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A plot twist is an effective way of keeping audiences on the edge of their seats, but
not every surprise comes completely out of the blue. Filmmakers just can’t help leaving
a hint or two for all to see – even if it’s just the viewers paying the closest attention
who catch them. Here are Screen Rant’s 10 Best Movie Clues You Missed.
Back to the Future – Twin Pines Mall
The first Back to the Future ends with a bit of a twist, revealing that the life Marty
McFly leaves behind in 1985 is not the same he returns to. His actions in the past have
caused his entire family history to change for the better - but you don’t have to wait
until the final sequence for that surprise. When Marty rushes to the parking lot of Twin
Pines Mall to save Doc before he’s killed, it’s revealed to have changed its name to
Lone Pine Mall, a result of Marty running over one of Farmer Peabody’s prized pines
when he first arrived in 1955, and the first clue that he altered the timeline, instead
of preserving it.
21 Jump Street – A Familiar Flavor
Undercover officers Schmidt and Jenko are given a simple mission: infiltrate and bring
down a high school designer drug ring. Finding the dealer is simple enough, but finding his
supplier and kingpin proves more challenging. But it didn’t have to be. After the two
first take the drug while at school, Jenko notes that “it tastes like cool ranch”.
Just a few moments later, Coach Walters appears snacking on – you guessed it - Cool Ranch
Doritos. Walters is revealed to be the operation’s mastermind, explaining where that flavor came
from. The officers may have spotted the clue, if they weren’t too distracted by their
own tongues.
Reservoir Dogs – Big Tippers
After a jewel heist goes horribly wrong, Quentin Tarantino’s cast of thieves are convinced
that there’s a rat in their midst, with the survivors left to find out which one of
their team may be working with the police. A collection of bottles hints that Mr. Orange
isn’t on the same side as Mr. White or Pink, but the undercover LAPD officer actually lets
his secret slip in the very first scene. First, he changes his mind to fit in with his colleague.
Then when the group is asked who didn’t tip for their breakfast, Orange immediately
squeals, showing he doesn’t subscribe to the same code as his partners. If only they’d
caught it, the movie’s ending might have been a lot less messy.
Fight Club – Flashes of Tyler
When the Narrator learns that he and Tyler Durden are actually the same person, it blows
his mind - but eagle eyed viewers weren’t caught completely by surprise. In the film’s
first act, the Narrator begins to see quick glimpses of Tyler as he battles his insomnia,
suggesting he’s simply a figment of his imagination begging to be unleashed. If that
wasn’t enough, Tyler later calls the Narrator on a pay phone that doesn’t accept incoming
calls. Saving the big twist from eagle-eyed viewers was obviously not a priority for director
David Fincher. “He is Jack’s Spoiler Alert.”
The Sixth Sense – An Unfriendly Ghost
Discovering that Bruce Willis’s character was dead the whole time is one of the greatest
twists in cinematic history, immediately warranting a second viewing, where viewers learn the
twist wasn’t necessarily a total surprise. It makes sense for Crowe to spend plenty of
time with his patient Cole, but it is a little strange that he doesn’t address any other
human after the opening scene, at one point arriving late for an anniversary dinner, with
his wife not even acknowledging his presence. The clues are subtle enough to go unnoticed
the first time, but on repeat viewings, they’re impossible to miss.
Shutter Island – A Glass Half Full
The movie’s story of a Federal Marshall pursuing a killer in a remote mental hospital
is turned on its head in Shutter Island, when hero Teddy Daniels is revealed to be a patient
acting out an elaborate fantasy. It’s a shocking twist, but viewers should have known
that Teddy’s experience was less than reliable. When a patient requests a drink during her
interview, the glass she drinks from is non-existent, returning only when it has been completely
drained. Teddy’s fear of water may be actively censoring what he does, and doesn’t see,
but regardless, it’s just one of the clues that show the investigation is not what it
seems.
The Usual Suspects – The Truth is Golden
Everyone was floored to learn the unassuming Verbal Kint was really the criminal mastermind
Keyser Soze, but hints were sprinkled throughout this mysterious crime drama. In the film’s
opening scene, the faceless Keyser lights a cigarette with a gold lighter before setting
a fiery blaze. Later on when Verbal leaves the police station, one of his belongings
is a gold cigarette lighter - the same one used in that first sequence. It’s a minor
detail before the far larger twists are revealed, meaning deductive viewers realized the truth
before the characters in the story.
The Big Lebowski – No Strike, He’s Out
Since the film’s starring duo spends most of their time dismissing their fellow bowler,
Donnie, viewers might not notice that every time he’s shown bowling, he gets a strike
– until his final game. He seems as confused as anyone when he leaves pins standing, but
exits the bowling alley to face off against a group of violent nihilists, where he succumbs
to a heart attack and dies. Turns out, his last bowl was an ominous piece of foreshadowing.
What would have happened if he’d thrown a gutter ball?
The Prestige – Look to The Birds
A single trick lies at the heart of this tale of rival magicians, with Hugh Jackman’s
character desperately trying to learn how Christian Bale’s Borden can transport between
two points instantly. He eventually recreates the trick by copying himself, drowning each
time as his new copy appears to wow audiences. In the end, Borden’s explanation is a twin
brother, not actual magic – a secret discovered early on by a young boy unconvinced by a ‘disappearing
bird’ trick. The boy sees what the audience doesn’t, but even his rival’s horrifying
loop of suicide is explained using the same dead bird.
The Dark Knight Rises - The League’s Mark
The third of Christopher Nolan’s Batman films finds Bruce Wayne surprised and devastated,
discovering his corporate ally and lover “Miranda Tate” is actually Talia al Ghul, daughter
of Batman Begins villain Ra’s al Ghul. But her membership in the League of Shadows is
foreshadowed long before she confesses it. Bruce makes a note of a triangular scar on
her back which is never explained, but are similar to those covering Bane’s head, implying
a link between the two. Some have argued that the scar resembles the brand of the League
seen in Batman Begins, but whatever the case, having a villain covered in scars suggested
there was more to “Miranda” than met the eye.
Those are our picks for great clues hidden in the background of movies. Are there any
we missed? Sound off in the comments section below and be sure to subscribe to our channel
for more videos like this one!