A good foreshadowing can make any movie even more fascinating to watch. These subtle clues about events yet to come will often go over the audience’s mind the first time around, but can be exciting to warning after a new observation. After all, these brief moments could prove that the filmmakers knew exactly what they were doing all along, having thought about exactly how the film would end from the moment it began.
Some iconic films, however, take this idea even further. Every now and then, a film is made that subtly reveals important details of the ending in the first sequence. A carefully constructed opening scene has the ability to hint at where the film might be going, even if viewers don’t realize it’s all being laid out right in front of them. While they may go unnoticed on first viewing, these opening scenes creatively reveal how the film will end, turning the ending into a satisfying, full-circle moment.
10
Citizen Kane (1941)
Kane’s Death (and the Meaning of Rosebud)
Any dedicated film fan will certainly be familiar with Orson Welles’s groundbreaking 1941 film, Citizen Kane. Often hailed as the best film of all time, Citizen Kane tells the complicated story of a rich and powerful man named Charles Foster Kane, from his humble beginnings to his death. Much of the film is driven by the work of Jerry Thompson, a reporter tasked with finding the meaning of Kane’s enigmatic final word, “Rosebud”, after his death.
Particularly astute viewers, however, will notice that much Citizen KaneThe ending of is revealed in the first scenes. The opening scene reveals not only the sad and lonely state of Kane’s death (despite his enormous wealth), but the meaning of his famous last word. Kane spends his last moments looking at a snow globe that resembles his childhood home during the winter. His enduring fascination with what the snow globe represents serves as a subtle clue that “Rosebud” was the name of his childhood sled, a symbolic link to the humble life he likely missed.
9
Skyfall (2012)
M’s death is revealed in the opening credits
Daniel Craig’s third time starring as iconic British agent James Bond certainly started off with a bang. In the moving opening scene of Fall from the sky, Bond is inadvertently shot, causing him to plunge into a nearby river. As he sinks into the murky water, a dreamlike opening credits sequence begins. This is where the filmmakers really showed off their creativity, hiding major foreshadowing not just in the opening scene, but in the mysterious credits sequence.
While viewers may initially dismiss this as just another disturbing visual, this carefully planted detail is actually a subtle hint that M won’t survive until the end of the film.
Throughout the sequence, the names of the actors and crew members are shown at the top of a wide display case of almost hallucinogenic images. Interestingly, when the credit for Judi Dench’s recurring role as M is shown, the background transforms into a dark and mysterious cemetery. While viewers may initially dismiss this as just another disturbing visual, this carefully planted detail is actually a subtle hint that M won’t survive until the end of the film, which would otherwise come as quite a shock because of her consistent appearances. in the series.
8
American Beauty (1999)
Lester’s death is mentioned in the first minute
The film that won Best Film in 1999, American Beautyweaves a complex web of characters just trying to live their lives. Even with the multifaceted nature of its story, however, the film’s conclusion likely came as a shock to most audiences. After finally sharing a genuine interaction with Angela, his daughter’s best friend, the protagonist, Lester, is suddenly shot in the back of the head, killing him instantly.
Viewers with fond memories will recall that this isn’t the first time the idea of Lester’s death has been mentioned in the film. The first scene is set up as a kind of home movie, depicting a private conversation between Lester’s daughter, Jane, and her new boyfriend, Ricky. In this scene, Jane comments that she feels Lester should be “put out of his misery”, before coldly agreeing when Ricky offers to kill him. This scene, which at first could be considered funny, takes on a whole new meaning when Lester’s death finally arrives.
7
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
The beginning is The ending
The 2004 Oscar-winning sci-fi drama, Eternal Brightness of the Unsulliedpresents an impressively complex script, which constantly forces viewers to re-evaluate what they have just seen. The film’s overarching narrative follows Joel (played by Jim Carrey), a man who decides to undergo a procedure to erase all memories of his ex-girlfriend, Clementine (played by Kate Winslet), after discovering that she just had the procedure. also. After the procedures are finally completed, viewers watch Joel and Clementine meet “for the first time” again.
However, it is important to note that this is not the first time that the public has seen Joel and Clementine meeting. The film begins with the same scene of the pair meeting after going to the same beach, restaurant and train station. When it is first seen, viewers believe that this is the first time the characters have seen each other. Over the course of the film, it is gradually revealed that these events actually happen. after most of the film, and the scene is intended to portray Joel and Clementine experiencing a new beginning in their relationship.
6
The Thing (1982)
The pilot was screaming the truth
John Carpenter’s 1982 horror classic The thingis a chilling story of paranoia set on a glacier in frigid Antarctica. The film follows an isolated team of American researchers as they are slowly killed, one by one, by a mysterious alien entity that perfectly mimics the appearance and personality of its victims. Although the revelation of the creature’s abilities occurs before the end of the film, this discovery is still a crucial plot point. Interestingly, this was openly stated in the opening scene.
