Few elements in cinema have the power to leave audiences stunned and in awe like well-executed movie plot twists. While plot twists aren’t new, the 21st century has its fair share of films that skillfully unravel their narratives only to flip the script in unexpected ways. From psychological thrillers to mind-bending sci-fi, filmmakers have continued to push the boundaries of storytelling.
The beauty of these movie plot twists is that they don’t just surprise but often redefine entire movies. They force audiences to rethink characters, events, and even reality itself. Several of these movie plot twists of the 21st century have become cultural touchstones, while others remain underrated gems. Here, we rank the most shocking, surprising, and mind-blowing movie plot twists of the 21st century, beginning in 2001.
10. Orphan
IMDb Rating: 7/10
The Jaume Collet-Serra-directed 2009 psychological thriller Orphan revolved around a couple, Kate (Vera Farmiga) and John (Peter Sarsgaard). After a stillbirth, the couple decided to adopt a 9-year-old Russian girl, Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman). At first, Esther seems like a perfect child, getting along with their youngest daughter, Max (Aryana Engineer), and an unwelcoming oldest son, Daniel (Jimmy Bennett). However, as time passes, strange and disturbing events occur around Esther. Kate becomes increasingly suspicious of Esther’s behavior and starts to uncover a dark and twisted past. As the truth about Esther is revealed, the family is plunged into a terrifying nightmare that risks their lives.
Movie Plot Twists: For most of its runtime, audiences were left thinking it was a typical horror/psychological thriller with some levels of possessions and supernatural machinations. However, it is revealed that Esther is a 33-year-old Estonian woman who suffers from hypopituitarism. Using her small stature to her advantage, Esther (real name: Leena Klammer) is a serial killer who was once confined to a mental hospital.
9. Us
IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
Jordan Peele’s 2019 psychological horror Us was a critical and commercial success. It earned $256.1 million against a production budget of $20 million. Us follows the Wilsons family’s story of encountering their doppelgängers (Tethered) while on vacation. As the doppelgängers begin to terrorize them and the Wilsons fight to survive, Us reveals dark secrets about a failed experiment that produced three Tethered beings. The movie wasn’t only a chilling horror flick but also a social commentary on identity, society, and the human condition. Us packed an ensemble cast comprising Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
Movie Plot Twist: Just when audiences believed Lupita Nyong’o’s Addy character had escaped from her Tethered self, it is revealed otherwise. Throughout the film, Addy is the Tethered one who escaped to the real world as a child. Red, believed to have been the Tethered being, sought a way to return to the real world.
8. The Others
IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
Alejandro Amenábar’s 2001 Gothic supernatural psychological horror movie The Others is one of the most underrated horror films of the 21st century. Set in the aftermath of World War II, The Others revolves around a mother and her two children. Nicole Kidman plays the mother of two, Grace Stewart. Grace is devoutly religious and lives with her photosensitive children in a remote mansion on Jersey, a Channel Island. Grace becomes increasingly convinced that her house is haunted and hires new servants to help care for her children and maintain the house. As unexplainable events unfold and with her children’s claim of seeing intruders, Grace confirms they have ghosts in their home. Mom
Movie Plot Twist: The Others takes a spin on conventional paranormal plots. It is revealed that Grace, her two children, and the newly hired servants are all ghosts. The “people” and noise they have been hearing are from a living family planning to move into the house. Rather than having its plot from the perspective of the living, The Others shifts the focus to a ghost family whose home is being invaded by the living.
7. Saw
IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
The 2004 Saw movie is the first installment in one of the most successful horror film franchises. Saw centered around two men who wake up in a dilapidated bathroom, chained to opposite sides of the room. Between these men, oncologist Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) and photographer Adam (Leigh Whannell), a dead man is lying on the floor with a microcassette recorder and revolver. The movie takes audiences on a tense and gripping journey, trying to understand the Jigsaw Killer’s motivations and the twisted games he plays with his victims.
Movie Plot Twists: In what is still considered one of Hollywood’s movie plot twists, the dead man lying on the bathroom floor throughout the movie suddenly rises. He reveals himself as John Kramer, the Jigsaw Killer (Tobin Bell). Audiences had been thrown off his scent, believing Zep Hindle (Michael Emerson) to be the Jigsaw Killer.
6. Get Out
IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
Jordan Peele has proven he’s a force to be reckoned with in the horror genre. Get Out is Peele’s feature directorial debut and was released theatrically on February 24, 2017. The plot follows Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya), a young African-American photographer who visits his white girlfriend’s family estate. He becomes increasingly disturbed by the strange behavior of the estate’s residents. Chris uncovers a horrifying secret as the weekend progresses that puts him in a terrifying predicament.
