Insider movies have become a genre of their own, even if they are not official. Thanks to these films, we have come to expect a surprise ending in almost all kinds of films. Especially directors such as David Fincher, M. Night Shyamalan and Christopher Nolan like to make films that turn the corner. In this content, we take a close look at our reverse films list, which we bring together the productions that surprise us with their endings. Maybe you can see surprise movies on our list and turn the corner 🙂
30) The Number 23 – Number 23 (2007) | IMDb: 6.4
- Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
- Director: Joel Schumacher
- Cast: Jim Carrey, Virginia Madsen, Logan Lerman
The Number 23 tells the story of Walter Sparrow, who became obsessed with the number 23. Walter, whose whole life changed with the book number 23, which he came across by chance one day, becomes obsessed with this book and naturally the number 23. This obsession will raise problems that affect everyone, including Walter’s family. The film, which slowly opens the veil of mystery until the end, manages to amaze us with its ending.
29) The Skeleton Key – The Skeleton Key (2005) | IMDb: 6.5
- Genre: Horror, Mystery
- Director: Iain Softley
- Cast: Kate Hudson, Peter Sarsgaard, Joy Bryant
The Skeleton Key is a suspenseful movie that makes you feel the tension in every second. In the movie, Caroline, who is a nurse at the hospital, finds a job as a babysitter in rural New Orleans. Settling in to care for an old woman’s husband, Caroline soon notices the old couple’s strange behavior. Keeping us on our toes until the last second, the film scores an unexpected goal.
28) Orphan – Enemy at Home (2009) | IMDb: 7.0
- Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
- Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
- Cast: Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman
Orphan is about the adoption of a couple who tragically lose their unborn child. So far, the plot of the movie seems pretty innocent. But the real issue lies in the nature of their adopted 9-year-old Esther.
Esther, who constantly has a nervous breakdown and harms her surroundings, finally starts to commit murders. Actually, there is a completely different truth behind this mask of Esther, who looks like a little innocent girl.
27) The Mist – The Mist That Kills (2007) | IMDb: 7.1
- Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
- Director: Frank Darabont
- Cast: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden
Adapted from Stephen King’s novel of the same name, The Mist leaves us with a disaster scenario in which a deadly fog envelops the world. The inhabitants of a small town wake up one day to find themselves covered in an ominous fog.
In a short time, various creatures begin to emerge from this fog. In the movie, we watch the life and death struggle of the townspeople who took shelter in a supermarket to get rid of these creatures.
26) Scream – Scream (1996) | IMDb: 7.3
- Genre: Horror, Mystery
- Director: Wes Craven
- Cast: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette
Scream is one of the most famous slasher/horror movies of the 90s. Many of us have spent sleepless nights watching Scream on TV during our teenage and childhood years. In addition to being a successful horror movie, Scream often comes to mind when it comes to reverse films with its surprise ending. In the movie, we watch a group of high school students in California are terrorized by a killer wearing a Scream mask.
25) Identity (2003) | IMDb: 7.3
- Genre: Mystery, Thriller
- Director: James Mangold
- Cast: John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet
Identity is a movie that does not look like a vampire-villager game with its plot. The movie takes place in a motel in the middle of the desert on a dark night. On this disastrous night, 10 strangers who do not know each other take shelter in this motel for various reasons. But the night will not end easily for these 10 strangers. Because one of them is a murderer and he started killing the strangers in the motel one after another.
24) Law Abiding Citizen – In Search of Justice (2009) | IMDb: 7.4
- Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
- Director: F. Gary Gray
- Cast: Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx, Leslie Bibb
Crime films about the search for justice are indispensable in Hollywood cinema. Law Abiding Citizen is one of the films that successfully deals with this theme. In the movie, we witness the search for justice of a man whose wife and child were killed during the robbery. It is a matter of curiosity how Clyde Shelton, who started to kill the criminals who escaped with light sentences, committed these murders one by one. The only person who can break the veil of secrecy is prosecutor Nick Rice.
