Movies are known for their twists, turns, and unexpected conclusions that keep audiences on the edge of their seats. However, some films play with expectations by teasing major plot points early on through various clues. Here are 17 movies that subtly revealed their endings to audiences:
Us (2019)
Us hit viewers with one of the most shocking plot twists when it revealed that the real Adelaide and her doppelganger had switched places several years ago. So when Adelaide’s mom metaphorically talked about wanting her little girl back earlier in the film, she had indeed lost her daughter.
Midsommar (2019)
The 2019 horror film Midsommar explores the tale of a group of friends who find themselves in the middle of a cult ritual after traveling to Sweden for a midsummer festival. Although only a few viewers may have noticed on first watch, the film’s entire plot was already revealed in a mural shot early on in the movie.
The Irishman (2019)
In the opening monologue to the Oscar-nominated film, Frank Sheeran explains the Mafia’s use of the phrase “painting houses” just as we are shown a scene of him “painting” a wall with a person’s brain. This is a close-up shot of Hoffa’s murder, foreshadowing the union boss’s death at the hands of Sheeran.
The Prestige (2006)
In Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige, a rivalry between two magicians centers around a teleportation trick. At the end of the film, we learn that Borden, one of the magicians, performed his version of the trick with the help of an identical twin brother—a fact that was foreshadowed earlier in the movie when he explained performing the trick with identical birds.
Gran Torino (2008)
In an early scene in Gran Torino, Walt Kowalski reads his horoscope to his dog, which turns out to be an accurate summary of the character’s journey in the film as he leaves behind his racist past. In line with the anti-climatic end predicted in the horoscope, Kowalski allows himself to be killed at the end of the movie.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
The Sixth Sense, directed by the renowned M. Night Shyamalan, is one of those movies that gets better on subsequent watches. The film left audiences stunned with the revelation that Malcolm was already dead. But that much was obvious from the first couple of scenes, which showed the child psychologist bleeding out on the bed.
Scream (1996)
The question of the serial killer’s true identity in Scream was certainly one that gripped audiences. While the revelation is not made until later in the film, we get a couple of hints early on. For instance, “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult plays in the background as Billy Loomis makes his first appearance, hinting at his sinister intentions.
Knives Out (2019)
The mystery of the murderer’s identity in Knives Out kept everyone curious throughout the film. Okay…maybe not everyone. Thanks to the Apple policy that prevents villains from using iPhones in movies, it was obvious to some viewers that the one character with an Android phone was the murderer.
Skyfall (2012)
In Daniel Craig’s third Bond film Skyfall, we see M, played by Judi Dench, get killed in an attack by Raoul Silva. While M’s death was largely uncontemplated by audiences, the movie foreshadows her death in its opening credit scenes by displaying the character’s name just as the camera pans to tombstones in a cemetery.
The Incredibles 2 (2018)
The Incredibles 2 had an easter egg that revealed to the most astute viewers the identity of the villain behind Screenslaver. The full name of one of the main suspects in the film is ‘Evelyn Deavor,’ which, when said at once, sounds very much like ‘evil endeavor.’
The Usual Suspects (1995)
In this 1995 film, Verbal Kint is the lone survivor of a massacre and has to relay the events to an interrogator. In a major plot twist, we discover that Verbal is the crime boss behind the incident. However, the film kind of already indicated that Verbal wasn’t who he represented himself to be, as there were glaring holes in his story to the authorities.
The Shape of Water (2017)
At the beginning of The Shape of Water, the film’s narrator mentions a princess falling in love with a monster. This statement lays the foundation for the unconventional romance that develops over the course of the film between a mute woman and a mysterious aquatic creature.
Memento (2000)
In the opening scene of Memento, we see a Polaroid photo of a dead man, which fades into its undeveloped state through a backward time lapse. This opening shot not only signifies the reverse chronological order in which the story is told, but it also hints at the protagonist’s decision to kill Teddy at the end of the film.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire’s appearances in Spider-Man: No Way Home surely got the loud audience cheer that the film’s producers likely hoped for when they planned the scene. The long-desired cameo was hinted at earlier in the movie by the appearance of Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin and Jamie Foxx’s Electro.
Fight Club (1999)
Through subtle visual cues and cryptic dialogue, the film hints at the protagonist’s split personality disorder and his dual identity as Tyler Durden. For example, early on in the film, we hear the narrator say, “When you’re suffering from insomnia, nothing’s really real.”
Shutter Island (2010)
In Shutter Island, Teddy Daniels and Chuck Aule are supposedly U.S. Marshals investigating the disappearance of a patient at a psychiatric facility. While we eventually find out that Teddy is, in fact, the patient and the whole thing was a stunt, there were some signs early on. For example, Aule was fumbling with his gun in one scene because he was a doctor and not a U.S. Marshal.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
In The Shawshank Redemption, when Red hears of Andy’s thoughts of escaping the state prison, he tells him not to waste his time with “pipe dreams.” Andy eventually manages to escape the prison through, as you can already guess, literal pipes.
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