10 Recent Movies That Totally Tricked Audiences

6. Serenity's Insane Plot Twist Threw Everyone Off

On paper, Serenity seemed like a sure recipe for success. Helmed by acclaimed filmmaker Steven Knight (Dirty Pretty Things, Locke) while casting Matthew McConaughey opposite Anne Hathaway, a dishy genre thriller was surely on the cards.

But then Serenity actually hit cinemas, and the film was actually something very different altogether.

This movie is destined to be remembered only for its certifiably insane plot twist, where it's revealed that the central narrative is actually a video game created by the grieving son of McConaughey's real-life equivalent, who happens to be dead.

Clearly the studio knew that even hinting at this twist could sway audiences away, and while the execution of said twist is terrible, it at least makes Serenity a more interesting film than had it merely been a B-grade thriller from A-list talents.

But for the popcorn-gobbling crowds hoping to watch a sexy thriller starring two beautiful actors, its nuttier aspirations just felt pointlessly intrusive. Whether you dug the twist or not, it's fair to say that everyone was fooled.