List of films with unexpected endings: top best

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Tired of predictable endings, weak endings and boring plot twists? Then our article will come in handy. After all, what could be better than films with an unexpected ending? A good movie tries to give its viewer a worthy conclusion to a fascinating story. Excellent cinema goes one step further and adds some truly unpredictable twists to its endings. Such pictures will be discussed in our today's "kinotope". Here is a list/selection of the best films with unexpected endings that you just can't stop thinking about. Beware of potential spoilers!

"Road to Arlington" (1999)

Opens our today's selection of the best films with a surprise ending picture "Road to Arlington". In the life of the protagonist, Professor Michael Faraday, hard times have come - a recent terrorist attack took the life of his dear wife, an FBI agent. In search of solace, Michael becomes close to the spouses who live in the neighborhood. Oliver and Cheryl Lang are happyto cheer up their new acquaintance and always gladly invite him to visit them. One fine day, Michael catches Oliver on a suspicious slip of the tongue and realizes that the spouses are not saying something. Then he decides to check the criminal chronicles, fearing to find the face of a neighbor there. With horror, the hero realizes that all his suspicions turned out to be real.

"Prestige" (2006)

Move to the next place in the list of films with a surprise ending. Someone notes the work of Christopher Nolan for an excellent plot, someone for the performance, and someone for a truly unpredictable ending. "The Prestige" - the film is far from new, however, is still perceived as a breath of fresh air. Everything is perfect here: an intricate story, an ensemble cast, and a finale that makes you want to sink deeper into your chair and forget about the real world. In general, a worthy contender for a place in the list of films with an unexpected ending.

In addition to the amazing duet of Jackman and Bale, which is a real pleasure to watch, "The Prestige" also pleases other famous faces. There is a young Scarlett Johansson, and Michael Kenn, who will later return with Bale and Nolan in another film (the Batman trilogy), and even David Bowie as not just anyone, but Nikola Tesla himself.

What is this movie about? About rivalry, love, betrayal and the mysteries of science. The characters of Robert Angier and Alfred Borden (played by Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale, by the way)respectively) were once good friends. Together they put on shows with magic tricks and various tricks, earning themselves a good reputation among the local public. One day, during a performance, an accident occurs during which Angier's wife dies. From this moment, mutual hostility begins to arise between friends, and their joint work no longer brings the same effect. The heroes go on different paths, but each of them continues his work as illusionists. Soon, Angier and Borden turn into real rivals, ready to go to any lengths to present the best trick and trample on the reputation of their competitor along the way. Very quickly, the enmity between the heroes is gaining extreme momentum and leads to terrible consequences.

"Vertical Limit" (2000)

It has all the ingredients of a first-class thriller: it's a gripping plot, and colorful characters, and extreme conditions, and, of course, a denouement with an unexpected ending. The film tells the tragic story of a group of climbers who are trapped in a harsh natural disaster. "Vertical Limit" is a look at how innocent people can die through the fault of banal human greed. Several members of the expedition get stuck on a snow-covered mountain in not the most comfortable conditions and are now forced to fight for their lives. They are sent to the rescue by another group of climbers, in whose luggage there is a dangerous supply of glycerin. In thisin a deadly race at dangerous heights, the heroes will have to face not only harsh weather conditions, but also human cunning.

"The Pit" (2001)

Next in our selection of films with an unexpected ending goes to the chilling thriller "The Pit". The film is an adaptation of Guy Burt's book After the Pit. At first, it may seem that we have a typical teenage horror filmed according to all the canons of the genre. However, we hasten to assure you that the first impression is deceptive, and that in fact "The Pit" is a well-built psychological thriller.

The plot tells about a small group of British teenagers who decide to secretly hold a private party. As a place for entertainment, they choose an abandoned bunker. And everything would be fine, but in the midst of a party, teenagers find themselves locked underground without the slightest chance of salvation. Imprisonment does not affect heroes in the best way. Each of them begins to show his real face and do things that only aggravate the current situation.

"Triangle" (2009)

Speaking of little-known thrillers in the lists of unpredictable films with unexpected endings, one cannot fail to mention "Triangle". In our humble opinion, this is one of the most underrated films in its genre. The events of the film take place on the territory of the famous Bermuda Triangle, the waters of which are plied by a mysterious ship. At the beginningstoryline, a group of friends go on a trip on their yacht. Swimming within the triangle, they lose control of the ship and are shipwrecked. The next morning they meet a huge drifting ship, on which there is not a single living soul. The friends decide to check the boat and, without knowing it, become victims of a mysterious man in black, who organizes a bloody hunt for them. Sounds too easy? Then we advise you to get acquainted with the "Triangle" on your own, and we guarantee that the unpredictability of this film will not leave indifferent any movie fan. In general, this picture certainly deserves its place in the list of the best films with an unexpected ending!

"Others" (2001)

No collection of films with surprise endings can do without "The Others". It seems that everything in the film directed by Alejandro Amenábar is built around a spectacular denouement, and without it this film would not be so impressive. "The Others" is a story that keeps you in suspense from beginning to end, and then turns everything upside down and dumbfounds with a completely unexpected ending.

Nicole Kidman stars in the film. Her heroine lives in a huge mysterious mansion with her children and some servants. Everything around seemed to freeze in anticipation of the return of the father of the family, who went to fight at the front. In general, the atmosphere in the film is not pleasant: the street is constantly foggy, the house is cold and detachedenvironment, the children cannot go out into the sunlight as they suffer from a mysterious illness. Everything is aggravated when certain entities appear in the mansion. Children are very afraid of them, and no one can explain where they came from.

