11 Surprise Movie Villain Reveals Everyone Loved
6. Leonard Shelby - Memento
Christopher Nolan is widely regarded as one of the very best directors in the game these days, and the movie that many view as putting the English director truly on the map is 2000's Memento.
For Guy Pearce's Leonard Shelby, the film is all about trying to work out - and then remember - who is responsible for the death of his wife. The issue for Leonard is, he's suffering from short-term memory loss, hence he has to detail all of his findings with Polaroid pictures, noted-down scribbles, and even tattoos.
In a genius move, the film spends a good chunk of its time running backwards, which adds further to the viewing experience where it pertains to the confused state of the film's lead character.
When Leonard finally does piece together this puzzle, it's a heartbreaking reveal for both Guy Pearce's character and for those of us who have watched along in the hope of Leonard finding out which son of a bitch was responsible for his wife's demise.
Tragically, that big reveal is that Leonard's memories had been betraying him, acting as a form of self-delusion, and that it was he who had killed his wife - albeit accidentally with an overdose of insulin - which in turn positioned him as a the villain of the picture.
Like some of the other villain reveals featured elsewhere in this article, the big twist of Memento is loved by so many for the simple fact of how much of a mind-blower it was.