Screenwriting : Plot Twists by Geoff Hall

The Usual Suspects ! The thing is, with a plot twist, the element of surprise only works once!

A deus ex machina always gives me the feeling of a plot hole, it really has to be very well implemented. On the other hand, I really like the concept of the McGuffin - there's this idea of a breadcrumb trail in the story that can take a mysterious turn.

The plot twist is, for me, one of the most enjoyable things in the film. Provided it's the result of a glorious and unpredictable script that carefully positioned everything in the right place at the right time though. I could name so many movies, but one that is stuck in my head is in "Minority Report", just brilliant.

On the other hand, I consider a "deus ex machina" the death of a screenplay. The only exception is if the "deus ex machina" itself is the protagonist or co-protagonist of the story (and the most known example of this is my favorite film of all times: Forrest Gump).

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Darth Vader is Luke's father! Also Leia is Luke's sister! Lol what a messed up family!

I’d go with The Sixth Sense because it was right there under our noses and seemed almost obvious in retrospect.

My favorite plot twist is in "The Usual Suspects," Geoff Hall. I was shocked when I saw it! I use plot twists. I set them up with characters, objects, dialogue, and locations.

"Arrival" is up their for me, perhaps recency bias but this one pulled at the heartstrings.

Usual Suspects hands down

The Sixth Sense

i can’t remember who said it but one of the best points about twists made by someone is “the best twists are not I did not see that coming, I should have seen that coming”

Twists that I love, as well as mentioned above are in Scream (1996), Three idiots (2009) and Us (2019).

THE SIXTH SENSE was brilliant. I can still recall my mouth dropping as the end credits rolled. There's a bonus feature on the DVD that illustrates how the audience was misdirected during some of the scenes involving Bruce Willis. Just a work of GENIUS.

As a fan of PSYCHO, I have great admiration for the plot twist of PSYCHO II.

Many great plot twists already mentioned, Geoff Hall. For me, the first one that blew my mind was PLANET OF THE APES ('68).

Hi, Geoff Hall. Recently read a book with a fascinating twist, Verde Verdade (in English: Green Truth), by Rodrigo Goldacker. The unexpected turn in his storytelling was so... overwhelming [?].... devastating [?]... for me I can't even name it. 10 out of 10.

I think plot twists are dangerous. If you happen to get one that works, that's awesome. But that's largely luck, or it's a major revelation. Which brings me to revelations and self-revelations being more significant.

If the audience figures out your plot twist, all the air goes out of the balloon. But a significant revelation impacts the hero first and then the audience. One of my favorites, it's actually two in close succession, is THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI: "You!?!" "You!!!"; and "What have I done?"

great topic Geoff!

Dan Max Star Wars: The Dysfunctional Family Strikes Back!!

Stephanie Munch but it only has to work once!

Luca Mannea (sorry, tagging isn’t working again - refreshing the screen, trying different devices, going back into the lounge and re-opening the post again, nothing has worked - ugh!)

Anyway, Luca the thing about the ancient Greek Deus ex Machina was that it didn’t play a part in the story, but turned up to resolve the unresolvable mess of the story that the characters were unable to find a solution for. It became the expected, unexpected appearance at the end of the play, perhaps suggesting that only the gods could solve the problem of the human condition.

I’m not sure how we could use it nowadays, with modern storytelling, but it would be a great challenge to attempt it! It would probably take a lot of research into Ancient Greek theatre to see just how in the context of the play, it was employed. Do I have the time to do that? Hmmh, probably not at the moment.

Mark Garbett Hi Mark, yes! Arrival’s twist was awesome and so emotionally draining and beautifully acted.

Kenneth Daniels Yes, I remember watching it and yet not seeing what you called under our noses and almost obvious in retrospect. I think that was a master craftsman at work.

Maurice Vaughan The Usual Suspects just challenges me to develop my craft to a higher level. What for you is the hardest thing about using plot twists in your screenplays?

Bill Brock now that makes me want to find that video on YT. Challenge accepted!

Bill Brock here you go:

https://www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting/The-Sixth-Sense-Rules-and-C...

Melton Cartes luck or great skill? I think The Sixth Sense was down to skill, as was ‘Arrival’.

Kuka Roselló Hi Kuka, I’ve not heard of the book. What is it about?

Writing a plot twist isn't hard if I set it up well, Geoff Hall. I'll track the twist during rewrites to make sure it's set up and paid off right.

Geoff Hall, Green Truth is about two wanderers who decide to travel together and end up connecting deeply, a roadside journey takes... an unexpected turn. (https://a.co/d/eeMrwDc. Not available in USA).

Kuka Roselló thanks Kuka.

My story about the Korean War (Gods of the Forgotten) has a plot twist: The Chineses intervene just as the NATO forces were winning the war. True Story...

Anthony McBride Now that’s an interesting conundrum for an historical film. If there's already a twist, do you try and out-twist the historical twist?

Hmmmm. I just told the story the way it was. No need to make it too complicated.

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance or more recently Waves have been films with great plot twist! Geoff Hall

@Geoff Thanks for the share. So true plot twists need seeding. Foundations need laying not to be in forefront of audiences minds but are there nonetheless.EG Subtle subtext, visuals, action or dialogue eventually leading to a holy cow moment as in film clip. A twist/reveal cannot come in from left field leaving audience confused, angry or thinking a film relies on lazy coincidences. They must think Wow! Didn’t see that coming but looking back it all makes “perfect sense.”

I'm doing something related to Mad Max 2 at the moment, and only the other day I was thinking just how powerful that plot twist at the end is.

For those that haven't seen it, you have a post-apocalyptic oil drilling compound in which live the good guys, and they are surrounded by marauders who want to steal the fuel. After procuring a tractor unit to pull a fuel tanker, they send it out in one direction, piloted by the hero Max, while the compound dwellers flee the other way. The fuel tanker draws away all the marauders and eventually crashes into one, killing the main villain in the process and rolling over, thus allowing the good guys to escape in the opposite direction and causing the bad guys to disband.

The twist is that the tanker is actually full of dirt. It was both a decoy and a red herring. The good guys had hidden the fuel in their escape vehicles. Our hero Max did not know this, which it one thing, but it means that the compound dwellers riding with him, who were all brutally killed before the tanker crashed, had accepted it was always a suicide mission from the start and sacrificed themselves for a greater good.

One of my all-time favorites is The Prestige! I love that movie and the final act is amazing.

The Wicker Man (original 1973 version, not the crappy 2006 remake).

The plot twist in Parasite was crazy the first time around!

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW plot twist always cracks me up.

THE MATRIX reveal. I saw it in the theater between meetings. I didn't know anything about the movie's plot, just heard about the hype. When the reveal came, I remember being blown away.