Ah, the plot twist. That moment in a movie where the rug gets pulled out from under you, your jaw hits the floor, and you mutter, “Wait, what?!” A great plot twist can leave you confused, making you have
a rethink about what you thought you knew about the movie. A bad plot twist, however? Well, that’s a recipe for groans, eye rolls, and a burning desire to rewind and pretend the last ten minutes never happened.
So, grab your popcorn (and maybe a stress ball), because we’re diving into the murky depths of recent cinema with the Top 13 Worst Movie Plot Twists (spoiler alert, you’ve been warned!).
The Rise of Skywalker : Rey’s Palpatine Problem
This twist felt like a slap in the face to fans who invested in Rey’s journey as a scavenger turned Jedi. Suddenly, she’s the granddaughter of the ultimate evil? It felt unearned, rushed, and frankly, a bit lazy.Â
Glass : The Supervillain… Therapist ?
M. Night Shyamalan loves a twist, but this one felt like a head-scratcher. Turns out, the mastermind behind the seemingly supernatural events in “Glass”
is none other than… the therapist? It was a confusing and underwhelming reveal that left audiences wondering what exactly they just watched.
Hereditary : That Ending, Though…
Love it or hate it, “Hereditary” undeniably had a shocking ending. But was it good shocking, or “what the actual heck” shocking? That’s debatable.
Watching a possessed teen levitate her mother and then self-immolate is certainly memorable, but it left many viewers feeling more disturbed than satisfied.
Gemini Man : Will Smith vs… Will Smith (Younger)?
This one wasn’t exactly a surprise, but the execution left something to be desired. The de-aged Will Smith looked uncanny valley creepy, and the emotional weight of a clone confronting his older self never quite landed.Â
Hobbs & Shaw : Hattie’s Big Secret… Revealed (Kind Of)
This “twist” was more of a damp squib. Turns out, Hattie Shaw is a double agent… but we kind of knew that already. The reveal lacked punch and felt like a missed opportunity for a genuinely surprising turn of events.
The Old Guard : Andy’s Not So Immortal After All
The revelation that Andy, the seemingly new immortal, was actually the original immortal in disguise felt convoluted and unnecessary.
It muddied the waters of the story and undercut the emotional impact of the film’s exploration of immortality.
X-Men: Dark Phoenix : Jean Grey… Again?
The “Dark Phoenix” storyline has been done to death in the previous X-Men sequence. So, when this movie trotted it out yet again, complete with a
predictable and underwhelming twist involving Jean Grey succumbing to the Phoenix force, audiences were left feeling like they’d seen it all before.
M. Night Shyamalan Double Feature (Sorry, Not Sorry)
Look, M. Night Shyamalan is the king of the twist, but even a king can have an off day (or two). Both “Old” (2021) and “Knock at the Cabin” (2023) suffered from twists that felt nonsensical and unearned.
In “Old,” the explanation for the rapid aging on the beach was bizarre, and “Knock at the Cabin” left audiences questioning the characters’ motivations and the overall point of the film.
The Woman in the Window : Wait, What Was Real?
This psychological thriller tried to have its cake and eat it too. The twist that the protagonist, suffering from agoraphobia, had fabricated the entire kidnapping plot was a head-scratcher. Did it add to the suspense? Not really. Did it leave audiences confused? Absolutely.
Don’t Look Up : The Comet Actually Hits… Duh?
This movie wasn’t exactly subtle with its social commentary. So, when the giant comet everyone ignored actually smashed into Earth, it wasn’t much of a surprise. The predictable ending felt like a
missed opportunity to deliver a more …nuanced message about humanity’s apathy. Predictability can be comforting, but in this case, it just felt like a wasted opportunity.
The Matrix Resurrections
The Return of the Blue Pill?: The highly anticipated return to the “Matrix” universe left many fans feeling disappointed. The twist that Neo was back
(sort of) due to a business deal between humans and machines felt cynical and undermined the themes of the original films.
Morbius : The Post-Credits Scene… Ugh
Let’s face it, the entire movie “Morbius” was a bit of a twist (and not in a good way). But the post-credits scene that shoehorned in a connection to the Venom-verse felt particularly forced and unearned.
It smacked of trying to capitalize on a successful franchise without any real thought or connection to the story at hand.
Halloween Kills : Michael Myers… Isn’t Dead (Again)?
This entry in the seemingly never-ending “Halloween” franchise felt like a retread of old tropes. The “twist” that Michael Myers survives being burned alive was predictable and did little to move the story forward. Halloween fans deserved better.
So there you have it, folks! A baker’s dozen of movie plot twists that left us scratching our heads (and maybe a little angry). Remember, a good twist
should surprise you, but it should also feel logical and add to the overall story. These twists, unfortunately, fell flat, leaving audiences feeling cheated and questioning the point of it all.
But hey, even bad twists can be entertaining (in a so-bad-it’s-good kind of way). So, what are some of the worst movie plot twists you’ve ever seen?