10 Best Movies With Wild Plot Twists to Stream on Netflix

Who doesn’t love a good twist? If done right, twists can enhance the story and keep things interesting. They can turn a great movie into an unforgettable one like Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back. Or they can even elevate a mediocre film into a decent, memorable flick. Twists keep audiences on their toes by keeping them guessing and engaged instead of bored because they think they know what’s going to happen already.

Fans of these moments will be glad to know there’s no shortage of the best plot twist movies on Netflix to choose from. The streaming giant has steadily accumulated a number of critically-acclaimed and widely popular films, with the best movies with a twist on Netflix utilizing the cinematic tool in brilliant ways. Without any spoilers, there are a few standouts worth seeing at least once.

10 ‘Apostle’ (2018)

Director: Gareth Evans

Director Gareth Evans brings a truly bizarre world to life with Apostle. When a young woman from a wealthy family is taken hostage by a strange cult, her brother, Thomas (Dan Stevens), is forced to infiltrate the island where the cult resides and try and rescue his beloved sister. There, he finds more than he bargained for, and risks everything in the process.

Apostle sets up a compelling mystery with plenty of twists and turns throughout. What starts off as a slow burn in the first act of the cult-themed movie quickly devolves into a chaotic, disturbing, bloody nightmare that puts The Wicker Man to shame. With some excellent cinematography, a layered antagonist, and creepy mystical elements, Apostle fits perfectly within the “island cult” subgenre.

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9 ‘The Guilty’ (2021)

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Made during the COVID-19 pandemic, The Guilty is an intriguing, fast-paced drama about a disgraced cop put on desk duty who receives a call from a distressed woman trapped in someone’s car. Taking place all in one location and relying completely on Jake Gyllenhaal’s acting skills, the film manages to keep the viewer’s attention throughout its 90-minute runtime.

Having run into obvious difficulties brought on by the pandemic, director Antoine Fuqua directed the entire movie from a van with the use of monitors and walkie-talkies. This bottle thriller manages to keep the tension high and engaging even with limited resources. Its twist reminds viewers to think twice about strangers.

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8 ‘I’m Thinking of Ending Things’ (2020)

Director: Charlie Kaufman

As is typical of director Charlie Kaufman‘s works, I’m Thinking of Ending Things is a wonderfully weird masterpiece that’s never what audiences expect. The film has a deceptively simple premise: A young woman (played by Jessie Buckley) is meeting her boyfriend Jake’s (Jesse Plemons) parents, so the two of them drive to the couple’s farm.

Soon, the film transforms into a surrealist dream (or nightmare) as the line between reality and fantasy blurs. The simple visit to her partner’s parents soon turns into something completely bizarre. The divisive plot twist towards the end is open to viewers’ interpretation, making it that much more intriguing and worth watching.

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7 ‘The Platform’ (2019)

Director: Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia

One of the best socially conscious horror movies from recent years, The Platform depicts a “Vertical Self-Management Center” full of exploited residents who are switched every now and then between the different floors. The reasoning behind the switches is to change who gets to eat from “the platform” first, which comes down from the top filled with food, but is inevitably empty by the time it gets to the lower floors.

The conflict that arises from the tower’s residents soon devolves into gruesome violence, and efforts at trying to fix the system only seem to fail. The Platform has a crucial subplot linked to its heartbreaking plot twist that provides a profound perspective on the brutality and desperation in the underrated sci-fi horror film.

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6 ‘Black Mirror: Bandersnatch’ (2018)

Director: David Slade

This is a fun one because the viewer is allowed to make the choices of how this story unfolds, twists and all. The universe of Black Mirror was a perfect fit for Netflix’s new “interactive experience” that allows the audience to make decisions and leads to five different endings for the film.

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch follows a young programmer in 1984 who is trying to adapt a fantasy gamebook into a video game, which leads to a wild journey of tech-induced horror that Black Mirror does so well. Given the multiple endings, there are plenty of twists throughout with some that viewers might miss on the first run, encouraging multiple viewings. Bandersnatch remains one of the most unique and best Netflix movies with plot twists that rely on the audience’s choices.

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5 ‘Bullet Train’ (2022)

Director: David Leitch

Bullet Train is a ridiculously fun action comedy film featuring Brad Pitt in the lead role as Ladybug, an unlucky assassin who wants to become a pacifist and intends to stick to it during his latest mission. It’s simple enough, just retrieve a briefcase from a bullet train. Of course, things don’t turn out to be so straightforward.

With other killers and colorful characters on board, Bullet Train throws numerous twists and turns that will have audiences both surprised and laughing at the absurdity of it all. Paired with flawlessly choreographed action sequences, gut-busting moments, and impressive visuals, the film becomes a must-see for those who love action-packed flicks that don’t take themselves too seriously.

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4 ‘Nocturnal Animals’ (2016)

Director: Tom Ford

This psychological thriller follows an art gallery owner, Susan (Amy Adams), who is sent a book by her ex-husband, Edward (Jake Gyllenhaal), which bears many similarities to their previous relationship. Along with the book – which has its storyline unfold in between Susan’s present experiences – she is also invited to dinner when Edward comes to town.

Nocturnal Animals unfolds interestingly, following along with the fictional plot of Edward’s book, Susan begins to discover different aspects of her past relationship and the emotional toll it took on both of them. Nocturnal Animals is dark, intense, and oddly romantic at times, ultimately ending with a satisfying plot twist.

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3 ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ (2022)

Director: Rian Johnson

Daniel Craig reprises his role as Detective Benoit Blanc in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, the standalone sequel to the 2019 film, Knives Out. This time, he’s invited to tech billionaire Miles Bron’s (Edward Norton) private Greek island along with his closest (and rich and successful) friends. When a friendly game ends with someone dead, Detective Blanc is on the case.

It’s impossible to talk about the acclaimed sequel’s plot twist without spoiling the whole movie – it’s an unpredictable film that viewers should go into knowing as little as possible about its twisty plot. One thing’s for sure, fans of the 2019 film will undoubtedly find that Glass Onion is a worthy sequel that offers a totally fresh and exciting new mystery.

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2 ‘Get Out’ (2017)

Director: Jordan Peele

A modern classic in the horror genre and Jordan Peele‘s directorial debut, Get Out is a psychological horror film centered on a couple, Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) and Rose (Allison Williams). When Chris meets Rose’s family for the first time, he mistakes their strangely overly positive behavior as a reaction to their interracial relationship, but he soon realizes there’s a much more sinister reason behind their interactions.

Get Out is an award-winning movie that horrifies with its spine-chilling original story. Its strong social commentary is delivered through a clever plot with a major twist, and one that most audiences won’t see coming. For any fan of horror, Peele’s masterpiece should be considered essential viewing.

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1 ‘Prisoners’ (2013)

Director Denis Villeneuve‘s thriller film, Prisoners, is a renowned entry in the genre that showcases some incredible performances from Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal. It tells the nerve-wracking story of Keller Dover (Jackman), whose 6-year-old daughter goes missing (along with her friend). An investigation led by Detective Loki (Gyllenhaal) seems to lead nowhere when an arrest is made, but the suspect is let go. The father soon takes things into his own hands.

With a gritty and bleak atmosphere to complement the growing tension and desperation throughout the film, the plot twist in the movie is perfectly timed and will have viewers gasping once they realize what’s going on. Prisoners is a masterclass in storytelling, with its intense and twisty narrative guaranteed to impress any fan of the crime and thriller genres.

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