10 Greatest Fake Out Deaths In Movie History

Psyche!

There's nothing movie audiences love more, when done properly, than a good "Gotcha!" moment. We love being fooled, in essence, by the magic of modern moviemaking. Some of thosemoments are so good that they save otherwise abysmal movies, transforming 90 minutes of "bleh" into "one of the greatest movies of all time!" (step forward The Sixth Sense.) And the most tried-and-true method of drawing gasps from the audience is the fake out death. In a climactic scene, we see our hero (or our hero's friend/girlfriend/dog/enemy/enemy's dog) apparently meet their maker. Everyone cries (or cheers, depending on which side of the good and evil spectrum they fall on) and the movie proceeds. But wait, is that... it can't be. It is! They're alive after all, perfectly timing their return for dramatic effect or narrative drive. The ultimate twist has been pulled and now none of us know what's real anymore. Sometimes these near deaths are tacky and borderline insulting to those of us with working brains, but when they're utilized in the right way, they can deliver a solid gut punch that will be more memorable than any other part of the movie. Although a lot of the movies in this list are more than a decade old, it still has to be said: Possible Spoilers Ahead!
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Jacob is a part-time contributor for WhatCulture, specializing in music, movies, and really, really dumb humor.