Ending Not a Surprise

Rating: 1/10 (27 October 2007)

I was deeply disappointed by this movie. The alleged and hyped twist ending could not have been more predictable. As soon as the mystery character was introduced, I suspected who it would be. As the story unfolded, it was clearer and clearer that it could be only one person. In a bit of Sherlock Holmes logic, all the other options were eliminated and the final remaining choice had to be the correct choice.
We know from early on that the narrating character survives the opening sequence unscathed. That alone was a huge signal which spoils any chance of a surprise. The narrating character is revealed to be an excellent story teller, to be manipulative, cunning, and incapable of being truly frightened. Those are exactly the characteristics of the mystery character. Again, this made the ending obvious.
That the story is filled with 90% false information is disappointing. It's a fundamental violation of the compact between the storyteller and the audience. Perhaps if the twist were not so clearly communicated from the beginning, perhaps if there really was some thought required in getting to the ending, then perhaps it might have some shred of justification. Only perhaps, though -- In the end, almost certainly not.