10 Big Movie Twists That Were So Obvious It Actually Hurt

10. The Pizza Guy Isn't The Killer - Phone Booth

20th Century Fox

The Twist: Joel Schumacher's brilliantly tense, claustrophobic thriller revolves around Stu Shepard (Colin Farrell) being held at sniper-point in a phone booth, while the caller (who also happens to be the trigger-man) taunts him over the phone. Near the end of the movie, it appears as though the killer has been caught, having slashed his wrists in his hotel room rather than be taken alive by the cops.

Who does the culprit turn out to be? The pizza guy who had an altercation with Stu at the beginning of the movie. Except, as we realise moments later, he was murdered by the real killer and framed, while the actual bad guy (pictured above) gets away scot free.

Why It's Obvious: Though it's a rather ingenious ending on its own terms, the casting of Kiefer Sutherland to voice the caller was a major mistake in a sense, brilliantly creepy though his performance was. While it's reasonable from a viewer to expect that perhaps we would never actually see the killer's face by the end of the movie, as soon as it's fake-revealed to be the pizza guy, audiences familiar with Sutherland's voice will know that something is up.

The pizza guy talked with a distinct New York accent, whereas Sutherland's voice is...well, Sutherland's. When Sutherland finally cameos at the end of the movie, it's not so much a surprise twist as just catching up to audiences who no doubt figured it out moments earlier.

Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.