Cup of Tea Critiques Podcast
A weekly podcast brought by the team that brings you cupofteacritiques.com, the site that encourages critical viewing of film so you can decide for yourself if they’re your "cup of tea." Reading the tea leaves of the film industry is challenging. Each week on the podcast, the team peels back the layers on a movie genre or industry trend to offer aspiring filmmakers some clarity and guidance on what is often rough and indecipherable terrain that is the film and television industry. So, grab a deep brew for a deep look and some hilarious moments.
Music by Julian Hartwell (Say No More - Gh3dEJ)
Fair Use Notice: The movies and TV series excerpted and discussed on the Cup of Tea Critiques Podcast are copyrighted productions. Cup of Tea Critiques Podcast refers to them for the purposes of social commentary and constructive criticism of the productions’ content, which constitutes "fair use" as codified in section 107 of U.S. Copyright law.
Cup of Tea Critiques Podcast
The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Plot Twists in Cinema
Have you ever felt invested in a movie’s characters and had a pretty good idea of the plot’s trajectory less than halfway through the story? How did you feel when things shifted? A main character who had won your heart got whacked; the story suddenly grew darker, leaving you disoriented; or the character you thought you knew well revealed their identity as someone entirely different. Join us on the Cup of Tea Critiques Podcast as we dive into plot twists and discuss why some work well, some fail miserably, and still others can be quite problematic.
Send us a comment to let us know your favorite plot twists.
For future updates, subscribe to our podcast wherever you listen, and for email updates on all things COTC, subscribe to our website using the link below:
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References
Deshler, Kira. “15 Best Movie Plot Twists of All Time.” Slash Film. (2025 March 21). https://www.slashfilm.com/1808751/best-movie-plot-twists-ranked/.
Feccomandi, Andrea. (2025). “What is a Plot Twist | Use and Examples in Narrative.” Bibisco. https://bibisco.com/blog/what-is-a-plot-twist-use-and-examples-narrative/#:~:text=It%20is%20a%20surprising%20turn,they%20knew%20about%20the%20story.
Hurst, J. A. “Screenwriter's Secret to Mindblowing Plot Twists.” Screenright with J. A. Hurst. [Film]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYFDR45I9HQ&t=507s.
Looper. “The Greatest Plot Twists In Movie History.” [Film]. (May 2025). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RkIPxOHSvE&t=987s.
The Second Story. “How To Write A Smart Plot Twist.” [Film]. (May 2025). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8qvK-kGkxo&t=245s.
Writer Brandon McNulty. “Bad Plot Twists vs Good Plot Twists (Writing Advice).” [Film]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvIiO32hPQQ&t=111s.
Writing for Screens. “Plot Twists.” [Film]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1OHRxseN5A&t=533s.
Footer
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