Buzz
For decades, movie plot twists have amazed audiences, creating unforgettable moments. These unexpected turns have become so famous that even those who haven’t watched the films are familiar with the iconic lines, such as the misquoted ‘Luke, I am your father’ and the simple yet powerful ‘Rosebud.’ But where do these twists come from? Let’s dive into ten behind-the-scenes stories of those unforgettable scenes that left us in awe.
10. Planet of The Apes
Imagine this scene: George and Nova escape from Ape City and come across the wreckage of the Statue of Liberty half-buried by the shore. It’s a legendary moment in cinema, where both the characters and the audience realize that the apocalyptic world of the apes is, in fact, Earth in a post-apocalyptic future. The film is loosely based on Pierre Boulle’s novel, which originally envisioned the Planet of the Apes as a separate planet. However, the filmmakers weren’t completely sold on that idea. ‘It doesn’t work, it’s too predictable,’ said producer Arthur Jacobs, who had lunch with Blake Edwards, once the movie’s director.
Jacobs then suggested, ‘What if he’s been on Earth all along, and neither he nor the audience knows it?’ Edwards loved the idea, exclaiming, ‘That’s brilliant. Let’s contact [the writer].’ They pitched the concept to Boulle, who was thrilled with the twist, saying it was even more creative than his original ending. The inspiration for the unforgettable shot of the Statue of Liberty came from a deli they visited. ‘As we stepped out after paying for two ham sandwiches, we noticed a huge Statue of Liberty mural on the wall of the deli. We glanced at each other and said, ‘Rosebud,’’ referencing the key to the plot of Citizen Kane. And so, the iconic image of the ruins of the Statue of Liberty was born.
9. Murder On The Orient Express
Agatha Christie’s 1934 classic, Murder on the Orient Express, drew inspiration from two real-life events: the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh’s son and the six-day entrapment of the real Orient Express in a snowstorm. The legendary train had a personal significance to Christie; it became her escape after her first marriage ended, was part of her honeymoon for her second marriage, and was frequently traveled aboard with her second husband.
After a disastrous movie adaptation of one of her novels in the 1960s, Christie became fiercely protective of her work and refused to authorize further adaptations. When MGM proposed a version of Murder on the Orient Express starring Miss Marple instead of Hercule Poirot, she vehemently opposed it, calling their vision a ‘rollicking farce’ and detrimental to her legacy. Following this, she refused to sell the rights to any more of her books to MGM.
In the 1970s, a successful independent film producer, Lord Brabourne, showed interest in adapting the book. During a lunch with Christie, he sought to convince her by sharing that the production team had located the original Orient Express in France and planned to bring it to England for restoration. He also mentioned an impressive, international cast and his commitment to staying true to the original novel. This ultimately persuaded Christie to give her approval for the film.
The film was completed in just 42 days, with a perfectly timed snowfall that helped create the ideal atmosphere for filming. The producers were so nervous about Christie’s candid nature that they opted to show her an advance screening rather than invite her to the premiere. Luckily for them, she loved it, calling it ‘delightful,’ and was subsequently invited to the premiere. That event marked her last public appearance. Despite being in a wheelchair, she insisted on standing to greet the queen. The movie received widespread critical acclaim, winning several British Film Awards and Oscars. However, Christie was disappointed with one detail: Poirot’s mustache did not match her description of ‘the finest [mustache] in England.’
8. The Sixth Sense
The Sixth Sense was written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, establishing him as a master of twist endings. His behind-the-scenes processes were nearly as strange as his films. During the shoot of The Sixth Sense, Toni Collette frequently woke up at exact times during the night, such as 1:11 AM and 4:44 AM, while Bruce Willis spent his spare time DJing. The movie’s shocking twist—the revelation that Malcolm Crowe, the therapist helping young Cole, is dead—left audiences stunned. Despite this success, the film’s impact and Shyamalan’s reputation nearly faced a setback.
David Vogel, Disney’s president at the time, was trying to regain creative control of the studio after some internal changes. Upon reading the script for The Sixth Sense, Vogel immediately purchased the rights for $2.25 million, without consulting anyone higher up at Disney. This enraged his superiors, who couldn’t retract Vogel’s commitment to Shyamalan but demanded he relinquish some of his creative control. Vogel refused, and as a result, he was fired.
