10 Best 2010s Movie Twists, Ranked
Content Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the movies mentioned.There are few things in movies more satisfying than a well-executed plot twist. Whether it’s entirely unpredictable, completely alters the course of the narrative, is intelligently foreshadowed throughout everything that came before, or all of these things at once, a good plot twist can ensure that a film remains ingrained in viewers’ memories for decades to come.
The fact that several twists from 2010s cinema have already rightfully joined the ranks of the best plot twists in movie history tells you all you need to know about the quality of films from this decade. From nail-biting psychological thrillers to huge superhero blockbusters, and from clever twists on otherwise clichéd twist archetypes to entirely novel surprises, these 2010s plot twists were as satisfying as they were shocking.
10
Teddy isn’t a U.S. Marshal
‘Shutter Island’ (2010)
Throughout his entire career, Martin Scorsese has consistently proven that he’s one of the most versatile and flexible directors Hollywood has to offer. For proof, one needn’t look much further than Shutter Island, a dark psychological thriller unlike virtually anything else Scorsese has made. Anchored by a pair of fantastic Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo performances, it’s one of the most beloved thrillers of the 2010s.
The film’s third act is incredibly intense, and the shocking note it ends the story on is nothing if not effective. Though some might argue that it was a twist anyone could have seen coming, the reveal that Teddy is actually not a U.S. Marshal, but a patient whose doctors have thrown into an elaborate role-playing therapy scenario to help him confront his mental breakdown after he murdered his wife, still packs a punch. The character’s final line is so full of subtext and so open to interpretation that there’s no more perfect way to conclude the film.
9
Cal is Hannah’s dad
‘Crazy, Stupid, Love.’ (2011)
It’s not only dramas and thrillers that can have jaw-dropping plot twists. Occasionally, your typical Hollywood comedy can have a hell of a twist, too. Case in point: Crazy, Stupid, Love., one of the best rom-coms of the 2010s. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone have collaborated on three films, and this one is just as special as the others, with an absolutely hilarious script and one of the best ensemble casts of any comedy of the decade.
The film is packed with iconic scenes, but one in particular is among the funniest of any movie in recent memory. After it’s revealed that Hannah (Stone), the woman that Jacob (Gosling) has been dating, is actually Cal’s (Steve Carell) daughter, the number of plotlines and character arcs that come to a literal and figurative head-on clash makes for a legendarily hilarious scene.
8
David Dunne returns
‘Split’ (2016)
M. Night Shyamalan is famous for being one of the most hit-or-miss directors in modern Hollywood, but when his movies hit, they hit hard. Split is still his best work since the unconventional 2000 superhero drama Unbreakable, and from the moment they started watching it for the first time, audiences knew that they were witnessing a new all-time Shyamalan achievement. What they certainly did not expect was for it to be the surprise second installment of an unexpected trilogy.
The Eastrail 177 Trilogy came to a famously weak conclusion in Glass, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that Split is one of the most consistently amazing psychological thrillers of the 2010s. The reveal of Bruce Willis‘ David Dunne at the end still feels shocking, and it’s the perfect way of bringing such a special film to an end. It’s certainly disappointing that what came of such a surprise wasn’t on its level, but Split is still a phenomenal movie.
7
Lukas has been dead all along
‘Goodnight Mommy’ (2014)
The Austrian psychological horror gem Goodnight Mommy has a chilling premise, and it doesn’t let it down with execution anything less than fantastic. It’s dark, violent, and beautifully mean-spirited, a must-watch for fans of horror cinema. There’s no cheap jump scares here; it’s all psychologically complex and character-driven dread, culminating in a final twist that, even if you see it coming, still packs a gut-punch like no other.
The reveal that Lukas died in an accident prior to the events of the movie, and that his twin brother Elias has been hallucinating his presence as a result of some kind of survivor’s guilt, completely recontextualizes everything that the film showed before. It helps make everything click while still leaving some room for ambiguity, and it makes a re-watch instantly tempting.
6
Ava has been tricking everyone
‘Ex Machina’ (2015)
Before he made the jump to the director’s chair with Ex Machina, Alex Garland was best known for his work as a screenwriter. After delivering such a powerhouse of a directing debut—one of the best sci-fi films of the 2010s, no less—, there was no doubt left in anyone’s mind that he was a voice to look out for as a director, too. Far ahead of its time, this study of humanity and AI has aged terrifyingly well.
