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Over the course of this past year, we asked movie-loving members of our BuzzFeed Community, “If there were an Academy Award for ‘Best Movie Plot Twist,’ which films would have definitely won?” And they came through time and time again with some absolute SHOCKERS!
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So — with that in mind, presented in no particular order— here are all of the most popular responses we received, all in one place for easy, accessible, mind-blowing fun:
Also, WARNING: Given the entire concept of this post, almost all of the entries below contain MASSIVE SPOILERS for their respective films, so please proceed with caution and at your own risk!!! This is your one and only WARNING. Ready? Okay. Here we go!
1.
Fight Club (1999)
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20th Century Fox / Via youtube.com
“When it’s revealed that Tyler Durden is actually the narrator, it’s incredible. I love the movie as a whole, and this remains one of the most inventive and mind-boggling plot twists of all time.”
2.
Get Out (2017)
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Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com
“I know that this one did, in fact, win a bunch of awards, but it’s still the only movie to literally have me sitting all the way back on my couch in shock by the time it was all said and done.”
3.
Shutter Island (2010)
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Paramount Pictures / Via youtube.com
“No brainer. I totally believed he was a detective the entire time. Never once thought he was a patient at the asylum. It’s one of the best — if not THE best — plot twists ever.”
4.
The Others (2001)
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“The entire film, you believe that the mother and her two children are being haunted by a family…only to find out that THEY themselves are the ghosts. I never saw that plot twist coming at all! The whole movie was confusing, but then it all made sense with the twist.”
5.
Primal Fear (1996)
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Paramount Pictures / Via youtube.com
“With Richard Gere and Edward Norton…I wish I could forget the ending and watch it again! “
6.
The Prestige (2006)
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Buena Vista Pictures Distribution / Via youtube.com
“Hands down, the moment when you find out that Christian Bale’s character had a twin the whole time. All that time, Hugh Jackman was trying to ‘figure out his trick,’ it was just a simple con! Brilliant!”
7.
Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)
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Warner Bros. Pictures / Via youtube.com
“It’s a rom-com, so you’re not expecting a huge twist or anything, but — when the twist came — I was floored. Never thought all of the characters’ worlds would collide in the way they do, but it’s SO funny. Ryan Gosling sincerely got ignored during awards season for that role.”
8.
Secret Window (2004)
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Sony Pictures Releasing
“The ending of this thriller threw me all the way off. Basically, you find out that the man stalking Johnny Depp’s character wasn’t real and that it was just him going mad because his wife had an affair and left him.”
9.
Gone Girl (2014)
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20th Century Fox / Via youtube.com
“When we cut to Amy being alive and well after believing she was murdered, I said — out loud in the theater — ‘What the fuck?!'”
10.
10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
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Paramount Pictures
“The audience thinks John Goodman is crazy and has been faking an invasion the whole time in order to keep the lead actor captive in his bunker; however, it turns out that, even though he really is crazy, the invasion was real just the same.”
11.
American Psycho (2000)
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Lions Gate Films
“The first time I watched that and that ending came, I was genuinely shocked!”
12.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
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Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com
“The signs pointed toward a tragic end for Andy, and the movie had been pretty bleak until that final twist. It was such a wonderful ending. It was so beautiful, cathartic, hopeful, and really surprising!”
—tkgm
13.
Arrival (2016)
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Paramount Pictures / Via youtube.com
“It was already such a good movie, but that plot twist was so well-executed…I honestly don’t think anyone who’s seen the movie could’ve seen it coming.”
14.
Scream (1996)
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Dimension Films
“Not only when you find out that two of Sidney’s friends are the killers…but also when you find out that they are also the ones who killed Sidney’s mother! The first three Scream movies really did have mind-fuck plot twists for my teenage brain.”
15.
The Boy (2016)
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STXfilms / Via youtube.com
“Say what you want about the movie, but if you thought there was a fully grown man living in the walls before it was revealed, I think you may need to see a therapist. There was no way to see something THAT crazy coming.”
16.
Frozen (2013)
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Walt Disney Studios / Via youtube.com
“Disney marketed Hans as the ‘good guy,’ and then — with less than 20 minutes left to the movie — he turns out to be the villain?! He portrayed every quality of a typical Disney prince, and I think that’s why it was such a shock to everyone. We, as the audience, were made to believe that Hans was perfect for Anna, and we didn’t question it because of the ‘true love’ concept created by Disney. I remember sitting in the theater watching that and hearing the audible gasps in the audience. I still get mad to this day watching that scene.”
