Poll: Movies with the best (surprise) endings

SlimShogun · Tue, 4th Jun '02, 5:11am

My choices (in order):

1. 12 Monkeys (holy crap the ending was good)
2. Memento (the same for this one, too)
3. Fight Club
4. The Usual Suspects
5. Shawshank Redemption
6. Ocean's Eleven

I'm probably leaving some out, I'll edit or repost as I remember.

Kitrax · Tue, 4th Jun '02, 7:40am

Monty Python and the Holy Grail. They were almost there!

Ragusa · Tue, 4th Jun '02, 10:14am

Oceans Eleven? Bwahaha .... nah, my all fav there definitely is: *drumroll* The usual suspects

Great movie

nior · Tue, 4th Jun '02, 11:12am

"the usual suspects", really great!!!

very nice ending.

Gonzago · Tue, 4th Jun '02, 11:24am

Seven.

Tue, 4th Jun '02, 12:18pm

I was pretty annoyed with Usual Supsect at first, that the whole plot was centered around someone twisting his foot 90 degrees. I mean gaawd. Now I just pity it.. But Its a great movie. I even have it on tape

When I was a kid the original planet of the apes ending scared me...

Anyway Sixth sense has a pretty surprising ending, doesn't it?

SleepleSS · Tue, 4th Jun '02, 12:55pm

Seven? No way! You saw that one coming from miles! It's a really good ending, but not that surprising...

Arlington Road, that's a diffrent story...and Cube! Now that was surprizing!

Christopher_Lee · Tue, 4th Jun '02, 12:59pm

Mulholland Drive, fantastic ending - all of a sudden you have to stop watching the film as a sequence of short clips, and are forced into trying to make sense of what you have seen.
Fight Club - i didn;t guess, though some people I have spoke to did. I love the bit when Brad Pitt says "here's the change - most people don;t notice it", and the film changes from past tense into present...

Gonzago · Tue, 4th Jun '02, 1:18pm

OK: Comments on the Usual Suspects..

Kaiser has to kill a guy who knows what he looks like. In order to do so, he constructs an elaborate, and circuitous, plan. To kill one guy. One Single Guy. Because the One Guy knows what he looks like.

Does it not bother anyone that at the end of the film, not only does Arkash Govash also know what the Kaiser looks like, but that the FBI, the Justice Department, and Customs have mugshots, fingerprints, and a whopping big file on him?

Now thousands of people know what he looks like, right? Part 2 would have to be pretty bloody in order to maintain the plotline...

edit: As for Seven, no I didn't see it coming a mile away. Or rather, I did, but it struck me as a little too gruesome for Hollywood. I expected a cleaner, happier ending. (Besides, Paltrow's death wasn't consistent with Spacey's MO). They didn't let him get away with it again in 8mm...where in the original script the victim of the snuff movie was in fact Cage's wife.

[This message has been edited by Gonzago (edited June 04, 2002).]

Shralp · Tue, 4th Jun '02, 3:18pm

Last night I saw Undercover Brother. Man, was I surprised to discover that The Man is putting mind-control serum in all the fried chicken in order to keep black people down.

Sir Belisarius · Tue, 4th Jun '02, 4:16pm

I wouldn't call this a surprise ending...But this was my favorite plot twist: The Matrix!!!

I never saw the "copper top" thing coming!!! I thought it was one of the best, most inventive new movies to come out in a long time!! The FX were amazing, but I always thought the storyline made it fantastic!!!

Other great endings:

The Sixth Sense
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
The Day the Earth Stood Still
The 1970's version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers
The Thing (80's version)
Jaws

I'll post more if I can think of any...

SlimShogun · Tue, 4th Jun '02, 4:24pm

How could i forget the SiXth Sense? That was a GREAT ending!

[This message has been edited by SlimShogun (edited June 05, 2002).]

Gnolyn Lochbreaker · Tue, 4th Jun '02, 4:39pm

The Usual Suspects has one of the *best* surprise endings! Great movie.

