Does Saying a Movie Has a Twist Ending Sort of Spoil the Movie?

yes kind of

I think it depends on the movie itself. The first time I watched The Usual suspects I was told that it had one of the biggest twist endings and that was it. By the end of the movie I still couldn't figure it out and the ending really took me off guard and made it even better. On the other hand I recently watched House of Games not knowing anything about it and figured out the (sort of) twist ending to that, without realizing there was a twist ending to begin with. I think the way the movies are executed determines whether or not the knowledge of a twist ending is going to ruin the movie for you. It comes down not necessarily what happens, but how it happens. You mentioned The Sixth Sense. I thought that worked well because while the movie is littered with evidence to the ending, M. Night doesn't go around blatantly building up the small stuff to the point that most people are going to figure it out. Other times I feel like movies want that twist ending, but don't want to spend the time coming up with a story to "hide" the ending, my example would be Saw III. By the end of that the "twist" was so obvious that it weakened the movie (although I'm sure that most people would say that the movie was ruined before it began filming).

Knowing that a movie has to twist ending can easily ruin a movie, but that's really only if you spend the entire movie trying to figure out the ending. If you know a movie has a twist, but don't spend the entire time trying to find it, then there can be a sense of enjoyment. But if the writer/director can "hide" the ending by making the movie more captivating, whether it be by including red herrings or following how they think the majority of the movie going audiences would think, before revealing the end, then the knowledge of a twist shouldn't ruin the movie watching experience.

In a way, yes. But if a given film is built purely on the power of its twist, well… it might not be that much of a film. Good twist, yes, but a valuable film, no.

But to answer your question, I think it most certainly does affect the climate when you go into a film knowing there's a twist. But by the same token, any critical writing of a film will colour anyone's expectations. Ideally, someone would go into a film without any expectations or preconceptions whatsoever. But that's a bit of a pipe-dream, really. And it would put so many decent, honest, journalists out of work…

I knew "The Sixth Sense" had a twist ending when I first went to see it, and it was still powerful for me. It made me want to see the entire film again already knowing the end, so I did. Then there are films like "Dark City," a film that gave it away its secret in the middle and carried you on from the reveal. Not THAT is interesting.

There are two types of films with twist endings. There are ones in which you know something is happening but you just don't know what it is, like "Dark City" and "Stay." And then there are films that seem to be going one way but the reveal at the end throws everything you've seen into a new perspective like "The Sixth Sense" and "Five Fingers." I've always thought it did no harm to know that there is a twist as long as no one tells you what it is. I'm still capable of sinking into the story and letting it carry me away without being overly examinatory. But that's just me. I know that if it is fascinating enough I'll be getting the DVD and watching it over and over again.

But you raise an interesting question. In today's electronic communication age, there is no way that someone, somewhere won't tell you there's a twist. Many so called reviewers have no hesitation of even giving the twist itself away. I remember when Roger Ebert reviewed "The Sixth Sense" and he castigated other reviewers who were saying too much.

So bottom line, Brad, we'll never know unless we go to see an obscure film that no one has talked about. I think I would LOVE that experience.

initially i would say yes, it feels like you scrutinise a movie more if someone says there is a twist and a twist is something unexpected, something that works best when it takes you unawares. Saying that i saw the Sixth Sense for the first time two years ago and it was great, the twist wasn't the twist i was expecting. It depends on how much the reviewer reveals and how the twist is implemented in the film but i'd prefer not be told there's a twist, or if there's a shocking ending and just go without thinking a certain expectation will be fufilled… but i won't know what the shock or twist is until i see it so i can't say that it spoils it, perhaps it just alters expectations

Nobody talks about the small twist ending in "No Country for Old Men". I was not sure about when the story took place until I saw the grave stone.

The one great thing a movie theater has (for me) over a home video is I can shut my brain off and be surprised, unlike being at home.

Some people disagree with me, but I think "The Sixth Sense" is an amazing film, regardless of whether or not you know the twist. I think it's become the second "Empire Strikes Back"–that is to say, the great film that everyone already knows the twist to, and that it should be watched even if it's already been spoiled for you. The story between Dr. Malcolm and Cole is such a good one, and Willis and Osmont are so amazing in their roles (especially surprising and pleasing is Osmont, who is the best child actor of all time, literally) that the movie stands up as a drama, even without its great twist.

Other movies I couldn't say the same thing. Basically, if the movie is great even without its twist, then it doesn't really matter if you're expecting a twist ending. If it's based entirely on the twist, then it can only be watched once or twice at the most.

Also, nobody's mentioned the triple-whammy at the end of "Atonement." It's so ingenious, because one never expects a twist in a romantic war drama, but that's what we got. But thankfully it is one of the movies that doesn't rely on its twist; it is merely the garnish on an already moving movie.