10 Movie Twists That Worked Despite Having Almost No Setup

This article contains spoilers for all of the movies included on the list.Throughout film history, there have been several films with incredible plot twists that have had almost no setup at all. There are many films that give their twists away early on, but few that remain ambiguous throughout the entire run of the film. Some movie twists are even better the second time around, making for perfect re-watch films.

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Films like Shutter Island and Gone Girl are well-known for their twists, and for good reason. Many of them, especially for a first time viewer, seem to come out of nowhere and come as shocking revelations. However, many of these films’ twists are better experienced without spoilers.

10 Gabriel Is Actually A Parasitic Twin

Malignant (2021)

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Malignant is a film with a tone that shifts dramatically throughout its runtime, beginning as a suspenseful horror film and eventually developing into a classic creature feature. This shift is due to the film’s twist, one that stays remarkably well hidden until it is sprung on the viewer. Though Malignant starts with the story of a woman named Madison who has visions of murders as they are happening, it is eventually revealed that these were not visions at all and the killer resides in her own body in the form of her parasitic twin, Gabriel.

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9/10 Malignant RCrimeHorrorDrama

In this horror thriller from the creator of the Conjuring universe, a woman named Madison is tormented by visions of grisly murders. When she discovers that these waking dreams are in fact terrifying realities, she attempts to unlock her repressed memories to find the killer and stop him.

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*Availability in US Director James Wan Release Date September 10, 2021 Studio(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Writers James Wan , Ingrid Bisu , Akela Cooper Cast Maddie Hasson , Annabelle Wallis , Jacqueline McKenzie , Ingrid Bisu , Michole Briana White , Jake Abel , Mckenna Grace , George Young Runtime 111 minutes Main Genre Horror Expand

There is little buildup to this twist, and it comes as an intentional shock to the viewer, changing the framing and course of the movie going forward. The acting during the reveal is excellent, with Gabriel presented as this larger-than-life killer despite being a part of Madison’s body. There are few twists so dramatic that they could be considered as changing a film’s entire genre, but that is exactly what happens at the heart of Malignant.

9 Oliver Has Been Lying The Whole Time

Saltburn (2023)

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Filled to the brim with uncomfortable moments that cross the line between admiration and obsession, Saltburn was an unexpected 2023 hit. Following the story of Oliver after the death of his father, he becomes quick friends with Felix Catton, a rich classmate of his at Oxford. The story really kicks off when he is invited to the family’s estate for the summer, which is aptly named Saltburn.

2:02 Related Saltburn Ending Explained: What Really Happened To Felix

The ending of Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn is built on a web of lies spun by Oliver Quick and reveals the twisted layers of his obsession with Felix.

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As the film continues, Oliver is shown to be increasingly obsessed with Felix. Despite this growing obsession, it isn’t until the latter half of the movie when Felix attempts to bring Oliver back home to his family that everyone realizes that Oliver has been lying the entire time. This comes as such a surprise because it is revealed that Oliver has not only been manipulating Felix, but the viewer as well.

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8 James’ Entire Life Is A Lie

The Empty Man (2020)

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If the trailer were to be believed, The Empty Man would be a simple run-of-the-mill supernatural horror film borrowing from classics such as Candyman. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Instead of pushing this blatant horror angle, The Empty Man is a creeping slow burn, focusing in on an ex-detective as he uncovers a cult conspiracy.

The best part of the film is The Empty Man‘s twist ending, one that leaves viewers reeling. It is eventually revealed that the life of the film’s main detective, James Lasombra, has been built from the ground up by the very group he was investigating. It was all a front to leave him hollow, making him the perfect host for The Empty Man to come and inhabit.

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7 Mi-Do Is Dae-Su’s Daughter

Oldboy (2003)

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Originally based on a Japanese manga by the same name, Oldboy focuses on the release of a man named Oh Dae-Su who has been living in captivity for the past 15 years. What follows is a tortured man’s desperate attempt to find his daughter, but things seem to come to an end once he learns of her adoption. Dae-Su then falls in love with a younger woman named Mi-do.

Oldboy
(2003) has been remade twice, one being a Bollywood remake called
Zinda,
which was not an official film, and an American remake called
Oldboy
(2013) that was.

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In what is perhaps the most grotesque twist possible, it is revealed that Mi-do is the daughter that Dae-Su was searching for all along. Their meeting was engineered by his captors to facilitate this connection in an attempt to torture Dae-Su even further, crafting a narrative that is as heart-wrenching as it is horrifying. It is an emotional gut punch of a twist ending, making Oldboy a difficult watch.

6 Amy Is Still Alive

Gone Girl (2014)

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When Nick Dunne wakes to find his wife Amy missing, his life slowly begins to fall apart. The film Gone Girl details this twisting turn of events, leaving viewers to wonder whether Nick killed his wife or not. The police certainly seem to think so, targeting him as the suspect almost immediately due to evidence found in their shared home.

After all of this buildup, it is eventually revealed that Amy has been alive the entire time, manipulating both her husband and the police in an attempt to get the death sentence for Nick after discovering he was having an affair.

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After all of this buildup, it is eventually revealed that Amy has been alive the entire time, manipulating both her husband and the police in an attempt to get the death sentence for Nick after discovering he was having an affair. The rest of the film is full of tension. Now that Amy’s true nature has been revealed, what she could possibly do next becomes the best part of the film.

