13 Brilliant Plot Twists That Couldn't Quite Save Terrible Movies
7. The Tourist - Frank Is Really Alexander Pearce
The Twist: Alexander Pearce, responsible for stealing billions from a gangster, and owing hundreds of millions in taxes, has disappeared, leaving instructions for his lover, Elise (Angelina Jolie) to board a train and find a man who police will believe is him.
She picks out Frank Tupelo (Johnny Depp) an American math teacher and they begin a tryst across Venice, dodging both the police and gangsters looking for Pearce. When everyone catches up to them, Frank reveals his true identity by correctly opening Pearce’s safe and returning the money he owed to the government.
Why It Almost Saved The Movie: This entire movie looked like it should have worked on paper. It was supposed to be a fun caper with two of the world’s biggest stars but instead, it was a convoluted mess unsure of itself starring two actors with no chemistry.
The twist doesn’t make up for an hour and a half of mismatched casting, but it offers a modicum of satisfaction about the entire thing. Like any good twist, it also provides a cause for re-watch, mostly to see how Depp behaves while knowing who he really is.