Spoiler Alert: This list contains spoilers for multiple movies.Plot twists in movies are a narrative techniqueemployed to catch viewers off guard and introduce new conflicts, contexts or revelations. Movies likeMementoandFight Clubpresent these twists during their endings, but twists can occur at any point in a movie’s story. Some filmmakers, likeM. Night ShyamalanandChristopher Nolan, utilize twists more than others, as they require a certain level of literary finesse and are often a risky venture to implement into a screenplay.
It wouldn’t take a film buff to recognize production companyA24’s significant impact onfilm culture and independent filmmaking. Despite being a relatively new studio, A24 has been funding and distributing a consistent stream of quality content, havingracked up over 150 productions in a little over a decade. A24 as a studio highlights work of ambition, with many of their movies featuring atypical stories and plenty of twists. This is a selection of 10 A24 movies with the best plot twists that are sure to catch you off guard.
10The Death of Howard
‘Uncut Gems’ (2019)
Eccentric gemstone dealer Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler), operating out of the bustling chaos of New York City, secures what he believes to be his biggest sale yet: an incredibly rare uncut opal from Ethiopia. Looking to clear his gambling debts and make a deal with a high-profile buyer,Howard soon finds himself in over his headas he tries to juggle obligations with associates, family, and relentless mobsters.
Uncut Gemsis a modern masterpiecewith a forward momentum and energy unlike any other movie made before. Even consideringthe craftsmanship behind the camera, Sandler in the lead role is the element that grants the movie its allure. Just when you think Howard’s addiction to taking big risks has paid off, he’s killed in the movie’s final moments. Not only is it shocking, but it’s totally in line with the themes of the movie.It’s the only way that a story of this nature could’ve ended.
Uncut Gems
A crime thriller from Josh and Benny Safdie, Uncut Gems follows New York jeweler Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) as his gambling addiction forces him to associate with increasingly dangerous individuals. After receiving an incredibly rare black opal, Howard believes he can finally free himself of his mounting debts, but not without engaging in one final high-stakes balancing act while fending off violent loan sharks.
9Black Phillip Is the Devil
‘The Witch’ (2015)
Set in 1600s New England, a devout Christian family is forced to relocate from their village to an isolated farmstead. When the youngest child of the family mysteriously vanishes, and their crops fall victim to a blight,the once-tight-knit family begins to unravel and turn on each other. As the misfortunes begin to pile on, it seems that an unspeakable evil is the cause.
It’s difficult to tell what directionThe Witchis going in during its opening act. The commitment to historical realism doesn’t exactly prepare the viewer for the introduction of certain narrative elements, such as witches and the Devil himself, yetthe movie hints at the supernatural in increasingly unsettling ways. It’s not until the family’s troublesome goat, Black Phillip, reveals his true form that everything becomes clear. It’s a reveal that’s magnificently handled andtruly unsettling in every way.
A family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession.
8Ava’s Intentions
‘Ex Machina’ (2014)
Junior programmer Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) wins a company lottery to visit the retreat of brilliant tech CEO Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac). Upon visiting the remote home/research facility,Caleb finds himself especially fascinated with one of Nathan’s more recent innovations: a highly advanced artificial intelligence named Ava (Alicia Vikander). Caleb quickly finds himself enamored with Ava, but dark secrets begin to surface as their interactions grow more intimate.
Ex Machinais one of the best science fiction movies of modern times. It’s an ambitious, creative effort that smartlyweaves modern themes and fears of technological advancement into a tight and intellectually stimulating piece of work. While the twist may not be exactly surprising, considering the very nature of a Turing Test, it’s a clever way of subverting audience expectations while offering both a bleak and strangely beautiful conclusion fora character who deserves her freedom.
Ex Machina
A young programmer is selected to participate in a ground-breaking experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a highly advanced humanoid A.I.
7A Murderless Murder Mystery
‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’ (2022)
A gaggle of rich and entitled 20-somethings heads to an isolated manor for a drug and alcohol-fueled hurricane party. They opt to play a murder-mystery game where one of them is assigned to be the killer.One of the young adults apparently takes their role a little too seriously when one of their friends ends up dead. Panic ensues and paranoia sets in as each member of the group realizes that nobody can be trusted.
Bodies Bodies Bodiesis a movie with plenty of tricks up its sleeve. It plays out essentially as a Gen-Z murder mystery/whodunnit, borrowing many narrative elements from classics of the genre.The beauty ofBodies Bodies Bodies, as well as what turns out to be the movie’s funniest gag, is that there was, in fact, no murder to be solved, but rather a series of mishaps and miscommunications that eventuallyspiral into paranoia-fueled chaos. Just when you think you’ve seen everything in a murder mystery movie,Bodies Bodies Bodiescomes along and presents death via TikTok.
Bodies Bodies Bodies
When a group of rich 20-somethings plan a hurricane party at a remote family mansion, a party game turns deadly in this fresh and funny look at backstabbing, fake friends, and one party gone very, very wrong.
6The Family Friend Is a Witch
‘Hereditary’ (2018)
A family in mourning falls victim to a series of increasingly devastating tragedies.A supernatural curse that can be traced back generationsunravels and tears the family apart at the seams despite the mother’s (Toni Collette) best efforts to protect an already fragile bond.
