Some of the best movies are the ones that follow a predictable plot and then throw you a complete curve ball that blows your mind.
The first plot twist in a movie was in the 1920 German silent horror film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. The twist end of this tale was revealed to be entirely made up by the ramblings and delusion of the narrator at the asylum that the film took place.
Since then, incredible plot twists have been born, and we wanted to know which ones were the best.
Redditor These_Ad1806 asked:
"What movie has the best twist?"
Readers beware, there are definitely spoilers ahead!
Fight Club.
"The first time watching Fight Club is way up there for me."
- Tortion
"Yeah, and the fact you never know Edward Nortons name, only Tyler's."
- helmer012
"I'm amazed I didn't get it the first time around. It seemed so obvious in hindsight, yet I was oblivious. Amazing writing and cinematography."
- Guava_
fight club rules GIF by SYFYGiphyThe 1960 film Psycho.
"Psycho."
"It starts out being about a woman on the run with a suitcase full of money and then turns into a completely different movie a third of the way in."
- didnsignup4dis
"I absolutely love that they built the marketing around Janet Leigh the movie quickly established her as the protagonist only to kill her off 20min in. Brilliant move."
- puckit
"Same thing with Drew Barrymore in Scream."
- dywrektor
"Probably that way as an homage to Psycho really since the whole movie is references to the horror movies before it."
- drDekaywood
"Drew Barrymore specifically asked to play that character instead of the lead, Sidney, that they wanted her for."
"Wes Craven loved the idea, probably because yes, it would have a very similar effect as Psycho."
- Ronem
When Darth Vader revealed his true identity.
"I hear that when in Empire Strikes Back and Vader tells Luke who he truly is that everyone just absolutely lost their minds."
- boredbrowser1
"I didn't truly believe it until Return of the Jedi came out."
- BanditoDeTreato
"Same here. My friends and I spent three years debating whether Vader was lying."
- Iggleyank
darth vader father GIF by Star WarsGiphy"Fun Fact: A child psychologist advised George Lucas that Yoda would need to confirm the fact that Vader was Luke's father, because kids would not believe it coming from a villain."
- GhOsT_wRiTeR_XVI
"I mean. I don't anyone should trust it coming from a villain. It's why I skipped the drama in the new ones where Kylo tells Rey that her parents were nobodies. Because my first thought was, 'Oh he's lying to hurt her. Duh.'"
- TheCowOfDeath
The Usual Suspects.
"The Usual Suspects."
"'The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.'"
- No-Acanthisitta423
"'Back when I was in that barbershop quartet in Skokie, Illinois...'"
"To this day, whenever my buddy and I are surprised by something unexpected, we call it 'getting Skokie'd.'"
- allothernamestaken
Memento.
"Memento."
- hystorymystory
"Ah classic. My wife thought it was dumb as we were watching it until the last like 5 minutes of the movie. Now it's like one of her favorite movies."
- traws06
"It's definitely one of those movies that doesn't really pull you in till it comes together."
- Gr33nman460
Just when you thought it was over.
"Shawshank Redemption when Andy doesn't come out for head count and you wonder if he finally offed himself because he couldn't take it anymore only to find out he dug a freaking tunnel with a rock hammer."
- WhoaButter
"The whole 'how he done it' and walking into the bank sequence is one of the best feel-good cinematic experiences I have ever had."
- BigODetroit
"Same here! One of my very favorite scenes from any movie is the end .. that overhead shot of Red and Andy on the beach in Mexico."
- WhoaButter
"That ending was an idea of one of the producers, who thought the written ending (which was the same as the book, ending on Red's trip on the bus to find Andy) was too sad/inconclusive."
"Frank Darabont REALLY didn't want to do it and had to have his arm twisted into doing so. It's one of those rare instances where the "studio notes" were absolutely right."
- walterpeck1
"The horrible thing is that in Serbia the title was translated as 'Escape from Shawshank.'"
- asandriss
Happy Shawshank Redemption GIFGiphyThe Others.
"I'm mentioning this movie not because it is the best but rather because it is hard to find digitally for some reason but the movie The Others with Nicole Kidman has a great twist for its time."
- Mister_JayB
"They definitely held it together so that the twist was unexpected to at least some of the audience. Including me, because I'm honestly not that bright."
