Twist endings that do/don't completely obviate the whole rest of the story

the problem with the usual suspects is that there's nothing at all that could be seen as a clue to the real story going on. since it's just all made up, basically, the story could have literally been anything at all and the ending could have been exactly the same because there's no logic to it.

I dunno if I buy this - I mean, sure, the story could have been anything at all cause it's just some guy making shit up, but how does that make it much different from...any piece of fiction? basically if 'this is all just a lie' is enough to spoil your enjoyment of a film, must be pretty hard to enjoy anything that isn't a documentary. okay, so it's one more level deep, story within a story. for me, the movie's even more appealing after the first time cause the story that's being told is...self-aware and sorta purposeful and you're thinking about that the whole time. basically starting w/ the 2nd viewing, it's a movie that wants you to *end* your suspension of disbelief (on one level.)

that there aren't any clues until the very end is a virtue...keeps this from being a cheesy mystery. instead it's just about some guy keeping another guy distracted for 90 minutes by using a narrative that is just-convincing-enough...which is basically what films are about. (I'm sure 100 people have made this same point w/ this film / any story-within-story in a much more coherent way.)

Without the twist you wouldn't have leagues of retards asking "so what really happened?"

You guys are kind of ignoring the fun clues that you can find in the Usual Suspects too, like how Pollak is obviously the guy who stole the gun parts, because when they all get arrested he's lounging in the cell.

Best "twist" endings: Frailty, The Dark Hours, Orphan (for sheer lols), The Hours.
Worst: definitely High Tension.

usual suspects was def an awesome movie to see when i was 14, i kinda think sometimes that it and pulp fiction are responsible for my (mostly superficial) critical choices about "good movies"

Seven Pounds, although it's not so much an example of a 'twist ending' as it is an example of 'the whole movie is predicated on you dying to know what's revealed at the end, and is barely watchable even the first time'

Citizen Kane counts right?

I'm thinking that Rosebud was just a Macguffin and it wasn't very important to the movie that it turned out to be a sled.

The Sixth Sense was cornpone predated by Jacob's Ladder, Carnival of Souls, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, Siesta, An Incident at Owl Creek Bridge, and who knows what else.

Any book written by Christopher Priest.

(Based on extrapolation from the ones that I've read)

tl;dr but i agree with the premise that empire >>>> the usual suspects!

Usual Suspects was entirely boned by the audience hearing Spacey's voice in the opening scene. Overacting was fun though.

April Fool's Day sorta obviates the entire story to make there no actual horror at all. Yet I still love it

Se7en

think the idea is "a cop would uphold the law and AWWEST the guy but he succumbed to his rage".

i totally called what was in the box

Sure, that's "the idea", but the filmmakers are pretending that has any force against the audience's desire to see vengeance done: "you wanted him to keep his cool, but, oh dear!!"