Twists at ends of movies

25-10-2010 11:58am #1

Are they needed?

And would it be a spoiler if you tell someone that whether there is or is not a twist at the end, despite not mentioning what it might be?

Basq · 25-10-2010 12:15pm

Hmmm.. it's a tough one.

I mean some reviews and even trailers (with excerpt's from reviews) even indicate a twist.

But in saying that.. if you say there's a twist at the end of the movie, people will watch the movie trying to guess what it might be / expecting it.

norrie rugger · 25-10-2010 12:23pm

basquille wrote: »

Hmmm.. it's a tough one.

I mean some reviews and even trailers (with excerpt's from reviews) even indicate a twist.

But in saying that.. if you say there's a twist at the end of the movie, people will watch the movie trying to guess what it might be / expecting it.

Generally though there are clues throughout the movie, as to what the twist could be. If you have been told before hand then you forget about just watching the story and try to focus on the twist and what it is.

Basq · 25-10-2010 12:25pm

norrie rugger wrote: »

Generally though there are clues throughout the movie, as to what the twist could be. If you have been told before hand then you forget about just watching the story and try to focus on the twist and what it is.

I believe that's what I said.. is it not?

tim_holsters · 25-10-2010 12:34pm

If you've been told beforehand that there's a twist and you're focusing on that then surely you're focusing on the story as well as you can't follow one without following the other.

25-10-2010 12:50pm

In some ways I think a bad twist can ruin what was an overly enjoyable movie.

L'prof · 25-10-2010 1:05pm

Deleted User wrote: »

In some ways I think a bad twist can ruin what was an overly enjoyable movie.

True, but in a movie like

The Mist

, the twist actually made the film for me, in what was otherwise a pretty average movie. I do think it spoils the movie, if you know there's a twist coming as some tend to disguise the fact very well!

KevArno · 25-10-2010 1:27pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Are they needed?

And would it be a spoiler if you tell someone that whether there is or is not a twist at the end, despite not mentioning what it might be?

Thats a really weird question if you ask me. Of course they are not needed, but it is just another device used by writers. They are not needed, and plenty of movies function perfectly without them, but at the same time films like the Sixth Sense and the Others function solely because of the twists. (I presume there is no need for spoiler tags there at this stage??!)
These types of things get over used at times though, but that is natural, as writers will be influenced by what is popular. It would be pretty boring if every storyline was just linear and obvious.

I do think if there is a twist, that telling people just that is definitely a spoiler. The idea of a twist is to shock, and not be a "oh there it is" moment.

Skinfull · 25-10-2010 1:29pm

I'm always reminded of that episode of The IT Crowd when Roy is trying to avoid hearing about the end of a movie before he's had a chance to watch it...and even knowing that there is a twist is kinda ruining it for him as he's trying then to figure it out before the reveal.

I'm like that. I like to go in as blind as possible. Don't watch trailers online or read about the movies or anything.

pickarooney · 25-10-2010 2:43pm

What about if you tell someone that there's a twist but there is no twist and it finally dans on them at the end credits that the twist is that there's no twist?

This happened me with one of those disaster movies - the one about the tornadoes.

caspa307 · 25-10-2010 2:53pm

L'prof wrote: »

True, but in a movie like
The Mist
, the twist actually made the film for me, in what was otherwise a pretty average movie. I do think it spoils the movie, if you know there's a twist coming as some tend to disguise the fact very well!

is that were there all stuck in the supermarket thingy??

Loughc · 25-10-2010 3:38pm

caspa307 wrote: »

is that were there all stuck in the supermarket thingy??

Yes!

RecoveryTTA · 25-10-2010 6:23pm

I think they are helpful, if you ever watch most of M Night Shyamalan's films, they are full with twisting endings, the movie twisters, have made the films fantastic.

caspa307 · 25-10-2010 6:45pm

lockie1983 wrote: »

Yes!

that film was sooo bad but the twist made it soo good if that gakes any sense lol

El Horseboxo · 25-10-2010 6:51pm

Films with twists just for the sake of it are pointless and annoying. It's like the writers thought of this good idea for a twist and wrote the script just to lead up to that point. Rather than having a good idea for a complete story that allowed them to facilitate a twist.

