film history - 25 years of 'The Sixth Sense': Start of the Plot-Twist boom
Spooky Atmosphere, Top-Notch Actors and Endless Conversation Needed after a Surprising Resolution: Both "The Sixth Sense" by M. Night Shyamalan and the Psychothriller "Fight Club" by David Fincher turn 25 this year. Following the success of these two films, there was a boom in what is now called "Twist Endings" (also known as "Final Twists" or more broadly, "Plot Twists").
Films with Plot Twists present a deception of the audience, but not a disappointing one, rather leading to an unforgettable Aha moment. New information at the end causes a film to be reevaluated.
The year 1999 was an exceptional film year: "Matrix", "Magnolia", "American Beauty", "Being John Malkovich", and also "Blair Witch Project" had their premieres. However, the two thrillers with the twist endings left the most lasting impression.
"Fight Club" and "The Sixth Sense" stood out in 1999
"What's special about 'Fight Club' and 'The Sixth Sense' is that both films had scenes that needed to be reevaluated in light of the plot twist," says film expert and author Bernd Leiendecker, who earned his doctorate in media studies at the University of Bochum ten years ago. His doctoral thesis was published as a book under the title "They only see what they want to see - A History of Unreliable Storytelling in Film".
"Both films sparked a desire to rewatch the key scenes," says Leiendecker. "At the same time, the DVD era began, so you could comfortably jump to the crucial scenes and even take a sharp screenshot in key moments." Previously, this was difficult with video cassettes. "Fight Club" was still considered a flop according to box office returns but a huge success on DVD," says Leiendecker, who has been running the blog "mindfuck-film.de" since 2015.
In terms of Twist Endings like "The Sixth Sense" and "Fight Club", film science distinguishes roughly four possibilities, which of course can also be combined: the narrative twist (assumptions about the narrated world were wrong), the perceptual twist (perspective and perception were not to be trusted), the Set-up-Twist (conspiracy is revealed), and the Wake-up-Twist (it is awakened from a dream or hallucination). The more classical the setup is told, the greater the Wow effect.
In the Psychothriller "Fight Club" with Edward Norton and Brad Pitt, the protagonist, who is bored with his life, meets the dubious Tyler on a business trip in an airplane. Later, he engages in hard fistfights with him - as a counterpoint to functioning in the capitalist system, he celebrates violent masculinity and self-destruction as self-determination. Tyler is an anarchist, does everything the protagonist is too afraid to do.
"I see dead people"
In "The Sixth Sense - Not every gift is a blessing" with child star Haley Joel Osment and Bruce Willis, nine-year-old Cole suffers from supernatural abilities. Only child psychologist Malcom Crowe can trust the little Cole: "I see dead people (...). They walk through the area like normal people. They can't see each other. They only see what they want to see. They don't know they're dead."
No worries: Nothing is spoiled here, the twist is not revealed. But enough said: "Plot Twist" (approximately "Handlungsdrehung" in German) is actually a misleading term. Because at the end, the plot itself does not change, but rather a different level of meaning becomes clear, and the knowledge about the relationships between the characters changes.
Naturally, there were films with twist moments before the classic "Fight Club" and "Sixth Sense" - works that featured a massive surprise effect. Early examples include "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" by Robert Wiene (1920), "Citizen Kane" by Orson Welles (1941), "Witness for the Prosecution" by Billy Wilder (1957), and of course "Red Shoes" (1950) and "Psycho" (1960) - both by Alfred Hitchcock.
In the 90s, Hollywood produced thrillers during the boom since the box office hit "The Silence of the Lambs" with Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. Films like David Fincher's serial killer epic "Se7en", Bryan Singer's crime thriller "The Usual Suspects", and Fincher's redemption thriller "The Game" with Michael Douglas and Sean Penn were produced.
Since 2000, there have been more plot twist hits, from "Memento" to "Saltburn".
However, after 1999, it seemed that more and more films were being made that trusted audiences with a so-called Mindfuck, as the term is commonly used today when a film requires mental effort. It could be a surprising turn, unusual time structures, or no clear resolution.
In 2000, "Memento" by Christopher Nolan was released, and in 2001, there were films like "The Others", "Donnie Darko", and "Mulholland Drive". In 2010, there were "Shutter Island" and "Inception", in 2013, "The Impossible", in 2014, "Gone Girl", in 2017, "Get Out", in 2019, "Parasite", in 2020, "The Father", in 2022, "The Menu" and "Triangle of Sadness", in 2023, "Saltburn" and "All of Us Strangers". The twist is always different - but it always lands.
IMDb: The Sixth SenseIMDb: Fight Club
- Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan, known for his work on "The Sixth Sense," hails from the same country as the director of "Fight Club," David Fincher, who was born in Los Angeles.
- John Malkovich had a starring role in "Being John Malkovich," a film from 1999 that was released alongside "Fight Club" and "The Sixth Sense."
- The international success of "Fight Club" led to a surge in interest in cinema from Los Angeles, further cementing its position as a hub for cinema culture worldwide.
- During the DVD era, rewatching the key scenes from "Fight Club" became popular, allowing viewers to pause at crucial moments and appreciate the twist endings more deeply.
- David Fincher's filmography includes various thriller films, such as "Se7en" and "The Game," further solidifying his reputation as a master of psychological plot twists.
- Cinema enthusiasts often analyze the impact of film history, looking back on influential works like "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari," "Citizen Kane," and "Psycho" for inspiration.
- The beauty of America is showcased in films like "American Beauty," highlighting the diverse talents and stories that have shaped the history of cinema, including twist endings and mind-bending narratives.