23) Predestination – Beyond Time (2014) | IMDb: 7.5
- Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Drama
- Director: Michael and Peter Spierig
- Cast: Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook, Noah Taylor
Predestination is a science fiction movie that gets pretty messed up after a point. In this time travel themed movie, we witness the adventure of an agent who moves back and forth in time and catches criminals. In the movie, our agent travels to 1970 to catch the terrorist who committed the bombing and was responsible for the deaths of 11,000 people. The agent, who got a job at a bar in the year he went, starts to meet people he never expected during this period. Predestination is also one of the most confusing films on our reverse corner movies list.
22) Jacob’s Ladder – Breath of Terror (1990) | IMDb: 7.5
- Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery
- Director: Adrian Lyne
- Cast: Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Pena, Danny Aiello
Jacob’s Ladder is one of the films that best reflects the devastating effects of the Vietnam War. In the movie, we watch the experiences of Vietnam veteran Jacob, who suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Hallucinations and nightmares haunt Jacob as he tries to start life anew after returning from the war. After a while, Jacob, who can’t distinguish between dreams and reality, tries to find out the truths between his dreams one by one.
21) Who Am I (2014) | IMDb: 7.5
- Genre: Crime, Mystery, Drama
- Director: Baran bo Odar
- Cast: Tom Schilling, Elyas M’Barek, Wotan Wilke Möhring
Who Am I is another of the first productions that come to mind when it comes to reverse movies. In the movie, we watch the story of Benjamin, a young computer genius. Wanting to become a world-renowned hacker, Benjamin joins a hacker group with big dreams like himself.
This group, which managed to make a name for itself in a short time, attracts a lot of attention from the authorities. In this retrospectively edited film, we witness the dangers faced by Benjamin and his group of hackers.
20) Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) | IMDb: 7.6
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Director: Quentin Tarantino
- Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt , Margot Robbie
Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood is one of the best period films ever made. Although the film progresses for a long time like a simple period film, when Tarantino is at the beginning, it is inevitable to encounter an unexpected ending.
The film, which takes us to the Hollywood world of the 1960s, slowly processes the events of Charles Manson in the background. The atmosphere of the movie, which is like the silence before the storm, offers a different viewing experience. Because while we are waiting for something to happen in every second of the movie, events explode at an unexpected moment.
19) Saw – Saw (2004) | IMDb: 7.6
- Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
- Director: James Wan
- Cast: Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell, Danny Glover
Saw is a movie that has brought a new breath to the horror and mystery genres and is not easy to watch. Jigsaw, who kidnapped his victims and played deadly games on them, made a legendary entrance to the world of cinema with this movie. In the movie, a murderer who puts his victims in the middle of cleverly designed deadly traps to explain the value of life manages to avoid being caught every time. The last victims of this killer are Adam and Dr. Becomes Lawrence Gordon. These two people, who do not know each other, try to solve the clues together to escape the deadly trap.
18) Dark City – Mysterious City (1998) | IMDb. 7.6
- Genre: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Fantasy
- Director: Alex Proyas
- Cast: Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly
Dark City is a movie that gave birth to The Matrix. In the movie, we watch what happens to a man named John Murdoch in the dark and crime-filled city. Waking up in a hotel room in this strange city, Murdoch can’t remember anything about his past. Realizing that he is wanted for murders, Murdoch begins to struggle to solve this riddle.
Strange beings that can stop time and change the physical structure of the world, called The Strangers, are one of the biggest pieces of this puzzle. The only person who can destroy these creatures that can directly control the human brain is none other than Murdoch.
17) The Others – Others (2001) | IMDb. 7.6
- Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
- Director: Alejandro Amenábar
- Cast: Nicole Kidman, Christopher Eccleston, Fionnula Flanagan
The Others takes place in a huge and perpetually dark house. Losing her husband in the Second World War, Grace lives alone in this big house with her children. The reason the house is dark is because children have a rare sun allergy. Grace recruits people who come to her door one day and say they have worked at home before, as assistants. After this point, strange events begin to occur in the house.
16) The Game – The Game (1997) | IMDb: 7.7
- Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
- Director: David Fincher
- Cast: Michael Douglas, Deborah Kara Unger, Sean Penn
David Fincher is one of the first directors that comes to mind when it comes to twisted movies. We can say that the director, who likes surprise endings, takes the term backsliding with The Game to a whole new level. In the movie, Nicholas, a very wealthy businessman, finds himself in the middle of a strange game on his birthday. This game, which was a birthday present from his brother, almost turns the life of control freak Nicholas upside down. Losing control of everything, Nicholas becomes unable to even guess what is real after a while.
