Twists kind of get a bad rap these days, don't they? I think M. Night Shyamalan is to blame there, where he made a series of films with "twist" endings. Mind you, those first two twists - Sixth Sense and Unbreakable - were great twists.
Still, I love a good twist ending that's delivered well. What are some of yours? This can include movies, TV shows, games, books, etc.
And because we're basically going to be discussing endings here, it's probably best to spoiler your choices. Here's the format I'll use. Whatever format you use, please use spoilers.
Fallen (1998)
The Outer Limits - Quality of Mercy (1995)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Spectacular Spider-Man - Final Curtain (2010)
Tales from the Darkside - Lover's Vow (1990)
Still, I love a good twist ending that's delivered well. What are some of yours? This can include movies, TV shows, games, books, etc.
And because we're basically going to be discussing endings here, it's probably best to spoiler your choices. Here's the format I'll use. Whatever format you use, please use spoilers.
Fallen (1998)
I think this is a really under-appreciated and maybe somewhat forgotten 90s film with Denzel Washington. I loved the premise of a body-jumping fallen angel going around killing people. And it introduced me to the Rolling Stone's Time is On My Side. But this is one of those movies where the bad guy manages to snatch victory out of the hands of the hero. That bit at the end where he says, "Oh, you forgot something. I said this was the story of how I almost died." When I watched this as a younger lad, I said aloud to the screen, "Son of a bitch!"
The Outer Limits - Quality of Mercy (1995)
A POW is held captive in an alien prison. He meets a girl along the way who gives him hope, even while she's being tortured and seemingly slowly transformed into one of the alien enemies.
Except right at the end, when he gives her important information where a last ditch effort by Earth has their remaining armada hidden. She gets up and knocks on the door to be let out. Then says, "You were wrong. They weren't changing me into an alien. They were changing me back."
Again, this blew my goddamn mind when I was young.
Except right at the end, when he gives her important information where a last ditch effort by Earth has their remaining armada hidden. She gets up and knocks on the door to be let out. Then says, "You were wrong. They weren't changing me into an alien. They were changing me back."
Again, this blew my goddamn mind when I was young.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Haven't seen this in a long time, but I remember not seeing the ending coming at all when I saw this in theater. It's one of the few movies where there are hints all over the place, but they're very subtle.
Spectacular Spider-Man - Final Curtain (2010)
When they revealed in the first season that Harry Osborn was the Green Goblin and that Norman was completely innocent, I thought it was a great twist. Harry had been the Goblin before in the comics, so it wasn't a major departure from the mythos. And it tied things back to the high school setting.
But then, during the finale, it's revealed that Harry might not be the Goblin. And there was enough evidence presented that it couldn't be Norman. So during this whole episode, I was literally on the edge of my seat screaming, "Who!? Who could it be?!"
And it was Norman Osborn all along. Through smoke and mirrors, they managed to successfully bring back the mystery of the Green Goblin from the original Lee/Ditko comic run.
But then, during the finale, it's revealed that Harry might not be the Goblin. And there was enough evidence presented that it couldn't be Norman. So during this whole episode, I was literally on the edge of my seat screaming, "Who!? Who could it be?!"
And it was Norman Osborn all along. Through smoke and mirrors, they managed to successfully bring back the mystery of the Green Goblin from the original Lee/Ditko comic run.
Tales from the Darkside - Lover's Vow (1990)
Just your typical story of boy meets girl...after boy was rescued from a mugging by a gargoyle and promises never to tell anyone. The "YOU PROMISED ME!" line absolutely breaks me every time.
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