Christopher Nolanis no stranger to plot twists, and his best one is a movie that never gets recognized as one of his best, even though it’s deserving of being one. Christopher Nolan has earned the praise and respect of critics and general audiences, and there’s always a lot of anticipation around his projects. Nolan’s movies stand out for the themes he addresses in them, such as time, identity, and memory, and he usually adds one or two plot twists that change the entire movie.
Christopher Nolan’s movieshave original stories and adaptations of other works, such asOppenheimerand his take on Batman intheDark Knighttrilogy, but even in those, Nolan managed to surprise the audience with some twists and turns. Some of themost acclaimed twists in Nolan’s moviesare the truth about the black hole inInterstellar, the identity of the killer inMemento, and Miranda Tate’s identity inThe Dark Knight Rises. However, his greatest plot twist is in one of his most underrated movies that is rarely counted among his best, even though it should totally be one.
The Prestige Is Still Christopher Nolan’s Greatest Movie Twist
The Prestige Has An Unpredictable Plot Twist
In 2006, Christopher Nolan brought the psychological thrillerThe Prestige, based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Christopher Priest.The Prestigeintroduces viewers to Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale), two rival stage magicians in 19th-century London.Both men are obsessed with getting the perfect teleportation trick, sending them into a rivalry that keeps growing and growing. Angier and Borden’s rivalry has tragic results, but it also brings one of the greatest plot twists of the decade and in Nolan’s career.
Borden perfects the trick first, but Angier, jealous and unable to figure out the trick, meets Nikola Tesla (David Bowie). Against Tesla’s warnings,Angier uses his machine to perform the teleportation trick, but instead of transporting him, it clones him. Angier disposes of the original every night, replacing himself with a clone. Knowing Borden would sneak in to discover his secret, he frames him for his death, and Borden is sentenced to death and hanged.
As it turns out, “Borden” is the shared identity of twin brothers, and that’s how they pulled off the teleportation trick.
Believing he has won,Angier adopts Borden’s daughter but is later killed in his theater by a mysterious figure revealed to be Borden. As it turns out, “Borden” is the shared identity of twin brothers, and that’s how they pulled off the teleportation trick.The Prestigebuilds up the tension and mystery, and it all pays off with the twist of the Borden twins, which no one, not even Angier himself, could have seen coming. Borden pulls off the ultimate trick both in the movie and with the audience, and it’s still Nolan’s greatest movie twist.
The Prestige Ending (& All Twists) Explained
The Prestige’s ending is packed to the brim with twists and turns. Here’s a breakdown of everything that happens in the film’s ending.
The Prestige Is Rarely Considered Among Christopher Nolan’s Best Movies, But It Should Be
The Prestige Is Painfully Underrated
Despite its great performances, tone, and plot twist,The Prestigeis often overlooked when talking about Nolan’s best works. Surely, movies likeInception,Interstellar, andThe Dark Knightgot higher critics' scores and performed better at the box office, but that doesn’t makeThe Prestigeany less impressive, exciting, and engaging.The Prestigehas all the elements of a Nolan moviedespite being an adaptation, and the rivalry between its two main characters keeps the audience’s attention and engagement until the end.
The Prestigehas been overshadowed by Nolan’s biggest productionsand more praised works, though it has received recognition through the years.The Prestigeis worth rewatching not just for the plot twist in Angier and Borden’s story, but also for the performances of the rest of the cast, its production design, music, and more, and should definitely be considered among Christopher Nolan’s best movies.
