By Chris E. Hayner on Aug 20, 2018 11:48 pm
It's that time of year again, when Universal Studios theme parks around the world gear up for the spookiest time of year. Every Halloween, the theme parks present haunted mazes and scare zones based on some of the scariest movie and TV franchises in an effort to terrify those who dare enter Halloween Horror Nights. Thankfully, 2018's version of the annual event is no different. While there are a handful of original maze concepts and scare zones, especially at Universal Studios Orlando, there are also some very exciting movie and TV show adaptations being presented. If you're wondering about the difference in mazes and scare zones, the former is a walkthrough experience meant to guide you through a particular story, while the latter are themed areas within the parks where monsters and ghouls are on the loose. In past years, a wide variety of modern and classic franchises have been brought to life, including The Shining, American Horror Story, The Cabin in the Woods, Resident Evil, Freddy vs. Jason, and The Exorcist. This year, there are eight different properties being adapted, promising a creepy and fun time with some of the most recognizable titles in horror, including the first-ever Stranger Things maze, which will be seen at multiple parks. And if you're a true completist, it's important to note that no two mazes are identical. Each park has it's own creative team, meaning Orlando's Stranger Things maze will be quite different from the one in Hollywood. Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights kicks off at the Universal parks in Hollywood and Orlando on September 14 and runs through November 3. Singapore's take on the event launches on September 27 and ends on October 31.
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
Location: Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Orlando Type of haunt: Maze
Trick 'r Treat
Location: Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Orlando Type of haunt: Maze and scare zone
Stranger Things
Location: Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studios Orlando, and Universal Studios Singapore Type of haunt: Maze
Poltergeist
Location: Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Orlando Type of haunt: Maze
Revenge of Chucky
Location: Universal Studios Orlando Type of haunt: Scare zone
Killer Klowns from Outer Space
Location: Universal Studios Orlando Type of haunt: Scare zone
The Walking Dead
Location: Universal Studios Hollywood Type of haunt: Maze *This maze is open year-round at Universal Studios Hollywood.
The First Purge
Location: Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Orlando Type of haunt: Maze *Orlando's maze is part of The Horrors of Blumhouse
Happy Death Day
Location: Universal Studios Orlando Type of haunt: Maze *Part of The Horrors of Blumhouse.
Truth or Dare
Location: Universal Studios Hollywood Type of haunt: Maze *Part of The Horrors of Blumhouse.
Unfriended
Location: Universal Studios Hollywood Type of haunt: Maze *Part of The Horrors of Blumhouse.
By GameSpot Staff on Aug 20, 2018 10:24 pm
WWE's biggest PPV of the summer, Summerslam, has wrapped up after a six hour long show, including its two hour pre-show. The August 19 event took place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York for its fourth consecutive year, and over the course of the evening, there were 13 matches. Luckily, a few of them were under five minutes. While the card didn't seem exceptionally exciting before the airing of the PPV, WWE and its superstars put on a pretty fun show, filled with surprises, great matches, and Finn Balor coming out in his "Demon" makeup--something fans haven't seen in quite some time. However, it wasn't all a delight. There were some rough moments that evening as well. If you're looking for just the results, check out our final recap of Summerslam. One the positive side of things, the matches fans knew were going to be barn burners were just that. The Intercontinental Championship match between Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler was easily the highlight of the evening as it showcased the two best workers on Raw. On Smackdown's side, Daniel Bryan and Miz's match was about as great as we expected, delivering some solid storytelling in the ring. However, there were some rough matches that evening as well, like Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens, which was a lackluster slaughter. The same could be said for Ronda Rousey vs. Alexa Bliss, which was Rousey's worst match since coming to WWE. The wrestling fans here at GameSpot had a few things to say about the show, and we discussed each match from the evening and gave it a score. Let us know what you thought about the WWE event in the comments below. Summerslam Match Card: - Rusev & Lana vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas & Zelina Vega (Kickoff Match)
- The B-Team (c) vs. The Revival (Raw Tag Team Championship) (Kickoff Show)
- Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Drew Gulak (Cruiserweight Championship) (Kickoff Show)
- Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Jeff Hardy (United States Championship)
- Carmella (c) vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch (Smackdown Women's Championship)
- Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz
- Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Seth Rollins (Intercontinental Championship)
- Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens
- The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. The New Day (Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
- Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin
- Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Ronda Rousey (Raw Women's Championship)
- AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe (WWE Championship)
- Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns (Universal Championship)
For more on SummerSlam, check out our predictions--to see if we got them all right--and our interview with Daniel Bryan about his rivalry with The Miz.
