12 Plot Twists Literally Everyone Saw Coming

The silver screen is often a master at pulling the wool over the eyes of moviegoers when it comes to unexpected plot twists, but sometimes devoted fans are able to see an epic surprise coming from a mile away. From diabolical true villains to surprising familial ties, the cinema has been home to some pretty spectacular character reveals that have left audiences on the edge of their seats. It is especially impressive when savvy viewers can deduce when such twists are about to occur, whether doing so from a series of obvious clues or their own brilliant analysis.

Many Marvel fans weren't surprised when the charismatic and selfless Mysterio proved to be the bad guy in the blockbuster hit Spider-Man: Far From Home, just like they anticipated that Florence Pugh's character Alice was being put through the emotional ringer because she was caught in a nefarious simulation in Don't Worry Darling. Let's take a look at 12 movie plot twists literally everyone saw coming.

12 Mutt Is Indy’s son

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

After nearly 30 years, Harrison Ford and his swashbuckling iconic counterpart Indiana Jones returned for another sensational adventure with the action extravaganza Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, with the legendary hero going head-to-head with a group of dangerous Soviet KGB agents as he searches for the titular ancient relic with the help of his former flame Marion Ravenwood.

Newcomer Mutt Williams assists the fearless pair on their valiant quest to retrieve the skull, with the young man's identity eventually being revealed to be Indy and Marion's son.

A Mixed Bag Character Reaction

With his headstrong attitude and rebellious nature, the motorcycle-riding greaser shares a similar temperament with Indy despite Mutt never knowing that the renowned archaeologist was actually his father. From the minute he came cruisng onto the screen, passionate fans of the franchise were quick to assume he would have familial ties with Indy, with many wondering if a potential spin-off series would be in the works centering on the unruly character.

The fact that Marion swiftly confirmed that Mutt was a product of her and the adventurer's romance surprised absolutely no one (besides perhaps Indy), and the installment and reveal both garnered a mixed-bag response from longtime viewers.

11 Pizza Delivery Guy Isn’t the Sniper

Phone Booth (2002)

In the taut psychological thriller Phone Booth, arrogant and shady New York publicist Stuart Shepard finds himself in a never-ending nightmare after answering the phone in a public Times Square booth, where he becomes the target of a sinister sniper and is effectively held hostage to his demands.

Shepard finds himself in a terrifying cat-and-mouse game with his mysterious tormentor, who seems to know all about the sordid details of his personal life and wants to teach the dishonest publicist a lesson he'll never forget.

Sutherland's Voice is a Dead Giveaway

Moviegoers instantly recognized the voice of the malevolent sniper as Kiefer Sutherland's, with the actor's distinct tone immediately casting major doubt on the psychopath being the pizza delivery guy Shepard interacts with. His voice sounds nothing like Sutherland's and that seemingly small detail helped audiences realize that the sniper was still out there after Stuart thought the horrific ordeal was over with the death of the pizza man.

Sutherland's character confirms everyone's suspicions when he walks by Stuart in the crowded street and ominously warns him to keep being honest or else he will return, ending the film on a thrilling note. Rent/Buy on Apple TV+

10 It’s All in Mort Rainey’s Head

Secret Window (2004)

Stephen King is no stranger to penning exhilarating novels full of juicy twists and turns fans often don't see coming, yet for the big screen adaptation of his novella Secret Window, Secret Garden, audiences could see the reveal coming a mile away. In the thriller Secret Window, Johnny Depp was brilliant as mystery writer Mort Rainey, who after experiencing a series of personal and career hurdles, heads to a remote upstate New York cabin to overcome his writer's block. While there, Mort is confronted by an ominous stranger accusing him of plagiarism.

Mort Is His Own Worst Enemy

Despite being introduced as the protagonist early on, there were many clues sprinkled in that something was amiss with Mort (and within his mind), as he clashed with the ominous presence known as John Shooter. His interpretations of things going on around him is unreliable and he is unraveling right before the eyes of audiences, as he listens to an inner voice that commands him to act and behave in a certain way.

The words Mort writes on the page begin to mirror true life, and it is shown that he has a split personality that manifests in the form of Shooter, who is a representation of Mort's dark and murderous desires (which he acts upon by murdering his wife and her lover).

9 Victory Is a Simulation

Don’t Worry Darling (2022)

Olivia Wilde's massively polarizing psychological thriller Don't Worry Darling was plagued by controversy upon its widespread release, but audiences all agreed that Florence Pugh carried the film and delivered an extraordinary performance regardless of the blowback.

The dynamic actress portrayed housewife Alice Chambers as she lives in the idealistic desert company town known as Victory with her husband Jack, but begins to question her picture-perfect life and those around her after realizing just how bizarre the community truly is.

