Prepare to be captivated by a curated selection of 20 movies that transform into cinematic masterpieces as their intricate plot revelations unfold. These films are a testament to the power of storytelling and the thrill of unraveling mysteries on the big screen.
20: Unbreakable
M. Night Shyamalan movies are known for their plot twists and Unbreakable is one of the best. It features a security guard (Bruce Willis), having been the sole survivor of a high-fatality train crash, finds himself at the centre of a mysterious theory that explains his consistent physical good fortune. When news of his survival is made public, a man (Samuel L. Jackson) whose own body is excessively weak tracks him down in an attempt to explain his unique unbreakable nature.
19: 10 Cloverfield Lane
After surviving a car accident, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) wakes up to find herself in an underground bunker with two men. Howard (John Goodman) tells her that a massive chemical attack has rendered the air unbreathable, and their only hope of survival is to remain inside. Despite the comforts of home, Howard’s controlling and menacing nature makes Michelle want to escape. After taking matters into her own hands, the young woman finally discovers the truth about the outside world.
18: Burn After Reading
In this Coen Brothers comedy, a disc containing memoirs of a former CIA analyst (John Malkovich) falls into the hands of Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) and Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt). The two gym employees see a chance to make enough money for her to have life-changing cosmetic surgery. Predictably, events whirl out of control for the duo doofuses and those in their orbit.
17: Watchmen
This comic book adaptation features an alternate 1985 America where costumed superheroes are part of everyday life. When one of his former comrades is murdered, masked vigilante Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) uncovers a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his retired associates, only one of which has true powers, Rorschach glimpses a far-reaching conspiracy involving their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the world’s future.
16: Saw
Photographer Adam Stanheight (Leigh Whannell) and oncologist Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) regain consciousness while chained to pipes at either end of an abandoned bathroom. The two men realize they’ve been trapped by a sadistic serial killer nicknamed “Jigsaw” and that they must complete his perverse puzzle to live.
15: Bodies Bodies Bodies
This horror comedy follows a group of 20-somethings who get stuck at a remote mansion during a hurricane. Their party game gone very, very wrong and ends with a dead body on the ground and fake friends at every turn as they try to find the killer among them.
14: Zootopia
Zootopia is a mammal metropolis where various animals live and thrive. When Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) becomes the first rabbit to join the police force, she quickly learns how tough it is to enforce the law. Determined to prove herself, Judy jumps at the opportunity to solve a mysterious case. Unfortunately, that means working with Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), a wily fox who makes her job even harder.
13: The Others
Grace (Nicole Kidman), the devoutly religious mother of Anne (Alakina Mann) and Nicholas (James Bentley), moves her family to the English coast during World War II. She awaits word on her missing husband while protecting her children from a rare photosensitivity disease that causes the sun to harm them. Anne claims she sees ghosts, Grace initially thinks the new servants are playing tricks but chilling events and visions make her believe something supernatural has occurred.
12: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
This sequel to Knives Out features a completely different mystery than the first. This time, tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) invites his friends for a getaway on his private Greek island. When someone turns up dead, Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Cragi) is put on the case.
11: Arrival
This sci-fi film follows a linguistics professor (Amy Adams) who leads an elite team of investigators when gigantic spaceships touch down in 12 locations around the world. As nations teeter on the verge of global war, she and her crew must race against time to find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors.
10: Memento
Leonard (Guy Pearce) is tracking down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The difficulty, however, of locating his wife’s killer is compounded by the fact that he suffers from a rare, untreatable form of memory loss. Although he can recall details of life before his accident, Leonard cannot remember what happened fifteen minutes ago, where he’s going, or why.
9: Primal Fear
Based on the novel of the same name, Primal Fear follows a defense attorney (Richard Gere) who takes on jobs for money and prestige rather than any sense of the greater good. His latest case involves an altar boy (Edward Norton), accused of brutally murdering the archbishop of Chicago. Vail finds himself up against his ex-pupil and ex-lover, but as the case progresses and the Church’s dark secrets are revealed, Vail finds that what appeared a simple case takes on a darker, more dangerous aspect.
8: Gone Girl
Former New York-based writer Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) and his glamorous wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) present a portrait of a blissful marriage to the public. However, when Amy goes missing on the couple’s fifth wedding anniversary, Nick becomes the prime suspect in her disappearance. The resulting police pressure and media frenzy cause the Dunnes’ image of a happy union to crumble, leading to tantalizing questions about who Nick and Amy truly are.
7: Identity
When a vicious storm breaks out in the Nevada desert, 10 people seek refuge in an isolated motel. At the same time, a serial killer (Pruitt Taylor Vince) under the care of psychiatrist Doctor Mallick (Alfred Molina) — who has just found the killer’s revealing journal — awaits execution for murdering a group of motel guests. When the storm-stranded travelers realize they are being killed off one by one, limo driver Ed Dakota (John Cusack) bids to stay alive and reveal the murderer’s identity.
6: The Sixth Sense
This may be the most famous plot twist of all time. The film follows a young Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) who is haunted by a dark secret: he is visited by ghosts. Cole is frightened by visitations from those with unresolved problems who appear from the shadows. He is too afraid to tell anyone about his anguish, except child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis). As Dr. Crowe tries to uncover the truth about Cole’s supernatural abilities, the consequences for client and therapist are a jolt that awakens them both to something unexplainable.
5: Clue
This cult classic is about six blackmail victims who are invited to an isolated mansion by a man who knows a dark secret from each of their pasts. On arrival, each is given a pseudonym drawn from Cluedo before being introduced to the blackmailer. Each is handed a weapon, at which point the lights are switched off and the blackmailer is killed. Can the guests uncover the murderer before they all become victims?
4: Scream
The infamous horror film follows a teenage girl (Drew Berrymore) who, a year after the murder of her mother, is terrorized by a masked killer who targets her and her high-school friends by using scary movies as part of a deadly game.
3: Fight Club
Based on the book of the same name, Fight Club follows a depressed man (Edward Norton) suffering from insomnia who meets a strange soap salesman named Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) and soon finds himself living in his squalid house after his perfect apartment is destroyed. The two bored men form an underground club with strict rules and fight other men who are fed up with their mundane lives. Their perfect partnership frays when Marla (Helena Bonham Carter), a fellow support group crasher, attracts Tyler’s attention.
2: The Prestige
This dark period thriller takes place in Edwardian London. After a tragic accident, two rival magicians (Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale) engage in a battle to create the ultimate illusion – teleportation – while sacrificing everything they have to outwit each other.
1: Shutter Island
Martin Scorsese’s thriller Shutter Island truly is the most entertaining movie to watch again after learning the plot twist. There are just so many clues to pick up on when rewatching this story of a U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his new partner (Mark Ruffalo) who are sent to an asylum on a remote island in order to investigate the disappearance of a patient.
Source: www.ranker.com