= Painting_Agency
"It's not about being dumb, it's about telling a story so engaging that you stay in the moment without thinking ahead."
- KriptiKFate_Cosplay
The best plot twists are the ones that we don't expect because we are so enchanted by our character's story. The plot, the writing, the acting and the cinematography have to come together to make it work.
For these show stoppers, it definitely worked.
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Redditor Moist-Patience-4989 asked:
"What is a toy you always wanted growing up, but never got?"
Power Wheels
"The Barbie Jeep that you could actually ride in. But once I had kids, I bought them one (not the Barbie version, but still). And guess what? I was five pounds under the weight limit so I was able to ride in their battery-powered Jeep. I mean, it was a couple decades late, but I eventually got to do it."
- smugmisswoodhouse
"Lol I never got one of those as a kid either. It still haunts me till this day. I have no idea why but it still does. My mom bought me a car for my 16th birthday but I still bring up the freaking power wheel. I guess it really scarred me."
- Annonme123
Easy - Bake Oven
"Easy - Bake Oven"
- Antibara
"Me too. I wanted one so bad. When they came out with the real retro looking ones a while ago, I was sooo tempted. LOL"
- Real-Web8925
"I was a child of the 70s, and wanted the Holly Hobbie version. My parents were poor and/or didn't want me cooking in my bedroom, so they dodged by pointing out it was for ages 8 and up. By the time I was 8 I was cooking real food in an actual oven so the request was dropped. Still low-key want one though, entirely to indulge my inner child."
- pepperminticecream
"Easy bake oven. Parents didn’t think it was a toy for boys. I still became a baker anyways"
- Soggy-Juggernaut-569
Mini Bike
"A mini-bike like they advertised in the Sears Christmas catalog."
- XploringTheWorld
"Same. I wanted one so bad. All the guys on my street had one and to get into the woods they drove their bikes between my house and the neighbors. On our lawn! I was so pissed off they got to do it but my dad didn’t think it was safe for a girl (in 1968)."
- SnowinMiami
Tamagotchi
90S Nostalgia GIFGiphy"Always wanted a Tamagotchi"
- DuracellCosmonaut
"They were banned at my school. I think there was a bit of controversy with them at the time."
- Maso_TGN
"I have mine! Just put fresh batteries in it a couple weeks ago and I still can’t keep the dumb thing alive 😅"
- IJustWantWaffles_87
TMNT Pizza Shooter
"The ninja turtle pizza thrower van."
- Ph33r-Enigma
"My friend brought his TMNT Pizza Shooter over. We then spent the next 2 hours shooting my older sister. I asked for one and my parents (for very good reason) told me absolutely not."
- HoopOnPoop
"I just used it to shoot pizzas at my little brother. Thing was amazing
- MrJimBusiness18
American Girl Dolls
"An American Girl doll. Loved the books so much. I've been tempted to buy myself a Samantha now that she's out again, but I like the original outfit better."
- horseruth
"I read that catalogue cover to cover every time I got it (which is back when there were only three dolls and nothing ever changed). I was convinced when I grew up and had kids, my daughter would have all three dolls, each in its own room so that the historical eras didn't get mixed up. Spoiler alert: that did not happen. No kids, and my house doesn't have three extra bedrooms to devote to dolls."
- jleebeane
Castle Greyskull
he-man GIFGiphy"Castle Grayskull, from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe."
- Maso_TGN
"My brother had it and I played with my strawberry shortcake dolls in it."
- GlamSpam
"By The Power Of Grayskull, sacrilege!"
- Maso_TGN
"They actually made a new one recently, and it’s identical to the original 80’s one, just with modern details. You can get it here."
- IncreaseWestern6097
Rock Tumbler
"A rock tumbler"
- Picklesgal111
"I was looking for this one. We are two rocks in the tumbler together."
- Independent_Cut8651
"Not really a toy, but I’ve wanted a rock polishing kit for as long as I can remember and would ask for one every Christmas and birthday."
- awesquirrel
Pokédex
"a pokedex. I wanted one so bad, but NoOoOo, mom and dad thought pokemon was annoying"
- CptJaxxParrow
The Big Box of Crayons
"The Crayola 64-pack with the three metallic colors."