The cast of The Sixth Sense was almost entirely different from the one we know today. Bruce Willis only became involved because he had been forced into signing a three-movie deal with Disney after his actions on a previous film led to the firing of the director and crew, causing a massive $17.5 million loss for the company. Michael Cera originally auditioned for the role of Cole, but he was unaware that the movie was about a boy who sees dead people. He approached his role with optimism and joy, turning Cole into a cheerful, ordinary kid.
7. The Usual Suspects
A bloody massacre aboard a ship. Two survivors. A complex tale filled with unexpected twists. The Usual Suspects presents a simple premise that gradually evolves into an intricate, perplexing narrative. The idea for the film began with a single image conceived by director Bryan Singer: criminals standing in a police lineup. This image came to him after reading an article in Spy magazine called ‘The Usual Suspects,’ referencing the famous line, ‘Round up the usual suspects,’ from Casablanca. When asked what kind of movie he would make based on this, Singer responded, ‘I guess it’s about... the usual suspects. The guys who always get arrested for some type of crime. I imagine they meet in a police lineup and decide to team up.’ Writer Christopher McQuarrie expanded on this initial idea, resulting in the ultimate twist where the meek Verbal Kint turns out to be the feared crime lord, Keyser Soze.
The filmmakers were so intent on keeping the plot twist under wraps that they convinced every actor that their character was secretly Keyser Soze. They even cast multiple actors for the flashback scenes involving Soze to prevent his true identity from being revealed. Despite the careful secrecy and planning, The Usual Suspects received mixed reviews. Roger Ebert wasn’t a fan, calling it a movie he simply didn’t care to understand, placing it on his Most Hated list. Nevertheless, the film found many admirers and earned accolades, winning Oscars for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor.
6. Psycho
Robert Bloch's 1959 novel Psycho was loosely inspired by the real-life figure known as the Butcher of Plainfield, or Ed Gein. Gein, a murderer and grave robber from Wisconsin, had a controlling mother whose influence remained pervasive in his life. His eerie attachment to her was evident in the shrine he built for her and his disturbing penchant for dressing in women's clothes. Alfred Hitchcock sought to adapt Bloch's novel into a film, but Paramount Pictures rejected it, deeming the book 'too repulsive' and 'impossible for film.' Undeterred, Hitchcock moved forward with the project through his own studio, Shamley Productions.
During production, Hitchcock went to great lengths to prevent the film's ending from being spoiled. He instructed his assistant to purchase all available copies of the novel to maintain the surprise of the plot twists. However, once the film was released and became a massive hit, the shocking twist – that Norman Bates had created an alternate persona in which he impersonated his mother and killed women – was quickly revealed. Since then, Psycho has become a landmark film in both the horror genre and in Hitchcock's legacy, cementing both the movie and its twist as iconic in cinematic history.
5. Shutter Island
Like many of the films on this list, Shutter Island began as a novel. Author Dennis Lehane’s inspiration for the story came from a childhood visit to Boston Harbor's Long Island with his uncle during the Blizzard of 1978. The island's remote nature sparked Lehane's curiosity about what might happen if people were stranded there during a storm, cut off from modern technology. He sought to create a unique narrative by blending elements of classic gothic literature with the style of pulp fiction and B movies. 'I had a hybrid of the Bronte sisters and Don Siegel's Invasion of the Body Snatchers in mind,' Lehane explained.
Turning a book into a movie is rarely a straightforward task. Laeta Kalogridis, the screenwriter, shared that her experience with thrillers was limited, so she had to create an elaborate 50-page outline to help track pivotal plot reversals and the progression of key moments. While the final movie left Lehane pleased, he admitted the experience of watching it was odd. 'Those are your lines, but they’re not,' he remarked. 'That’s your world, but it’s not really. Those are your characters, but they’re not quite. It’s all interpretative.' As for the spoilers? Well, that’s something viewers will need to discover themselves, either by watching the movie or reading the book.
4. Fight Club
It all began with the book 'Fight Club,' which was written by Chuck Palahniuk and published in 1996. The novel, later turned into a hit film, stirred up conversations about a violent, consumer-driven culture. Palahniuk came up with the concept for the book while volunteering at a hospice, where he would transport people to support groups. He reflected on his experience of being the healthy person in the room, feeling guilty for being 'The Tourist.' This led him to imagine a character who fakes being a participant in these groups for the cathartic release they offered, a concept that eventually blossomed into the novel.
