This is a slightly cheeky example, because Inglourious Basterds is an often thrilling and suspenseful film ... But, judging the 1968 film on its own: yes, it’s a phenomenal twist ending, ...

You may like 32 Movies With Ambiguous Endings; 32 movies where the bad guys win; The 25 best thriller movies to send a shiver down your spine; For those looking for a good surprise in their movie ...

But they are extremely blunt and obvious examples of the function the twist ending can perform when it does work. By confounding your expectations, it illustrates what those expectations are.

An effective twist is capable of staying with you long after the end credits: You probably still recall the tingle of surprise you felt when Sherlock's long-lost sister was unmasked in Sherlock ...

M. Night Shyamalan certainly didn’t invent the reality-altering twist ending, but, with classics like The Sixth Sense and Signs, he did, arguably, perfect it. Or, perhaps, if looked at another ...

An effective twist is capable of staying with you long after the end credits: You probably still recall the tingle of surprise you felt when Sherlock's long-lost sister was unmasked in Sherlock ...