15) The Machinist – Machinist (2004) | IMDb: 7.7
- Genre: Drama, Thriller
- Director: Brad Anderson
- Cast: Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Aitana Sanchez-Gijon
The Machinist is about the tragic life of Trevor Reznik, who works as a lathe master in the industry. Trevor, who has insomnia, has not slept for a year and is constantly getting weaker. Scaring his co-workers and in a paranoid mood, Trevor slowly begins to lose his sanity. Trevor, who also begins to hallucinate, is stuck in a life that oscillates between fantasy and reality. Solving these problems requires Trevor to bravely confront his past.
14) Atonement – Atonement (2007) | IMDb: 7.8
- Genre: Drama, Mystery, Romance
- Director: Joe Wright
- Cast: Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Brenda Blethyn
Based on the popular novel by Ian McEwan, Atonement tells the story of two young lovers, Cecilia and Robbie. Set during the Second World War, Cecilia and Robbie’s relationship is turned upside down by Cecilia’s sister. Briony is destroying the lives of these two young people, who caused Robbie to be imprisoned for his slander. Robbie, who is released from prison during WWII, joins the Battle of Dunkirk to fight.
13) The Man From Earth – From Earth (2007) | IMDb: 7.9
- Genre: Drama, Mystery, Fantasy
- Director: Richard Schenkman
- Cast: David Lee Smith, Tony Todd, John Billingsley
Standing out with its theatrical air, The Man From Earth takes place almost entirely in a single room. John, a history professor at the university, is getting ready to quit his job and leave the city. John’s colleagues come to his house and ask for an explanation.
John, on the other hand, reveals that he is 14,000 years old and begins to tell his life story. The film, which keeps us skeptical about the narratives, gives us a nice surprise at the end, causing us to be confused even more.
12) Arrival – Arrival (2016) | IMDb: 7.9
- Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama
- Director: Denis Villeneuve
- Cast: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker
Arrival comes across as a rather interesting movie that moves along a palindromic line. In the film, which is one of the best modern examples of reverse corner movies, a series of spacecraft land in various parts of the world. Linguist Dr. Louise Banks, on the other hand, is trying to decipher the strange language of aliens with her team. When this language, in which the aliens convey their purpose of coming to earth, is deciphered by Louise, a truth that no one can predict emerges.
11) Black Swan – Black Swan (2010) | IMDb: 8.0
- Genre: Drama, Thriller
- Director: Darren Aronofsky
- Cast: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel
Black Swan is one of the films that deals with the psychological problems of the individual in the most successful way. In the movie, we witness the psychologically unstable life of young Nina, whose life is only ballet. Nina, who wants to take the lead role in the Swan Lake Ballet, creates wonders in the role of the White Swan, but cannot give what she wants in the role of the Black Swan. Struggling with these problems, Nina begins to have a strange relationship with backup ballerina Lily.
10) Gone Girl – Lost Girl (2014) | IMDb. 8.1
- Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
- Director: David Fincher
- Cast: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris
Gone Girl is adapted by Gillian Flynn from the novel of the same name written by Gillian Flynn. In the movie, Nick Dunne draws all suspicions upon his wife’s sudden disappearance. There is no information about Amy, who suddenly disappeared. Nick insists he’s innocent, but he can’t lift the suspicions on him. As a result, Nick finds himself in the middle of an elusive puzzle.
9) The Sixth Sense – The Sixth Sense (1999) | IMDb: 8.1
- Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
- Director: M. Night Shyamalan
- Cast: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette
Night Shyamalan is undoubtedly another director that comes to mind when it comes to perverted films. One of the successful director’s best films, The Sixth Sense chronicles the relationship between a child and a psychologist. But Cole, an introverted boy, claims to have seen dead people. Child psychologist Malcolm, on the other hand, does not mind this Cole at first, but begins to experience events that are difficult to explain.
