A clever twist can make a good movie great, but a poorly executed one can ruin even a fantastic film. Unfortunately, several sci-fi movies have suffered from predictable or jarring twists that spoiled the experience for viewers. Films like the 2003 thriller Haute Tension and the 2019 superhero movie Glass are examples of otherwise excellent movies that were ultimately let down by their last-minute revelations, leaving audiences confused or disappointed.
Plot twists can be tricky. Sometimes fans dislike them because they feel unexpected, but other times, it’s because they’re so predictable that they fall flat. A twist that everyone sees coming is just as damaging as one that’s completely out of left field, and we see this in a few sci-fi movies. While some films aren’t harmed by predictable twists, others – like Prometheus, Terminator: Dark Fate, and 65 – really suffered when reveals meant to be shocking turned out to be underwhelming.
Prometheus
Ridley Scott’s 2012 film Prometheus, a prequel to Alien, had several plot issues, including confusing character motivations and a complicated backstory for the Xenomorphs. But one of the biggest problems was the character of Meredith Vickers, played by Charlize Theron. She’s presented as a Weyland-Yutani employee with a close connection to the company’s founder, Peter Weyland, and has a cold relationship with David, the android Weyland treats like a son. The film attempts a twist by revealing she’s actually Weyland’s biological daughter, but it was so predictable that many viewers thought it wasn’t intended as a surprise.
65
Released in March 2023, the sci-fi action movie 65 didn’t do well in theaters, despite starring Adam Driver. It’s too bad, because the film had an interesting idea and some exciting action sequences. The story follows astronaut Mills, played by Driver, who crash-lands on Earth 65 million years in the past. With only one other survivor, Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), he must find a way to escape the planet while battling the dinosaurs that still inhabit it.
Set on a prehistoric Earth full of dinosaurs, the movie 65 makes it pretty obvious what the approaching threat is. When Mills discovers something large is on a collision course with the planet, it’s clear it’s the asteroid that caused the dinosaurs’ extinction. So, the movie’s choice to delay revealing this feels strange, especially since it’s otherwise a fun and enjoyable action film.
Get Out
Just because a plot twist is foreseeable doesn’t mean it’s bad, as proven by the excellent 2017 film Get Out. This debut film from director Jordan Peele follows Chris, played by Daniel Kaluuya, a photographer who feels uneasy around his white girlfriend’s family during a weekend visit to their large, secluded home in upstate New York. From the start, the strange behavior of the family’s Black staff hints at something unsettling – a situation reminiscent of The Stepford Wives or a body swap. The film does eventually confirm this, but it takes its time, building suspense by letting the audience understand what’s happening before Chris does.
I, Robot
The suspense in Get Out builds slowly to a big reveal, but it’s cleverly done. The movie deliberately lets the audience figure things out before the main character, Chris, creating a feeling of frustration and a desperate urge for him to escape. In contrast, the twist in the 2004 film I, Robot feels less planned. The movie follows Will Smith’s detective Spooner as he investigates a murder committed by what appears to be a robot. While the film doesn’t overtly point to the AI as the culprit, viewers likely suspect the robot’s involvement much earlier than the detective does.
Terminator: Dark Fate
Ever since it was revealed that John Connor would appear in Terminator: Dark Fate, it seemed likely his character wouldn’t survive. The Terminator series had already thoroughly examined John’s story across several films—Terminator: Judgment Day, Terminator: Rise of the Machines, Terminator: Salvation, and Terminator: Genisys—and the trailers showed very little of him, despite his supposed importance. Because of this, when John died in Terminator: Dark Fate, most viewers didn’t find it shocking, but rather a predictable outcome.
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2026-03-26 01:45