When the chase leads them to the American base (where most of the film will be set), the helicopter pilot begins screaming frantically in Norwegian before being suddenly killed.. Any Norwegian-speaking viewer would immediately have the crucial reveal spoiled by this scene, as the pilot is outright telling Americans that the dog is actually the murderous creature in disguise, completely explaining what the entity is capable of.
5
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Malcolm was killed in plain sight
M. Night Shyamalan is known for putting unexpected twists in his films, but the climactic reveal of The Sixth Sense is easily the best known of all. The acclaimed film stars Bruce Willis as Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist who works with the most unusual patient he has ever encountered; a child who claims to be able to see and interact with the dead. The shocking twist is that Malcolm was dead the whole time, revealing why his young patient was the only person who directly interacted with him.
Although the twist surprised audiences around the world, the opening scene of The Sixth Sense in fact, it doesn’t seem surprising when viewers know what to expect. The film begins with a distressed former patient breaking into Malcolm’s home, culminating in the patient shooting Malcolm and himself. The audience is never shown what happened to Malcolm immediately after the violent event, with the film simply moving forward a few months later. When the twist is revealed, it becomes clear that Malcolm did not survive the attack.
4
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
The breakfast scene had a deeper meaning
Quentin Tarantino established himself as a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood with his 1992 debut, Reservoir Dogs. The iconic crime film follows a team of criminals who reunite in their hideout after a robbery goes horribly wrong, leaving the surviving members determined to find out who the culprit is. Near the end of the film, Mr. Orange, who has been slowly bleeding throughout much of the film, is revealed to be an undercover police officer and that he was the one who foiled the group’s plan.
The film opens with the group of criminals having breakfast together in a diner.
Although not overtly stated, Mr. Orange’s true identity is hinted at in the film’s seemingly inconsequential opening scene. The film opens with the group of criminals having breakfast together in a diner. When it comes time to pay, it is revealed that one member did not leave a tip, prompting Mr. Orange to immediately report the culprit. While it may seem like a throwaway line, this brief moment is a clever foreshadowing of the revelation that Mr. Orange sold the team’s plan to the police.
3
Shutter Island (2010)
A simple mistake reveals that Chuck is not who he says he is
Martin Scorsese confused audiences with his 2010 psychological thriller, Shutter Islandstarring Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo. The twist-filled film follows Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio), a US Marshal sent to investigate the strange events unfolding at a remote psychiatric facility, alongside his new partner, Chuck Aule (Ruffalo). The shocking twist at the end of Shutter Island is that Teddy was actually a patient at the facility the entire time, and the entire investigation was a ruse designed to help him reconnect with his true identity.
This dramatic revelation is not only one of the most surprising, but also one of the most foreshadowed twists in modern cinema. The first act of Shutter Island is full of carefully disguised hints about what’s really going on on the island. One such hint comes during the opening sequence when Teddy and Chuck first arrive. When asked to remove his weapons, Chuck is unable to remove the gun from the holster despite his best efforts to appear knowledgeable. This brief action reveals that Chuck is not actually a federal agent, but a doctor at the hospital.
2
The End of the World (2013)
Gary’s memory really described the future
With a script written by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright, one could certainly assume that the 2013 sci-fi comedy The end of the worldit would be filled with clever bits of foreshadowing from beginning to end. This third film Cornet The trilogy features a group of old friends getting together to recreate a bar crawl they had done many years before, only for the plan to take a dark turn when they discover that a mysterious race of aliens is taking over their hometown.
The end of the world begins with the protagonist, Gary (Pegg), enthusiastically telling the story of the group’s original bar crawl decades earlier. Upon revisiting this opening scene, however, viewers will discover something quite intriguing; The details Gary describes about the original slash crawl can also be used to describe the film’s entire plot. While details may have changed from one tracking shot to another, Gary’s memory accurately reflects all of the chaotic events that unfold throughout the film, presenting the entire plot to the audience within the first few minutes.
1
The Prestige (2006)
The opening scenes explain the trick
In rare cases, the beginning of a film can spoil the ending without needing to say a single world. This is the case The prestigethe 2006 psychological thriller by Christopher Nolan. The film highlights the intense and bitter rivalry that grows between two magicians in Victorian England. The situation quickly escalates as one of the magicians develops a trick that appears to allow him to teleport, and the other becomes increasingly desperate to explain how this could be possible.
Ultimately, it is revealed at the end of the film that the trick is only possible because the magician has an identical twin. This solution is suggested from the first scenes of the film. The prestige open first with a series of identical top hats, before switching to a scene of identical birds in a small cage. Both visuals subtly indicate to the audience what is actually happening before them.