The Setup: In Unbreakable, Shyamalan's follow-up to The Sixth Sense, Bruce Willis plays Philadelphia security guard David Dunn, who is the sole survivor of a train crash that kills the remaining 130 passengers. The only one who seems to fully recognize this miraculous anomaly, however, is Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), a wheelchair-bound comic-book store owner who's struggled all his life with a rare disease that makes his bones extremely fragile. Obsessed with the superhero vs. villain ideologies found in his beloved comic books, he's convinced that David is "unbreakable," his own opposite extreme. Through a newfound bond with Elijah, David discovers he has powers other than inhuman strength (he can tell if a person has committed a crime through touch) and tracks down bad guys.
The Twist: Although some argue the twist is learning that David's only weakness is water (which he discovers after being pushed into a pool by an attacker), the most devastating moment is when Elijah, seemingly harmless and fragile, reveals himself to be the one behind all of the horrific terrorist attacks. Among other events, he caused David's train crash, convinced he could suss out his physical opposite, a real-life superhero, this way. The real kicker is that in doing so, he himself becomes the villain of the story (called "Mr. Glass").
The Verdict: This twist is truly surprising thanks to great performances from Willis and Jackson, who make the hero vs. villain dichotomy way less obvious than it could've been throughout the film.