KICKOFF: Rusev & Lana vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas & Zelina Vega
Winners: Almas & Vega Lana has gotten a bit better in the ring. But I don't believe her as a powerhouse, which is how it seems WWE is pushing her. The match was a typical Kickoff Show match. It's pushing forward a rivalry, and the finish of Zelina getting the rollup pin, using the ropes as leverage, was a fine touch. It's a nice push for Almas and Vega and solidifies them as heels. This was a solid opener and got the crowd warmed up. 5.5/10 -- Mat Elfring Lana was born a decade too late. If this was 2008, she would be a Divas champion several times over. Unfortunately, ring proficiency isn't enough to be the top woman in WWE these days. Still, this is a marked improvement from when she debuted at Wrestlemania 32. An average match, all around. Andrade 'Cien' Almas could be a star on Smackdown, especially with Zelina Vega in his corner. Rusev, on the other hand, has seen his moment pass, no matter how much the die-hard fans cheer for him every week. 5/10--Kevin Wong
KICKOFF: Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Drew Gulak (Cruiserweight Championship)
Winner: Alexander We got exactly what I expected from a cruiserweight match. The 205 Live wrestlers always put on incredible bouts, and while this wasn't as amazing as previous ones we've seen on a PPV, it was still very good. I truly thought Gulak was going to win this one. He looks great against Alexander, who just wouldn't give up. There were a few great spots, including Gulak smacking Alexander hard in the mouth. This match felt like a great transition between something we'd see in NXT and on Raw or Smackdown. 7/10 -- Mat Elfring A great match with a flukey roll-up finish, which is fine. Every now and then, the finish needs to come out of nowhere, if only to keep the fans on their toes. It occurred to me, while watching, that the two men toned down their aerial theatrics in favor of a slower, more psychological match. It's a fine line to walk, especially since people tune into 205 Live specifically to see the flippy stuff. But this match managed to walk it. 7/10 -- Kevin Wong
KICKOFF: The B-Team (c) vs. The Revival (Raw Tag Team Championship)
Winners: The B-Team The antics of The B-Team continue, but it was underwhelming at Summerslam, even for a Kickoff Show match. This was a great match for The Revival, and it showed off what type of tag team these two are. They work together, isolate their opponent's partner, and work one of the the limbs. The B-Team thrives on coincidence, which was a lot of fun when it first started happening; however, in this match, it's become old news, and I want more from this comedic duo. The rollup finish was fitting for B-Team, but just felt like more of the same. 5/10 -- Mat Elfring This match between four performers, all performing way below their potential, was befitting; it showed glimmers of promise but ultimately, didn't make the cut. It started out with some good, Revival offense; they cut the ring off and targeted Bo Dallas' leg for several minutes. And then, a minute later, everyone forgot about it and they just started brawling. The finish was a "mistake," continuing the B-Team's trend of failing upwards. At some point, they need to win and look impressive doing it. 4/10 --Kevin Wong
Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Seth Rollins (Intercontinental Championship)
Winner: Rollins Someone tall might want to lower the bar Rollins and Ziggler set during this match because it's way too high. The match had a great build and some amazing spots. Rollins suplexed Ziggler over the ropes to the outside of the ring, which looked incredibly painful. And the spot of the match was the reverse superplex from Rollins to Ziggler. The match was 22 minutes long but didn't feel like it. It had an amazing flow kept me on the edge of my seat. There is little to critique here. 9/10 -- Mat Elfring I thought WWE would have a put a more spot-heavy, fast-paced "opening match" up front, to feed the hyped crowd and whet its appetite. Instead, Ziggler and Rollins slowed things down, deliberately so, and delivered what may have been the match of the night. It was technically sound, painful-looking, and wonderfully paced. They may have done more than stoke the fans, they may have spoiled them for what's to come. WWE should have put this match on later in the evening; we still had four hours to go. 8.5/10 -- Kevin Wong
The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. The New Day (Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
