106 Big Plot Twists: Trends of Terror

By Steve Hutchison

A plot twist is a literary technique that introduces a radical change in the direction or expected outcome of the plot in a work of fiction. In this edition of Trends of Terror, film critic Steve Hutchison reviews 106 horror and horror-adjacent movies with big plot twists and ranks them. How many have you seen?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Steve Hutchison
• Release date: Mar 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9781778871450

Steve Hutchison

Artist, developer and entrepreneur in film, video games and communications Steve Hutchison co-founded Shade.ca Art and Code in 1999, then Terror.ca and its French equivalent Terreur.ca in 2000. With his background as an artist and integrator, Steve worked on such games as Capcom's Street Fighter, PopCap's Bejeweled, Tetris, Bandai/Namco's Pac-Man and Mattel's Skip-Bo & Phase 10 as a localization manager, 2-D artist and usability expert. Having acquired skills in gamification, he invented a unique horror movie review system that is filterable, searchable and sortable by moods, genres, subgenres and antagonists. Horror movie fans love it, and so do horror authors and filmmakers, as it is a great source of inspiration. In March 2013, Steve launched Tales of Terror, with the same goals in mind but with a much finer technology and a complex engine, something that wasn’t possible initially. He has since published countless horror-themed books.

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#1

Scream

1996

High schoolers recognize horror movie patterns in the recent deaths of other students.

8/8

Slashers were among the most successful subgenres of horror in the 70’s and 80’s, and then they became predictable, tired, soon before they completely ran out of momentum in the early 90’s. Scream reboots the trend by now fleshing out characters that live in the same world horror movie fans do, with Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers and other horror villains constantly referenced.

This is both a slasher and a whodunit, but it features protagonists who try to overcome a series of murders by what they ironically have in common, as friends: their knowledge and love of horror movies. The actors are a well assorted and written bunch that does an impeccable job of reminiscing the subgenre while juggling with a complex underlying mystery the movie heavily relies on.

The jump scares are deserved; written and directed with ideal pacing, dialogue, acting and a production value rarely matched by similar movies. The intricate script throws you in all directions, and stays away from the red stuff as much as it can. Scream stimulates you mentally, proving that a good movie, disregarding its classification, can only spawn from a good story.

#2

The Faculty

1998

Six students find out their teachers are from another planet.

8/8

A splendid cast is introduced very early on, including the protagonists who are presented through character cards right after an epic prologue. There are obvious Body Snatchers and Scream influences, here. It’s no coincidence that Kevin Williamson, of Scream fame, is screenwriting. The Faculty is punctuated by an amazing rock soundtrack just when you think the film couldn’t get any cooler.

The students, in The Faculty, are mentally and physically abusive, from the get go, so we’re not sure exactly what they become when they’re possessed, and that’s a grey zone that never gets addressed. Some of the infected become more aggressive and some more passive. All characters are right out of a comic book and the acting is irreproachable. In fact, the film itself is almost perfect.

The Faculty is as mainstream as horror films get, but horror buffs will see it from a particular angle. It’s an alien invasion, a slasher, a whodunit and, well, it’s teen horror. What else is there to like? The actors are amazing: Josh Hartnett, Famke Janssen, Robert Patrick, Laura Harris, Salma Hayek, Piper Laurie, Usher Raymond and Elijah Wood, to name a few.

#3

Psycho

1960

A woman steals a large sum of money and hides in a motel owned by a strange man.

8/8

Psycho revolutionizes horror simply. It presents itself as a mere thriller, but turns into a kind of darkness unlike the science-fiction approach of the last decade; a time when terror was spectacular, monstrous, not so lethal, and more politically correct. Psycho breaks new grounds in regards to taboos, sexuality and deviance, and never resorts to filler despite being based on dialogue.

The camera work is superb. Hitchcock throws himself challenges that he executes perfectly, as an illusionist would. His techniques are mysterious, purposely complicated, and seem to wink at the student, casual and professional filmmaker and hardcore film fans. This is based on a book, but many freedoms are taken into making the content accessible, yet implicitly twisted.

The movie often asks us to reconsider our moral values and our initial judgment. Alfred Hitchcock slowly establishes horror through rigorous suspense, build-up and by structuring dialogue or blocking strategically and with perfect timing. If Psycho feels so familiar, it is probably because it exposes the ills of society, concentrating them on a few characters and questioning their innocence.

#4

Psycho II

1983

A murderer released from a psychiatric institution questions his sanity.

8/8

Psycho 2 is released 23 years after the original film. The surreal thriller became one of the few significant milestones of its time and wasn’t necessarily designed to generate a franchise, though its plot never led to the antagonist’s death. As we know now, Anthony Perkins’s character was the killer and he returns for this sequel. He gives a performance perfectly in tone with the previous one.

The original Psycho was in black and white and this one uses washed out color. It crafts a photography that purposely feels behind its time. The grain is rich and the lighting is evened. Tom Holland wrote a slow screenplay that spends quality time with the leads. He creates dialogue tension effortlessly, as Hitchcock did. He keeps the story arc to a minimum, as if suspending and stretching time.

Like 1960s Psycho, Psycho 2 is big on turns and twists but doesn’t necessarily keep them for last. When you think you have it all figured out, an element of surprise makes you reconsider what you think you know. This is a layered whodunit with what seems like plot holes, but it is made in the spirit of the original. The pacing is the same, the structure is as creative and it is just as dark.

#5

Saw

2004

Chained to pipes in a disused bathroom, two men are given a puzzle to which they must provide answers.

8/8

Saw is both a torture film and a police procedural. It’s a ongoing mystery that explores new grounds in storytelling. It’s refreshing and unique, yet closely reminiscent of the Cube franchise and Se7en. The power of this movie resides in how it cleverly parses clues, how complex the puzzle is, and how twists and turns reveal themselves. They do so in the most creatively shocking fashion.

The writing is brilliant. The photography is impeccable. Extreme color balance, photo filters and quick editing gives this movie a particular trademark. The actors do a fine job of keeping us guessing, sympathizing, cringing. Their performances make you feel as powerless as their characters become. One of the two main plot lines happens in one place and with only two characters.

While the cast is limited, each of their movements, lines and performances has been scrutinized and polished. When dialogue makes room for gore, Saw shows another significant strength; displaying pain and suffering crudely and realistically, thanks to stunning top-of-the line effects. Innovative, yet formulaic, Saw gives us a new horror icon with its own sonata; a nod to slasher flicks.

#6

The Wizard of Oz

1939

A girl is transported by a tornado to a world dominated by witches and inhabited by magical creatures.

8/8

The Wizard of Oz is one of the most immersive visual experiences