10 More Disturbing Plot Twists In Non-Horror Movies

Atonement has its issues, but it does contain one of the best plot twists of all time - not to mention one of the most upsetting. 

The film's lead is Briony (Saoirse Ronan), a teenager who has a crush on Robbie (James McAvoy), the gardener on her wealthy family's estate. Jealous of his relationship with her older sister Celia (Keira Knightley), Briony falsely implicates Robbie for a sexual assault committed on the family estate, and Robbie is sent to prison and then off to fight in World War II. The real offender (Benedict Cumberbatch) eventually marries his victim (Juno Temple) and gets away with it. Years later, Briony visits Celia and Robbie in London, but they cannot bring themselves to forgive her. 

Still, at least the couple are finally able to be together... right? No. The truth is revealed in the film's closing scene, and it's heart-breaking. 

Atonement's final scene sees an elderly Briony (Vanessa Redgrave) being interviewed about the book that she has written about these events. She explains that the scene with Robbie and Celia reunited was fictitious. Robbie died during the evacuation of Dunkirk, and Celia died during the London Blitz. Having denied them their happy ending in real life, she chose to grant them one in her book. 

This ending alone makes Atonement, flaws and all, well worth seeing.