled Korean Cinema.

Imprint by Takashi Miike also has a good twist

Anonymous said...

i was scrolling down, saying over and over "where the fuck is oldboy?where the fuck is oldboy?"

i continued reading...

5)The Usual Suspects(1995)

"where the fuck is oldboy?" i said.

4) The sixth sense (1999)

(i kept scrolling)

3) The Others (2001)

(i kept scrolling)

2) Fight Club (1999)

where is it???


and then i've seen it :D


O L D B O Y !!!



then i calmed down :D

Anonymous said...

Memento probably deserves to be on this list somewhere.