17.
Oldboy (2003)
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Show East / Via youtube.com
“This one is easily the winner, hands down. When you find out why the main character was kidnapped…no plot twist could ever beat that absolute bombshell of a twist. Even the villain is giddy as he’s about to reveal it.”
18.
Friday the 13th (1980)
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Paramount Pictures / Via youtube.com
“The first time I saw this, I was absolutely shocked that Mrs. Voorhees was the killer and NOT Jason! I didn’t see it coming at all!”
19.
The Usual Suspects (1995)
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Gramercy Pictures / Via youtube.com
“I sat there with my jaw on the floor for about 10 full minutes after it was finished, and I kept going back over everything that had happened to make sense of it all. So well done!”
20.
Life (2017)
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Sony Pictures Releasing / Via youtube.com
“At the end, there are two space pods that were supposed to go opposite directions in order to save the Earth, but the wrong one (with a horrifying creature inside) ends up going to Earth, and the correct one (with the human) got sent out into deep space. It made my jaw drop. Look it up!”
21.
The Game (1997)
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PolyGram Filmed Entertainment / Via youtube.com
“The one with Michael Douglas. This is an insanely underrated movie with an absolutely WILD twist ending.”
22.
Atonement (2007)
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Focus Features / Via youtube.com
“I’m surprised this one hasn’t been mentioned yet! One of the most tragic yet well-executed plot twists I have ever seen. It left me staring at the screen and crying for an hour.”
23.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
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Marvel Studios
“When Peter Parker finds out that his date’s dad is the villain, The Vulture. It was something I didn’t see coming at all.”
24.
The Mist (2007)
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MGM Distribution Co.
“After all he’d gone through, only for help to be right around the corner…that one physically hurt to watch.”
25.
The Visit (2015)
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Universal Pictures
“This movie absolutely THREW me! I was expecting like aliens or possession, but damn. It ends up that the grandparents the kids are visiting ARE NOT their grandparents, but people who’ve killed their grandparents and broken out of an institution. Truly, one of the best twists I’ve seen.”
26.
Parasite (2019)
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CJ Entertainment
“The fact that there was a whole-ass person living in the rich people’s basement caught me so off guard!”
27.
Breaking Dawn: Part 2 (2012)
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Summit Entertainment
“I’m still unsure how I feel about this one, but it was definitely well-executed. I left the theater shocked and here I am today still thinking about it.”
28.
Se7en (1995)
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New Line Cinema
“When you finally find out WHAT’S IN THE BOX?!”
29.
Insidious (2010)
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FilmDistrict
“When you find out the dad at the end of the movie was possessed by the woman in black and killed Elaine, and the wife finds out by looking at the photograph.”
30.
Last Christmas (2019)
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Universal Pictures
“This one should definitely be included. I was not expecting that twist at all!”
31.
Us (2019)
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Universal Pictures
“The ending of this movie is so incredible. Jordan Peele, being the talented man that he is, left MANY clues throughout the set up, but the twist is still so unnerving. Basically it ends up that, when the main character got lost as a little girl, she was kidnapped and forced to switch places with her doppelgänger, so the REAL main character was actually stuck underground the whole time. Not much scares me, but I left the theater feeling so creeped out and briefly considered just never leaving my house again.”
32.
Arlington Road (1999)
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Screen Gems
“It truly got me. I’m still upset about it like 20 years later.”
33.
The Uninvited (2009)
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Paramount Pictures
“This one for sure! Not enough people have seen this movie.”
34.
La La Land (2016)
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Lionsgate
“The ending montage will always be my favorite twist in anything.”
35.
Searching (2018)
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Sony Pictures Releasing
“This one actually has A LOT of great twists, but the best one was when it was revealed that Detective Vick was responsible for Margot’s disappearance. It blew my mind in the theater. It’s a great film and super underrated film, and the twists in it are just perfect.”
36.
Psycho (1960)
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Paramount Pictures
“When it’s revealed that Norman Bates is also Norma Bates and he has a split personality…it’s just one of the biggest plot twists in cinematic history. It basically invented the plot twist.”
37.
The Orphanage (2007)
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Warner Bros. Pictures de España
“When you find out that the mother had inadvertently locked her son in a hidden room and that the noises/scares during the movie were just him trying get out…it was so sad.”
