Favorite surprise ending twist to a movie or television series.

[peruban]

Mine would have to be "Planet of the Apes", my jaw still drops every time I watch the end of that one.

Oh, and the mid-season finale of the new Battlestar Galactica was pretty damn good, too.

Post your favs, but try not to ruin it for those of us who haven't seen it yet.

[ghostsofgiants]

1. The flash forward at the end of season 3 of Lost.

[Iggo]

2. I was totally blind-sided...

...by the ending of that movie with Bruce Willis where the kid "sees dead people."

I know a ton of people who saw it coming a mile away, but I was completely surprised.

[peruban]

11. The Sixth Sense

Yeah, that one caught me by surprise, too. It's worth renting just to hear the commentary track, very insightful and points out nuances that you may have missed in the movie.

[cemaphonic]

42. Yeah, I saw that early in its run, so the twist was a nice surprise.

In general, twists in movies are pretty easy to see coming, if you are expecting one. I figured out what was going on in Fight Club about a third of the way through, because I knew it had a "big twist." But I went to see "The Sixth Sense," totally unspoiled, because I love ghost stories, and was pleasantly surprised by the ending. (and unpleasantly surprised by the rest of Shyamalan's career.)

[BrklynLiberal]

55. I never saw it coming. I had to see it again, and there was no hint that I saw.

[JoePhilly]

65. Hate to brag ... (ok, no I don't) ... but I figured that one out too.

It's been a while, but I think my first clue was the scene where he meets his wife for dinner.

And then, when the kid tells him that some of the dead people don't know they are dead ... I had it.

I like to guess the twists, so at that point in the movie I told my wife that I 'knew' the end. She scowled at me.

When he realizes it, and the scene shifts back, my wife gasped, then looked at me .. I was smiling.

And then she hit me.

But ... it is still one of the very best twists.

[jobycom]

73. I ruined it for everyone.

Some point early on while he was talking to the kid alone my wife asked what kind of parent would let her kid talk to a psychiatrist alone, and I said "Maybe he didn't survive the shooting?"

From that point on, it was obvious. Once you guess it, every scene points to it.

[rcrush]

3. I liked the ending of Angel.

It wasnt really a twist but it was bad ass.

[DarkTirade]

8. ... I kinda wanna slay the dragon...

:P

[TZ]

4. The Crying Game

I think that was a VERY interesting movie!

[dawgmom]

17. Oh, dear

That movie....it wasn't the movie that pissed me off, but the people who talked and talked about the BIG SURPRISE, SHOCKING SURPRISE before I went to see it. Then I went to see it, and at the end, I literally said out loud, "What the hell was the big shocking surprise that everybody was talking about?" I couldn't believe that other people hadn't figured it out early on, as I had. I just thought it was incredibly obvious, even before the character appeared on screen.

You're not alone, though. I had several friends who were surprised too. One had a great line that I can't repeat here, without spoiling it for people who haven't seen the movie.

[cemaphonic]

44. Yeah, I went to that movie not even knowing that there was supposed to be a surprise.

My biggest reaction to the movie was annoyance that the interesting hostage drama at the beginning got switched into a boring romance story.

[dawgmom]

71. Yup. Had the same reaction.

And by the way, it was during the hostage drama at the beginning that I first knew what the "big surprise" was that everyone was talking about. The moment/look that passes from the hostage, when the kidnapper "helps" him urinate....And then, of course, when you actually see the girlfriend for the first time. I just thought it was so obvious... (I think that says it, without giving too much away.)

[MorningGlow]

5. Newhart

Sheer brilliance.

[yellowdogintexas]

7. Best Ever. Hands Down. nt

[peruban]

10. I never watched the show but I saw the ending.

And yeah, that was pretty brilliant.

[KitchenWitch]

12. Yes!

Loved that.

[Auggie]

23. Totally agree

[trotsky]

47. Yup. No debate whatsoever. n/t

[Gormy Cuss]

51. Yep. First thing that came to mind for me too. n/t

[Tuesday Afternoon]

70. perfect.

:thumbsup:

[mitchum]

6. That movie where Jesus got killed at the end

Whoahhhhh!