The famous twist ending of the movie was influenced by Palahniuk’s unique writing style and his constant need to maintain action. 'I wanted fiction based on verbs, rather than fiction based on adjectives,' he explained, emphasizing how his writing focuses on driving events rather than static descriptions. 'Sometimes, [ . . .] I get too out of control and instead of a plot point every chapter, I want a plot point in every sentence.'
When it comes to the film adaptation, Palahniuk expressed only admiration: 'Now that I see the movie, [ . . .] I was sort of embarrassed of the book, because the movie had streamlined the plot and made it so much more effective and made connections that I had never thought to make.'
3. Citizen Kane
The word 'Rosebud' stands as one of the most unforgettable lines in cinematic history. This simple word, uttered by newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane just before his death, becomes the central mystery in the film. A reporter embarks on a quest to uncover its meaning, and through Kane’s life story, the audience witnesses a deep examination of the man. Despite this journey, the meaning behind Kane’s final word remains elusive, only to be revealed in the film’s final moments when his childhood sled is tossed into a furnace, revealing its name: Rosebud.
The screenplay of Citizen Kane was a joint effort between Orson Welles, who also played Kane, and screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz. The concept of Rosebud, however, was Mankiewicz's brainchild, a fact that Welles was quick to acknowledge, dismissing any claim to its origin. 'It’s a gimmick, really, and rather dollar book Freud,' Welles remarked about the whole notion.
Gore Vidal shared a provocative interpretation of 'Rosebud,' suggesting it was Randolph Hearst’s private nickname for his mistress’s clitoris, and that Mankiewicz inserted it as a cheeky inside joke. However, Frank Mankiewicz, Herman’s son, vehemently refuted this claim: 'It is time Vidal’s story be put to rest and the truth be told,' he declared. 'Rosebud was a bike. It was my father’s bike.' The story goes that Mankiewicz’s bike was stolen when he was a child while it was parked outside a library. His parents, punishing him for his negligence, refused to replace it. Whether as a bike or a sled, whether stolen or burned, 'Rosebud' remains a symbol of the innocence and joy of childhood.
2. The Empire Strikes Back
It’s a scene that has left audiences speechless for generations. Fans of Star Wars have sat in stunned silence upon hearing the unforgettable words: 'I am your father.'
In a conversation with Rolling Stone, George Lucas shared his view on the deeper themes of the saga: '[The movies are] really about mothers and daughters and fathers and sons. The early films are about Luke redeeming his father, so Luke’s the focus. But it’s also about Princess Leia and her struggle to reestablish the Republic, which is what her mother was doing.'
This is one of the reasons the iconic plot twist has such lasting power: it resonates with the overarching themes of the Star Wars series, which make the twist seem credible rather than far-fetched. As Lucas explained, the theme of parents and children is deeply embedded even in the name of the central villain. '‘Darth’ is a variation of ‘dark,’ and ‘Vader’ is a variation of ‘father,’' Lucas explained. 'So it’s basically 'Dark Father.''
1. Casablanca
Casablanca is a timeless romance, set against the backdrop of World War II, where the emotional turmoil of the characters mirrors the turbulent state of the city. The plot centers on Rick and Ilsa, lovers reunited after years, but with Ilsa now on her husband’s arm. Their rekindled passion reaches a climax on an airport runway, where Ilsa’s husband waits in the plane, offering safety and a chance to continue his fight against Nazism. Rick stands outside, offering love, passion, and danger. Unable to choose between them, Ilsa recalls telling Rick, 'You’ll have to think for both of us, for all of us.'
When Ingrid Bergman, who portrayed Ilsa, started filming Casablanca, she had no idea how the movie would end. In fact, neither did anyone else involved in the production. Initially, they only had half of the script. As filming progressed, the crew was writing scenes the night before they were to be shot. In the final days, scripts were even being finalized on-set just minutes before filming each scene. Frank Miller, the author of *Casablanca: As Time Goes By*, highlighted that Bergman’s biggest challenge was the uncertainty surrounding the film’s conclusion. She had no idea which man would ultimately win her heart. The director advised her to play the role 'in-between,' which she did. This approach made the film even more powerful than if she had known the ending in advance.
