10 Iconic Movie Moments (That Were Only Added At The Last Minute)

8. The Fake Keaton Twist - The Usual Suspects

The Iconic Scene: Spoilers, obviously. One of the strongest elements of The Usual Suspects' last minute rug-pull (Kevin Spacey's small time criminal Verbal Kint is actually legendary crime lord Keyser Söze) is that the movie has presented a twist already. Said twist is that it's Dean Keaton, Kint's mentor and presumed friend, who's been pulling the strings. This is subsequently shown to be a lie, a misconception that's all part of Söze's plan, allowing the real reveal to take the audience off guard; even if you'd been told there was a twist, this devious slight-of-hand ensures the Söze reveal still retains an ability to shock. Why Was It Last Minute? There's countless stories of a film's production over-running and comparatively few where one's so well ran it manages to take less time than expected. So naturally Bryan Singer was on top of the world when finishing The Usual Suspects, thinking the editing would be done two weeks ahead of schedule. Then, one morning, he realised he'd utterly neglected to make the montage that posits Keaton as Söze. As just a dialogue exchange, the reveal falls rather flat, coming across as a lacklustre plot conclusion, possibly even making it overly obvious that it's really trying to waylay the audience.