There is just something truly special about a great plot twist and movies from the ’90s were filled with them. Every decade certainly has its fair share of memorable films with stunning plot twists, yet the ’90s seemed to have more than ever, especially within the thriller genre. In fact, it almost became an expected trope for a thriller to include at least one moment that would leave us questioning things long after the credits roll. Of course, not every twist in the ’90s worked, with the likes of I Still Know What You Did Last Summer and Color of Night being prime examples.
The best twists of the ’90s came in some of the greatest thriller movies ever made. They took already strong films and turned them into legitimate classics that nobody will ever forget. These twists are the ones that still work well on multiple viewings. By this point, you know what’s coming but it’s so good that you don’t care because it’s expertly handled. However, it’s still impossible to beat the feeling of first experiencing that shocking moment, so part of us wishes we could go back and watch them as if it were the first time all over again.
5) Primal Fear
Not many actors have had a better big screen debut than Edward Norton as Aaron Stampler in 1996’s Primal Fear. The film centers on Richard Gere’s Martin Vail, a defense attorney, as he takes on a case defending an altar boy (Norton) who fled the scene covered in blood after a beloved Archbishop is found mutilated and murdered. Aaron is a meek young man struggling with a stutter and claims to be innocent, though he has bouts of amnesia that make it hard to fully believe.
Ultimately, Vail manages to coax out “Roy,” another personality within Aaron who is violent and admits to the murder. Vail gets him off via a plea of insanity, only to discover at the very end that he got played. Stampler remembers everything he did and brags about the murders with no remorse before admitting that “Aaron” was made up, not “Roy.” It changes the way you think about the entire experience and cements Norton’s performance as spectacular.
4) Se7en
There is a bit of discussion online as to whether the plot twist in 1995’s Se7en truly should be considered one. It doesn’t reconceptualize or change what you were watching, but there’s no denying that it’s shocking and leads to an unexpected ending. The film focuses on two detectives hunting down a serial killer who commits his murders based on the seven deadly sins. Just when it feels like we’re nearing the climax, the killer turns himself in.
Known as John Doe, the killer might be in custody but he still feels like he’s in control as he takes the detectives to the middle of nowhere to find the last two victims. Once there, a package gets delivered that is implied to contain the severed head of one of the detectives’ wives, causing him to kill John Doe, making himself and his wife the final two victims. You never see the twist coming and the fact that the killer gets what he wants in the end makes for a stunning conclusion in this twisted psychological thriller.
3) The Game
Two years after Se7en, David Fincher returned with what might go down as his most underrated movie. The filmmaker is kind of a master of plot twists and The Game is in the conversation for the best one he pulled off. The story centers on a wealthy banker who gets a birthday gift from his brother that inserts him into a mysterious game that will get incorporated into his everyday life. As things unfold, the lines get more blurred and you never quite know what’s part of the game and what isn’t.
Michael Douglas does great work as Nick Van Orton as he sees his life get turned upside down by this game. He gets buried alive, loses his money, and chooses to take his own life. However, when he jumps off a building, he crashes through a skylight, where it is revealed that everything he experienced was part of this wild game. Things got so out of hand that it felt like there was no way it was all part of a plan, leaving Nick and the viewers unsettled.
2) The Usual Suspects
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more iconic plot twist from the ’90s than 1995’s The Usual Suspects. It has become so famous that it has even been parodied a handful of times. The events of the film are mostly told by a small-time con man with a limp named Roger “Verbal” Kint, who is one of only two survivors of a failed boat heist. He tells the convoluted tale and discusses a mastermind named Keyser Söze.
Ultimately, Verbal’s bail is posted and he gets released after he finishes his story. The agent who questioned him suddenly puts the pieces together and realizes that Verbal was actually fabricating the story and goes after him. We see Verbal walking away as his limp disappears and he explains via voiceover, “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist,” revealing that he was actually Söze. It’s not an obvious twist to see early, adding to the impact of the reveal.
1) Fight Club
Another two years after The Game, David Fincher returned with another stunning plot twist in 1999’s Fight Club. Also featuring the aforementioned Brad Pitt and Edward Norton, this now-iconic film sees Norton’s listless unnamed narrator find purpose in life when he begins a fight club after meeting the charismatic Tyler Durden (Pitt). Based on the novel of the same name, the story sees the club progress into something more chaotic and dangerous.
As this happens, the narrator looks to put a stop to things, only for his interactions with his followers to get more confusing. It all starts to make sense when he learns that he’s actually Tyler Durden, who isn’t a separate person but a dissociative alter ego he created. It’s a film moment that continues to stun viewers today and it works so well because it makes sense in the narrative and it changes how you see the rest of the movie. To experience that again without knowing the outcome would be incredible.
Did we miss out on any great plot twists from thrillers in the ’90s? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
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