12. Jack Vincennes (LA Confidential)
If there was ever a death that sent the plot of a film spiraling into another direction, Kevin Spacey's smooth-talking celebrity detective receiving a bullet to the chest mid-sentence, is certainly worthy of a mention. The slick crime drama flows at an enjoyable pace, with the good, the bad and the ugly (Spacey, Guy Pearce and Russel Crowe - you decide who is who) of LA's police department, investigating a series of violent murders across the city. However, when Spacey's character finds himself brushing a little too close to the truth, he's swiftly dealt with by the corrupt James Cromwell. From this point on, every minute that passes without Crowe and Pearce realizing that their very own Police Captain is the bad guy, you find yourself perched on the edge of your seat screaming at the screen to try and warn them. No? Okay just me. Nonetheless, Spacey's death serves to ramp up the tension and begins a ticking time bomb that counts down to the explosive finale. It's a masterclass in writing but it still breaks my heart knowing our enigmatic Vincennes never got to enjoy his last cup of coffee...