38.
Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
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“If someone told me they knew King Candy was actually Turbo, I’d say they were lying!”
39.
Now You See Me (2013)
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Summit Entertainment
“When you find out that Dylan was the fifth Horseman the entire time! It’s so well-executed and I did not see it coming.”
40.
Identity (2003)
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Columbia Pictures
“When the first major twist/big reveal happened, the entire theater — including myself and my dad — were collectively like, ‘What in the actual fuck?!’ It literally came out of nowhere.”
41.
Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
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TriStar
“I saw this recently for the first time and it has a great plot twist ending. Like, HOLY SHIT.”
42.
No Way Out (1987)
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Orion Pictures
“It’s one of Kevin Costner’s better movies. It has a really great cast and a what-the-actual-hell ending.”
43.
Lucky Number Slevin (2006)
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MGM
“How has this not been mentioned on either of the previous lists?!”
44.
The Final Destination (2009)
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Warner Bros. Pictures
“The fifth Final Destination movie actually has a great twist that — when you watch it a second time — makes you really appreciate all of the details and foreshadowing leading up to the ending.”
45.
Moon (2009)
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Sony Pictures Classics
“When Sam Bell has a quintessentially personal encounter toward the end of his three-year stint on the moon…I couldn’t stop thinking about it.”
46.
Remember Me (2010)
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Summit Entertainment
“There was never a more jaw-dropping ending than the main character finally getting his life together, only to be seen going up 80 floors in one of the twin towers on 9/11 and DYING. I mean WTF?!”
47.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
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Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
“The ending twist in this movie is so unexpected, it is guaranteed to leave you in tears.”
48.
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
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Paramount Pictures
“I was so surprised when Lady Van Tassel was the one revealed to be controlling the Horseman, especially since she hadn’t been present throughout the movie. Just goes to prove it’s always who you least expect.”
49.
V for Vendetta (2006)
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Warner Bros. Pictures
“Halfway through the film, Evey believes that she’s in prison, getting tortured, and communicating with someone…then poof, it’s revealed to all be a set-up lie. It’s wild.”
50.
Predestination (2014)
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Pinnacle Films
“This deserves a spot on this list. You’re welcome.”
51.
Saw (2004)
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Lions Gate Films
“When you find out that the ‘dead body’ on the floor of the room was John Kramer/Jigsaw the whole time. I wish I could watch this movie for the first time all over again just for that twist!”
52.
Knives Out (2019)
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Lionsgate
“This one had a lot of nice plot twists, but I was shocked when we find out Marta gave the right medicine, and Ransom set fire to the DNA lab not to protect her, but to destroy the evidence that she wasn’t guilty!”
53.
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
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LucasFilm Ltd.
“While it’s well-known now, this is one of — if not THE — biggest plot twists of all time. It literally shocked all of pop culture and changed one of the biggest franchises of all time.”
54.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
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Universal Studios
“When they start revealing that John Nash has schizophrenia and everything he experienced was a delusion…it’s incredible and out of nowhere.”
55.
Gone Baby Gone (2007)
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Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
“The ending of this one really had me questioning my morals.”
56.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
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Marvel Studios / Via youtube.com
“When you watch a superhero movie, you always expect the heroes to win. I remember watching the movie thinking, ‘There’s NO WAY the Avengers are going to let Thanos get all the stones…’ Then he snapped his fingers, and everyone starting dusting away. I was shaken for a long time after that.”
57.
You’re Next (2011)
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Lionsgate
“We find out that the main character’s boyfriend staged the home invasion in order to kill off his whole family and get the inheritance.”
58.
The Illusionist (2006)
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Yari Film Group Releasing
“My favorite plot twist is the end of this one. The inspector’s face when he pieces it all together is perfection.”
59.
And finally (of course) — The Sixth Sense (1999)
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Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
“This is the ONLY right answer. The end of this movie, when you find out that Malcom has been a ghost this whole time changed how movie twists are written. And when you go back and rewatch it, it makes so much sense when you notice all the little foreshadowing that goes into it!”
So, (even though we have this giant list) which ones did we miss??? What movie plot twist do YOU believe would be honored with the coveted (and completely made up) “Best Movie Plot Twist” Oscar? Share your pick in the comments below, and be sure to follow BuzzFeed Community for a chance to be featured in an upcoming post and/or video!
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Some entries have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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