As you sit on the edge of your seat eagerly engulfed in a story, your mind begins to ponder what the ending might be. Will it be a cliffhanger with a promise of a sequel, or a satisfying resolution that leaves you feeling content and complete? And then a plot twist comes out of nowhere, leaving you utterly surprised, thrilled, and amazed.

Here are ten unforgettable plot twist endings in literature and film that will leave an everlasting impression on your mind.

1. Gone Girl 🚪🔍

In Gillian Flynn’s bestseller Gone Girl, readers are thrown off balance by the sudden disappearance of Amy, the protagonist’s wife. The story follows Nick as he is put through intense scrutiny while the search for his wife continues. Just when you think you have figured out the story, a shocking revelation flips everything on its head.

A broken puzzle piece with a shadow cast over it

2. The Sixth Sense 👻👦🏽

M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense centers around a young boy named Cole who claims he can see dead people. The plot twist makes this movie unforgettable, as the audience discovers that the protagonist, played by Bruce Willis, was a ghost all along.

A spectral figure standing besides a living human being

3. The Usual Suspects 🕵🏽‍♂️🎭

In this 1995 neo-noir mystery film, five criminal suspects meet in a police lineup and decide to band together to commit a heist. The ending of this film reveals that the entire story, including the narrator’s identity, has been fabricated to fool both the characters and the viewers.

A line-up of suspects standing against a wall

4. The Prestige 🎩🔮

Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige follows two magicians, portrayed by Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman, as they engage in a battle of one-upmanship while attempting to discover the secrets of each others’ illusions. The twist in this film reveals that Bale’s character has been living a double life, portraying identical twins who switch places in their performances.

A magician holding a deck of cards with smoke emanating from it

5. The Girl on the Train 🚆👩🏽

Based on Paula Hawkins’ bestselling novel, The Girl on the Train follows Rachel, an alcoholic divorcee who rides the train and imagines the lives of those she sees out the window. The plot twist in the film makes the story unpredictable, as viewers learn that nothing is quite as it seems.

A woman looking out of a train window with a blurred cityscape in the background

6. Fight Club 🥊💥

When Edward Norton’s nameless character forms an underground fight club with Brad Pitt’s character Tyler Durden, neither he nor the audience expects the story to take such a dramatic turn. The plot twist in this film will leave you questioning what is real and what is not.

A pair of fists raised in the air with a smoke effect

7. Psycho 🚿🔪

This classic Alfred Hitchcock thriller follows Marion Crane, who steals money from her job and hides out at a secluded motel run by the mysterious and reclusive Norman Bates. The plot twist in this film makes it unforgettable, as viewers discover that Bates has dissociative identity disorder and has been assuming the identity of his mother, who committed murder years before.

A showerhead running with blood flowing down the drain

8. The Others 👻🏡

In this chilling supernatural horror film, Grace and her two photo-sensitive children live in an old house with a history of strange happenings. As weird things continue to happen, Grace becomes convinced that the house is haunted. The twist in this film is one that will leave you speechless, and the revelation will have you rethinking everything.

An old house in a dark and gloomy setting with a woman standing in front of the door

9. The Shawshank Redemption 🚪🕯

The Shawshank Redemption follows Andy Dufresne, a banker who is wrongly convicted of his wife’s murder and sent to prison. The twist ending of this film is subtle but unforgettable, as viewers discover that Andy had been digging a tunnel out of his cell for years, leading to his escape from prison.

A tunnel with a light at the end

10. The Silence of the Lambs 👄🐏🔒

In one of the most iconic thrillers of all time, Clarice Starling seeks the help of the incarcerated Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer, to help her track down another serial killer. The plot twist in this film is shocking and unforgettable, and the ending will leave you feeling both satisfied and unsettled.

A close up of a man with a sinister smile wearing a straitjacket

Get ready to be blown away by these unforgettable and mind-bending plot twists that will leave you in awe for days.

An illustration of a person's head blown away by an explosion of colors and shapes