10 MORE War Movie Plot Twists Nobody Saw Coming

Few plot twists exemplify the hopeless nature of war better than the devastating conclusion to Wolfgang Peterson's Das Boot.

Brilliantly capturing the individualistic aspects of a submarine crew at the height of WWII, the iconic 1981 offering follows U-96 - a German submarine mired in the thick of the Battle of the Atlantic. The crew undergo a litany of traumatic flashpoints across the course of the film, from being bombarded with depth charges to narrowly avoiding implosion after the submarine sinks to its rated limit.

As such, the desolating turn of events that awaits the film's protagonists upon returning to the supposed safety of La Rochelle comes as a shock to even the most pessimistic viewers. The U-boat's luck finally runs out in harrowing fashion after U-96 is sunk by Allied fighter planes - a jaw-dropping surprise attack that sees the U-boat's captain and the majority of the crew killed or wounded.

After witnessing the array of arduous trials and tribulations endured by U-96's crew across 149 minutes, watching the crippled submarine sink into the depths is akin to watching a beloved human character slowly bleed out - a gut-wrenching conclusion to a war film like no other.

There are many fine movies concerning submarines but none will ever surpass Peterson's inimitable outing.