In honor of April Fools Day, I decided to list five famous and not so famous movies that can confound, twist, and trick you while still being well made and entertaining. Don’t worry, I won’t give anything away.
Image courtesy of The Pioneer Woman
1. The Sixth Sense– How could you not include this one? The most famous thing about this movie is its ending, but the rest was still a great revitalization of the scary thriller when it was released. Haley Joel Osment, Bruce Willis, and Toni Collette all give outstanding performances, but it’s the ending of this movie that earns its place in cinema history.
Image courtesy of Oregon Live
2. Tell No One– This excellent French thriller has twists at every turn, leading to one of the most satisfying conclusions in a movie. This tale of a man who’s thought to be dead wife starts emailing him is a first-class thriller of the highest order. Writer/director Guillaume Canet knows how to structure a film around an already great screenplay.
Image courtesy of the Sydney Morning Herald
3. Donnie Darko– This whole movie plays out as a dream, but the ending really takes the cake. After a few viewings it helps tie the movie together, but this is probably one of the most head-scratching films outside of the world of David Lynch.
Image courtesy of Jane Dark
4. The Illusionist/The Prestige– Everyone who’s seen both has their favorite. There’s no denying, though, that these two magician movies from 2006 both contain outstanding plot twists and first-rate acting. If I had to choose one, I’d choose The Illusionist, but there’s no denying the power of the The Prestige either.
Image courtesy of The Devil's Demons
5. Psycho– Hitchcock was a master of suspense and one of the greatest storytellers the world will ever know. It’s fitting then to end this list with one of his best. Psycho is a movie that not only provokes thought, but is still scary more than 40 years later. The shower scene will still freeze your blood, but it’s the ending of this milestone that really takes the cake in terms of jaw-dropping.
CyniCritics 
I would agree with most of your picks, except for Tell No One and The Prestige. You can see the twists come from a mile away.
Yeah, The Prestige isn’t necessarily the biggest of twists, but its handled so delicately and is such a powerful film with great acting that it definitely ranks. If we are going biggest “shock” factor, I’d have to say I’ve never been more thrown off by anything more than Oldboy.
Great list, although Mulholland Dr is also up there in my book. And yes, I’m in Club Prestige.
All awesome picks, big fan of The Prestige’s ending, really brings the whole movie together in more ways than one. Been meaning to watch Tell No One for a while now, so that’s how I’ll be spending my weekend, a-thank you.
Agreed.
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