Hereditaryis one of modern cinema’smost effective and influential horror efforts. In his debut, directorAri Asterdoesn’t hold back on the weirdness and extremely unsettling imagery. Narratively,Hereditaryis a puzzle, and the new friend to the family, Joan (Ann Dowd), is the final piece of that puzzle.It’s revealed to be her behind the demise of the Graham family, having a hand in all the horrific tragedies that beset them. It’s a sinister twist housed within a deviously clever movie that will tempt even the most horrified of viewers to want to go back and study for clues.
Hereditary
When her mentally ill mother passes away, Annie, her husband, son, and daughter all mourn her loss. The family turn to different means to handle their grief, including Annie and her daughter both flirting with the supernatural. They each begin to have disturbing, otherworldly experiences linked to the sinister secrets and emotional trauma that have been passed through the generations of their family.
5The Fate of Mia
‘Talk to Me’ (2022)
A group of curious teens discover that an embalmed hand can communicate with spirits and conjure the dead. Naturally, the juveniles make the worst possible decision and treat it as a party trick.The thrill-seeking eventually takes a turn for the worse when the game is taken too far, and a door to the world of the undead is left open.
Talk to Mewasone of 2022’s surprise horror hits. The debut effort from thePhilippou brothers, this was a horror movie helmed with the utmost confidence and keen eye for craftsmanship. The ending was an especially mind-bending subversion that finds the lead character, Mia (Sophie Wilde), navigating through what appears to be a happy ending that turns out to be quite the opposite.Mia finds herself trapped in the spirit world following her death, and it’s eluded that she will be the catalyst for a whole new horrifying series of events for an entirely different group of adventurous teens.
Talk to Me
When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.
4What Happened to Calum?
‘Aftersun’ (2022)
Sophie (Frankie Corio) reflects on the summer holiday that she spent with her father, Calum (Paul Mescal). Unbeknownst to the 11-year-old Sophie,Calum struggles with the weight of being a dependent, single parental figure. Through her fractured recollections, Sophie creates a portrait of a bittersweet window of time.
Some twist endings are exciting and inspire a rewatch to wrap your head around the whole affair.Aftersun’stwist is devastating, yet delicately delivered, which is appropriate considering the subject matter. Through a series of visual metaphors, none of which are narratively explicit,it’s implied that Calum gave in to his overwhelming melancholy and tragically took his own life.Aftersunis an achingly tender movieas a whole, with an ending that will linger for a while afterward.
Sophie reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier. Memories real and imagined fill the gaps between as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn’t…
3The Spider
‘Enemy’ (2013)
Adam Bell (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a college professor who leads a somber existence plagued with repetition and a lack of purpose. It’s not untilBell spots an actor who looks identical to him in a movie that he develops a fascination with finding his double. Fascination quickly turns to obsession as Bell’s life becomes increasingly intertwined with the man whom he is seeking.
The final shot of a movie is one of the most important to get right. After all, it’s the very last image that a viewer receives before the credits roll, so it’s important to leave a lasting impression.Enemydoes just that.There are a few final shots in movies that are as effective asEnemy’s—it’s equally startlingas it is thought-provoking. It may not be a twist as many would commonly consider, but it’s certainly unexpected and will leave a searing image in the mind of any viewer.
A man seeks out his exact look-alike after spotting him in a movie.
2The Father of Ada
‘Lamb’ (2021)
María (Noomi Rapace) and Ingvar (Hilmir Snær Guðnason) are an Icelandic farm couple who are forced to reconcile their loss with demanding work on their homestead. Just when they need it most,a child unlike any other comes into their lives and grants them a new purpose. Yet, raising a child this unique doesn’t come without its difficulties.
Lambis a movie that’s more thematically felt than it is understood on a narrative level, but it’s effective all the same. The approach to themes of parenthood and grief is wholly unique here, without the need for gimmicks or an overload of twists and turns.Lambdoes, however, jump the shark in its final moments with the reveal of Ada’s real father,who happens to be a vengeful half-man, half-goat hybrid. The twist turns into a bleak ending, yet it doesn’t feel out of place. Witha story this peculiar and spiritual, a straightforward conclusion would be glaring.
A childless couple discovers a mysterious newborn on their farm in Iceland.
1Dani, the May Queen
‘Midsommar’ (2019)
Still grieving over a traumatic event, American graduate student Dani (Florence Pugh) joins her friends on a trip to a remote Swedish village to attend a midsummer festival. Upon their arrival, peculiar and uncomfortable happenings undercut the lush scenery and smiles of the villagers.Harmless tradition eventually gives way to sinister rituals as Dani and her friends must fight to escape.
Midsommaris an all-around assault on the senses, especially as the climax is nearing. In a fashion that only director Ari Aster could manage so effectively,the haunting ending is foreshadowed throughout the movie via subtle hints and imagery. Even if a viewer were to catch a whiff of where the story was going, the ultimate fate of Dani and her friends is harrowing.Midsommaris a dense movie and the result of an uncompromised creative vision. The ending isa beautifully nightmarish cacophonythat would shock anyone andleave a long-lasting impression.
A couple travels to Northern Europe to visit a rural hometown’s fabled Swedish mid-summer festival. What begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult.
NEXT:10 Movies That Would Be Masterpieces if They Changed One Thing