- wholewheatscythe
You may have missed out on these toys as a child, but the great thing about being an adult is that you can do what you want. If the toy you desperately wanted as a kid is still available, you are totally allowed to just go out and buy yourself one.
Redditor OfficialVickiLuv wanted to share the truths we need to know, so they asked:
"What is a common 'fact' that you know is bulls**t?"
There is no such thing as an alternative fact.
So let's start there.
Not a Forest
the ice pirates shaving GIF by Warner ArchiveGiphy"Shaving makes your hair grow back thicker."
Heavy_Educator9822
"I used to believe this one. I was very disappointed when I learned it was BS."
leebon427
Both Sides
"There are two kinds of thinkers: Right brain people are who are creative, and the people that use the left side who can do math."
Beaver_Buster
"Try telling that to psychologists/psychiatrists who do research/clinical studies/trials. I’ve been denied dozens of times to partake in research studies revolving around mental health, specifically depression, and anxiety."
"Why did they deny me [even tho I was a perfect candidate]? Because I write with my left hand. And apparently it would make their study 'invalid' because they 'don’t want to interfere with results.'"
"Please tell me how excluding a large amount of people from a research study would somehow give you the correct answer for treating mental health for everybody?"
asianstyleicecream
Find them...
"That you have to wait 24 hours to report someone missing."
Zatiebars
"Especially with children, the quicker the police can get to the 'crime' scene the fresher the evidence and easier to follow leads. I used crime in quotes because there could have been a crime or the kid might have just wandered off."
"But it's not just for kids though... If you know someone is a home body and never leaves home and you know something has happened, by all means call the police. Even if they like to take random trips, it never hurts to inform the law."
Zatiebars
Crackle... Pop
"Cracking your knuckles causes arthritis."
Famous-Background329
"Probably just normal. Cracks are just little bubbles of nitrogen that settle where there's space. They don't build up over time, once the space is occupied by a little bubble then no more can join it. A knuckle that hasn't been cracked in 50 years is the same as a knuckle that hasn't been cracked in a few hours."
ConstantSignal
Give a Howl
Angry Wolf GIF by CuriosityStreamGiphy"Alpha wolves being real. The guy who did the original study disproved his one study and gets mad when people get it wrong now... lol."
Silverj0
"Came looking for this, also extrapolating this BS to human beings and 'sigma,' go read. The articles are all available. It's nonsense that people still believe s* like this with access to everything in their hands."
artemispock
The wolf pack is always ready.
Trivia
Facts GIF by Judge JerryGiphy"A 'factoid' is an often repeated statement that isn't true, but is now believed to be true due to people saying it all the time. Its not a mini fact, or like, fun piece of trivia."
JackofScarlets
Breakfast Companies
"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The quote was made by Kellogg's to make people buy more cereal. If you search up articles that say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, most are sponsored by Kellogg's."
Jazzlike-Caramel7103
"I’m not sure Kellogg’s made it up. In my country there’s a saying that’s been around forever that alludes to the importance of breakfast that goes 'have breakfast like a king and dinner like a poor person.' Kellogg’s might’ve simply exploited an existing popular belief."
kaleidoscopichazard
Hey Stumpy
"Caffeine makes you short."
CForey62
"This one makes me laugh. I've been drinking coffee since I was like 9 years old and turned out 190cm tall."
TurquoiseBeetle67
Spuds
"Potatoes absorb toxins. The amount of people that believe putting potato slices in your shoes or wear them around your neck as a holistic medical treatment is shockingly high. It’s just oxidation."
wheresmychin
"I recall seeing a antivaxx meme that said if you had to get a COVID shot to put a potato slice at the injection site to absorb all the toxins. I’m all for sharing that idea if it makes people get vaccinated."
OrangeTree81
Look Out
Flying Fox Bat GIF by Barbara PozziGiphy"Bats are blind."
IWantOneSpatula
"I remember getting into a really stupid argument shortly after high school with a friend over this who just couldn't believe that bats weren't actually blind."
__M-E-O-W__
"Fine. Bats are legally blind."
shifty_coder
Now I've learned more.
Do you have anything to add? Let us know in the comments below.