"Vice" (2001)

The next movie on our list of the best surprise ending movies we'd like to talk about today is a perfect example of how one final twist can take a slow paced story to the next level. It all starts with the fact that the main character, an FBI agent named Wesley Doyle, meets a mysterious man who offers him help in catching a dangerous maniac killer. The stranger talks about his childhood and recalls that once upon a time his father, allegedly guided by God's will, hunted certain people, killing them for various sins. The narrator's younger brother, Adam, did the same, and, apparently, he decided to take up his old ways again. Wesley can't believe his luck - the case of a dangerous maniac may finally be solved! But what if Adam really sees other people's sins? What if Doyle himself is hiding something for which he can pay with his life?

"Vice" is a twisted drama with a surprise ending; a film that can give both real delight and dark horror.

"Mist" (2007)

Director Frank Darabont manages the impossible - to shoot really interesting and high-quality adaptations of Stephen King novels. Here is the Mistwas no exception. And although the director allowed himself a little creative imagination in the final, it only benefited the film itself.

The events of the picture begin with a terrible storm that hits a small American town. After a natural disaster, many families find that some of their property is in serious need of repair. For example, a neighbor's tree fell into the yard of the artist David's house and now it needs to be removed somehow. Then David decides to go to the local supermarket, where he can buy the necessary materials, and takes his son with him for company. At the same time, a new misfortune descends on the city - a mysterious fog, from which terrible monsters appear. No one knows what kind of horror this is and where it came from, only one thing is clear - everyone who remains on the street is doomed to certain death. Some locals manage to hide in the supermarket. David and his son, who arrived just in time, are also there.

One can talk endlessly about "The Mist", after all, King and Darabont will not do anything bad. Those who are still unfamiliar with either the film adaptation or the original work of The King of Horror must fill this gigantic cultural gap as soon as possible! In the meantime, we're giving The Mist a well-deserved spot on our list of the best unpredictable movies with a surprise ending.

"Kill Count" (2002)

A gripping thriller starring the stunning Sandra Bullock. Unfortunately, not the most popular work in the career of an actress, and very much in vain - there is both a fascinating plot anda mysterious murder and an interesting "brain race" between the criminal and the detective. The plot of the picture is built around two teenagers who decided to commit the perfect crime. The heroes prepared thoroughly: a completely random girl was chosen as a victim, the guys themselves made sure that nothing connected them with each other in public, and they were able to cover all traces of themselves. It seems that the criminals really were able to calculate everything to the smallest detail and that what they had done would remain undisclosed. However, a talented detective named Cassie Mayweather takes over the case, whose excellent logic and first-class intuition make her a worthy opponent in this "brain race".

A special place in the picture is its final - a lot of unexpected twists and unpredictable moments guaranteed. That's why we've put Kill Count on our list of the best films with surprise endings today.

Shutter Island (2010)

Continuing our list of films with unexpected endings and better denouement. This superb psychological thriller from Martin Scorsese is based on the best-selling book of the same name by American author Dennis Lehane. The main role in the film adaptation was played by Leonardo DiCaprio, and this, without any doubt, is one of his best acting work. In the center of the plot is Federal Marshal Teddy Daniels. Together with his partner, he arrives at a special clinic located on an isolated island, whereinsane criminals. A few days ago, a patient went missing in this place, and now the marshals must investigate her disappearance. As the film progresses, viewers will learn various details from Teddy's life, as well as what kind of personal drama he had to endure. Along with this, new questions will appear: “What kind of strange things are going on in the clinic?”, “Where do the patients disappear?”, “Can Teddy trust his partner?”, “Is everything we know about the heroes true?” and much more. It is unlikely that anyone can remain dissatisfied after the final denouement of "Shutter Island", and this says a lot. A well-deserved place in our list of films with a surprise ending!

"Identification" (2003)

A classic story about a group of strangers in an isolated area who start dying one by one under mysterious circumstances. It's safe to say that the directors of "Identification" drew their inspiration from the popular detective story "10 Little Indians" by Agatha Christie. However, this film is much more than just a thriller.

The plot begins with the fact that several people completely unfamiliar with each other are caught off guard by a raging storm. They all converge on the nearest roadside hotel in the hope of waiting out the bad weather and contacting the outside world. Soon, the strangers realize that there is something in common between them and that they were not in this place by chance. Moreover, some guestsbegin to die under mysterious circumstances, and no one can understand who is behind what is happening. Remembering the classics of the genre and the original material, it is safe to say that the killer is hiding among those present. But is it really so? We promise, the ending of "Identification" will not leave anyone indifferent.

"Cure for He alth" (2017)

And completes our today's list of films with an unexpected ending picture "The Cure for He alth". Some viewers who have watched this film compare it with "Shutter Island" and note a funny similarity in many points (up to the main actor). Even if this is true, we hasten to assure that both films are worthy of viewing. On our list of the best films with unexpected endings, The Cure for Wellness has its place for a reason - its ending is truly unpredictable and, most importantly, unique.

What is this movie about? The plot develops around Lockhart - a young employee of a large corporation, who is sent on a special assignment to an elite sanatorium located deep in the Alps. It is in this place that the main character must find the owner of the corporation and convince him to return to his business. The fact is that the patients of the sanatorium are so satisfied with the quality of local treatment that they happily cut off all ties with the outside world and stay there forever. Although Lockhart doesn't share the enthusiasm, he admits that the place has a certain charm. And soon he realizes that he himself is ready to spend a wholeeternity.