10 Movie Scenes That Brilliantly Subverted Expectations

Michael Mann's incredible noir-thriller Collateral makes it blindingly obvious that imperiled cabbie protagonist Max (Jamie Foxx) is going to have his bacon saved by doggedly determined LAPD detective Ray Fanning (Mark Ruffalo).

Presumably, Fanning will be the one to gun assassin Vincent (Tom Cruise) down in the third act, but uh, that's not quite what happens. Not at all, really.

Fanning is quickly established to be the smartest and most empathetic cop in the entire movie, quickly figuring out that Max is being forced to drive Vincent around Los Angeles while he wipes out all the witnesses in a federal grand jury case.

Yet halfway through the film, Fanning rescues Max from a frenzied nightclub shootout, and as the pair exit the club, Fanning is shot and killed by Vincent totally out of nowhere.

At this point Vincent grabs Max and forces him back into the cab, all while Vincent and the audience are left completely shook that this neon-signposted Hero just got murdered like he was a totally anonymous goon.

It's brilliantly done, cleverly playing on our expectations of the genre and letting the audience know that if Max is gonna make it through the night, he'll need to stand up to Vincent himself - which he ultimately does.