28 Incredible Movie And TV Twists That Were Nailed In A Single Unforgettable Scene

"My number one will always be the Season 4 finale of Dexter. Specifically, the last 5-ish mins of the show. GENIUS delivery and timing, and I was WRECKED after I watched it. I hear about viewers' reactions seeing GoT's "Red Wedding" when it aired. That is how I reacted."

—barbie-girl

Suggested by patricksdaddy1967

"Basically the moment near the end of the film when Edward Norton’s character starts to slow clap right as Richard Gere’s character (and the audience) figure out what’s really going on. I remember getting chills the first time I watched it. Edward Norton’s performance in that film is absolutely incredible."

—jamied41

Suggested by tonyc007

It's a common horror trope: the hero thinks they've escaped some demon or curse (usually by doing the right thing), only to realize they definitelyyyyy didn't (Drag Me to Hell, anyone?). But this one stands out to me because she's not even the one that pays the price — this scene leads to heart-pounding anticipation and truly one of the scariest horror film deaths EVER. You also really can't beat a kid uttering some creepy line that changes everything (see #23).

Suggested by deftonesforlife

I mean, we had to mention this one. It's one of the most famous plot twists/character reveals of all time. Verbal is the last guy you'd expect to be Söze — and the reveal comes just as he gets away. It's iconic for a reason.

Suggested by thesettledpirate

Stranger Things always does an incredible job at weaving all the stories together, and this is still their best example. At the same time Nancy discovers Vecna's true origin, El is discovering the orderly's — and the viewer is making the connection between them both. All the seeds were planted, but they don't come together until this truly spectacular sequence that brings the story in many ways full circle and finally gives El a nemesis worth fighting rather than faceless demons. 

Suggested by lisamariek

This twist is especially brutal because it comes while Izzie is also dying — it makes the scene where he dies and Izzie sees him in his Army uniform all the more devastating and shocking.

Suggested by joolzr2

Like, six reveals happen in this scene: that Nick was the man Goodkat killed at the start of the movie, that Slevin has orchestrated this whole thing, that Slevin is the son of the man (Max) who was killed after bad betting on a horse race, that Goodkat was the one that killed Max and was meant to kill Slevin, too, but instead raised him as his own, and that the Rabbi and the Boss were the mobsters from the story. Each one is given its own moment to shine, and together they comprise this truly glorious twist that you realize has been in the making for the entire movie without you even realizing it. 

Suggested by tracyb16

At first, I hated this twist. I felt tricked — it made absolutely no sense that Buffy had had a sister this entire time!!! How was she never mentioned? But then the show reveals that it's basically been gaslighting you and making you question your own memory and perception of the show. ... Dawn was inserted in the Scooby Gang's lives, and they were all given fake memories of her existing in the years prior. It's such a wild twist that I can't even think of any show that has pulled off something else like it — maybe for a few episodes, but certainly not for the rest of the show's run. I know some people hated Dawn, but I always loved how she changed the game and brought out a whole new side of Buffy. Plus, her plot line drove Season 5, which it feels like is the favorite season of 90% of fans. 

Suggested by eprasad60

I normally dislike "it was all a dream" reveals, but this one just works. The whole movie is trippy and creepy and weird, and this reveal fits in perfectly. The jaunty music that plays over this reveal is just perfect.

Suggested by barlowdelvaux81

Infinity War is by far the best Avengers film. It follows a classic setup: There's some epic villain our heroes need to fight, and he's got a truly horrible MO (in this case, literally erase half the world). In fact, his plan is so inconceivable that we're SURE our heroes are going to win. And then...they lose. Half the universe disappeared, including a huge number of the main characters. And then, the movie just...ends, leaving the audience reeling. The movie plays against superhero film expectations so well to deliver an utterly shocking ending.

Suggested by ropre

This may have been a smaller/less dramatic reveal than others on this list, but it's still so iconic. Olenna is SUCH a badass, and her revealing this to a shell-shocked Jamie as she dies is perfect. It's also all the more shocking because we had to wait so long not knowing who killed Joffrey — we literally went through an entire trial for Tyrion not knowing who the actual murderer was. "Tell Cersei. I want her to know it was me" is still one of the most memorable GoT lines to me. 

"Made me go back and watch the entire movie over again."

—klharr224

"The first time I saw that, I was like, WHAT."

—misstarrynj

"My friends gasped, which took me by surprise because I assumed they understood from the beginning that he was blind. He moved like a blind person (such as that scene where he didn't shoot until the cat meowed, how he constantly touched things, and how he didn't react when someone was reaching out to touch him). Never even occurred to me that I wasn't supposed to know he was blind. This makes a different kind of twist. ... I'm now realizing Denzel really did his research for that film. Great actor."

—prolix

Suggested by drigs

I still think Leo should have won an Oscar for this (although I think that about most of his roles). It's devastating, and you want to deny it right along with Teddy, even as the film makes you confront all the things that didn't add up earlier in the movie.

"I was floored when Howard got shot by Lalo in Better Call Saul. I was convinced there was going to be this whole new story arc involving Howard making Kim and Jimmy's life a living hell that would lead to them breaking up, and thus, Saul would join the Dark Side (for lack of a better term LOL), but Lalo came in like NOPE and shot Howard in the head like it was no big deal. 'Shhhhhh...let's talk.' CHILLS."

—funkmistress

Suggested by margegunderson

Even these screenshots freak me out. I'm not always a fan of movies ending on cliffhangers, but I think this film improved upon its predecessor by leaving us with an intensely chilling ending.

"I loved the twist in The Prestige. Hugh Jackman's character had spent the whole movie trying to figure out how Christian Bale pulled off his disappearing trick, and everyone told him it was a double. He goes as far as to commission a fantastical cloning machine, only to find out in the end that everyone was right and it was just a double/twin."

—rnd13001

Suggested by doyonmac1

We had to include this one, of course. It's famous for a reason! Like the "it was all a dream" trope, I don't normally like the "they were dead the whole time" twist, but this one was nailed so well that it really became the blueprint.

Suggested by carebear27203 and emilypost

Another "dead the whole time" one that actually works — I think due to the fact that ghosts are established for the entire film, and the twist is that the ghosts are actually Grace and her children, and that the "ghosts" she's seeing are the living inhabitants of the house. Kidman also truly sells it in one of her best performances, and I love how creepy the ending is. 

Suggested by jasonzeskey

Harry spends the entire movie looking for the man that ends up being him all along — I mean, how can a twist get better than that? I'll tell ya how: by also having the character realize they're a murderer and their soul belongs to the devil. It's a horrifying scene that makes you want to yell at the screen, wondering how you didn't see this coming.