Gonzago: It doesn't matter if the cops, FBI et al know what Kaiser looks like. They have nothing to pin on him. That was the key. The other guy had to be killed because he could link Kaiser to countless different crimes, and could identify him. Without him as the witness, there's no link. Besides, who was going to believe the cop's story anyway? There's no proof, and most of them don't believe that Kaiser even exists - he's a fairy tale

Sprite · Tue, 4th Jun '02, 4:40pm

Not a particularly surprising ending, but a very neat one, "I have to go now, Clarice, I'm having an old friend for dinner..."

Voltric · Tue, 4th Jun '02, 5:52pm

The best surprise ending I ever saw was The Usual Suspects. A great twist with verbal, but don't want to give it away for those who have not seen it. The Sixth sense was always good at playing with your mind.

TheBlackRose · Tue, 4th Jun '02, 6:38pm

I'm going to restate earlier points here - I loved the surprise endings in Usual Suspects, Fight Club and Sixth Sense. The ending in Swordfish could be also considered a twist, although the movie sucked beyond belief.

Tue, 4th Jun '02, 6:47pm

How Can you most of you say that the Usual suspect had a surprise ending! He just twisted his freaking foot. How obvious isn't that? It is like Superman where they can't tell he is Clark Kent. Do you think Superman has a surprise ending too? I mean really...
It was a give away ending. Geez. But nevertheless an exciting movie.

Slimshogon wrote

Quote:

How could i forget the Sith Sense?

I would love to see that movie. IS Darth Maul starring?

the god · Tue, 4th Jun '02, 8:16pm

another m.night shayamalan film, unbreakable. great suprise twist, and as a film that explores superhero psyches it far surpassed x-men, even batman.

but then, i'm a comic

geek.

Sir Dargorn · Tue, 4th Jun '02, 10:15pm

Unbreakable
Sixth Sense
Seven
Holy Grail.

[This message has been edited by Sir Dargorn (edited June 04, 2002).]

Wed, 5th Jun '02, 12:40am

How can anyone forget Bandits, with Bruce Willis.

Somewhat of a suprise ending, very well acted, and other things I cant think of at the moment. Ohwell

Mylist:
UnBreakable
Sixth Sense
Bandits
Matrix
The One

SlimShogun · Wed, 5th Jun '02, 1:07am

ArchAngel, hush. I was posting in school and had to rush...

Anyway--I loved unbreakable! That ending took me by surprise! OOOH was it good!

Kitrax · Wed, 5th Jun '02, 2:53am

Yeah, Unbreakable had a pretty cool ending...

Sprite wrote:

Quote:

"Not a particularly surprising ending, but a very neat one, "I have to go now, Clarice, I'm having an old friend for dinner..."

How did he/she taste?!?!?! I've never ate human, so let me know!!!

[This message has been edited by Kitrax (edited June 05, 2002).]

Sir Belisarius · Wed, 5th Jun '02, 4:51am

Bandits?!?!?!? I saw that ending coming a mile (or kilometre for you crazy people in the REST of the world!!!

) away!!!!

Unbreakable was very good!!! And a killer ending too! A guy I used to work with is good friends with M. Night, and has actually been an extra in all of his movies...

SleepleSS · Wed, 5th Jun '02, 8:35am

Well ok it wasn't a hollywood ending (Seven

) But it reakky didn't surprise me...But men I loved it!

The sixt sense? That movie sucked! I see dead people... Well we could all guess how it ended didn't we? Come on! You need more to suprise me

(Like I said before: Cube).

Starwars 1 was suprising, how could they make a ending that sucked as much as the mid part? Now that was suprising. I mean you get that cool fight, and then the fight ends in a lame way Qui Gon and Maul are dead... and than -Horror- more JarJar scenes!

Alex · Wed, 5th Jun '02, 10:29am

The Thomas Crowne Affair... overall a terrible movie, but with a great ending.

