10 movies that foreshadow their endings

There are movies with plot twists that leave you wondering how you didn't see that coming. It's not that you weren't paying attention — just that masterful storytelling prevented you from guessing the climax. They expertly hid hints throughout the movie that pointed at its ending, which make sense when you look back. There are many such movies with little details and sneaky clues that foreshadow the ultimate, bombastic twist, in the guise of dialogues, symbolism, specific scenes, or visual cues. Here is a list of 10 films that blow your mind when you learn the way they successfully foreshadowed their conclusion.

Disclaimer: The following article and choice of films reflects the writer's personal opinion.

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The Prestige (2006)

One of Christopher Nolan's finest, The Prestige (2006) is hailed as an ideal example of a film that foreshadows its ending. When two friends-turned-rivals, Robert Angier and Alfred Borden, try to go one up against each other using their extraordinary skills as magicians, they are forced to confront the harrowing consequences of their obsession.

In one of the earliest scenes of the film, we see Borden perform a trick with two identical birds, where one is killed only to be replaced by the other. This is not just a hint at Borden's identical twin being the secret behind his famous act, The Transported Man, but also of the climactic plot where one of them sacrifices his life for the other to carry on. Moreover, the eventual suicide of Sarah Borden, wife of Alfred Borden, also foreshadows the mind-bending twist.

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Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Grave of the Fireflies (1988) is a Studio Ghibli masterpiece that throws light on the horrifying impact of World War II in Japan through the tragic journey of Seita and his younger sister, Setsuko. The film opens with the ghost of Seita watching his own death unfold before his eyes at a train station, and this hints how the story is about to retrace the heartbreaking events leading to that point.

In a poignant scene, when Setsuko asks Seita why fireflies have to die so soon, while burying dead fireflies, the question metaphorically mirrors the heart-rending fate and eventual deaths of the siblings, as both fall prey to malnutrition and starvation. In the end, the two souls find their way back to each other, standing amidst a field full of fireflies. The image is so achingly beautiful that we can't help but tear up at the bittersweet reunion.

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Midsommar (2019)

Ari Aster brought to life a brilliant piece of folk horror in 2019 with Midsommar. The film presents abundant symbolic references that cleverly point at its frightening destiny. For example, the mural we see at the beginning of Midsommar is actually a forewarning of the characters’ horrific fate, and a hint at some of the major events in the film, like Dani's family tragedy, the group's arrival in Harga, and the climactic rituals.

Moreover, there was a painting of a young woman in a crown kissing a bear, in Dani’s bedroom, just above her bed. The image was an eerie indication of Dani’s eventual crowning as the May Queen and Christian’s tragic demise in the bear costume. The creepy rituals and the sombre setting, amidst other elements, showcase Aster’s genius in planting the seeds of the film's climax right from its start.

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Pulp Fiction (1994)

Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 creation, Pulp Fiction, received universal praise for interweaving multiple stories through a fragmented narrative. In the first scene we are introduced to a couple, Ringo (a.k.a. Pumpkin) and Yolanda (a.k.a. Honey Bunny), who seem to be casually having a breakfast chat at a diner about robbing the place. Suddenly, they stand up and declare their intent of robbing to the other patrons and staff at the diner.

Fast forward to the climax, we return to the same diner scene from the beginning of the film, but this time we are presented with a different angle. Jules and Vincent are at the diner when the robbers are about to execute their plan. Jules, after introspecting his violent ways, allows the robbers to leave without harming them. By opening and closing with the same scene, Tarantino not only brings the film to a full circle but also showcases significant character development as a part of its emotional plot.

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Shutter Island (2010)

If you're watching Shutter Island (2010) for the first time, there is no way you would predict its mind-boggling ending. But after a couple of rewatches, you will be stunned at how brilliantly Martin Scorsese hid several clues that foreshadowed the great twist and its finale. In the opening scene, we see Teddy (aka Andrew Laeddis) struggling with a brutal bout of sea sickness, which could be a symbol of his aversion to water that was triggered by the traumatic event of his children’s drowning.