Winners: New Day, but Bludgeon Brothers retain titles because of DQ This match made me a believer that the New Day could actually beat the Bludgeon Brothers. It played well to the brutality of the Brothers, while showcasing the "never give up" attitude of the New Day. There were a couple great spots during the match, mainly Xavier Woods doing an elbow drop off the top rope to the outside of the ring. It was better than I expected. It's really hard to follow Ziggler/Rollins, but this tag match worked for the spot it was in. 6.5/10 -- Mat Elfring The Bludgeon Brothers continue to be impressive--physical and shockingly agile, considering their size. Disqualification finishes usually aren't that fun, but I'll make an exception; we finally got to see the Bludgeons swing those big stone mallets, and Big E sold their impact perfectly. And speaking of Big E, he dove headfirst out of the ring to the floor, again. He needs to stop doing that before he seriously hurts himself. The rematch will probably be a 'no disqualification,' so that The New Day can use some weapons too. 6/10--Kevin Wong
Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens
Winner: Strowman I didn't want to see a murder, but that's what I got. Strowman destroyed Owens in under two minutes. Owens had ZERO offense during the fight, and it was sad. I hate the story line. It serves no purpose other than burying Owens, which is a bummer because he's incredibly talented. Sure, Owens took some brutal looking bumps and sold Strowman's hits incredibly well, but this match was nothing more than set up for Strowman to cash in his MITB contract during the main event. 3/10 -- Mat Elfring Man oh man. Who, exactly, did Kevin Owens piss off backstage? Braun Strowman steamrolled him in less than two minutes, and all that bellyaching over the multitude of ways Strowman could lose--by pinfall, by submission, by countout, by disqualification--was all for naught. We didn't get to see any of that. As a self-contained match, it was a fun little interlude. As a match between a former Universal champion and the Money in the Bank contract holder? It was a disaster. The only way Owens gets his dignity back is if he screws Strowman during his cash-in. But at this point, I'm not sure we need to see that. 3/10--Kevin Wong
Carmella (c) vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch (Smackdown Women's Championship)
Winner: Charlotte This triple threat had an excruciatingly slow start, using one of my least favorite in-match stories of the two friends being tricked into thinking they purposely hurting each other, when the heel is behind all the mischief. It was a frustrating and bland start. However, this match really picked up halfway through, and we got something a bit more memorable, where Carmella was either pushed aside or was simply there to be a whipping post, which many people--like myself--seemed fine with, as her in-ring work needs work, even though she's the best talking heel on Smackdown, right next to The Miz. While Charlotte won, the icing on the cake was post-match when Becky Lynch turned on Charlotte. It was the perfect way to shake things up on Smackdown's women's division which was beginning to become a bit stale. That could be the Becky Lynch fanboy in me talking. 7/10 -- Mat Elfring The Carmella experiment is over. She'll probably never touch the title, ever again, and this match will be Exhibit A in that regard. She's a good talker. She's a decent heel, and certainly knows how to instigate drama. But the ring work isn't cutting it, and it wasn't believable to see her dominate either of her opponents. It's unfortunate that WWE left Asuka off this pay-per-view to demonstrate that. But luckily, no one will remember the actual match. Charlotte Flair's win and Becky Lynch's subsequent heel turn will be all that anyone talks about tomorrow. 4/10--Kevin Wong
AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe (WWE Championship)
Winner: Joe by DQ Let's forget TNA exists for a minute--because Styles and Joe had some great matches there and they had a few others on the indy circuit as well. Whether it's match fatigue or just setting the bar too high for the match, this didn't strike a chord with me. Styles/Joe had some great moments, but the story towards the end and the finish were not good. I expected a bit more, but on the up-side, this does make me excited for a rematch, as they didn't "leave it all on the table." More than anything, I'm hoping to see a Hell in a Cell match at next month's PPV. 6.5/10 -- Mat Elfring We didn't get the sort of match that these two are capable of, but we shouldn't have either. If we're lucky, this will be the first in a series that will last for several months. The match was low on speed, but high on impact. Predetermined or not, Joe hits like a truck. Everything he does looks ugly, heavy, and painful. He also did his homework; he escaped the Calf Crusher exactly the way Brock Lesnar did at Survivor Series: by banging Styles' head into the mat like a ball-peen hammer. The disqualification was unexpected, but acceptable; it was for a good reason at least, since Samoa Joe called out Styles' wife and daughter. We'll get the clean finish next time. And hopefully, Styles never attempts the Styles Clash on Joe again; Flying Forearm finishes only unless Joe wants to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. 7.5/10--Kevin Wong
