There are a lot of incredible twists from films of the last few decades, and the 21st century is no exception.
And while we haven’t quite reached the same level as the Sixth Sense or anything comparable, there are still plenty of modern films that left their audience in states of disbelief at the unexpected turn of events.
These are the films with the biggest twists of the last 20 years.
1. Shutter Island (2010)
Shutter Island was Martin Scorsese’s foray into the horror-psychological thriller world, and proved not just to be some of his greatest work, but also a dark, brooding piece that has remains as one of his least appreciated works, and well worth a watch for anyone wanting to keep busy between rounds of bingo Australia.
In the 2010 Scorsese version of the novel from Dennis Lehane, a U.S. Marshal, Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) is investigating the disappearance of a patient within an institute for the criminally insane. As Teddy’s obsessive chase pushes him closer into the hospital’s dark past, he slowly begins to question the reality he’s facing, and whether or not he’s what everyone says he is.
2. The Mist (2008)
This masterfully oppressive Stephen King adaption from Frank Darabont siphons away your confidence in what the audience expects will happen. The film begins with a group of people trapped inside a Maine store.
It progresses as they slowly succumb to madness and begin to rip each other apart, all the while a fog of inter-dimensional beasts take over the local area. Ultimately our protagonists create a break for it, with artist David Drayton (Thomas Jane) attempting to escape with his son.
That’s when the movie breaks off from the novella. The main cast decide to break way from the group in the store after they start to become violent, leaving David no option but to get his friends and family out of the situation. An attack from a massive alien behemoth drives David to make an unthinkable choice, and immediately face the consequences of that choice.
3. Unbreakable (2000)
An extremely distinctive and unpredictable film about super-hero comic books and their myths that ultimately turns out to be their own distinctive tales of origin. Bruce Willis is an ordinary man, David Dunn, who begins to question whether he possesses unique capabilities after surviving a train accident that murdered 130 travellers.
Elijah (Samuel L. Jackson), a comic book store manager with an unusual bone disease, utilizes his profound understanding of superhero lore to assist David learn more about his past and test his skills until he discovers that he is able to see the misdeeds of others through touch.
Night Shyamalan directs the film as a drama, with just a hint of a supernatural undertone as the audience begins to wonder whether David is a superhero or if it’s all sheer coincidence.
We follow the protagonist as he learns about his abilities, and begins to realise that Mr. Glass isn’t everything he claims to be.