[peruban]

9. Ohhhhhh, creative. n/m

[insanity]

13. Spolier:

He comes back to life and hangs out with Native Americans

[mitchum]

14. Whatever you say, Joe

:)

[jobycom]

74. No, he lived.

He just had to roll on Wednesday instead of Shomer Shabbos.

[DustyJoe]

15. Steven Kings

The Mist ...

[charlie and algernon]

16. hell yeah

i was stunned after that one. The last 10 minutes are pure brilliance

[Liberal_in_LA]

41. I liked it

[Amerigo Vespucci]

18. Unlawful Entry

...right near the end, when Ray Liotta finds out that Kurt Russell "changed the code."

I LOVE this movie. I'll admit that a big part of it is the fact that Madeline Stowe is out-of-this-world GORGEOUS, but the interaction between Liotta and Russell is GRAND.

:toast:

[peruban]

27. Madeline Stowe is just plain drop dead gorgeous in anything.

I fell in love with her in "Last of the Mohicans".

[BlueIris]

19. I thought the series finale of "The X-Files" was pretty shocking.

I had totally spaced William B. Davis's name in the opening credits, so when he showed up as the Cigarette Smoking Man reborn (or, rather, not dead?) I was surprised.

[Capn Sunshine]

77. I just realized I never saw that

wonder how I would find it.

[Deja Q]

20. The series finale to "Blake's 7" (1981)

NOTHING can ever top it, especially if you really dig the characters.

[Xipe Totec]

21. Titus Andronicus

Hark, villains! I will grind your bones to dust
And with your blood and it I'll make a paste,
And of the paste a coffin I will rear
And make two pasties of your shameful heads,
And bid that strumpet, your unhallow'd dam,
Like to the earth swallow her own increase.
This is the feast that I have bid her to,
And this the banquet she shall surfeit on;
For worse than Philomel you used my daughter,
And worse than Progne I will be revenged:
And now prepare your throats.

[Danger Mouse]

39. LOVE the movie adaptation.

:D

[blaze]

22. St. Elsewhere - spolier below

They ended the series with a final shot of the hospital... slowly panning out until you see a child (the autistic child of one of the show's doctors) peering into a glass ball (may have been a snow globe...) and realize the show was all in the imagination of the child.

[ScreamingMeemie]

54. I was ticked off as all get out at that.

It ranks right up there, past Bobby in the shower/all a dream Dallas episode that made the entire 3rd season bunk.

[skygazer]

75. I really liked that ending too

I know a lot of people thought it sucked but I thought it was brilliant and fit with the offbeat and quirky nature of the show all along. I loved that show.

[Pushed To The Left]

24. A tie between The Sixth Sense and Fight Club.

I won't go into any more detail here because I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't seen those movies.

[Mike 03]

25. David Fincher's "Se7en" for sure.

It's right up there with Polansky's "Chinatown" but just an inch better.

People can belittle "Se7en" but history will vindicate that film as one of the greatest films ever made, right up there with Kubrick's work.

[peruban]

26. Yeah, that one was chilling.

Never ask "what's in the box?"

[Mike 03]

29. Yeah. Thanks for responding, glad to know I'm not alone in being shocked by that.

Thanks.

[Danger Mouse]

40. Dear lord is that one hard to watch.

[Shardik]

28. What Lies Beneath.

Another to add to the great lists above.

[XemaSab]

30. Not a movie or TV series YET

but "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince"... DAMN.

[Kingofalldems]

31. The Usual Suspects

Although I had figured it out, it was a big surprise to the audience.

[alphafemale]

34. I had it figured out pretty early as well.

I picked up on a few things. I think that made the movie more chilling in a way.

[peruban]

38. That one caught me by total surprise.

I didn't figure it out until the last 10 seconds or so of the movie.

[JoePhilly]

66. That was another good one!

[VOX]

76. I was able to figure out who, but I did not foresee **how** he would be revealed...

And that revelaton completely surprised me. I'm pretty good at calling these things (to my wife's dismay), but I just did not see this coming.

One of the best of the genre.

On edit: Removed some potential spoilers for those who may not have seen the film.

[Mad_Dem_X]

32. I can think of two movies:

The Usual Suspects and Primal Fear.