Not So Subtle Visual Clues

Shortly into the buzzed-about film, moviegoers were given obvious hints that Victory isn't as tranquil as it appears to be and that something more sinister is at work, with the domineering leader Frank (Chris Pine) eventually being revealed as Victory's nefarious founder.

Multiple flagrant metaphors are visually depicted, namely, Alice cracking open an egg and it being empty inside (thus proving nothing is real), and each points to the fact that Victory is actually a simulation created to control women. When viewers' suspicions were eventually confirmed, it definitely took away from the shock factor.

8 Real Identity of the Villain Is Evelyn Deavor

Incredibles 2 (2018)

After a long 14-year wait, fans of the wondrous superhero family were finally treated to a highly-anticipated sequel when Incredibles 2 soared into theaters, with Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl back for another explosive adventure in the blockbuster follow-up.

In the exciting flick, the Parr family must fight to reestablish the public's trust in superheroes while Helen keeps the world safe and her husband Bob stays home to take care of the children. When the supervillain Screensaver wreaks havoc, the powerful family must band together to protect humanity.

The Plot Twist Is Literally Spelled Out

The main mystery presented in the sensational sequel is who the identity of the diabolical Screensaver is, with the two most plausible suspects being wealthy businessman Winston Deavor and his technology wiz sister Evelyn.

While at one point it seems as though Winston is the one responsible for attempting to brainwash people via screens, it quickly becomes abundantly clear to audiences that Evelyn is the true mastermind. The villain's name quite literally is a pun based on the phrase "evil endeavor," so it wasn't too hard for fans to deduce that Evelyn was the one causing chaos for the Incredibles.

7 Couple Aren’t Their Real Grandparents

The Visit (2015)

Famous for his many unique plot twists audiences never see coming, M. Night Shyamalan's found footage horror flick The Visit decided to take a different route with its storytelling and instead presented viewers with a far more predictable premise.

In the spine-tingling picture, teenage siblings Becca and Tyler are sent to spend five days with their estranged grandparents on their remote farm while their single mother goes on a cruise, and it doesn't take long until the pair start to realize something is frighteningly wrong with their strange kin.

The Visit

Release Date

September 10, 2015

Runtime

94

Too Many Blatantly Obvious Giveaways

It became abundantly clear rather quickly that Becca and Tyler's "Nana" and "Pop Pop" were not who they claimed to be, as their progressively erratic behavior and unhinged attitudes ultimately reveal the couple are frauds; they are actually patients who escaped from a mental hospital and assumed their real grandparents' identities.

The biggest dead giveaways reflecting this "twist" are that the sibling's mother had been estranged from her parents for 15 years and was not involved in the visit, the kids had never even met their grandparents up until that point, and the overall found footage angle made for a creepy and foreboding tale. Stream on Max

6 Teddy Is a Patient

Shutter Island (2010)

Martin Scorsese enlisted frequent collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio to headline his engrossing neo-noir psychological thriller Shutter Island, in which the Oscar-winning actor appears as U.S Marshal Edward "Teddy" Daniels as he heads to a hospital for the clinically insane in order to investigate the perplexing disappearance of one of the facility's patients, and ends up discovering horrific facts about not only the hospital but also himself.

Based on the Dennis Lehane novel of the same name, the absorbing picture features the additional talents of Mark Ruffalo, Michelle Williams, and Ben Kingsley and was a box office hit.

Teddy Is an Unreliable Narrator

In the critically-aclaimed thriller, Teddy wanders the eerie halls of the asylum in search of clues and answers, doing so with his newly-assigned partner Chuck Aule as they interview the facility's senior psychiatrist, Dr. John Cawley. It becomes abundantly clear that Teddy is not a reliable main character and it begins to sow doubt in the minds of audiences, as he is unable to trust anyone on the island and is suspicious of everyone around him.

When it is revealed that Teddy is in fact a killer responsible for the death of his wife two years prior, and that he was encouraged to play into his delusions, everything makes sense and the doubts of moviegoers about Teddy's true nature were ultimately confirmed. Stream on Paramount+

5 Tom Is a ghost

Last Christmas (2019)

When it comes to the holiday romantic comedy Last Christmas, the not-so-unexpected plot twist is literally foreshadowed in the lyrics of the song the film is named after, with the catchy Wham! tune hinting at the obvious reveal.

In the heartwarming flick, down-on-her-luck free spirit Kate Andrich works at a year-round Christmas shop as an elf, and finds her mundane routine shaken up when she meets the handsome and charming Tom Webster. The two experience a whirlwind romance during the festive season and Tom helps Kate rediscover her passion for life and all the wonders the world has to offer her.

The Wham! Song's Title Gives it Away

"Last Christmas, I gave you my heart but the very next day, you gave it away" provides some pretty on-the-nose commentary on how the premise of the rom-com will unfold, and moviegoers couldn't help but notice some glaring details about Tom. He is constantly disappearing for days on end and Kate has no way of reaching him, as he allegedly keeps his cell phone tucked in a cupboard.

