10 Devious Ways Movies Tried To Trick You

There are lots and lots... and lots of clues that hint at Shutter Island's incredible twist in that Leonardo DiCaprio's 'Teddy Daniels' is not only a patient of Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane but he is also the self-perceived murderer and arsonist Andrew Laeddis, the man he has been obsessed with pursuing due to the part he played in his wife Dolores' death, played by Michelle Williams. 

Of course, it's easier said than done to talk about these clues having watched the film beforehand. 

However, the fact that there are so many plot seeds planted during its two-hour-plus duration just goes to show how Martin Scorsese delivers the perfect balance between controlled direction and misdirection. 

DiCaprio's character is deployed as an unreliable narrator, unable to blur the lines between what is real and what isn't, and the same rules apply to the audience. 

We as the viewers struggle to dissociate and distinguish fact from fiction so we rely on Daniels/Laeddis to determine this for us without knowing he can't himself.

Factors such as the invisible cup, Chuck's (played by Mark Ruffalo) discomfort around guns, the guard's general unease around Daniels/Laeddis and relative reluctance to search for the escaped 'Rachel' and how, for at least the first half of the film, DiCaprio's character is unable to light a cigarette himself due to his fear of fire but as Daniels and Laeddis become one singular being, he lights matches with complete ease. 

We're given the tools by Scorsese to uncover the truth, but we're just unsure what to do with them and that makes for devious ploy from one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. 

Kudos sir!