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Tue, 4th Jun '02, 5:11am	#1
SlimShogun Gems: 13/31 Latest gem: Ziose Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: The music lives in me, every drop in my veins Posts: 585 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 1,715 Level: 13 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 88.38% Daily Activity 2.98% Weekly Activity 1.28% Monthly Activity 2.11% Achievements	My choices (in order): 1. 12 Monkeys (holy crap the ending was good) 2. Memento (the same for this one, too) 3. Fight Club 4. The Usual Suspects 5. Shawshank Redemption 6. Ocean's Eleven I'm probably leaving some out, I'll edit or repost as I remember.

Tue, 4th Jun '02, 7:40am	#2
Kitrax Pantaloons are supposed to go where!?!? Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 7,899 Blog Entries: 11 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 19,724 Level: 39 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 57.72% Daily Activity 2.98% Weekly Activity 1.28% Monthly Activity 2.11% Achievements	Monty Python and the Holy Grail. They were almost there!

Tue, 4th Jun '02, 10:14am	#3
Ragusa Eternal Halfling Paladin Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: ... this world, where reality beats satire ... Posts: 10,131 Like: 5 Liked 17 Times in 12 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 25,504 Level: 43 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 92.64% Daily Activity 2.98% Weekly Activity 1.28% Monthly Activity 2.11% Achievements	Oceans Eleven? Bwahaha .... nah, my all fav there definitely is: drumroll The usual suspects Great movie

Tue, 4th Jun '02, 11:12am	#4
nior Gems: 24/31 Latest gem: Water Opal Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: philippines Posts: 1,778 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 4,357 Level: 20 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 87.47% Daily Activity 2.98% Weekly Activity 1.28% Monthly Activity 2.11% Achievements	"the usual suspects", really great!!! very nice ending.

Tue, 4th Jun '02, 11:24am	#5
Gonzago Gems: 14/31 Latest gem: Chrysoberyl Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Oz Posts: 633 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 1,845 Level: 14 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 33.47% Daily Activity 2.98% Weekly Activity 1.28% Monthly Activity 2.11% Achievements	Seven.

Tue, 4th Jun '02, 12:18pm	#6
ArchAngel Guest Posts: n/a vBActivity - Stats XP: 0 Level: 1 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 0% Daily Activity 0% Weekly Activity 0% Monthly Activity 0%	I was pretty annoyed with Usual Supsect at first, that the whole plot was centered around someone twisting his foot 90 degrees. I mean gaawd. Now I just pity it.. But Its a great movie. I even have it on tape When I was a kid the original planet of the apes ending scared me... Anyway Sixth sense has a pretty surprising ending, doesn't it?

Tue, 4th Jun '02, 12:55pm	#7
SleepleSS Gems: 24/31 Latest gem: Water Opal Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Through the looking glass Posts: 1,991 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 4,889 Level: 21 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 94.52% Daily Activity 2.98% Weekly Activity 1.28% Monthly Activity 2.11% Achievements	Seven? No way! You saw that one coming from miles! It's a really good ending, but not that surprising... Arlington Road, that's a diffrent story...and Cube! Now that was surprizing!

Tue, 4th Jun '02, 12:59pm	#8
Christopher_Lee Gems: 10/31 Latest gem: Zircon Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: London Posts: 370 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 1,196 Level: 11 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 84.64% Daily Activity 2.98% Weekly Activity 1.28% Monthly Activity 2.11% Achievements	Mulholland Drive, fantastic ending - all of a sudden you have to stop watching the film as a sequence of short clips, and are forced into trying to make sense of what you have seen. Fight Club - i didn;t guess, though some people I have spoke to did. I love the bit when Brad Pitt says "here's the change - most people don;t notice it", and the film changes from past tense into present...