Only Kate seems to have any genuine interactions with Tom and audiences quickly surmise that this is because the charismatic character is unfortunately dead. When it is finally confirmed that Tom had actually donated his heart to Kate last Christmas after tragically passing away, it was to no surprise to viewers (who regardless still had to reach for a box of tissues).

4 Prince Hans Is the Bad Guy

Frozen (2013)

Children all across the world were completely enchanted by Arendelle princesses Anna and Elsa in Disney's record-shattering animated spectacle Frozen, which featured unforgettable songs like the earworm "Let It Go" and "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" in the reimagining of the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale.

The film follows the plucky Anna as she sets out with the rugged iceman Kristoff, his reindeer Sven, and the snowman Olaf to track down her Snow Queen sister Elsa after her icy powers are exposed to the kingdom.

Frozen

Release Date

November 20, 2013

Runtime

108

Hans Is Too Good to Be True

Towards the beginning of the movie, the naive Anna instantly meets and falls head-over-heels in love with Prince Hans, with the pair's romance developing extremely fast as they sweetly sing "Love Is an Open Door."

It's instantly a red flag for audiences because Hans quite literally seemed to have fallen from the skies for Anna and appeared too good to be true (which he ultimately was), with many wondering what his actual intentions were. Of course, both Anna and Disney fans swiftly discovered Hans was only after Anna for the crown and did not care about her, yet despite the obvious reveal, Frozen grossed over $1.2 billion and won two Oscars.

3 Mysterio Is the Villain

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

After serving up an unparalleled performance as the world's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, Tom Holland was back for another adventure when he once again appeared as Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

This time, the web-slinging hero headed off to Europe for a much-needed vacation with his classmates, though he is ultimately recruited by Nick Fury to help protect the world once again from a powerful force known as the Elementals. While on his globe-trotting adventure, Peter meets Quentin Beck, A.K.A. Mysterio who seemingly helps battle against the beings wreaking havoc on the universe.

Heroic Looks Can Be Deceiving

Not only is Beck one of the only new characters introduced in the film (thus setting himself up as a potential adversary in disguise), but comic book fans will know all too well that Mysterio is a major villain. He seems a little too good to be true and appears far too selfless and eager to take on the role of protector, and it is later revealed that he is a former Stark Industries employee determined to reach the beloved celebrity status of the Avengers team themselves.

Mysterio's quest for notoriety and fame becomes his Achilles' heel, and he ends up taking Peter down with him, when he exposes his true identity to the entire world.

2 There Are Two Killers

Scream (1996)

Lauded as one of the finest horror films of all time and credited with causing a resurgence in popularity for the gory genre, Wes Craven's chilling '90s masterpiece Scream centers on high school student Sidney Prescott as she and her close-knit friends are terrorized by a masked killer plucking off the residents of Woodsboro one-by-one in gruesome fashion.

Sidney turns to her boyfriend Billy Loomis and close friend Tatum Riley for comfort, as the group of pals race against the clock to survive and outmaneuver the demented masked figure and their bloody rampage.

Scream

Release Date

December 20, 1996

Runtime

111

Two Killers Makes Logistical Sense

Though the identities of the two killers caused quite an uproar when they were revealed to be Sidney's boyfriend Billy and his best friend Stu, the fact that there were two murderers running around Woodsboro wasn't quite as far-fetched for diehard horror fans.

Billy being Ghostface was alluded to multiple times throughout the flick, and he was "framed" early on to be a prime suspect with his obsession with horror films and intense fixation on Sidney raising red flags. It made complete sense that there were two killers because of the nature and time frame in which the murders were committed, and that Billy couldn't have possibly done everything himself. In spite of this, the two killer reveal was a massive pop culture moment and left an everlasting impression.

1 Ego Is a Villain

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Another major MCU villain comic book fans clocked from the very beginning was the ancient Celestial Ego (Kurt Russell), who showed up as Peter Quill's long-lost father in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Though he initially comes off as someone thrilled to be reunited with his beloved son and wants to take him under his wing and show him his potential, audiences couldn't help but be uneasy when it came to Ego and his true ulterior motives.

The character replaces J'son as Peter/Star-Lord's father depicted in the comics, and Ego's name alone is a good indication that he might not be so selfless and loving.

Ego's Dark Side Is Revealed

At any point during the film it was at least a little bit obvious that Ego would eventually turn bad, but it still packed an emotional gut punch when it was revealed.

Peter had yearned to know the true identity of his father after decades, and he was left severely disappointed when Ego wanted to harness the power Peter possessed for his own diabolical desires. Not only does he want to command and dominate the universe, but Ego also gave Peter's mother Meredith the brain tumor that eventually claimed her life, thus sparking a profound rage within the Guardians hero that ends in his not-so-daddy dearest's demise.