Line #21 Main/MovieTwistList


1	-> ''" I bet he's a woman, that bloke. No, you think it's the future, but it's actually set in the past. It's not Earth. It's all a dream!"''
2	-->-- '''Douglas Reynholm''', ''Series/TheITCrowd''
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4	This is a listing of movie twists by trope category. Please feel free to complete and add to the table by adding new twist-related tropes and examples.
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6	'''BEWARE: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD.'''
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10	\|\|'''Twist Trope Name''' \|\|'''Short Description''' \|\|'''Examples From Film''' \|\|
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12	\|\|LukeIAmYourFather \|\|Character who is loved or despised ends up being a family member. \|\|[[spoiler:''Franchise/StarWars'', ''Film/{{Watchmen}}'']] \|\|
13	\|\|TheMole \|\|A character convinces us he has ''good'' motives when he really has evil ones, or vice versa / Betrayal. \|\|[[spoiler: ''Film/BatmanBegins'', ''Film/TheDaVinciCode'', ''Film/SawII'']] \|\|
14	\|\|TomatoInTheMirror \|\|A certain character is revealed, to their own surprise as well as the audience's, that they are not what they believed themselves to be. \|\|[[spoiler:''Film/TheSixthSense'', ''Film/BladeRunner'', ''Film/TheOthers2001'', ''Film/ShutterIsland'', ''Film/Oblivion2013'']] \|\|
15	\|\|AllJustADream, DyingDream \|\|The story is revealed by the end to have actually been a dream, illusion, or NearDeathExperience. \|\|[[spoiler:''Film/ABeautifulMind'', ''Film/JacobsLadder'', ''Film/{{Click}}'']] \|\|
16	\|\|DeadAllAlong, ImaginaryFriend \|\|A certain character is revealed as a ghost or an illusion, or actually never existed. \|\|[[spoiler:''Film/TheSixthSense'', ''Film/FightClub'', ''Film/ABeautifulMind'', ''[[Film/SpyKids3DGameOver Spy Kids 3-D]]'']] \|\|
17	\|\|NiceJobBreakingItHero \|\|The result of some sort of devastation was actually caused by the group seeking to fix it. \|\|[[spoiler: ''Film/PlanetOfTheApes1968'', ''Film/Oblivion2013'']] \|\|
18	\|\|FakingTheDead, LeftForDead, NoOneCouldSurviveThat \|\|Someone who is assumed to be dead actually never died. \|\|[[spoiler:''Film/MissionImpossible'', ''Film/TheIllusionist2006'', ''Film/TheThirdMan'', ''Film/{{Assassins}}'', ''Film/ConspiracyTheory'']] \|\|
19	\|\|DoubleAgent \|\|Double and triple-agent surprises. \|\|[[spoiler:''Film/NorthByNorthwest'', ''Film/ReservoirDogs'', ''Film/TheDeparted'', ''Film/DoubleTake'']] \|\|
20	\|\|PlatonicCave\|\|A person or community is haunted by a fake reality that was set up to control or protect him/them. \|\|[[spoiler:''Film/TheTrumanShow'', ''Film/TheVillage2004'', ''Film/TheMatrix'', ''Film/TheyLive!'']] \|\|
21	\|\|IAmWho, ChangelingFantasy \|\|A character who believed he had nothing special about him learns that he is actually royalty or has special powers. \|\|[[spoiler:''Film/HarryPotter'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}'', ''Film/ThePrincessDiaries'', ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'', ''Film/{{Stardust}}'', ''Film/{{Spaceballs}}'']] \|\|
22	\|\|ItWasWithYouAllAlong \|\|An object or piece of intelligence of great value for which a character was seeking was right under his nose the whole time. \|\|[[spoiler:''Film/TheWizardOfOz'', ''Film/{{The Phantom\|1996}}'', ''Film/HarryPotter'']] \|\|
23	\|\|AttractiveBentGender \|\|A character who is infatuated with another learns that the person is really a WholesomeCrossdresser or something similar. May lead to IfItsYouItsOkay. \|\|[[spoiler:''Film/TheCryingGame'', ''Film/SomeLikeItHot'']] \|\|
24	\|\|UnwittingPawn \|\|A character or group of characters eventually realize that they've been lured into unknowingly aiding the enemy. \|\|[[spoiler:''Film/{{The Count of Monte Cristo\|2002}}'', ''Film/OceansEleven'']] \|\|
25	\|\|ISurrenderSuckers \|\|A character allows himself to be captured by the enemy. It is later revealed that he did so intentionally, as part of his plan. \|\|[[spoiler:''Film/TheDarkKnight'', ''Film/{{Se7en}}'', ''Film/{{ReturnOfTheJedi}}'']] \|\|
26	\|\|MeaninglessVillainVictory, TakeAThirdOption, DeusExMachina \|\|The solution to a problem is less than ideal and it seems as if the antagonists have won; however, at the last moment, [[TakeAThirdOption a third option is presented]] or some other unexpected occurrence takes place, which rekindles hope. \|\|[[spoiler:''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings: The Two Towers'']] \|\|
27	\|\|HiddenPurposeTest \|\|A reward or positive outcome is offered to a character based on his performance. However, the person doing the offering never made it clear what ''sort'' of performance he was expecting, and therefore the outcome is different than the viewer supposed. \|\|[[spoiler: ''Film/MenInBlack'', ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan'']] \|\|
28	\|\|BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor, KarmicTwistEnding \|\|A character makes a wish. He then begins experiencing strange things, which he assumes to be coincidences, practical jokes, or fiction. But in fact it is not fiction - his wish came true! \|\|[[spoiler:''Film/TheNeverendingStory'', ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}'', ''Film/LiarLiar'']] \|\|
29	\|\|UnreliableNarrator \|\|The narrator hides a secret from the audience. He eventually reveals himself to be someone he is not or to know something he didn't admit to earlier. \|\|[[spoiler:''Film/TheUsualSuspects'', ''Film/{{Fallen}}'']] \|\|
30	\|\|AdoptTheDog \|\|The movie turns out to be less cynical than expected when a character chooses to be unambiguously heroic. \|\|[[spoiler:''Film/AmericanBeauty'', ''Film/TheDarkKnight'']] \|\|
31	\|\|NestedStoryReveal \|\|Events that the viewer is led to believe are "real" (within the movie) turn out to be a fictional NestedStory within a larger FramingDevice. \|\|[[spoiler:''Film/TheAdventuresOfBaronMunchausen'', ''Film/TheFountain'']] \|\|
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Context Main / MovieTwistList