10 Horror Movie Twists We All Saw Coming

9. The Husband Did It - What Lies Beneath

Angel Heart Mickey Rourke
DreamWorks

Robert Zemeckis' spooky thriller What Lies Beneath opens with Claire Spencer (Michelle Pfeiffer) hoping to reconnect with her distant husband Norman (Harrison Ford) after their daughter moves out. However, Claire's plan falls apart after she's suddenly haunted by a ghost. Upon further investigation, she suspects her neighbour murdered his wife, Mary, compelling her spirit to make contact with Claire.

Over time, Claire realises the ghost is of Madison; a student Norman had an affair with. When Madison was going to expose their relationship, Norman killed her.

Even though the movie bends over backwards to lead viewers astray with the neighbour subplot, Norman is the prime suspect (and not just because he's played by a Hollywood A-lister). Ford's character acts noticeably uncomfortable and angry each time Claire mentions Madison, which is immediately suspicious. When Norman admits he slept with the woman who died in mysterious circumstances, his motive is unmistakable.

But another reason why this reveal isn't that unexpected, is because the trailer spells everything out. All the teasers and promos emphasised the ghost isn't the neighbour's wife, and Norman has a big secret.

If anyone saw the trailer, they wouldn't need to watch the movie to work out What Lies Beneath's twist.

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James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows