Top 30 Traumatizing Twists In Non-Horror Movies

Top 30 Most Unsettling Plot Twists In Non-Horror Movies

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking through some of the most disturbing twists in cinematic thrillers, dramas, sci-fi, and mysteries. Anything goes as long as it’s not horror. It goes without saying that there will be major spoilers again -some harder to sit through than others.

#30: The Not-So-Happy Ending

“Atonement” (2007)

When she was younger, Briony Tallis had falsely accused Robbie Turner of committing a heinous crime. Caught in the middle of World War 2, Briony gets a chance to atone for her deed against Robbie and her sister, Cecilia. Cecilia and Robbie live happily ever after… at least, that’s what Briony wrote in her autobiography. In reality, both Cecilia and Robbie died during the war. Their reunion and Briony’s atonement were all fictitious. She wrote the ending in the book to give them the happy ending they were robbed of, and it would be her final act before her death. Unfortunately, the past can never be rewritten.

#29: The Lucid Dream

“Vanilla Sky” (2001)

Life had gotten more than a little rough for David Aames, Jr. An accident had caused his face to become disfigured, and the love of his life, Sofia, had just left him. But then, one morning, he wakes up and everything seems to be right with the world. However, a few cryptic clues hint that not everything is as it seems. Digging deeper, it’s discovered that David had nearly died in that accident and was put in cryonic suspension to save his life. For 150 years, he had been living a lucid dream where his traumas and mistakes all had a happy ending. Unfortunately, his subconscious wouldn’t let him erase his mistake and transformed his dream world into a nightmare.

#28: Doe’s Twisted Life

“Predestination” (2014)

It’s probably for the best that we haven’t figured out time travel, as it can lead to too many confusing and even tragic paradoxes. Arguably, the biggest example is temporal Agent Doe. At first, it looks like a simple case of him going through time to chase a dangerous criminal. However, the investigation reveals a twisted, spiraling paradox in which Agent Doe is not only his own parents... but also the very criminal he has been chasing – having been driven mad by being stuck in a never-ending cycle. But rather than finally break the loop, Agent Doe just accepts his fate, doomed to remain trapped in a destiny he did not choose for himself.

#27: The “Right” Decision?

“Gone Baby Gone” (2007)

Detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro are on the case of finding a kidnapped child and returning her to her mother. The kidnapper is brought to justice, and the child is presumed dead, case closed, right? Not exactly, as it’s revealed that the kidnapping had all been a ruse orchestrated by police captain, Jack Doyle, to rescue the child from her mother, who is shown to be very neglectful and reliant on substance use. The film has a bittersweet ending where Patrick DOES return the child to her mother, but the morality of everything is put into question. When did doing the right thing become such a muddled mess?

#26: Frank’s Long Game

“Matchstick Men” (2003)

Despite struggling with his mental health, life seemed to be going well for con artist Roy Waller. That is, until a young woman named Angela enters his life, claiming to be his long-lost daughter. Suddenly, Roy’s entire worldview is put into question as he tries to bond with his child... or so it seems. Near the end of the film, it’s revealed that not only is Angela not his daughter, but she has been working with Roy’s partner Frank on a long-term scam to rob him of his life savings. If anything, this fiasco motivated Roy to turn his life around after being betrayed by his so-called "loved ones.”

#25: Nick’s Birthday Present

“The Game” (1997)

It's Nicholas Van Orton's 48th birthday, and he's been given the opportunity to participate in “The Game.” What the game is... we’re still not sure, but it involves several bizarre incidents that take a toll on Nick’s sanity. He’s unable to tell what’s real and what’s not, leading to him shooting his brother Conrad before leaping to his death. However, not only does he survive, but he ends up dropping in on his own surprise party, where Conrad –who's alive and well- reveals that the whole thing was an elaborate trick for his birthday. Nothing says “Happy Birthday” like psychological trauma to the point where even the audience can’t differentiate between reality and fiction.

#24: Corrupt Justice

“The Secret in Their Eyes” (2009)

Judiciary agent Benjamín Espósito is hellbent on hunting down a young woman’s assailant and murderer, Isidoro Gómez, and bringing him to justice. Unfortunately, Benjamin’s obsession ends up ruining his own life and causes his best friend's death, while Gómez slips away. However, it turns out that there was someone even more obsessed – the victim’s husband, Ricardo Morales. The widower took matters into his own hands and had Gómez imprisoned in his home for two decades as his own form of punishment. While Benjamin learned the price of revenge, Morales allowed his grief to consume him, blurring the lines between justice and vengeance in the worst ways.

#23: Banks’ Past and/or Future

“Arrival” (2016)

The movie opens with a heartbreaking flashback as linguist Louise Banks’ daughter dies from an incurable disease. But no time to reflect on that, as aliens have landed, and Banks must try to communicate with them to figure out their intentions. Near the end, she learns a shocking discovery about her flashbacks... they’re actually flashforwards. The aliens gifted her the ability to see the future, and she sees that she will have a child who will eventually die at a young age. Despite the inevitable, Banks still decides to have the child, believing it’s better to experience even a fleeting moment of happiness rather than try to fight fate.

#22: The Clones

“Moon” (2009)

In the not-too-distant future, Lunar Industries found an alternate energy source on the moon, and engineer Sam Bell was sent to help maintain the harvesting process for three years. Finally, his contract is almost up, and he can finally leave this life of isolation. However, things take a turn for the eerie when Sam discovers a clone of himself. Down the line, the two make a frightening discovery – neither of them is the real Sam Bell. In reality, they’re just two of the many clones that Lunar Industries secretly creates in the base to harvest on the moon at no cost. When the clone’s three-year contract is up, the clones are cremated, and the process begins anew.

#21: Tyler Durden

“Fight Club” (1999)

Our nameless narrator’s life is turned upside down thanks to his new friend, Tyler Durden. What started as a fight club between them turned into an extremist cult-like group, causing anarchy throughout the city. As the Narrator tries to find a way to stop Tyler, he discovers the horrifying truth – HE’S Tyler. More specifically, Tyler is a split personality brought on by the Narrator’s insomnia. Meaning that all the destruction around him was caused by his own hands, and the second personality won’t stop until he’s completely taken over his life. The only way to end Tyler’s reign is for the Narrator to shoot himself, barely making it out alive, while the second persona is snuffed out.

#20: Supervillain Reveal

“Unbreakable” (2000)

M. Night Shyamalan quickly became known for twists early in his career. But they weren’t precluded to horror, as evidenced by the terrific “Unbreakable.” In this proto-superhero thriller, Bruce Willis’s David Dunn discovers his body is virtually… well, unbreakable, when he survives a devastating train crash with nary a scratch. Upon meeting Samuel L. Jackson’s Elijah Price, whose brittle body is the exact opposite of his, David comes to accept his new identity as a do-gooder. However, it’s eventually revealed that Elijah deliberately caused the crash - among others - just to find someone like David. To think: all those countless lives lost just for someone to find their place in the world.

#19: The Wrong Coffin

“Buried” (2010)

In this one-man show, Ryan Reynolds plays truck driver Paul Conroy in the Iraq War, who finds himself… well, buried in a coffin. He’s then forced to negotiate his own ransom over a dying cell phone. One of the people Paul regularly speaks to is Dan Brenner, head of the Hostage Working Group. At one point, to boost Paul’s morale, Brenner tells him of a man named Mark White, someone they supposedly rescued from a similar situation. At the climax, with Paul’s coffin rapidly filling with sand, Brenner’s team seems to have found the burial site. But instead, both Paul and Brenner are horrified to discover it’s the coffin of Mark White. Paul learns Brenner lied to him about his rescues before suffocating.

#18: Ava Escapes

“Ex Machina” (2014)

This brilliant sci-fi thriller keeps you guessing as to who the real villain is. Is it Nathan, the unscrupulous tech CEO who’s cracked artificial intelligence? Or is it Ava, his greatest creation? Even knowing who’s pulling the strings in hindsight, we’re still not sure who to root for. Ultimately charmed by Ava’s demure disposition and captive state, the näive Caleb takes steps to break her out of Nathan’s facility. But this proves to be his undoing, as it’s revealed Ava was merely playing him to ensure her freedom. Ava kills Nathan, leaves Caleb to die, and absconds to civilization. Part of us is happy for her, but the other part shivers for humanity with a rogue AI in its midst.

#17: A Little Emphasis

“The Conversation” (1974)

This paranoia thriller was way ahead of its time in regard to audio surveillance, but it’s the period’s dated technology that allowed for this gobsmacker of a twist. Gene Hackman plays Harry Caul, a private wiretapper who becomes obsessed with a recording of a man and a woman, specifically the phrase, “He’d kill us if he got the chance.” Believing the couple to be under threat from his client, Caul goes to great lengths to protect the tape. But when it’s his client who ends up dead, Caul realizes simple emphasis on the word “us” completely changes the line’s meaning and the couple’s intentions. Caul is unable to stop the real crime, and by getting too involved, he’s now the one under surveillance.

#16: Waking Nightmare

“The Machinist” (2004)

Speaking of paranoia thrillers, “The Machinist” gets our anxiety levels up every time we watch it, much of which can be attributed to the transformative performance of Christian Bale. Here he plays an emaciated insomniac named Trevor, whose waking life is a living hell, as he believes he’s being deliberately driven insane. He tries to get to the bottom of it all, which includes tracking down a coworker named Ivan, whom no one seems to acknowledge exists. Trevor learns that at the root of all these happenings is a repressed memory of him accidentally running over and killing a little boy. Ivan is the manifestation of his guilt, which also led to his deteriorating physical state.

#15: The Real Keyser Söze

“The Usual Suspects” (1995)

For that one person who has yet to watch this award winner; after a drug heist gone wrong, Roger “Verbal” Kint is taken into custody to assist a detective in identifying the mob boss, Keyser Söze. In a truly shocking zinger, Kint is revealed to be Keyser Söze mere seconds after leaving the police station. Even after close examination, “The Usual Suspects’” twist holds up to scrutiny and is so awesome that you’ll want to go back and rewatch the film almost immediately. Simultaneously chilling and badass, the filmmakers inserted just enough hints to make the revelation plausible.

#14: The Nature of Rebellion

“Snowpiercer” (2013)

Bong Joon-ho knows how to bake an unexpected twist into films with socioeconomic themes, as evidenced by the Best Picture-winning “Parasite.” But it’s “Snowpiercer’s” various turns that recontextualize the whole thing. The driving force of the film is a rebellion stemming from the lower class of a train that’s housing the last of humanity in a new ice age. Leading the charge is Curtis, who towards the end reveals that he and his people actually resorted to cannibalism long ago. As if that’s not enough, he then learns that his mentor was conspiring with the train’s leader to spur the rebellion in the first place to keep the population down. Knowing even dissent can be a tool for oppression is a heavy pill to swallow.

#13: Guilt Reset

“Memento” (2000)

Another filmmaker who knows how to pull off a twist is Christopher Nolan. Heck, “The Prestige” has multiple, and yet none of them weigh down the movie. But if we’re talking “unsettling,” it’s gotta be “Memento.” The non-linear narrative follows Leonard, a man with anterograde amnesia, meaning he can’t form new memories. Regardless, he remains determined to solve the murder of his wife, using photos and tattoos to guide his resetting mind. However, he eventually learns that he accidentally killed her himself, and has been repressing the memory ever since. Despite this otherwise life-changing revelation, the film ends with Leonard accepting that he’ll continue to lie to himself.

#12: Sister & Daughter

“Chinatown” (1974)

What happens in Chinatown, stays in Chinatown. This twisted classic starts as a case of a woman scorned; but quickly spirals into murder and nihilism. Puzzled by Evelyn Cross Mulwray’s strange relationship with her younger sister Katherine and her slimy father, Jack Nicholson’s private investigator unwittingly unveils a disgusting family secret: Evelyn is Katherine’s mother and sibling. To make matters worse, the film ends with Evelyn’s death and Katherine falling into the hands of daddy dearest while Nicholson’s Jake Gittes hopelessly watches from a distance.

#11: Fear Thy Neighbor

“Arlington Road” (1999)

Hey, it’s only paranoia if you’re wrong! Directed by Mark Pellington, “Arlington Road” stars Jeff Bridges as widower Michael in a post-Oklahoma City Bombing world who suspects his neighbors to be extremists. Even though Tim Robbins and Joan Cusack deliver reasonably creepy performances, Michael’s unfounded fears seem like the ramblings of a madman and are completely dismissed. The twist arrives in two parts: first, it confirms the protagonist’s suspicions, but the true “holy crap” moment happens later when Michael is framed for the attack itself.

#10: Dying a Good Man

“Shutter Island” (2010)

At first, Martin Scorsese’s film plays out like a typical neo-noir detective story; U.S. Marshal Edward “Teddy” Daniels is sent to Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of a woman imprisoned for drowning her children. Except, that is pretty much all a lie, as Daniels is actually a Shutter Island patient and the whole investigation is merely an act to try and resolve his delusions. Sadly, the plan fails and the patient is slated to be lobotomized, although a final plot twist suggests Teddy might be faking his relapse to avoid dealing with the truth. This is the sort of twist that really stays with you after the credits roll.

#9: Splitting the Pot

“Malice” (1993)

With this insane neo-noir flick, director Harold Becker and writers Aaron Sorkin and Scott Frank asked whether there is such a thing as too many plot twists. Following an unnecessary surgery that resulted in Nicole Kidman’s character, Tracy, being unable to have children, the central couple wins a malpractice suit against Alec Baldwin’s arrogant Dr. Jed Hill. But Tracy later divorces her husband. Jam-packed alongside a slew of red herrings and head-scratching revelations, the biggest twist reveals that Kidman and Baldwin were actually working together and planned to split the $20 million cash windfall from the lawsuit.

#8: Envy & Wrath

“Seven” (1995)

Everyone knows what is in the box. David Fincher’s “Seven” centers on two detectives - portrayed by Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt - who are hot on the trail of a serial killer murdering people according to the seven deadly sins. By the time John Doe turns himself in, five murders have been committed, but the killer promises to reveal the last corpses if the cops take him to the desert. Once there, Detective Somerset finds a box containing the head of Mills’s wife Tracy before Mills retaliates by killing John Doe. Representing envy and wrath, these two deaths complete Doe’s plan… and the twist spawned countless “what’s in the box” parodies.

#7: Equisapiens

“Sorry to Bother You” (2018)

“Sorry to Bother You” is a scathing indictment of capitalism. And just when you think it’s peaked in terms of absurdity, it pushes the pedal straight through the floor. Its rising action follows Cash, a young Oakland native who transcends his job as a telemarketer by becoming a corporate shill. Despite realizing that his parent company is using people like slaves - sometimes literally - Cash remains blinded by the… well, cash. Until he discovers the plot to make workers more efficient by turning them into horse-people. Yes, really. As if the image of the “Equisapiens” wasn’t unsettling enough, the implications the allegory has for the capitalist machine is all-too real.

#6: Father & Brother

“Incendies” (2010)

Denis Villeneuve is another director who’s mastered the art of the twist. Take “Prisoners,” for instance, whose twist makes the movie even darker. But if there’s one from which we expected a twist the least, it’s “Incendies.” The film centers on a pair of twins shortly after the death of their mother Nawal, an Arab-Canadian immigrant. In her will, they’re prompted to track down their father and brother and present each a letter. However, as we learn Nawal’s tragic backstory, everything becomes more complicated… and simpler. When Nawal was young, she was separated from her first son, who grew up to be a vicious soldier in a civil war and unknowingly forced himself on her. Yes, the estranged father and brother are the same person.

#5: Home Sweet Earth

“Planet of the Apes” (1968)

As a franchise, “Planet of the Apes” has made a habit of ending on a shocking revelation or explosive climax, but there is no topping the original. After sleeping for a good two millennia, Charlton Heston’s Taylor crash lands on a strange planet that is overrun with apes and is taken captive. A couple of iconic lines later, Heston manages to escape with the aid of some apes but soon learns that this crappy planet is actually Earth. Apparently, humanity engaged in a global war and wrecked the entire thing, leaving apes to take over as the new dominant species.

#4: Aaron Who?

“Primal Fear” (1996)

Clearly, there have been a lot of memorable twists that center on dissociative personalities. But what makes this one great is the exact opposite. In “Primal Fear,” Richard Gere stars as defense attorney Martin Vail who takes the case of the meek Aaron Stampler, a teenage altar boy who murdered an archbishop. Aaron’s body definitely committed the crime, but it comes into question as to whether his mind did, as an alternate, more abrasive personality named Roy soon reveals himself. Through this revelation, Vail is able to get Aaron acquitted. But just when he thinks he’s done good, the truth slips out: Aaron doesn’t have dissociative identity disorder, or should we say Roy. That’s right, “Roy” played everyone.

#3: An Unconventional Revenge

“Oldboy” (2003)

Revenge is a dish best served cold… The second entry in Park Chan-wook’s Vengeance Trilogy, “Oldboy” sees a drunken father kidnapped and locked in a room for fifteen years before being suddenly let free. Desperate to get revenge on the person responsible, Oh Dae-su learns this was done as punishment for something he did in high school: he revealed that two siblings were having an inappropriate relationship, which led to the sister’s death. However, in addition to being imprisoned, Oh Dae-su was also tricked into an inappropriate relationship with his own daughter. Unable to live with this knowledge, Oh Dae-su attempts to get his memory wiped, but whether this is successful is open to interpretation.

#2: Cool Girl Gone Bad

“Gone Girl” (2014)

David Fincher is at it again. Based on Gillian Flynn’s novel of the same name, “Gone Girl” sees Ben Affleck’s Nick become the prime suspect in the disappearance of his wife, Amy. The first half slowly builds a case against Nick, before “Gone Girl” flips everything on its head with a single monologue. Amy is not dead or missing, and planned this entire thing to frame Nick for murder as punishment for his infidelity. In the span of five minutes, the film’s “cool girl” turns into a deranged psychopath while Nick shifts from perpetrator to victim.

#1: What Soylent Green Is Made Of

“Soylent Green” (1973)

Killing two birds with one stone. “Soylent Green” takes place in the then-distant future of 2022, where New York City is suffering from overpopulation and a severe shortage of rations. As a means to feed the masses, the Soylent Corporation distributes massive amounts of rations, with the “green” iteration being the most popular. Unless someone belongs to the upper class, everyone willingly eats this substance and is borderline hooked on the stuff. So, what is soylent green? Well, let’s just say that Hannibal Lecter would love it.

Which plot twist gave you the heebie-jeebies? Let us know in the comments.