Tue, 4th Jun '02, 1:18pm	#9
Gonzago Gems: 14/31 Latest gem: Chrysoberyl Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Oz Posts: 633 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 1,845 Level: 14 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 33.47% Daily Activity 2.98% Weekly Activity 1.28% Monthly Activity 2.11% Achievements	OK: Comments on the Usual Suspects.. Kaiser has to kill a guy who knows what he looks like. In order to do so, he constructs an elaborate, and circuitous, plan. To kill one guy. One Single Guy. Because the One Guy knows what he looks like. Does it not bother anyone that at the end of the film, not only does Arkash Govash also know what the Kaiser looks like, but that the FBI, the Justice Department, and Customs have mugshots, fingerprints, and a whopping big file on him? Now thousands of people know what he looks like, right? Part 2 would have to be pretty bloody in order to maintain the plotline... edit: As for Seven, no I didn't see it coming a mile away. Or rather, I did, but it struck me as a little too gruesome for Hollywood. I expected a cleaner, happier ending. (Besides, Paltrow's death wasn't consistent with Spacey's MO). They didn't let him get away with it again in 8mm...where in the original script the victim of the snuff movie was in fact Cage's wife. [This message has been edited by Gonzago (edited June 04, 2002).]

Tue, 4th Jun '02, 3:18pm	#10
Shralp Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Virginia Posts: 1,095 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 2,961 Level: 17 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 63.68% Daily Activity 0% Weekly Activity 0% Monthly Activity 0% Achievements	Last night I saw Undercover Brother. Man, was I surprised to discover that The Man is putting mind-control serum in all the fried chicken in order to keep black people down.

Tue, 4th Jun '02, 4:16pm	#11
Sir Belisarius SPS Account Holder Distinguished Member Treasurer Viconia's Boy Toy Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: If there is a bright center of the universe, I'm in the city it's farthest from! Posts: 4,257 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 10,509 Level: 30 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 45.43% Daily Activity 2.98% Weekly Activity 1.28% Monthly Activity 2.11% Achievements	I wouldn't call this a surprise ending...But this was my favorite plot twist: The Matrix!!! I never saw the "copper top" thing coming!!! I thought it was one of the best, most inventive new movies to come out in a long time!! The FX were amazing, but I always thought the storyline made it fantastic!!! Other great endings: The Sixth Sense Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back The Day the Earth Stood Still The 1970's version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers The Thing (80's version) Jaws I'll post more if I can think of any...

Tue, 4th Jun '02, 4:24pm	#12
SlimShogun Gems: 13/31 Latest gem: Ziose Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: The music lives in me, every drop in my veins Posts: 585 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 1,715 Level: 13 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 88.38% Daily Activity 2.98% Weekly Activity 1.28% Monthly Activity 2.11% Achievements	How could i forget the SiXth Sense? That was a GREAT ending! [This message has been edited by SlimShogun (edited June 05, 2002).]

Tue, 4th Jun '02, 4:39pm	#13
Gnolyn Lochbreaker Gems: 13/31 Latest gem: Ziose Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Canada Posts: 554 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 1,683 Level: 13 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 76.86% Daily Activity 2.98% Weekly Activity 1.28% Monthly Activity 2.11% Achievements	The Usual Suspects has one of the best surprise endings! Great movie. Gonzago: It doesn't matter if the cops, FBI et al know what Kaiser looks like. They have nothing to pin on him. That was the key. The other guy had to be killed because he could link Kaiser to countless different crimes, and could identify him. Without him as the witness, there's no link. Besides, who was going to believe the cop's story anyway? There's no proof, and most of them don't believe that Kaiser even exists - he's a fairy tale

Tue, 4th Jun '02, 4:40pm	#14
Sprite SPS Account Holder Singing the Hedgehog Song Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Toronto Posts: 775 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 2,104 Level: 15 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 18.95% Daily Activity 2.98% Weekly Activity 1.28% Monthly Activity 2.11% Achievements	Not a particularly surprising ending, but a very neat one, "I have to go now, Clarice, I'm having an old friend for dinner..."

Tue, 4th Jun '02, 5:52pm	#15
Voltric Gems: 19/31 Latest gem: Aquamarine Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Boston, USA Posts: 1,145 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 2,952 Level: 17 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 61.37% Daily Activity 2.98% Weekly Activity 1.28% Monthly Activity 2.11% Achievements	The best surprise ending I ever saw was The Usual Suspects. A great twist with verbal, but don't want to give it away for those who have not seen it. The Sixth sense was always good at playing with your mind.

