Exploring What Separates A Good Crazy Plot Twist From A Bad One

If you are an aspiring screenwriter looking to create the next seminal film in plot twists, you may want to view episodes of the original “Scooby-Doo.” Here me out, or better yet, watch this video essay by Now You See It that dives into the intricacies and formulaic narrative modes necessary to have a satisfying plot twist.

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Bear in mind; this video essay does contain spoilers for films “Now You See Me,” “Primal Fear,” and minor spoilers from “The Prestige.” In this cohesive rehashing of the video essay, however, we’ll let the video do the plot spoiling. Plot twists are essential self-explanatory by name. A plot twist is, as the video essay asserts, a totally unexpected outcome to a story.

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With the example of “Now You See Me,” audiences are confronted with the plot twist by the end of the film, just as the definition would lead one to assume. It is, however, the outcome that audiences may find they are not satisfied with. Throughout the film, there is little to no indication that the narrative upending is plausible, making the ending all the more frustrating for viewers.

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Though it is relatively predictable, the original “Scooby-Doo” series offered story surprises that made sense, and the audience could follow as active participants in the story. By having just enough information, audiences can come to certain conclusions as to identifying the narrative curveball. “Primal Fear” follows the “Scooby-Doo” formula, giving audiences enough information that leads to an eventuality that seems accurate. Though the subtlety of the information is definite, upon re-evaluating the narrative by its conclusion, it seems believable without being predictable, and in the end, we have been duped. In the same way, Christopher Nolan “The Prestige” follows a formula that has the shock value of “Now You See Me” while following the plausibility of the “Scooby-Doo” formula, however, it’s inspired revelation is more epiphany. Films with successful plot twist give just enough information but not enough to ease the shock value or see the conclusion coming.