The Miz vs. Daniel Bryan
Winner: The Miz Miz/Daniel Bryan didn't start off with a "bang," but it ended with one. This was a slow match, building on the story of the hatred between these two men--which Daniel Bryan spoke to us about last week. To this point, this was the longest match of the evening, and there were some moments that dragged during the match, but it felt like echoes of their feud because we couldn't see them fight for so long, with Bryan not being cleared to wrestle. It was all about building anticipation and wanted to see Bryan redeemed in the ring, from his former NXT mentor. We didn't get that, but we did get a fantastic finish with some classic heel tactics from Miz and Maryse. 8/10 -- Mat Elfring Miz used the brass knuckles to knock out Bryan--Maryse always creatively cheats for her husband. This match was longer than it needed to be to reach the finish that it did. The point they were making--that Miz can't beat Daniel Bryan on his own--could have been made more succinctly. This match was the equivalent of a good short film padded to a 2-hour movie length. It was fun to watch, but in the end, it was more than we needed. 7/10--Kevin Wong
"Demon" Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin
Winner: Balor It's amazing what a little facepaint can do to up the excitement of a match. Corbin/Balor felt close to "Dead on Arrival," but Balor coming out as "The Demon," which WWE fans haven't seen in a while, just made the whole thing a lot more exciting. Sure, it was another squash match--much like Owens/Strowman--but it didn't feel malicious. It was more of a "Greatest hits" rather than an actual match. If anything, it was just something fun for the audience that was a break from some of the longer matches we had previously. 6/10 -- Mat Elfring This is the sort of match that is entirely contextual; if you listed the moves that they did and the match length, it doesn't look too special. But the atmosphere was electric. WWE brought out Demon Balor at exactly the right time; fans hadn't seen him for months. Every move mattered And it added a much needed adrenaline boost into a long show that needed it. You can't ask for more than that. 8/10 -- Kevin Wong
Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Jeff Hardy (United States Championship)
Winner: Nakamura There was nothing outstanding about Nakamura/Hardy. It was filler and a way to finish up this feud between them--I hope. There were a few entertaining spots, but that's about it. Now, can we move Nakamura onto something awesome? 5/10 -- Mat Elfring They needed something for Shinsuke Nakamura to do. That's why Nakamura is feuding with Jeff Hardy, and it shows. It was a good match, nothing more, nothing less. Jeff Hardy took a painful bump on the apron (those apron spots are getting a little overused), and Nakamura finished things with the Kinshasa. Randy Orton, of course, is next for Hardy. 6/10--Kevin Wong
Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Ronda Rousey (Raw Women's Championship)
Winner: Rousey Deep down, we all knew Rousey was going to win, but the way WWE went about having this match play out was not good. Bliss trying to escape Rousey's grasp and playing a cat and mouse game was fine, but this was a glorified squash match. It made Bliss look like a weak champion, as Rousey destroyed her with the three moves she used on Bliss, multiple times. There wasn't much variety to it. I normally don't call out wrestlers calling spots, but Rousey was loud, and it was distracting. She's green, and that's fine and all, but her past PPV matches were a lot of fun to watch, and this wasn't. It was extremely disappointing. 2/10 -- Mat Elfring This match, a squash where Rousey sat in the ring, eyes closed, and turned her back on her opponent, made Bliss look like a joke. Don't get it twisted: Rousey deserves to be champion. More power to her. But Bliss should have pulled some underhanded tactics to get in a little offense. She should have reached the ropes on a couple of submission holds. She should have done anything other than lose like this. Rousey is still loved, based on the post-match reaction. But this, right here, is how backlashes start. It was a bizarre misstep after months of excellent booking. 3/10--Kevin Wong
Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns (Universal Championship)