Tue, 4th Jun '02, 6:38pm	#16
TheBlackRose Gems: 13/31 Latest gem: Ziose Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: United States Posts: 545 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 1,384 Level: 12 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 63.02% Daily Activity 2.98% Weekly Activity 1.28% Monthly Activity 2.11% Achievements	I'm going to restate earlier points here - I loved the surprise endings in Usual Suspects, Fight Club and Sixth Sense. The ending in Swordfish could be also considered a twist, although the movie sucked beyond belief.

Tue, 4th Jun '02, 8:16pm	#18
the god Gems: 13/31 Latest gem: Ziose Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Bath, UK Posts: 578 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 1,609 Level: 13 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 49.3% Daily Activity 2.98% Weekly Activity 1.28% Monthly Activity 2.11% Achievements	another m.night shayamalan film, unbreakable. great suprise twist, and as a film that explores superhero psyches it far surpassed x-men, even batman. but then, i'm a comic geek.

Tue, 4th Jun '02, 10:15pm	#19
Sir Dargorn Gems: 21/31 Latest gem: Pearl Join Date: May 2001 Location: The Fallen Paladin Guild Posts: 1,338 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 2,183 Level: 15 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 43.24% Daily Activity 2.98% Weekly Activity 1.28% Monthly Activity 2.11% Achievements	Unbreakable Sixth Sense Seven Holy Grail. [This message has been edited by Sir Dargorn (edited June 04, 2002).]

Wed, 5th Jun '02, 12:40am	#20
DeBhaal Stasion Guest Posts: n/a vBActivity - Stats XP: 0 Level: 1 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 0% Daily Activity 0% Weekly Activity 0% Monthly Activity 0%	How can anyone forget Bandits, with Bruce Willis. Somewhat of a suprise ending, very well acted, and other things I cant think of at the moment. Ohwell Mylist: UnBreakable Sixth Sense Bandits Matrix The One

Wed, 5th Jun '02, 1:07am	#21
SlimShogun Gems: 13/31 Latest gem: Ziose Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: The music lives in me, every drop in my veins Posts: 585 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 1,715 Level: 13 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 88.38% Daily Activity 2.98% Weekly Activity 1.28% Monthly Activity 2.11% Achievements	ArchAngel, hush. I was posting in school and had to rush... Anyway--I loved unbreakable! That ending took me by surprise! OOOH was it good!

Wed, 5th Jun '02, 4:51am	#23
Sir Belisarius SPS Account Holder Distinguished Member Treasurer Viconia's Boy Toy Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: If there is a bright center of the universe, I'm in the city it's farthest from! Posts: 4,257 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 10,509 Level: 30 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 45.43% Daily Activity 2.98% Weekly Activity 1.28% Monthly Activity 2.11% Achievements	Bandits?!?!?!? I saw that ending coming a mile (or kilometre for you crazy people in the REST of the world!!! ) away!!!! Unbreakable was very good!!! And a killer ending too! A guy I used to work with is good friends with M. Night, and has actually been an extra in all of his movies...

Wed, 5th Jun '02, 8:35am	#24
SleepleSS Gems: 24/31 Latest gem: Water Opal Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Through the looking glass Posts: 1,991 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 4,889 Level: 21 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 94.52% Daily Activity 2.98% Weekly Activity 1.28% Monthly Activity 2.11% Achievements	Well ok it wasn't a hollywood ending (Seven ) But it reakky didn't surprise me...But men I loved it! The sixt sense? That movie sucked! I see dead people... Well we could all guess how it ended didn't we? Come on! You need more to suprise me (Like I said before: Cube). Starwars 1 was suprising, how could they make a ending that sucked as much as the mid part? Now that was suprising. I mean you get that cool fight, and then the fight ends in a lame way Qui Gon and Maul are dead... and than -Horror- more JarJar scenes!

Wed, 5th Jun '02, 10:29am	#25
Alex Gems: 12/31 Latest gem: Moonstone Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Kirkland, WA Posts: 483 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 1,424 Level: 12 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 79.14% Daily Activity 2.98% Weekly Activity 1.28% Monthly Activity 2.11% Achievements	The Thomas Crowne Affair... overall a terrible movie, but with a great ending.