Something I've become fascinated with lately... Killing off the main character of the film about a third of the way thru, switching a secondary to lead and having him finish the film off. Think "Departed" and what they did with Leo. When Leo took a bullet to the head I have not seen a theatre react in such shock before. Those of us knew that the Wahlberg payoff was coming but many thought the film was really going to end on a somber note. Its hit the audience pretty hard, it took a second to get your mind back into the movie... you were really thrown for a loop.
Spoiler ahead.... there's one movie I think might do the surprise better... that would be 'To Live and Die in L.A." It might contain the most memorable death scene ever in a film. The main character (played by the underrated William Petersen) eats a shotgun to the face about a quarter into the film. This is the same person who we have spent the whole film with. The death is not even dramatic or anything. He chases some bad guys and one of them pulls a shotgun out of a locker and blows him to death in real time. Theres no slo-mo and his partner is not even given a chance to mourn as he is thrust into the lead and continues chasing the bad guys. It is so shocking and jarring that it is nearly impossible to watch the rest of the movie. Your in such shock and awe that your brain melts and slides out your ear.
From where I sit, this ranks just slightly above the founder of this.... "Psycho". It starts with this one girl and the film seems like its going to be about crime and thievery and what not and them boom knife in the shower and we are in a "horror" movie and your new main character is Norman Bates...Nothing else to add really, just think that its really cool when done correctly.
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