20 Horror Movies That Made You Root For The Wrong Person
5. Saint Maud
Saint Maud centres around Katie, a nurse who becomes disillusioned after accidentally killing a patient. Shortly after, she's tasked with caring for a terminally ill atheist, Amanda, and, after suffering religious visions, Katie comes to the conclusion she'll be redeemed if she converts Amanda.
Due to Katie's fragile mind, it's unclear whether her visions are authentic or if she's having a psychotic breakdown. So, when Amanda takes on a demonic form in the third act, Katie's faith is seemingly validated, since it proves God was testing her.
After destroying the demon, Katie prepares to ascend to Heaven, dousing herself in flames on a public beach. Instead of burning, she sprouts angelic wings, causing everyone nearby to bow down in awe, as Katie smiles proudly, believing she has done God proud.
However, in the final seconds, we get a shot of Katie screaming in agony while the flames incinerate her body. That's when the penny drops, proving Katie was suffering from hallucinations the entire time, meaning she murdered an innocent woman.
Those shocking final moments may be a blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot, but it completely recontextualises the entire story.