Movie Plot Twist: There’s no denying the weirdness of the Armitage family, their staff, and their neighbors. However, the first plot twist is realizing Rose Armitage (Allison Williams) is part of the plan from the onset. Then, it uncovers what the Armitages have been doing for decades.
5. Gone Girl
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
David Fincher’s 2014 Gone Girl revolves around the disappearance of Amy Elliott Dunne (Rosamund Pike). It also follows the ensuing media frenzy and police investigations. Ben Affleck’s Nick Dunne character increasingly becomes the primary suspect in his wife’s disappearance. At some point, audiences are left divided, believing whether Nick is innocent.
Movie Plot Twist: The twist is revealed mid-way into the movie as Amy Dunne is alive. It goes deeper, finding out she orchestrated the kidnap and for her husband to take the fall. The final plot twist at the end sees Amy inseminate herself with Nick’s sperm to keep him in the marriage.
4. Shutter Island
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
The 2010 neo-noir psychological thriller Shutter Island is one of Martin Scorsese’s top-rated films. The plot follows U.S. Marshal Edward “Teddy” Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) as he investigates the mysterious disappearance of a patient from Shutter Island, a mental institution. He’s joined by his partner, U.S. Marshal Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo). As they delved deeper into the case, they uncovered dark secrets about the facility and staff.
Movie Plot Twist: The plot twist is revealed when audiences discover Leonardo DiCaprio’s Teddy Daniels is a patient at the mental institution, not an investigator. His entire role-play as a detective was part of an elaborate role-playing therapy designed to help him come to terms with a traumatic event from his past.
3. The Prestige
IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
The list would not be complete without one from award-winning filmmaker Christopher Nolan. Screenwriter Jonathan Nolan adapted The Prestige’s screenplay from Christopher Priest’s 1995 sci-fi novel. The Prestige follows the gripping and intricate tale of two former magician friends and colleagues, Robert “The Great Danton” Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred “The Professor” Borden (Christian Bale). Set in late 19th-century London, Angier and Borden’s intense rivalry drives them to dangerous lengths in pursuit of the ultimate magic trick. The movie also co-starred A-listers such as Michael Caine and Scarlett Johansson.
Movie Plot Twist: The major plot twist in The Prestige is the revelation that Alfred Borden has been living a dual life as twin brothers. Both twins are deeply involved in the magic world. Throughout the film, audiences believe Borden’s mysterious actions result from a single, enigmatic persona. Also, to match Borden’s “The Transported Man” trick, it is revealed Angier had to die every time he used his Nikola Tesla-invented “The Real Transported Man” machine.
2. Oldboy
IMDb Rating: 8.3/10
Oldboy is unarguably one of the best thrillers of the 2010s. The Spoke Lee-directed neo-noir action thriller was created as a remake of the 2003 South Korean film. The 2013 Oldboy centers around Joe Doucett (Josh Brolin), who is mysteriously imprisoned for 20 years. Upon his release, he embarks on a relentless quest for vengeance and the truth behind his captivity. While Oldboy could easily pass off as an action flick, its plot twist left audiences jaw-dropped.
Movie Plot Twist: The first plot twist reveals that Joe Doucett’s imprisonment and manipulation is an elaborate, decades-long revenge plot orchestrated by Joe’s childhood friend, Adrian Doyle Pryce (Sharlto Copley). While his quest for retribution may seem conventionally far-fetched, Adrian orchestrates events that lead Joe to commit incest with his own daughter. Audiences are left in shock because, in the end, there are no winners in this revenge action film.
1. Parasite
IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
With its Best Picture win at the 92nd Academy Awards, Parasite became the first non-English-language film to win the category. Parasite is a South Korean black comedy thriller with arguably the best plot twist of the century today. Parasite centers around the Kim family, who are living in poverty and struggling to make ends meet. Their son, Ki-woo, jumps on an opportunity to secure a tutoring job with the wealthy Park family. This later leads to deceptions and manipulations as the Kims gradually infiltrate the Parks household. They each get jobs working for the Parks, posing as unrelated, highly qualified individuals.
Movie Plot Twist: Having discovered the former housekeeper hides her husband in the Parks’ hidden bunker, the revelation heightens the tension and is the foundation of the film’s plot twist. After things end disastrously for the Kims, it is revealed their lost son, Ki-taek, wanted for murder, has been hiding in the bunker with his mother. Joining the many movie plot twists of the 21st century is understanding why Snape killed Dumbledore in the Harry Potter film series.
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