Winner: Reigns Closing out Summerslam was Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar, yet again. The match showed promise when Braun Strowman came to the ring, before the opening bell rang and said he'd be cashing in his MITB contract after their match. However, that never happened, and it was the only thing I was truly looking forward to here. We got a relatively short match, which was once again both Lesnar and Reigns showing off their signature moves, over and over. It's great to see Lesnar lose the title--something I've been waiting for way too long--but in the end, I just didn't care. I'm more interested in the promise of having a fighting champion who puts on great matches, and we're still a ways away from that. 4.5/10 -- Mat Elfring Finally, Roman Reigns is WWE Universal champion. The match was not great; their best encounter will always be Wrestlemania 31's slugfest. Braun's bait-and-switch on the briefcase cash-in was well done; it distracted Lesnar long enough that Reigns was able to hit the final Spear for the pin. And surprisingly, the Brooklyn crowd, which is notoriously hostile to Reigns, did not universally boo him when he hoisted the belt over his head. WWE finally got Reigns over, as well as they're ever going to get him over. They only had to keep title belt off television for over a year to do it. 4/10--Kevin Wong
By Dan Auty on Aug 20, 2018 01:01 am
The plot twist has long been a staple of horror. It's a genre that relies on tension, mystery, and surprises, and how better to shock an audience than by making them question everything they've seen so far? Of course, it's also something that's very hard to get right. Some of the best plot twists in horror are as famous as the movies themselves--films such as Psycho, The Sixth Sense, and Saw are famous for their shocking final revelations. These would be great films even if they didn't deliver a twist, but those final plot revelations add to their effect, making them must-sees for fans of the genre. Of course, for every one of those there are a dozen movies that get it badly wrong, delivering ridiculous, predictable, and laughable twists endings. There's nothing worse than a plot twist that insults the viewers and actually diminishes the movie before. Better a film ends with a normal ending, with the good guys surviving and the villain defeated, than it tries a shocking plot-reversal that totally fails. So here's some of the very best twists in horror. Many of these are final reveals that change everything we thought we knew about the plot and characters. Some of them are more subtle, others come from absolutely nowhere, and there are even those that are very silly, but are so crazy that they work in adding to the fun of watching the movie. Also, it goes without saying that there are big spoilers ahead--we're going to tell you what happens in each of these movies. Let's twist!
21. Carnival Of Souls (1962)
Very little in this classic low budget chiller makes logical sense, and that includes the ending. A woman survives a car accident, in which her vehicle plunges into a deep lake. For the rest of the film she experiences all sorts of strange visions and ghostly apparitions, until we discover--you guessed it--that she died in the lake. By modern standards it's perhaps a bit predictable, but back '62 this sort of twist wasn't nearly so familiar, and the movie's weird, dreamlike atmosphere makes it work.
20. The Orphan (2009)
Some twists are so ridiculous that it seems incredible that the writers didn't abandon them before they ever reached a second draft of the script. The Orphan has such a final reveal, but somehow it adds to the fun of watching this preposterous shocker, especially if you know it in advance. It turns out that the evil killer "child" that we've been watching for two hours is in fact a psychopathic 33-year-old former sex worker born with a rare hormonal disorder that gives her the appearance of a nine-year-old girl. Yes, you read that correctly.
19. The Descent (2005)
Enjoying the twist at the end of Neil Marshall's claustrophobic chiller actually depends on which version you see. The movie should end with the shock of realising that lead character Sarah hasn't escaped from the cave network in which she and her spelunking pals are trapped, hunted by dozens of flesh-eating cave creatures. Instead the happy scene in which she finally emerges into daylight is simply a hallucination, and she remains deep underground, unable to find a way out. Unfortunately, the movie's American distributor decided that was all a bit bleak, so simply ended the film with her "escape", and didn't cut back to the final, horrifying reveal. Boo.
18. High Tension (2003)
One of the more controversial twists on this list, the revelation at the end of Alexandre Aja's French gorefest is either a brilliant subversion of the entire storyline, or a stupid, nonsensical plot point that adds nothing to the movie. Having watched a young woman called Marie attempt to survive against a deranged killer who seems intent on slaughtering everyone she encounters, we find out that it was Marie doing the killing all along. Some fans loved it, many more hated it--but it's undeniably got the movie plenty of attention.
