When done effectively, a good plot twist can really make or break a movie. Audiences have recently been praising Jordan Peele's latest twisty sci-fi adventure Nope, which has recently passed a major box office milestone - proving that its surprise-filled story has worked well with most audiences.
However, there are other movies out there with twists that movie fans on the internet believe audiences really should have seen coming. Whether that's due to an abundance of clues, a formulaic story, or even just the benefit of hindsight, Reddit users truly believe that some of these plot twists were just a little too obvious.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
M. Night Shyamalan is pretty much known today as the master of the plot twist, but there are many fans who believe his supposedly groundbreaking reveals aren't actually as unpredictable as others say. The Sixth Sense is probably his most famous twist to date, constantly being quoted in pop culture and references by other projects.
Reddit user pillsburydohmeeple believes that from the very first scene, it's obvious that Shyamalan's protagonist isn't actually real: "During the play, there is a parent filming the stage from directly behind Bruce Willis’ head... there’s no way the camera could have seen anything with his head in the way." In hindsight, this should have easily given away the final twist.
Scream (1996)
The Scream films have become somewhat famous for their slasher movie cliches, including the final act twists - in which it is often revealed that one of the central characters was the killer all along. The original film follows the same pattern, but many audiences believe that they definitely should have guessed who the killer was straight away.
Redditor maleficent_parsnip68 refers to Stu's "very first line in the movie", where he's instantly suggested as the killer when he suggests that only a real man could have killed Casey. However, the line is simply played off as a joke and forgotten about - but on a second watch, it seems unbelievable to have missed it.
Fight Club (1999)
David Fincher's psychological thriller Fight Club features one of the most famous plot twists of all time, but the reveal also left many fans disappointed in themselves for not realizing sooner. For example, none of the supporting characters ever refer to Tyler and the Narrator as different people.
"In Fight Club, Tyler is driving and the Narrator is in the front passenger seat," notes Reddit user warmmoistleather, "but Tyler gets out of the passenger side and the Narrator gets out of the driver side." This detail might seem like a mistake at first, but it actually makes total sense when you know the twist.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Although A Beautiful Mind features some of the most acclaimed performances and storytelling of its era, the film's plot twist is often overlooked when discussing the best. Perhaps that's because many audiences realized the direction that Ron Howard's story was taking thanks to the many clues that he drops early on.
Redditor thematicwater discusses a scene in the film where a girl runs up to a group of pigeons, but they don't fly away: "It's a short scene, which TOTALLY gives away that she's not real, but it's so easy to not notice what's happening." There are other scenes like this throughout the film, and if audiences had noticed them the first time round, the reality of Nash's condition would immediately have been clear.
The Prestige (2006)
Christopher Nolan's movies are often brimming with plot twists, but it's arguably The Prestige that manages it the best. The film comes dangerously close to revealing that Borden has an identical twin, but Nolan always manages to distract the audience with something seemingly more important before they get a chance to figure it out.
Then everything comes together at the end of the film, and Nolan even teases the audience with a recap of all the clues that now seem so obvious. "I was furious that I didn't catch it," writes Reddit user primetime22, sharing the opinion of many audiences once that final penny dropped.
Shutter Island (2010)
Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island is definitely one of the most rewatchable films of all time, though a second watch of the film might be accompanied by plenty of disappointed sighs at the film's multiple glaring clues regarding the big twist. Every single scene can be viewed differently once the audience knows the truth - which is the mark of a great twist.
Reddit user busstamove14 writes that there are "so many giveaways right from the jump". In fact, the very first scene shows Mark Ruffalo's character fumbling with his gun, which instantly should have given away that he's not a real detective. It's only thanks to Scorsese's clever direction that the film gets away with these clues.
Us (2019)
Much like the other films under his belt, Jordan Peele's second feature film Us plays the genius trick of concealing some biting social commentary and philosophical ideals beneath the facade of a horror movie. The true meaning of the film isn't totally clear until the final act, but it allows the audience to see the story through a whole new lens.
The genius of Peele's clues is that they can't be deciphered until later in the film. There's a scene where Red (posing as Adelaide) can't keep rhythm when clicking - but it's impossible to know the truth, because the details of the Tethered haven't been revealed yet. Reddit user flaiman notes this, claiming that many of the clues "flew over my head."
The Village (2004)
One of Shyamalan's more controversial projects, The Village is well-known for its bold twist that completely reframe the entire film up to that point. Despite plenty of clues throughout the film that suggest something is wrong with the film's time period, it remains one of the most surprising plot twists in recent memory.
Reddit user skatykats noticed a small detail early in the film that makes the final twist seem glaringly obvious upon rewatch: "Early on there’s a guy wearing jeans, and I was so proud of my sharp eye catching an error in costume accuracy." In hindsight, audiences should have known that such an obvious error would never befall such a keen eye behind the camera.
Arrival (2016)
When it comes to sci-fi movies, Arrival is undeniably one of the best and most intelligent of all time. It's consistently entertaining and thought-provoking, but the real magic of the story isn't even evident until the film's final act, which puts the entire narrative into a new, unexpected perspective.
Reddit user the_idea_pig praises Arrival's intelligent script and precise plotting, writing that the film is "too clever for its own good... it almost necessities watching more than once." Once you know that the film's flashbacks are actually out of order, watching the film for a second time is a completely different experience with a totally different message.
Psycho (1960)
Psycho features one of Alfred Hitchcock's best plot twists, even if it's also one of his most frustrating. The final act reveals that Norman's mother is actually dead, which nobody saw coming thanks to Hitchcock's clever camera tricks and intelligent writing. However, there are many clues - the most obvious being that the audience never actually sees Mrs Bates.
Redditor sakuotaku believes that this particular twist works so well because Hitchcock "actually tried to trick the audience", which very few films had dared to do before. Not only does he keep the truth hidden until the very end, but he also includes heaps of misdirection to hide the scent.