We recently asked members of our BuzzFeed Community, "If there were an Academy Award for 'Best Movie Plot Twist,' which films would have DEFINITELY won?" and, WHEW BUDDY, they did not disappoint. Here are just a few of the plot twists that would like to thank the Academy:
Also, WARNING: Given the nature of this post, several of the entries contain SPOILERS for their respective films, so please proceed with caution!!!
1. Fight Club (1999)
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"When it's revealed that Tyler Durden is actually the narrator, it's incredible. I love the movie as a whole, and this remains one of the most inventive and mind-boggling plot twists of all time."
2. Shutter Island (2010)
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"No brainer. I totally believed he was a detective the entire time. Never once thought he was a patient at the asylum. It's one of the best — if not THE best — plot twists ever."
3. Gone Girl (2014)
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"When we cut to Amy being alive and well after believing she was murdered, I said — out loud in the theater — 'What the fuck?!'"
4. Primal Fear (1996)
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"With Richard Gere and Edward Norton...I wish I could forget the ending and watch it again! "
5. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
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"When you watch a superhero movie, you always expect the heroes to win. I remember watching the movie thinking, 'There’s NO WAY the Avengers are going to let Thanos get all the stones...' Then he snapped his fingers, and everyone starting dusting away. I was shaken for a long time after that."
6. The Prestige (2006)
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"Hands down, the moment when you find out that Christian Bale’s character had a twin the whole time. All that time, Hugh Jackman was trying to 'figure out his trick,' it was just a simple con! Brilliant!"
7. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
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"The signs pointed toward a tragic end for Andy, and the movie had been pretty bleak until that final twist. It was such a wonderful ending. It was so beautiful, cathartic, hopeful, and really surprising!"
—tkgm
8. Arrival (2016)
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"It was already such a good movie, but that plot twist was so well-executed...I honestly don't think anyone who's seen the movie could've seen it coming."
9. The Village (2004)
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"There are multiple twists in this one. Firstly, you realize that the creatures in the woods are just the elders in costumes. Then, you realize that all the elders came from the city, and it's not actually the 1800s. They've just been living in a wilderness park owned by Ivy's family!"
10. The Boy (2016)
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"Say what you want about the movie, but if you thought there was a fully grown man living in the walls before it was revealed, I think you may need to see a therapist. There was no way to see something THAT crazy coming."
11. Frozen (2013)
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"Disney marketed Hans as the 'good guy,' and then — with less than 20 minutes left to the movie — he turns out to be the villain?! He portrayed every quality of a typical Disney prince, and I think that's why it was such a shock to everyone. We, as the audience, were made to believe that Hans was perfect for Anna, and we didn't question it because of the 'true love' concept created by Disney. I remember sitting in the theater watching that and hearing the audible gasps in the audience. I still get mad to this day watching that scene."
12. Oldboy (2003)
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"This one is easily the winner, hands down. When you find out why the main character was kidnapped...no plot twist could ever beat that absolute bombshell of a twist. Even the villain is giddy as he’s about to reveal it."
13. Friday the 13th (1980)
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"The first time I saw this, I was absolutely shocked that Mrs. Voorhees was the killer and NOT Jason! I didn’t see it coming at all!"
14. The Usual Suspects (1995)
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"I sat there with my jaw on the floor for about 10 full minutes after it was finished, and I kept going back over everything that had happened to make sense of it all. So well done!"
15. Life (2017)
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"At the end, there are two space pods that were supposed to go opposite directions in order to save the Earth, but the wrong one (with a horrifying creature inside) ends up going to Earth, and the correct one (with the human) got sent out into deep space. It made my jaw drop. Look it up!"
16. Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)
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"It's a rom-com, so you're not expecting a huge twist or anything, but — when the twist came — I was floored. Never thought all of the characters' worlds would collide in the way they do, but it's SO funny. Ryan Gosling sincerely got ignored during awards season for that role."
17. The Game (1997)
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"The one with Michael Douglas. This is an insanely underrated movie with an absolutely WILD twist ending."
18. Atonement (2007)
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"I'm surprised this one hasn't been mentioned yet! One of the most tragic yet well-executed plot twists I have ever seen. It left me staring at the screen and crying for an hour."
19. Get Out (2017)
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"I know that this one did, in fact, win a bunch of awards, but it's still the only movie to literally have me sitting all the way back on my couch in shock by the time it was all said and done."
Now it's your turn! What movie plot twist do YOU believe would be honored with the coveted (and completely made up) "Best Movie Plot Twist" Oscar? Share your pick in the comments below, and be sure to follow BuzzFeed Community for a chance to be featured in an upcoming post and/or video!
Some entries have been edited for length and/or clarity.