17. Goodnight Mommy (2014)
There are few things creepier in horror than weird kids, and the nightmarish Belgian movie Goodnight Mommy has two of 'em. Twins Elias and Lukas spend their days playing in and around a huge, isolated house, trying to avoid their strict, domineering mother, who is recovering from plastic surgery. The pair become convinced that this woman is not, in fact, their mom, and tie her to the bed and torture her to find out the truth. We eventually discover that the car accident that disfigured her also killed Lukas, and Elias has been playing out a fantasy in his head that his brother is still with him.
16. Angel Heart (1987)
Alan Parker's film is a dark, thrilling mix of film noir and satanic horror with two huge stars (Mickey Rourke and Robert De Niro) and a big twist in the final minutes. A private detective called Harry Angel is hired to find a missing man and heads to New Orleans, where a series of brutal murders are taking place. The surprise is that Harry is searching for himself, and that the man who hired him is actually the devil (although, his name--Louis Cypher--is a bit of a giveaway!)
15. Don't Breathe (2016)
This recent home invasion hit contains a double-twist, which leads into one of the most notorious scenes in a horror movie for some time. If you've seen the film, you know the scene! A trio of teen thieves break into the house of an old blind man with the intention of stealing the huge payment he received after his daughter was killed in a car accident. Unfortunately, the man (played by Avatar's Stephen Lang and known only as The Blind Man) is a super-tough former Marine who doesn't need his eyesight to kick their asses. The invaders discover that he has been keeping the woman who accidentally killed his daughter prisoner in his basement. To double down on this, he has impregnated her in order for her to replace the child that she took from him. Inevitably, gets grimmer from there--let's just say a turkey baster is involved. Eeewww.
14. The Mist (2007)
Without doubt the cruellest twist on this list. This Stephen King adaptation ends with main character David and his young son escaping into the dense, terrifying mist in which monsters, madness, and death lurk. Believing that their situation is hopeless and wanting to spare his son a horrifying death, he shoots him. Unfortunately, the mist clears soon after and an army convoy rattles up, blasting monsters and offering sanctuary. This ending didn't feature in King's novella but was added by writer/director Frank Darabont. However, King was a fan, and subsequently described it as "the most shocking ending ever."
13. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Everything about George Romero's zombie classic was shocking for audiences in 1968--the gore, the scares, the stark matter-of-style style, and the ending. The final twist still packs a punch. Having survived the night, holed up in a farmhouse and under siege by zombies, our hero Ben emerges into the daylight, only to be suddenly shot dead by a local posse and tossed onto a pile of corpses. It's an absolute gut-punch, made all the more powerful by the fact that the movie was made at the height of the civil rights movement, and Romero shows us a strong, brave black character killed by an unthinking white mob.
12. The Orphanage (2007)
A decade before he was thrilling audiences with his blockbuster dinosaur sequel Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, J.A. Bayona made his directing debut with this superb Spanish language chiller. The final twist is both clever and deeply tragic. A young boy goes goes missing soon after his family move into a former orphanage, but it turns out the strange sounds that his mom heard afterwards were not ghosts, but the boy himself, who has been accidentally trapped in the cellar during a game.
11. Black Christmas (1974)
While the huge success of 1978's Halloween is frequently credited for launching the slasher movie craze of the early '80s, the earlier Black Christmas deserves some credit too. This seasonal shocker focuses on a house full of female students who are menaced by a unknown killer known as Billy, who has a habit of calling the house phone at night to announce his gruesome intentions. The big twist is that all the calls are coming from within the house itself. Not ever finding out the identity of the killer adds to the chilling ambiguity of this classic.
10. Scream (1996)
Wes Craven's slasher favorite gave '90s horror a much-needed kickstart and ushered in an era of knowing, self-referential horror. Scream's greatest asset is that it still works as a slick, scary slasher movie as well as a deconstruction of the genre, and features a great twist. The set-up is a classic whodunnit as to the identity of the movie's masked, horror movie-quoting killer, but it turns out there are two murderers, each taking turns behind the mask to confuse the cops while they pick off their pals.
9. Jacob's Ladder (1990)
Viewed these days, the twist at the end of the surreal, scary Jacob's Ladder seems like a total cliché--basically, it's all in the main character's head. But back in 1990 it was a genuine surprise, and is helped by the dark, paranoid atmosphere, Adrian Lyne's direction, and Tim Robbins' powerful lead performance. Robbins plays a Vietnam vet who suffers from nightmarish visions and hallucinations, only for us to discover that he is still in 'Nam and these horrific experiences are merely the final visions of a dying man.
