Many of the movies released in 2024 surprised their audience with their shocking twist endings. A well-made film with a surprising twist at the end can create quite a legacy, much like the movies “Psycho,” “The Sixth Sense,” and “Planet of the Apes.”
Some of 2024’s films featured clever subversions of their stories that sent powerful messages to audiences. While some movie twists may have been predictable, others were unexpected and warrant a second watch to see what was missed the first time around.
Five films in particular featured the most jaw-dropping twist endings of the year. In “Smile 2,” the monster tricks protagonist Skye Riley, and the film’s audience, with its powers of illusion. The film reveals that everything Skye experienced for most of the movie was the monster’s illusions, including the climactic conclusion, which features the death of several hundred people.
“Late Night With the Devil” features a talk show host named Jack Delroy who signs a contract with the Devil to boost his show’s ratings, unaware it means sacrificing his wife. The film’s twist is similar to the 1976 film “The Omen,” which also explored the theme of Satan’s children.
The thriller “Longlegs” turns out that the serial killer’s mother, not the killer himself, was behind the murders. This twist makes the film a haunting and unforgettable story of repressed childhood trauma and the secrets parents keep from their children.
In the movie “Conclave,” the papal election concludes with the appointment of a new pope, but a surprise twist reveals that the new pope is an intersex individual. This unexpected twist sends a powerful message about acceptance and the evolving beliefs within the Catholic Church.
Each of these films’ twist endings adds a new layer of depth to their stories, making them even more memorable and thought-provoking.