From genres ranging from comedy to suspense, remember films with endings that surprise the public and shock audiences to this day; see plot, cast, and where to watch each title.
Shocking endings in films, with big twists, surprises, or simply sweeping conclusions, are difficult to forget by the public and remain in the audience’s memory for years. Some of the most famous in this style are The Sixth Sense, nominated for six Oscar awards and available on Star+, and S7ven: The Seven Deadly Crimes, part of the HBO Max catalog. The latter is known as one of the biggest plot twists in the history of cinema.
With this in mind, Streameast Watch made a list of films available on streaming that have shocking outcomes that are worth watching or rewatching. It is worth remembering that the text contains major spoilers about the conclusion of each item! You can find details about the repercussions, plot, and cast of each work below.
S7ven: The Seven Deadly Crimes (1995)
Starring Brad Pitt ( Babilônia ) and Morgan Freeman ( Farewell in Style ) in the roles of David Mills and William Somerset, S7ven tells the story of two police officers — one recently arrived at the force and the other about to retire — who join together in the search of a serial killer. The killer in question makes his victims follow the principles of the seven deadly sins.
The film is directed by David Fincher and is available on HBO Max, with the option to rent it on Amazon Prime Video. S7ven has 8.6 points on IMDb, with an 83% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and received an Oscar nomination. The film’s big twist is that, after catching the killer, the criminal offers David a box containing his pregnant wife’s head. She would have killed her as the conclusion of the series of crimes: he envies David and encourages the detective to murder him for revenge, completing the cycle of sins.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
With Robert Downey Jr. ( Oppenheimer ), Josh Brolin (Oldboy), and Scarlett Johansson (Lucy) in the roles of Iron Man, Thanos, and Black Widow, the Marvel film shows the group of Avengers seeking to prevent the conquest of the stones of infinite by the villain. Available on Disney +, the film has 8.4 points on IMDb, with an 85% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The direction was handled by Joe and Anthony Russo. In the end, unexpectedly, Thanos’ evil plan comes to fruition. The villain manages to wipe out half the world’s population, including several heroes. Of the remaining protagonists, each one goes to a different universe.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
In The Sixth Sense, Haley Joel Osment (The Good Chain) plays Cole, a tormented boy who claims he can see and communicate with dead people. To help him, psychologist Malcolm Crowe, played by actor Bruce Willis ( Die Hard ), takes on the case to understand what is happening in little Cole’s head.
Available on Star+, the title is directed by M. Night Shyamalan and has 8.2 points on IMDb, with 86% critical approval on Rotten Tomatoes. In total, The Sixth Sense competed for six Oscars, including Best Film. At the end of the film, we are surprised by the fact that the psychologist is another spirit that Cole can see, having been murdered months ago, without actually realizing that he is dead.
Arrival (2016)
Arrival, available on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, is directed by Denis Villeneuve. In the plot, Amy Adams ( Disenchanted ) is Louise Banks, a famous linguist who is recruited to try to communicate with aliens who have invaded Earth. She is accompanied by physicist Ian Donnelly, from Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye).
Nominated for eight Oscar awards, Arrival has 7.9 points on IMDb and a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film’s sweeping conclusion comes when Louise discovers that the alien language views time circularly; non-linear, becoming a weapon for humanity thousands of years from now. When she begins to understand the alien language, Louise changes her perception of time, seeing the future, past and present simultaneously. Soon, the flashbacks of the linguist’s daughter’s daughter, stricken with a terminal illness, are part of her future.
Oldboy (2003)
The South Korean film, directed by Park Chan-wook, tells the story of Oh Dae-su, by actor Choi Min-sik (New World). The boy is kidnapped and spends 15 years in a room. Through a TV available in the room, he discovers that his wife was murdered and his three-year-old daughter is alone. After gaining freedom, he seeks revenge and ends up getting involved with an enigmatic chef. Available on Claro TV+, Oldboy got a North American remake.
With 8.3 points on IMDb and 83% approval on Rotten Tomatoes, the film is a classic in South Korea. In the end, it is shown that Dae-su was kidnapped by an old school friend. The reason is that he saw the boy involved with his sister and spread rumors that they were having an incestuous affair, causing the girl to kill herself. The brother then kidnaps him, preventing him from seeing his daughter grow up, and releases him years later. Using hypnosis tricks, he ensures that the protagonist falls in love with his daughter, now an adult and a chef.
Fight Club (1999)
Directed by David Fincher, Fight Club also stars Brad Pitt as the mysterious Tyler. He appears in the life of the protagonist played by Edward Norton ( Knives Out 2 ), who is a restless boy with insomnia problems. The two decide to open a club, where men can fight without limits, to vent their anger.
The title was nominated for an Oscar and is available on Netflix and Star+. Fight Club became a success, with 8.8 points on IMDb and a 79% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In the end, we discover that the protagonist (who has no name) invented Tyler in his head and suffers from a split personality disorder.
The Fog (2007)
Inspired by a short story by Stephen King, the film shows David, a man who is trapped with his son in a market, surrounded by a mysterious fog. Little by little, survivors enter the place, claiming that something scary is killing people outside. Thomas Jane (1922) is the protagonist of the film, available on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Directed by Frank Darabont, The Fog has 7.1 points on IMDb and a 73% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The unexpected ending is that the group inside the market discovers that monsters are attacking Earth after the army’s unsuccessful experiment. They decide to leave by car, looking for shelter. They run out of gas and they realize they’re not going to get anywhere, so David kills everyone, including his own son, and tries to kill himself — but there’s no more ammunition. He then goes to one of the monsters in the fog, only to discover that it is a tank and the army has managed to defeat the mysterious enemy.
