10 Reality-Warping Sci-Fi Endings

By Evan Saathoff

We do not yet know how Tom Cruise's upcoming Oblivion will end, but indicators from the various trailers for the film all point to a reality warping twist. This has been a science fiction genre staple for quite some time now, and often challenges everything a character thought he or she knew about their world. Here are just 10 of sci-fi's many examples. Obviously, spoilers galore to follow.

Planet of the Apes

Probably the most famous example of the trope. After crash-landing his spaceship on a crazy planet in which apes reign supreme over mute, animalistic humans, Charlton Heston discovers that he was on Earth all along. The sight of a mostly submerged Statue of Liberty might be the most potent symbol for reality-warping sci-fi twist endings yet conceived.

The 13th Floor

In The 13th Floor, Craig Bierko must investigate the murder of a good friend and inventor of a complex virtual reality system. While jumping in and out of various VR constructs gathering evidence, Bierko comes to learn that both he and his reality are merely virtual constructs in an even larger system. In other words, he lives in a virtual reality world that made its own virtual reality world.

The Matrix

The Matrix's reality-warping twist ending is unique because it's not a twist ending at all, but rather the film's opening premise. After a mysterious first act raises many questions, The Matrix dives head-first into answers and goes from there. The world Neo believes is real is merely an artificial reality formed to keep sleeping humans docile while robots turn them into food.

Twelve Monkeys

The world is devastated by an ugly virus which forces humanity underground. Future scientists send prisoner Cole (Bruce Willis) back in time to investigate how the virus began. Not only does Cole end up playing a role in the virus' origins, but he gets shot to death right before the eyes of his younger self, indicating that this has all happened before and would all happen again no matter what.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is famous for resembling a warped expressionistic nightmare. But it's not until the end of the film that we find out why director Robert Wiene chose this abnormal visual aesthetic. It turns out the whole story was being told by one crazy person to another crazy person both of whom are surrounded by other crazy people. So it makes sense that it looks so crazy.

Existenz

Existenz takes place in an a future where video game consoles are living pods that you plug directly into your body. So it should come as no surprise when the whole story turns out to have taken place inside a different game called "tranCendenZ." But as soon as we settle into this more realistic setting, the film questions its veracity as well, leaving us with little faith in any reality at all.

Dark City

We can tell something is up with the dark, highly stylized city that provides Dark City's setting. The buildings change. The sun never rises. Advertised areas, such as the bright and beautiful Shell Beach, don't seem to exist. It turns out this city is one big artificial habitat floating in outer space to keep people in one place while a group of dying aliens perform experiments on them.

Sucker Punch

Sucker Punch tells us right up front that its reality takes place in an insane asylum, rather than a musical brothel or series of video game worlds. But by the time the film ends, we totally forget. So it's a bit of a shock when we return to the gritty world of the film's opening. Things get even more confusing when video game mentor Scott Glenn shows up in the "real" world to help out.

Vanilla Sky

It doesn't take long for Vanilla Sky (or Open Your Eyes, the Spanish film upon which it is based) to start getting weird and dreamlike. And with good reason. Most of the film takes place in Tom Cruise's crumbling dream reality. It turns out the real Tom Cruise has been snoozing in an induced coma for 150 years after a failed suicide attempt inspired by the loss of his face in a car accident.

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

With his black attire, inhuman mask, and mechanically modified voice, Darth Vader's iconic villainy is absolute to all viewers regardless of age or language. Even dogs probably know he's not to be trusted. So when Luke Skywalker learns that Vader is actually his father, the shock is big enough to throw everything we thought we knew about the Star Wars universe into a tailspin. This one's famous for a reason.

What's your favorite sci-fi twist? Tell us below.