In a subsequent scene, Chuck acts clumsily with his gun holster even though he claims to be a U.S. Marshall. This is a subtle hint at his true identity, as we learn in the film's conclusion that Chuck is actually Dr. Sheehan, the psychiatrist who is only playing along with Teddy’s delusions as part of his treatment. Besides these, the nervousness of the guards at Ashecliffe to play along with a deranged patient, or Teddy’s haunting nightmares are other details that foretell the film's climax.

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Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Danny Boyle’s 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire was inspired from the novel, Q & A, penned by Indian writer Vikas Swarup in 2005. As Jamal participates in a game show to win the grand prize worth a million, he is reminded of his childhood through a series of flashbacks that provides subtle clues about the climax of the movie. Destiny is a major theme in the film as it opens with questioning how Jamal managed to come so far in a general knowledge contest despite growing up in the unforgiving alleys of an underprivileged slum. The options being 'A. He cheated,' 'B. He's lucky,' 'C. He's a genius,' and 'D. It is destiny.'

Another instance that foreshadowed the ending was the story of The Three Musketeers taught to Jamal in school. While his teacher mockingly referred to Jamal as Athos and his elder brother Salim as Porthos, Jamal suggested Latika be the third musketeer whose name they cannot recall. Skipping to the future, Jamal is asked the third musketeer’s name as the final question of the game show, worth 2 crore rupees. This early reference signals the complicated dynamics between Salim, Jamal, and Latika, hinting at how their fate is inevitably entangled.

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Gone Girl (2014)

In the 2014 psychological thriller, Gone Girl, based on Gillian Flynn’s eponymous novel, David Fincher drops subtle hints throughout the movie that lead the audience to a devastating finale, which seems destined to occur. The diary of Amy Dunne plays a major role as not just a plot device but also as a clever setup that Amy had orchestrated to frame her husband, Nick Dunne, from the very start.

Even the clues that Amy left for Nick’s at the anniversary treasure hunt, led him to the places tied to his affair, suggesting that she had been aware of his transgressions for a long time. In the opening scene we see Amy’s hair being gently stroked by Nick and the mood is a romantic one. However, towards the end, the near-identical scene is repeated with a more cold, ominous look from Amy, showcasing Fincher's pure cinematic excellence.

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Terrifier (2016)

There are very few movies as chilling as Terrifier (2016) in the slasher genre. When Art the Clown decides to wreak havoc on the town by executing a series of gruesome murders on Halloween night, only one survivor lives to tell the tale. There have been multiple hints at the disturbing ending, but the suspense and tension, built throughout the film by director Damien Leone, keeps the audience on the edge of their seats.

One such striking instance is Art’s unhinged behaviour at the Pizzeria when he meets Tara and Dawn for the first time and becomes growingly obsessive of Tara. It is an alarming sign of the deadly events that are about to follow. In the beginning of the film, we see a woman with a disfigured face interviewing for a Television show and in the climax we learn that she is Tara's sister who was the sole person to have walked out alive from the Halloween massacre. Terrifier leaves a lasting impression on the audience with its chilling horror.

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Memento (2000)

Christopher Nolan very efficiently scattered hints throughout the film that alluded to its ultimate twist. You'll be able to notice them only if you look closely enough. As we see a Polaroid snapshot of a dead body fading into white in the first scene of Memento (2000), it is a symbol of the film’s unique, unconventional structure and the fragmented sense of time depicted through Leonard’s experiences.

This reverse storytelling technique in the film not only sets the tone but also foreshadows the climax, suggesting that Leonard is trapped in an endless cycle of revenge and oblivion. We also learn that the dead body in the picture shapes a significant arc of the plot. Even the tattoos on Leonard’s body imply that he tends to rewrite his past to justify his actions.

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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

The film opens with a shot where Joel aimlessly boards a train to Montauk and crosses paths with Clementine on the way. As she teases him with the tune of Oh My Darling, Clementine, Joel is completely clueless. Little does he remember that he was the one to refer to the song when they used to go out in the past. This momentary lapse is a hint at the memory erasure process the two have undergone.

Even if the two tried to completely delete each other from their respective lives through the elaborate treatment, a particular memory remained: The one where Joel and Clementine made a promise to meet in Montauk. Thus, neither Joel’s journey to Montauk nor his rendezvous with Clementine is a coincidental event. Their love story was written in the stars, and director Michel Gondry uses the theme of destiny throughout the movie, subtly hinting at its ending.