Top 10 Shocking Movie Reveals of the Century So Far
#10: The Truth About Harlan’s Death
“Knives Out” (2019)
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It starts with all the trappings of the classic whodunit: the old, gloomy country house, the rich victim, the unscrupulous, money-grubbing suspects. Then, things take a turn at the half hour mark when it’s revealed the victim, Harlan Thrombey, wasn’t murdered. After his nurse, Marta, accidentally gave him what was thought to be a lethal dose of morphine, he quickly put together a convoluted plot to protect her. He took his own life, staging it to look way more complicated, and exonerating Marta. The story takes several insane turns from there, but it’s the movie’s biggest signal that it’s doing something very, very different.
#9: The Real Ghosts
“The Others” (2001)
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A war widow, Grace, and her light sensitive-children become convinced their house is invaded by undead spirits. That’s the traditional storyline, isn’t it? Family in a creepy remote house, dark corridors, unexplainable events. Surely, it’s ghosts. Well, it is – but in the end, it turns out the invading spirits are the living. Grace and her children are actually the ghosts. After being overwhelmed by grief, she did something horrendously unforgivable and later awoke thinking it had all been a dream. This one has really satisfying payoff if you pay attention to all the little foreshadowing moments.
#8: The Past Is Actually the Future
“Arrival” (2016)
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When her young daughter dies in the first scene, we watch the movie through the lens of Louise Banks’ grief. However, when she learns the true nature of the visiting extraterrestrials’ language, all becomes achingly clear. Exposure to the alien language creates a disconnect in the way Louise experiences time. Some of her memories are actually of future events, including the death of her daughter. The trajectory of Louise’s life is mapped out, and she has the ability to see it and anticipate all its joys and pain. Even with this foresight, the ending gives us the impression that she’ll let things play out the way they were meant to.
#7: Woo-jin’s Payback
“Oldboy” (2003)
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This turning narrative adapted from a manga hit us with several gut punches. After being locked in a private prison for 15 years without explanation, Oh Dae-Su is told by his captor, Woo-jin, that he has five days to figure out why he was locked up. As it turns out, Dae-Su found out something about Woo-jin he probably would have been better off not knowing. Woo-jin gets his revenge on Dae-Su by manipulating events in order to make him fall in love with a woman who would turn out to be his own daughter. The revenge is thematic in nature and probably one of the most dastardly plans in movie history.
#6: Billy’s Death
“The Departed” (2006)
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The entire narrative of this 2006 crime thriller works because we’re rooting for Billy Costigan, the South Boston tough guy who had to become a bad guy to be a good guy. As a mole in crime lord Frank Costello’s organization, he susses out Costello’s own mole in the police department, Colin Sullivan, and is about to bring him to justice. Just when you think Costigan’s gotten away with it, bam, another crooked cop shoots him to death. The good guys do eventually win, with Costigan’s colleague taking his revenge in the movie’s very last scene. It doesn’t make the moment any less impactful, though.
#5: Leonard’s Identity
“Memento” (2000)
This is a story told in reverse order about a man avenging his wife’s violent death. We get both black-and-white sequences, as well as some in color, which adds a whole other layer of confusion and mystery. In the end, Leonard is revealed to have already avenged his wife’s attacker. His contact, Teddy, is an officer who’s been exploiting his condition, pointing him in the direction of targets Teddy feels are worthy of some extrajudicial punishment. Not only that, but we’re also confronted with the realization that Leonard is responsible for his wife’s death. Suddenly, everything we’ve just seen clicks into place.
#4: Amy Is Alive (& Mad)
“Gone Girl” (2014)
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What starts as a mystery thriller about a man having to prove his innocence in his wife’s disappearance takes a nasty and delicious turn halfway through. Based on the bestseller by Gillian Flynn, “Gone Girl” is notable for the revelation at the midway point. Cool and sociopathic Amy Dunne reveals that she has faked her disappearance to teach her adulterous and inattentive husband a lesson. Not only that, but she’s made a little game out of it that only he can play. The monologue where she lets us in on her secrets is a barnburner of rage, cultural commentary, and sheer wicked fun at her husband’s expense.
#3: The Snap
“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)
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Generally, in a superhero movie, we know how important it is to stop the supervillain’s evil plans from coming to fruition. There wouldn’t be a movie if there weren’t high stakes. What would it mean if they failed? Few superhero movies ever really went there. The third “Avengers” movie, however, definitely went there. Having completed the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos snaps his fingers, and many of our beloved heroes across the Marvel Cinematic Universe turn to dust before our eyes. T’Challa, Wanda Maximoff, and even Nick Fury are just some of the victims. Worse still is Peter Parker who, at just sixteen, falls apart in his mentor Tony Stark’s arms. Even as it’s happening, you still can’t quite believe it.
#2: The Sunken Place
“Get Out” (2017)
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You go into Jordan Peele’s masterful suburban horror knowing something is not quite right with Rose and her parents, Missy and Dean. Our first real glimpse into the evil is the “Sunken Place,” the dark void where Missy sends Chris during an intense hypnotherapy session. Here, he experiences the existential horror of being trapped in his own body and unable to control it. It’s completely harrowing, for Chris and for us, and that it happens so early in the story really sets the stage for just how wild this ride is going to get.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
The Housekeeper’s Husband, “Parasite” (2019)
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Teddy Is a Patient, “Shutter Island” (2010)
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The Bride’s Daughter, “Kill Bill: Volume 1” (2003)
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The Button, “Drag Me To Hell” (2009)
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#1: Minutes From Rescue
“The Mist” (2007)
Bloodthirsty tentacled monsters shrouded in an otherworldly mist have swarmed the world. As David, his eight-year-old son, and a group of survivors escape a besieged supermarket, destruction rains down around them. With only a few bullets left in a revolver, rather than face a painful death, they decide to take their lives. The burden falls on David to do the deed and he mercy-kills everyone, including his son. Then, in a cruel twist of fate and irony, the mist parts. The military is on the scene, beating back the monsters. The group was only minutes from rescue when they took their lives, and we were left gripping our armrests in complete disbelief that the movie actually went there.
Which of these reveals had you questioning everything? Let us know in the comments.
