feathermaye member for 16 weeks 4 days Send a message

This was a hard list to compile! I guess that just demonstrates that I am a BIG fan of movies that surprise me. I get excited when I get to the end of a film thinking I’ve got it all figured out, only to be proven otherwise. (When that happens in real life it just pisses me off!)

On a side note, and what has served as inspiration for this week's theme, Scott and I had the pleasure of going to the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema for the first time this week. We saw M. Night Shyamalan's "The Happening" (it was okay. I didn't quite get the surprising twist in this one like I expected, but we had a great time nonetheless).

If you've never been to the Drafthouse before, I can't recommend it enough. They have dozens of different draft and bottled beers, wine by the glass or bottle and a great selection of food (from appetizers to dinner). Prices are extremely reasonable (for $75 we had our tickets, drinks, dinner and coffees) and the bar-style seating is pretty comfortable.

So, without further adieu, here are my suggestions for shocking, twisted surprise endings. I’ve been careful to not give away much about the films themselves, so there are no spoilers to fear.

1.) Frailty **If your father were to wake you in the middle of the night and explain that he has just received a mission from God, would you believe him? If that mission involved killing other people in the name of God, could you do it? Very disturbing film that explores our faith in God and in each other. Also has a double-scoop of YUM with Matthew McConaughey and Bill Paxton.

2.) House Of Sand And Fog **A young American woman recently abandoned by her husband and an Iranian immigrant trying to reclaim some of his family’s former pride collide over the seizure and sale of the young woman’s family home. Each of them stands strong in their beliefs over what is fair and right, but in the end everybody loses. Ben Kingsley and Jennifer Connelly are both at the top of their game in this film, and the ending will leave you wondering if you really understand anybody at all.

3.) Rebecca **Starring the dashing (and oh-so-sexy) Laurence Olivier as Maximillian DeWinter, this adaptation of the Daphne Dumaurier novel is included in the 100 greatest films of all times! The new Mrs. DeWinter arrives at Manderley, her husband's estate home, a naive young girl, fearful of her own shadow, and the shadow of Rebecca, the former Mrs. DeWinter and renowned mistress of Manderley. Rather than settle in over time, she becomes more and more tortured by the perfect image of her husband's first wife. Adding to her disquiet is the long-standing housekeeper Mrs. Danvers, who was Rebecca's devoted servant. But nothing is as it seems to be...

4.) The Mist **Based on a short story by the horror master Stephen King, this film very possibly has the most shocking, heart-wrenching ending in film history. A small band of citizens find themselves trapped in a grocery store as a strange mist descends upon the town, bringing unimaginable horrors with it. The fight-or-flight instinct kicks in, and several brave souls fall prey to the flesh-eating creatures ensconced in the mist. And those are the lucky ones…

5.) Bug **This film is a frightening lesson in loneliness, paranoid delusions, and how one neurosis feeds another. Just when you think it’s gotten as weird as it could get, it gets weirder. I loved Ashley Judd in this one, and Harry Connick, Jr. is as sinister as it gets. This one has a truly explosive ending!

As always, I would love to hear from you about shocking, plot-twisted films you've enjoyed! And be sure to check out the links above--I've taken some extra time this week to find stuff other than the same old IMDB.