With Garland delivering such powerful writing and direction, and Alicia Vikander delivering one of the best performances of the 2010s, it’s no wonder why Ex Machina is still so vehemently acclaimed. The twist that Ava (Vikander) manipulated Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) into helping her escape from Nathan’s (Oscar Isaac) grip feels inevitable in retrospect, but that doesn’t make it any less shocking, and its thematic implications have become terrifying in the age of AI.
5
Rose and her family are evil
‘Get Out’ (2017)
Who could have guessed that sketch comedian Jordan Peele would end up becoming one of the most exciting voices in modern horror? It all started with Get Out, one of the most brilliant horror films of the 21st century, bolstered by Daniel Kaluuya giving one of the best horror performances of the last 15 years. Funny, thematically resonant, and as twisty as anyone might hope, it’s just as entertaining as it is scary.
The movie really comes alive once the audience’s suspicions are proven true: The Armitage cult has effectively kidnapped Chris (Kaluuya), and his girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams) has been a part of it all along. It’s a simple enough twist, and it’s not even particularly unpredictable, but it’s so well executed and so integral to the narrative that it inevitably ends up feeling utterly jaw-dropping.
4
Amy crafted a sinister plot
‘Gone Girl’ (2014)
If there’s any director worthy of taking up the Alfred Hitchcock mantle as the current king of thriller cinema, it has to be David Fincher. With tremendous attention to detail and a great eye for some of the best plot twists the genre has ever seen, he has pretty much redefined thrillers for a new generation. Gone Girl may not be his best work, but it’s still one of the best crime thrillers of the last 25 years.
The film is divided into two halves: first, a whodunnit where the audience is led to believe that Rosamund Pike‘s Amy Dunne was the victim of a terrible crime. Then, a chilling psychological thriller once it’s revealed that Amy is actually a calculating mastermind who faked her own death in order to frame her husband (Ben Affleck) for her murder. It’s a game-changing reveal executed with the mastery one would expect from any David Fincher plot twist.
3
The timeline is all twisted
‘Arrival’ (2016)
Denis Villeneuve has already established himself as one of the most exceptional sci-fi filmmakers in Hollywood, but that all started back in 2016. His Arrival is one of the genre’s best achievements of the 2010s, a delightfully unique alien invasion movie dealing with themes like language, communication, and the power of memories. It’s a deeply nuanced and layered masterpiece that refuses to fall victim to cheap genre clichés.
Arrival also happens to be one of the most thought-provoking sci-fi movies of the last decade, largely thanks to how the main plot twist in its third act recontextualizes the whole narrative. The movie begs to be rewatched after the alien Heptapods’ non-linear language has altered Louise’s (Amy Adams) perception of time, revealing that the visions of Louise’s dead daughter haven’t been flashbacks, but rather flashforwards all along.
2
Geun-sae lives in the basement
‘Parasite’ (2019)
The first—and so far only—international movie to ever win the Best Picture Academy Award, Parasite is proof that South Korean cinema is not to be underestimated. Its themes and allegories on class differences and wealth inequality aren’t exactly subtle, but an on-the-nose narrative is forgivable when it’s in service of such a richly detailed, deeply nuanced, and masterfully executed story.
Parasite jumps between tones and genres like it’s nobody’s business, and this eventually leads to a twist that sets the movie in a direction it cannot go back from. After the audience learns that the original housekeeper’s husband has been living secretly in the basement, things can never be the same again. And, indeed, the narrative does a complete 180 from there, becoming an entirely different (yet just as fascinating) kind of thriller.
1
The Avengers turn to dust
‘Avengers: Infinity War’ (2018)
No one would have expected going into any MCU film to be treated to the best and most shocking plot twist of the 2010s, but then again, Avengers: Infinity War was an unprecedented cultural phenomenon. The good guys always win in this franchise, so when the audience saw Thanos snap his fingers and half of the Avengers start to turn to dust, it was a jaw-dropping moment the likes of which the MCU will probably never be able to replicate.
Of course, this dramatic moment was immediately retconned in Avengers: Endgame, but that doesn’t detract from the impact that it still has while rewatching Infinity War. It’s one of the best superhero movie endings of the 21st century, the game-changing twist that a decade’s worth of dozens upon dozens of blockbusters had been building up to. It’s everything that a plot twist should be.
Avengers: Infinity War
- Release Date
-
April 27, 2018
- Runtime
-
149 minutes
- Writers
-
Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
-
Robert Downey Jr.
Tony Stark / Iron Man
-
Chris Evans
Steve Rogers / Captain America
