There's nothing movie fans love more a twist you never see coming, and usually, the more
surprising a story, the better it is. But even eagle-eyed fans paying attention to the
smallest detail can be surprised at just how many hints, clues, or prophetic statements
that passed them by. These hints will definitely have you re-watching some of your favorite
films - even if you can't believe you didn't catch on the first time around. Be warned:
there are plenty of spoilers ahead in Screen Rant's 10 Amazing Clues You Missed In Movies.
Skyfall (MGM/Columbia Pictures)
It's usually hard to find any meaning in the opening credits of a James Bond adventure,
since they're famous for being more abstract and stylish than most of the movies that follow.
But Skyfall planted one major hint in its title sequence. The movie became famous for
its sombre tone, including an ending that saw Judi Dench's "M" killed in action and
replaced by Ralph. It shocked audiences, but not the people paying close attention at the
start, with the actress's name displayed over a headstone.
Interstellar (Paramount/Warner Bros.)
The film's physics-defying, brain-bending ending might have turned off some audiences,
but even if Interstellar's ending was confusing, it was a shocking twist. After a former astronaut
and his daughter are drawn to a secret NASA base by a mysterious "ghost," he winds up
saving mankind, using a black hole and some gravity to actually *become* the ghost that
sent him on the mission in the first place. It was a truly impossible time loop to predict...
until you remember the very first line of dialogue in the entire movie.
The Matrix (Warner Bros.)
Every fan of The Matrix remembers the first time seeing Neo interrogated by unknown agents,
long before they realized just what the Matrix or the programs were. For the rest of the
movie, Agent Smith seems determined to prove that the former hacker isn't really The One,
the man who will lead humanity to victory against the Machines. But he did have a warning.
Take a closer look at the green folder holding Neo's "file," and right below the "SECRET"
stamp, you'll notice the number one circled. That's why you always read the fine print.
Transformers Dark of the Moon (Paramount)
When Optimus Prime and his Autobots discover that a fellow Transformer crash landed on
the moon in the 1960s, they discover that the stranded Autobot is Sentinel Prime, the
leader who Optimus replaced. The hero is voiced by actor Leonard Nimoy, best known as "Mr.
Spock" from the original Star Trek. But the twist comes when Sentinel betrays them, siding
with the Decepticons to bring their home planet to Earth and destroy humanity. Seeing Spock
turn pure evil and try to take over the world only got him and Megatron killed. But if viewers
wanted to save themselves some time, they could've just taken Wheelie's advice in the
first few minutes.
The Dark Knight Rises (Warner Bros.)
We've already explained one reason audiences should've predicted the twist of Christopher
Nolan's third Batman movie, but fans only had to keep their eyes on the fire, and the
twist was practically obvious. For starters, fire is used all the time by Bane and his
followers, just like Ra's al Ghul in Batman Begins. It proved that the villains shared
the same mission, but there were even more hints that Miranda Tate was really the villain's
daughter Talia. No fan will forget the final question Ra's asked Bruce before his death:
"have you finally learned to do what is necessary?", so they should have caught Miranda using the
same phrase. Ra's even described the League's job as restoring the balance to the world
- years later, that was exactly what Miranda Tate claimed she was after the first time
she spoke with Bruce. Finally, her thoughts on fire should have made things completely
obvious.
Inception (Warner Bros.)
There's no shortage of theories surrounding the ending of this dream-stealing drama, but
forget asking if Cobb's top stopped spinning in the final shot - what if the entire movie
was one of his dreams? Start with the first rule of dreams Cobb explains?. The movie begins
that exact same way, starting at the end, then jumping to the beginning in the middle
of another job. We later learn that a dreaming mind clings to certain numbers. Soon after,
the train that took Cobb and his wife out of limbo shows up marked 3502. The team's
taxi is marked 2053, and Cobb's wife apparently committed suicide in room 3502 as well. To
top it off, Saito dreams of living in a house built on a cliff not once, but twice. The
dream should only be his, but when Cobb is reunited with his kids, pay close attention
to their words, not the spinning top.
Avatar (20th Century Fox)
James Cameron's 3D epic is about as science fiction and fantasy as blockbusters can get
- but the characters also can't seem to offer clues about what will happen to them by the
end of the movie. When Sigourney Weaver's scientist explains that outsiders aren't allowed
to get close to the planet's Tree of Souls, she says she'd be willing to give up her life
to know how it works. The wish comes true not long after, leaving
her mortally wounded. When she's taken to the Tree for a last ditch effort to save her
life, she and the audience realize she got her wish after all.
Star Wars (Lucasfilm/Disney)
As classic and timeless a story of "good vs evil" as Star Wars is, the films really only
offer one side of the story. The ancient Jedi prophecy of The Chosen One who would destroy
the Sith, for instance, was coming from the Sith's greatest enemies. In Episode I, the
actual prophecy only said that the Chosen One would only "bring balance to the Force".
And any fan of history and fantasy knows that prophecies aren't usually exactly as they
seem. If viewers took a second to ask what "balance" actually meant, then Anakin's story
is tragic - but exactly what was promised. He did terrible things, but did technically
"balance the force," leaving two Jedi to serve the light side, and two Sith lords to serve
the Dark. It only seems fair.
Star Trek Into Darkness (Paramount)
Fans of classic Star Trek can still debate the secrecy surrounding the updated version
of Khan for this Star Trek sequel, but the most staggering reveal for casual audiences
was the Vengeance, a massive attack ship that made the USS Enterprise look like a toy. But
the secret was spoiled in the first act. Admiral Marcus may have kept the ship's construction
under wraps, but the long line of spaceship models in his office includes every iconic
ship from the Trek TV show and films - finally landing on the Vengeance, clearly the villain's
favorite, going by his loving stare. Can you even call it a reveal when it's shoved in
the audience's face?
The Matrix Reloaded (Warner Bros.)
Becoming The One is a short victory, since The Matrix Reloaded delivered its own twist
ending. When Neo finally finished his quest and met the Architect, he learned he wasn't
the savior of mankind, just one in a long line, all doomed to repeat the same cycle
of Man/Machine war. It sent fans reeling, but probably shouldn't have, since it was
explicitly stated by the Merovingian a full 45 minutes earlier in the movie. The storm
of bullets made it hard to grasp what was just revealed, but even Neo didn't catch it,
so don't feel too bad.
Those are the coolest clues, hints, or teases we could find in our favorite films, but which
ones did we miss? Be sure to name them in the comments and subscribe to our channel
for more videos about the coolest facts in movies and TV shows!