[KittyWampus]

33. Ocean's Elevan (remake). I had no idea how they pulled that off.

[pokerfan]

35. The ship sinks

Titanic (possibly a spoiler)

[peruban]

37. LOL

Yeah, that ending was shocker :sarcasm:

[Lil Missy]

36. "The Eyes of Laura Mars", "The Crying Game", "Jagged Edge"

[BrklynLiberal]

60. Jagged Edge...That was a good one...

[cemaphonic]

43. Les Diaboliques

That one's been ripped off a million times by now, but it is still awesome, especially the first time you see it.

And some props to "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari," which along with being probably the oldest one ever, is pretty creepy and effective.

[Hanse]

45. I was just thinking about The Salton Sea.

Val Kilmer's life is unexpectedly saved by the loyal friend he cruelly betrayed earlier in the picture.

I don't know how I feel about posting spoilers to movies nobody else has seen. But what the hell, why not.

[RandomThoughts]

46. Twilight Zone.

without a doubt, no contest.

The entire series Twilight Zone.

Although some were dark episodes, they had alot of moral and thought provoking episodes. That was good television.

If you want to learn the grass is always greener, or be careful what you wish for, or want is the cause of suffering, or never underestimate the ego of man, or what you wish will be your life, or just simple carma, or the smarter you are the more you will understand how little you know, the power of the individual, the beuty of being different, the love of another over love of self, the beuty of those called ugly, the uglyness that we may hold, yet not see for the sake of conformity, or how quickly a true side of many men can be brought out when comfort is challenged, the desire for peace, and war created by the fear of others, even a mad man can clear a wing, or maybe just that things work out in funny ways.

You can find it in a twilight zone episode.

[LibDemAlways]

49. The ending of the episode "The Eye of the Beholder"

gave me nightmares when I first saw it as a 10 year old kid. It still packs a powerful punch.

One of the best episodes was in the second go-round of the show which aired in the 70's. Mare Winningham plays a woman who is given a mysterious box full of money and told the contents of the box are hers, but if she opens it and claims them, a stranger will die. It's got a hell of an ending as well.

[LaydeeBug]

48. The ending of MASH. It still gets me every time.

[Enrique]

50. the fake documentary "Dadetown"

you don't know it's a fake til the ending credits. The first time I saw it I was so stunned I felt like throwing up.

[travelingtypist]

52. Wild Things

After the credits start to roll, there's some great stuff.

[rcrush]

56. I love how they repeat the same formula for Wild Things 2 and 3

I cant rent both movies and know exactly where to skip ahead to the threesome.

[travelingtypist]

59. Lol. Yeah, I've never watched the sequels.

But Neve Campbell throwing off "Party of Five" in the first one was
awesome. And since I'm a girl, I kind of enjoyed Kevin Bacon's shower
scene.

:evilgrin:

[rcrush]

61. Throwing off Party of Five?

What was she doing? Was that in the threesome? The sequels even have the scenes during the credits.

[travelingtypist]

63. Wasn't she sort of the squeaky-clean-innocent type in Po5?

Suzie was definitely not that.

Like I said, I haven't watched the sequels, but was very surprised
by the photos, her telling the teacher to go and meet the cop, her
pulling her own tooth, all that stuff. It was cool.

[JoePhilly]

69. Another top 5 entry ... and the Credit sequencies are huge!!!!

[ScreamingMeemie]

53. "Presumed Innocent". Never saaw that coming...not in a million

years.

[EFerrari]

64. I liked that one. It was sort of like Laura and also like the more recent "Dead Again". n/t

[JoePhilly]

67. Agree ...

Presumed Innocent is definitely in the top 5. Her character is so understated throughout that she becomes easy to miss.

Dead Again is another good one.

[JackDragna]

57. "Luke, I am your father."

Nuff said. :)

[unsavedtrash]

58. The Others

and Newhart

[MorningGlow]

62. Oh yeah, I'm a sucker for a twist ending to a ghost story

Sixth Sense, The Others--I never can figure 'em out, so I'm always mightily impressed when the twist arrives.

[JoePhilly]

68. Ghost Story from 1981 ... probably not best, but pretty good.

[Lindsey]

72. I'm glad someone else mentioned Primal Fear. I think that movie

is so underrated. I own it. The plot, the acting, the characters, and the ending were everything I'd want in a movie. I also thought The Sixth Sense was awesome.