5 Teddy Is Actually A Patient

Shutter Island (2010)

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Shutter Island is a film famous for its twist ending, but for any who have not seen the film before, this twist might come as a surprise. The film revolves around detective Teddy Daniels as he investigates the disappearance of a patient at a hospital for the criminally insane. Over the course of the film, Teddy is faced with staff that does not take him seriously at seemingly every turn.

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Though it is very lightly teased throughout the film, it is eventually revealed that Teddy Daniels is actually Andrew Laeddis, a patient at the very hospital he was seemingly investigating. He had crafted an entire personality to get away from his past, unable to accept the fact that he killed his wife once she drowned their children. The film’s painful ending is an important one in cinema history, with debate still surrounding it to this day.

4 The Corpse In The Room Is Actually The Killer

Saw (2004)

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Saw is an incredibly successful franchise, and that is largely due to the massive success of the series’ first film. Known best for its gore and heavy emphasis on living a better life, Saw actually was once well-known for its incredible writing as well. This is because the first film in the franchise had an incredible twist that only paid off at the end of the film, one that no one saw coming.

There are currently ten films in the
Saw
movie franchise, with an eleventh set to release in September 2025.

Throughout the entirety of Saw, there is a seemingly dead body lying in the middle of the floor of the dirty bathroom the main characters are stuck in. However, near the end of the movie, when the detectives begin to close in, the body rises from the floor. He was not dead at all, and is actually revealed to be the killer that stuck them there in the first place, making this reveal one of the reasons Saw became such a pop culture phenomenon.

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3 The Story Takes Place On Earth

Planet Of The Apes (1968)

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One of the most recognizable movie franchises of all time, Planet of the Apes began with the original film all the way back in 1968. After awakening from hibernation on their ship, astronauts Taylor, Landon, and Dodge all realize they have crash-landed on what seems to be an alien planet. This planet is dominated by a race of intelligent apes, taking place thousands of years in the future.

Planet of the Apes 8/10

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Planet of the Apes is a multimedia sci-fi franchise that began in 1963 with Pierre Boulle’s novel, which was later adapted into a film in 1968 starring Charlton Heston. The success of the movie led to four sequels, two TV shows, a remake from Tim Burton, and a reboot trilogy. The Planet of the Apes franchise has also seen success in video games and comic books.

Created by Pierre Boulle First Film Planet of the Apes First TV Show Planet of the Apes Cast Charlton Heston , Roddy McDowall , Kim Hunter , Maurice Evans , James Whitmore , Linda Harrison , Mark Wahlberg , Helena Bonham Carter , Tim Roth , Michael Clarke Duncan , Paul Giamatti , James Franco , Andy Serkis , John Lithgow , Freida Pinto , Gary Oldman , Keri Russell , Kodi Smit-McPhee , Jason Clarke , Toby Kebbell , Judy Greer , Woody Harrelson , Amiah Miller , Kevin Durand , Dichen Lachman , William H. Macy , Owen Teague , Freya Allan Expand See at AmazonSee at TargetSee at Walmart

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These apes capture the astronauts, treating them as lesser throughout the course of the film. However, when Taylor manages to escape on horseback, he finds the Statue of Liberty sitting there in ruins on the shoreline, showing that the astronauts never really left earth at all. The original ending is one of the best in the franchise, though the Planet of the Apes ending has since been redone.

2 Darth Vader Is Luke’s Father

Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

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Coming from another iconic film franchise, the original Star Wars trilogy is full of shocking moments. With reveals including the fact that Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa are actually twins, it is difficult to choose just one moment that comes out of nowhere to twist the franchise on its head. However, nothing will beat one iconic moment in Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back.

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Related How Star Wars Fixed A 36-Year-Old Plot Hole Created By Darth Vader’s “I Am Your Father” Moment

Almost 10 years ago, one Star Wars author told a Clone Wars story that repaired the oldest continuity error in the saga: Anakin being Darth Vader.

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When Luke Skywalker is dueling against Darth Vader in Cloud City, the villainous Sith reveals that he is actually Luke’s father. This single moment turns the entire franchise, carving the path for the films and television shows that would come next in the franchise. This reveal shocked the entire world, making it one of the most well-known movie twists of all time.

1 The Main Character Is Killed Off

Psycho (1960)

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When Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho was originally released in 1960, it broke traditional movie conventions in several instances. It was graphic and violent in a way that few films before had been, with a well-crafted story that had viewers at the edge of their seats. The way it broke conventions is no more evident than in the famous shower scene, a scene that paved the way for story writing going forward.

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When Psycho initially begins, it follows Marion Crane as the main character. This changes only a short way into the film, as she is brutally stabbed to death in the shower by Norman Bates. This came as an incredible shock, especially at the time, because it was the first time the main character of a film had been killed off in such a manner.

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9.3/10 Psycho RHorrorMysteryThriller

In this now-iconic Alfred Hitchcock thriller, a secretary embezzles forty thousand dollars from her employer’s client, goes on the run, and checks into a remote motel. The place is run by a young man under the domination of his mother — and he soon turns out to be far more threatening than he appeared at first.

Cast Janet Leigh , Martin Balsam , Anthony Perkins , John Gavin , Vera Miles Director Alfred Hitchcock Release Date September 8, 1960 Studio(s) Universal Pictures Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Joseph Stefano , Robert Bloch Runtime 109 minutes Main Genre Horror Expand

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