Loughc · 25-10-2010 11:40pm

caspa307 wrote: »

that film was sooo bad but the twist made it soo good if that gakes any sense lol

It really does, the CGI in it is terrible but the twist was very unexpected and make it a much more compelling story!

Princess Peach · 25-10-2010 11:44pm

I love twists at the end of films. I never see them coming. When your watching the film you have your opinion formed already, and then something happens right at the end that blows all these thoughts away!

KevArno · 26-10-2010 1:26am

El Horseboxo wrote: »

Films with twists just for the sake of it are pointless and annoying. It's like the writers thought of this good idea for a twist and wrote the script just to lead up to that point. Rather than having a good idea for a complete story that allowed them to facilitate a twist.

Yeah this is very true, but to be honest that is just a bad story, and it's nothing to do with the twist. It is the same as any writer building a story out of any one plot device, when there isn't really a story in it. Like maybe a writer thinks up a great character but not a great storyline to place him/her in... that wouldn't be the fault of characters.

Mackman · 26-10-2010 4:37am

If used properly they can turn a good movie into a great one. Even though i know a movie has a twist in it, i usually forget about it during the movie becasue im concentrating on the plot, then it hits me, and IMO if a movie can pull that off, its pretty good viewing.
e.g.

The Usual Suspects, Unbreakable, Shutter Island,

As El horseboxo said earlier, there's no point if they just do it for the sake of it, just lazy film making.

Penn · 26-10-2010 7:49am

The first Saw was good because you didn't know there would be a twist ending. However, with each one after that, knowing there would be a twist ending ruined it because you were either looking out for the twist and not engrossed in the movie, or the filmmakers tried too hard to hide the twist, making it nonsensical. Knowing the series would continue also meant they could put in any ending and explain it in the next one.

Twists are good when you don't know there's going to be a twist, or even if it just isn't obvious there's going to be a twist. One of the Saw films had "You won't believe how it ends" as it's tagline. That's not good. You should be able to believe how it ends. You're just not supposed to have been able to predict it.

DOC09UNAM · 26-10-2010 8:39am

KEYSER SOZE!!

Some movies need twists, shutter island, sixth sense, the usual suspects to name a few.

norrie rugger · 26-10-2010 10:44am

basquille wrote: »

I believe that's what I said.. is it not?

Sorry, my phone cut half the message.

I carried on to say that some people will like knowing that there is something coming and trying to figure it out.
Others will be distracted by this knowledge, to the lessening of their enjoyment of the film, as a whole.

Others would prefer to be a. surprised or b. calling it without prior notice.

6th Sense was kinda ruined for me as I knew that there was a twist to come.
I was not looking for it but knowing about it made my mind create the link between some happenings and the actual twist.
So the big reveal, at the end, did nothing for me

I am in the camp of prefering to know as little as possible about potential twists

maximoose · 26-10-2010 12:42pm

Mackman wrote: »

If used properly they can turn a good movie into a great one. Even though i know a movie has a twist in it, i usually forget about it during the movie becasue im concentrating on the plot, then it hits me, and IMO if a movie can pull that off, its pretty good viewing.
e.g.
The Usual Suspects, Unbreakable, Shutter Island,

.

Just regarding the third movie you've used as an example there, am I the only one who thinks that twist was TERRIBLE? No so much the twist itself, but the way that it was delivered was just painfully slow, obvious and not surprising. It wasnt a ":eek:" moment, more of a ":rolleyes:"

indough · 26-10-2010 12:47pm

maximoose wrote: »

am I the only one who thinks that twist was TERRIBLE?

yes

indough · 26-10-2010 2:02pm

i was only joking by the way! although i personally thought the ending was good

faceman · 26-10-2010 3:35pm

There needs to be a relevance to the twist. The problem with Shylamamamadingdong's movies is that the twist become more important than the movie.