8. Seven (1995)
David Fincher's modern masterpiece is one of the darkest, most gripping serial killer movies ever made. The miserable, oppressive tone throughout never once suggests that we're going to get a happy ending, but few audiences were prepared for the gut-punch of its final twist. Mad killer John Doe lures detectives Mills and Somerset out into the desert, with the promise that he will complete his series of murders based on the seven deadly sins. By delivering Mill's pregnant wife's severed head in a box to him, he does just that. Doe is the sin of envy, jealous of Mills' seemingly perfect life, which he had to destroy. And Mills becomes wrath, blowing Doe's brains out in anguished vengeance. Bleak, man.
7. April Fool's Day (1986)
April Fool's Day was released towards the end of the slasher movie craze of the '80s. And for much of the movie it seems like a fairly standard--albeit funny and entertaining--entry. The final twist, however, is quite a radical one, when we discover that none of the gory murders in the preceding 80 minutes are real, and the whole thing has been an elaborate prank on the lead character. To be fair, the clue is in the movie's title, but audiences were so used to generic holiday-themed slashers by that point that it actually works.
6. Les Diaboliques (1955)
Back in 1955 audiences weren't expecting filmmakers to pull the rug from under their feet, and the final revelation of Henri-Georges Clouzot's French masterpiece was a groundbreaking surprise. A woman called Christine plots to kill her abusive husband Michael, with the help of his mistress. The crime seemingly works but in a stunning sequence, Michael emerges alive from the bathtub in which his "body" has been placed. Christine drops dead of a heart attack and the true plot is revealed--Micheal's "murder" was all a hoax, and Christine was the intended victim all along.
5. The Others (2001)
As in The Sixth Sense a couple of years earlier, the clues to the twist at the end of Alejandro Amenábar's gothic classic are actually right there in front of us, making it even more fun on a second viewing. Grace (Nicole Kidman) lives in an old deserted house with her children, and three mysterious staff members, who have randomly turned up for work one day. Increasingly, Grace hears what she thinks are supernatural sounds, leading her (and us) to believe that the house is haunted, and that the three strangers have something to do with it. And while it turns out that the strange trio ARE ghosts, we discover that Grace and her kids are also dead, and they are the ones haunting the house. The sounds they are hearing are from the real world.
4. Saw (2004)
In comparison with the increasingly ridiculous and convoluted sequels that followed, the original Saw is surprisingly simple and straightforward. But that doesn't stop writer/director James Wan and co-writer Leigh Whannell throwing in one of the genre's great twists. Two men are trapped in a dirty, abandoned room for the entire movie by the evil Jigsaw, each chained to the wall with the body of what looks like a former victim on the floor. But in the final revelation, the "corpse" stands up, revealing himself to be none other than Jigsaw himself. Gotcha!
3. Psycho (1960)
Alfred Hitchcock's classic features one of the all-time great movie twists--it's not Norman Bates' mom committing gruesome acts of murder in the rundown Bates Motel, but Norman himself, dressed up in a dress and wig while mom's bones sit in the attic. Hitchcock knew he had a doozy of a twist, and even appeared in the movie's trailers, imploring audiences not to give away the ending as "it's the only one we have."
2. The Sixth Sense (1999)
You'd be forgiven for thinking M. Night Shyamalan invented the movie twist, given how famous, influential, and parodied the final reveal at the end of his debut movie has been. It's a twist that everyone knows (Bruce Willis's cop character is dead all along) and given how obvious it seems in retrospect, it's amazing that it worked as well as it is did. But it really did, and the gobsmacking surprise of this final twist made the movie one of the 1999's biggest hits and launched the career of one of the modern era's most successful filmmakers.
1. The Wicker Man (1973)
This 1973 British classic delivers one of the most shocking final moments in horror. Mainland cop Neil Howie (Edward Woodward) is investigating the disappearance of a young girl on a remote Scottish island. After discovering that the islanders are part of an ancient cult, he believes that the girl will be offered as a sacrifice to the Pagan gods they worship. But too late he learns that HE is the sacrifice! Poor Neil is imprisoned in a giant Wicker Man, which is slowly engulfed in flames as the islanders dance merrily around it.
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