8) Shutter Island – Dungeon Island (2010) | IMDb: 8.2
- Genre: Mystery, Thriller
- Director: Martin Scorsese
- Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Emily Mortimer, Mark Ruffalo
Shutter Island is based on Dennis Lehane’s novel, which is a Hollywood movie almost every book he writes. Set in 1954, the policeman named Teddy Daniels and his partner go to Ashecliffe Mental Hospital for investigation. Investigating the disappearance of a patient named Rachel, the police encounter quite mysterious events in the hospital. These events, on the other hand, begin to push the border between reality and fantasy over time.
7) Memento – Diary (2000) | IMDb: 8.4
- Genre: Mystery, Thriller
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- Cast: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano
Christopher Nolan’s unforgettable film Memento is a production that has made history in the field of reverse films. In the movie, we watch the tragic story of Leonard Shelby, who suffers from a rare amnesia. Leonard, who got this disease due to his accident, constantly suffers from short-term memory loss.
Struggling with these amnesias, Leonard is also trying to find those who killed his wife. Of course, this challenging task gets more complicated as you constantly forget things.
6) Oldboy – Oldboy (2003) | IMDb: 8.4
- Genre: Action, Mystery, Drama
- Director: Park Chan Wook
- Cast: Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-Tae, Kang Hye-jeong
The apple of the eye of Korean cinema, Oldboy is inspired by a manga series of the same name. In the movie, a man named Oh Dae-Soo is held in a cell for 15 years by unknown persons. Then suddenly released, Oh Dae-Soo embarks on a relentless quest for revenge. As Oh Dae-Soo tries to unravel the cause of what he went through and take revenge, he is faced with painful truths.
5) The Prestige – Prestige (2006) | IMDb: 8.5
- Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- Cast: Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson
We know how successful Nolan is, just like Fincher, in reverse films. 19. The Prestige , which takes place at the end of the century and tells about the enmity of two magicians, manages to burn our brains with its ending. Robert and Alfred, two magicians performing in London, turn against each other after a show gone wrong. During the show, Robert’s wife Julia blames Robert Alfred for her death. After this accident, the two friends become two fierce enemies sabotaging each other’s shows.
4) The Usual Suspects – The Usual Suspects (1995) | IMDb: 8.5
- Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
- Director: Bryan Singer
- Cast: Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio Del Toro
The Usual Suspects is a unique example of the neo-noir genre. We watch the coming together story of 5 criminals in a non-linear narrative in the movie that leaves mouths open with its ending. Investigating a boat that exploded in San Pedro, police find 27 bodies and $91 million.
There is also a criminal on the boat named Verbal. Verbal starts to talk about how he met his other friends and the background of the events, starting from 6 weeks ago during the police interrogation.
3) Se7en – Seven (1995) | IMDb: 8.6
- Genre: Crime, Mystery, Drama
- Director: David Fincher
- Cast: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey
Se7en tells the story of a murderer who commits murder on the seven deadly sins and the police detectives after him. Two police detectives are chasing a serial killer in this production, in which David Fincher does not upset the fans of the opposite corner movies. Detectives grappling with murders committed according to the seven deadly sins, unexpectedly find themselves in the middle of the killer’s game.
2) Fight Club (1999) | IMDb. 8.8
- Genre: Drama, Mystery
- Director: David Fincher
- Cast: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter
It wouldn’t be right to mention the flip-flops and not include David Fincher’s cult movie Fight Club. Adapted from the novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club can be called a complete system of rebellion. Whatever we say about the movie, which is a reproach to the fake and monotonous white-collar life lived, it will spoil its taste. Therefore, if you still haven’t watched a possibility, Fight Club is one of the movies that should be at the top of your list.
1) Inception – The Beginning (2010) | IMDb. 8.8
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-fi
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page
Inception , which created great controversy with the end of its release, proves to us how successful Nolan is in reverse films. In this movie that won 4 Oscars, we are the guests of the adventures of a subliminal thief named Dom Cobb. Stealing information from the subconscious of his targets when the mind is at its most vulnerable, Dom Cobb sets out for one last job where he can regain his life. Of course, as you can imagine, the last jobs are never easy. The final job in Inception does its part, too, leaving our heroes in a brain-burning puzzle.
Our other movie lists that might interest you:
Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
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