10 Most Perfect Movie Plot Twists of the 1980s, Ranked for Their Surprises
A military mystery turns inward
No Way Out, directed by Roger Donaldson, follows naval officer Tom Farrell, played by Kevin Costner. He is having an affair with Susan Atwell, played by Sean Young, who is also involved with Defense Secretary David Brice, played by Gene Hackman.
After Brice kills Susan during a jealous fight, he blames a supposedly fictitious Russian spy named Yuri. As Tom and others in the military search for Yuri, the film reveals that Tom himself is the operative they have been pursuing.
A detective confronts his past
In Alan Parker’s Angel Heart, private investigator Harry Angel, played by Mickey Rourke, is hired by Louis Cyphre, played by Robert De Niro, to find missing singer Johnny Favorite. Harry’s investigation takes him from New York City to New Orleans, and people he interviews end up dead.
The story reveals that Harry is Johnny, after Johnny switched bodies with Harry, a World War II soldier who became amnesiac. Cyphre is the devil, and the murders leave Harry’s soul in his hands.
A sudden change of genre
Steve De Jarnatt’s Miracle Mile begins as a light romantic story. Musician Harry Washello, played by Anthony Edwards, meets and falls for diner waitress Julie Peters, played by Mare Winningham.
Harry goes to the diner hoping to catch Julie during her shift, but a ringing payphone outside draws his attention. The film’s tone and the protagonist’s understanding of events change dramatically as the story unfolds.
Key points
- No Way Out reveals that Tom Farrell is the Russian operative called Yuri.
- Angel Heart’s detective Harry Angel is revealed to be missing singer Johnny Favorite.
- Miracle Mile shifts from romantic comedy toward a more alarming story.
- The films use identity revelations and sudden changes in tone to unsettle audiences.