But take a film like "the Mist", i dont consider that ending to be a twist. The ending makes complete sense, but the audience dont expect a hollywood movie to end that way.

indough · 26-10-2010 4:19pm

there is a twist at the end of the mist, might not be what most people think it is though. its actually far more subtle and devastating than that

26-10-2010 4:35pm

A twist to me is something which comes out of nowhere and completely changes what came before. I wouldn't consider the end of the Mist a twist but rather a logical plot progression.

Twists are fine when done correctly but when you make a film specifically to try to pull the rug from under your audience in the last 5 minutes then you're in trouble. With M. Nigh his films became simply about the twist and appeared to have been film in which a plot was wrote around a twist which is a ludicrous notion.

DOC09UNAM · 26-10-2010 4:50pm

I would agree, like the usual suspects, sixth sense, or something that was all a dream, those ones really bug the fusk out of me, when people have been asleep.

indough · 26-10-2010 5:26pm

Deleted User wrote: »

A twist to me is something which comes out of nowhere and completely changes what came before. I wouldn't consider the end of the Mist a twist but rather a logical plot progression.

you could equally say that about any film given the benefit of hindsight

misty76 · 26-10-2010 6:55pm

Sorry im off topic here but did anyone see a film few weeks ago called Panic with william h macy in it.. i fell asleep and missed the ending.. cant find the ending on the net anywhere it just says there was a twist with who he killed.. not sure did he kill himself, his therapist or his father, be cool if anyone knows.. cheers

26-10-2010 7:11pm

indough wrote: »

you could equally say that about any film given the benefit of hindsight

Generally a film comes to a logical conclusion, eg. the hero saves the day, gets the girl whereas with a twist film the ending should turn conventions on their head. The hero may end up being killed while the girl runs off with the baddie or the hero turns out to be the evil one.

The films Feast is a great example of this, were introduced to the hero half way through the film and watch as moments later he's torn apart. It turns traditional cinematic conventions on their head and makes for a far more entertaining film as we literally don't know what to expect one minute from the next.

DOC09UNAM · 26-10-2010 7:13pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Generally a film comes to a logical conclusion, eg. the hero saves the day, gets the girl whereas with a twist film the ending should turn conventions on their head. The hero may end up being killed while the girl runs off with the baddie or the hero turns out to be the evil one.

The films Feast is a great example of this, were introduced to the hero half way through the film and watch as moments later he's torn apart. It turns traditional cinematic conventions on their head and makes for a far more entertaining film as we literally don't know what to expect one minute from the next.

I think

the departed had a great twist, di caprio getting killed when it looked like he was going to save the day

indough · 26-10-2010 9:36pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Generally a film comes to a logical conclusion, eg. the hero saves the day, gets the girl whereas with a twist film the ending should turn conventions on their head. The hero may end up being killed while the girl runs off with the baddie or the hero turns out to be the evil one.

The films Feast is a great example of this, were introduced to the hero half way through the film and watch as moments later he's torn apart. It turns traditional cinematic conventions on their head and makes for a far more entertaining film as we literally don't know what to expect one minute from the next.

a twist in a narrative is something happening unexpectedly and shocking people. in the mist

the real twist is not that he kills his son and the others, its the reappearance of the woman from the store and the realization that if he had have helped her then he and his son would have been okay. the sublety of it is what makes it a very clever twist as you think youve already seen it all after him killing his own son and then the arrival of the armed convoy.

Mickeroo · 26-10-2010 11:01pm

Deleted User wrote: »

And would it be a spoiler if you tell someone that whether there is or is not a twist at the end, despite not mentioning what it might be?

Definitely a spoiler. Had no idea there was a twist in the sixth sense and then someone told me there was one before I watched it. An hour into the movie I had figured out what was going on, if no one had told me there was a twist there's no way I would have figured it.

Twists have their place, they can be brilliant(The Usual Suspects, Fight Club) or downright stupid (Swtchblade Romance, Signs).

Twists at ends of movies

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