Amnesia (2000)
Amnesia talks about Leonard, by actor Guy Pearce (Killer Without a Trace). The boy lost his wife in a murder and, in his search for revenge, suffers a head injury, and is diagnosed with a rare type of amnesia. To activate his memories, he relies on notes, signatures, and tattoos on his body, as well as the help of a police officer. It is one of Christopher Nolan’s films that plays with time, available on Telecine and Amazon Prime Video.
With 8.4 points on IMDb, the film has a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated for two Oscar awards. In the end, Leonard discovers that the police officer is using him to kill criminals and the real killer has already been killed before. The story is then told in chronological order for the first time, offering yet another explanation for the protagonist’s condition.
Memories (2010)
With Robert Pattinson ( Twilight ) in the role of Tyler, the film talks about a troubled young man who decides to get involved with Ally — from actress Emilie de Ravin ( Lost ) — as a way of getting revenge on the young woman’s father, a police officer who has already gotten into trouble. for him previously. However, the two open up and discover that they have a lot in common. She lost her mother who was murdered 10 years ago and Tyler doesn’t speak to her father, who ignores her and her younger sister’s existence.
Directed by Allen Coulter, Memories is available on Telecine and for rent on Amazon Prime Video. With 7.1 points on IMDb, only 26% of critics approve of the film on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to 69% of the public who praised the work. The plot twist happens when Tyler goes to talk to her father’s lawyer at the World Trade Center. However, we see that it is September 11, 2001, and the protagonist becomes one of the victims of the biggest terrorist attack suffered by the United States.
The Others (2001)
In The Others, Nicole Kidman ( Expats ) is Grace Stewart, a worried mother, who awaits the return of her husband, a soldier in World War II. She lives in a large house with two children, who are allergic to the sun. Everything changes when the family begins to be disturbed by a mysterious presence. Directed by Alejandro Amenábar the film is available on Amazon Prime Video.
In total, The Others has 7.6 points on IMDb and has an 84% positive review on Rotten Tomatoes. The twist at the end of the film is that, in fact, “the mysterious presence” is Grace herself, with her children. After her husband’s death, the young woman kills herself and murders both children. Now, the spirits torment the new residents of the house in which they live.
Gone Girl (2014)
Another film directed by David Fincher is on the list. Gone Girl is about a boy dealing with the disappearance of his wife. Little by little, secrets about the marriage are revealed, making him the main suspect. Now, the husband needs to prove his innocence and find out what happened to the young woman. The couple Nick and Amy are played by Ben Affleck (Good Will Hunting) and Rosamund Pike ( Saltburn ).
The Oscar-nominated film is available on Netflix and Star+, with 8.1 points on IMDb and an 88% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In the end, we discover that Amy faked her kidnapping to frame her husband. In another plot twist, Nick unravels the mystery, but after a series of manipulations by his wife, he is forced to stay with her, to guarantee his innocence and be part of the life of his son, who the character reveals she is expecting.
Saw (2004)
Adam and Lawrence are two strangers who wake up in an abandoned bathroom, tied by their feet. In the middle of the room, there is a mysterious corpse. The duo discovers that they are in a macabre game, led by a criminal. Saw is the first film in the 10-title saga. Directed by James Wan, the film is available on Netflix and stars Leigh Whannell (Insidious) and Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride) as Adam and Lawrence.
With 7.6 points on IMDb, Saw only has a 50% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but an 84% positive rating from the public. In the end, Lawrence takes off his foot to free himself, leaving Adam in the room. To the boy’s surprise, the dead man on the bathroom floor gets up and is identified as Jigsaw, the true owner of the game.
Planet of the Apes (2001)
Directed by Tim Burton, Planet of the Apes is a remake of the film of the same name, released in 1968. Available on Star+, the new version shows astronaut Leo Davidson — by Mark Wahlberg ( Deep Horizon ) —, who arrives on a planet dominated by primates, where humans are humiliated and enslaved. Leo becomes a prisoner but decides to start a rebellion against the system.
With 5.7 points on IMDb and 44% critical approval on Rotten Tomatoes, Burton’s remake divides opinions. At the end of the film made by the director of Corpse Bride, Leo manages to return to Earth, also traveling through time, hundreds of years into the future. Thus, he discovers that monkeys have dominated his planet, destroying human buildings.
Black Swan (2010)
Nina, played by Natalie Portman (Secrets of a Scandal), is a dedicated dancer who goes into despair when her role in Swan Lake is threatened after the arrival of Lily, by actress Mila Kunis (Colored Friendship). The young woman begins to have problems in order to prove her worth to the director of the show. The title was nominated for five categories at the Oscars, winning Best Actress for Portman. Available on Star+, directed by Darren Aronofsky.
Black Swan has 8 points on IMDb, with an 85% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In the last minutes of the plot, while the ballet performance takes place, Nina fights with Lily, killing her colleague with a piece of glass. Upon going on stage, the protagonist discovers that most of what Lily did was an invention of her head, and the lethal cut was made in her belly. Nina ends the show as Black Swan and dies on stage.
15. Uncut Gems (2019)
Starring Adam Sandler ( Pretend Wife ) as Howard Ratner, Uncut Gems follows a jeweler addicted to sports betting, who gets into debt and problems with loan sharks. Available on Netflix, the film is directed by Josh and Benny Safdie, accumulating 7.4 points on IMDb, with a 91% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The ending is surprising because Howard, after selling a precious piece of jewelry to a basketball player, has the money to pay off his debts, especially to his impatient brother-in-law. However, he decides to make a final bet on the team of the player who bought his jewel. Howard locks his brother-in-law and his henchmen in to watch the game, emerging victorious and a millionaire. The joy, however, is short-lived and the boy is murdered by one of the assistants whom he locked in the room.
